Frequency status observation system, frequency status observation method, and data calculation device

Abstract

In a frequency state observation system according to an embodiment of the present invention: a plurality of observation devices, which are previously installed at different positions within a prescribed area and carry out observation, observe spectra within a prescribed frequency range, and carry out wireless communication within the prescribed frequency range; a data arithmetic device receives the spectra and packet information together with time information therefor from the observation devices; and the data arithmetic device synchronizes the received spectra on the basis of the time information for the packet information corresponding to the spectra, and determines a frequency use state in the prescribed area or the type of a wireless system transmitting a radio wave in the prescribed area, on the basis of the synchronized spectra.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a frequency situation observation system, a frequency situation observation method, and a data calculation device. [Background technology]

[0002] As wireless communication becomes more important, many wireless communication systems coexist in unlicensed bands, and there are increasing cases of signals being transmitted while interfering with each other. In such cases, the selection of station locations and channels becomes important in order to build an optimal communication environment. Furthermore, the selection of station locations and channels must take interference into consideration.

[0003] Conventionally, site surveys have been used as a method for observing the usage status of surrounding channels (see, for example, non-patent documents 1 and 2). In a site survey, a measuring device is moved around the area where radio wave usage is to be observed, and a heat map is created from the observation results at multiple points. Note that site survey tools for wireless LANs, etc., demodulate wireless LAN signals to conduct surveys that evaluate the wireless LAN area and throughput. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] "AirMagnet Survey", Fluke Electronics Corporation, [online], Internet<URL:https: / / www.toyo.co.jp / files / user / img / product / ict / pdf / Surveyor_User_Guide86.pdf> [Non-Patent Document 2] "Ekahau Pro: Site Survey", Ekahau, [online], Internet<URL:https: / / www.kawamitu.co.jp / application / files / 5815 / 7588 / 2201 / pdf-002.pdf> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when conducting a site survey to identify radio wave interference, if the coexisting wireless signals are not just those of a specific wireless communication system such as wireless LAN, but are a mixture of multiple wireless communication systems, investigating only the wireless LAN signals is insufficient.

[0006] In addition, when the target area is large, a site survey in which observations are made at multiple locations while moving around takes time, and the radio wave usage situation may be changing, making it difficult to accurately measure the radio wave usage situation.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a frequency situation observation system, a frequency situation observation method, and a data calculation device that make it possible to observe frequency situations with high accuracy even when multiple wireless communication systems are mixed within a specified area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A frequency status observation system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a plurality of observation devices each arranged in advance at different positions within a specified area to perform observation, and a data calculation device which performs calculations based on results observed by each of the plurality of observation devices, wherein the observation device has a spectrum observation unit which observes a spectrum within a specified frequency range, a wireless communication unit which performs wireless communication within the specified frequency range, and a transmission unit which transmits to the data calculation device the spectrum observed by the spectrum observation unit and packet information used for wireless communication by the wireless communication unit together with time information indicating the corresponding time, and the data calculation device has a receiving unit which receives the spectrum and the packet information from each of the plurality of observation devices together with the respective time information, a synchronization processing unit which processes each of the spectrums received by the receiving unit so as to synchronize based on the time information of the packet information corresponding to the spectrum, and a determination unit which determines the frequency usage status within the specified area or the type of wireless systems transmitting radio waves within the specified area based on each of the spectrums processed by the synchronization processing unit to be synchronized.

[0009] Moreover, a frequency status observation method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a spectrum observation step of observing a spectrum in a predetermined frequency range by a plurality of observation devices each arranged in advance at different positions within a predetermined area and performing observation; a wireless communication step of performing wireless communication within the predetermined frequency range; a transmission step of transmitting the observed spectrum and packet information used in the wireless communication to a data calculation device together with time information indicating the corresponding time, respectively; a reception step of the data calculation device receiving the spectrum and the packet information together with the respective time information from each of the plurality of observation devices; a synchronization processing step of processing each of the spectrums received by the data calculation device so as to synchronize them based on the time information of the packet information corresponding to the spectrum; and a determination step of determining the frequency usage status within the predetermined area or the type of wireless system transmitting radio waves within the predetermined area based on each of the spectrums processed to be synchronized.

[0010] Furthermore, a data calculation device according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in having a receiving unit that receives spectra within a predetermined frequency range observed by a plurality of observation devices each disposed in advance at different positions within a predetermined area, and packet information used for wireless communication within the predetermined frequency range, together with time information indicating the corresponding time, a synchronization processing unit that processes each of the spectrums received by the receiving unit so as to synchronize them based on the time information of the packet information corresponding to the spectrum, and a determination unit that determines the frequency usage status within the predetermined area or the type of wireless system transmitting radio waves within the predetermined area, based on each of the spectrums processed to be synchronized by the synchronization processing unit. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, even if a plurality of wireless communication systems are present within a given area, it is possible to observe the frequency situation with high accuracy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a frequency situation observation system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating functions of an observation device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating functions of a data processing device. [Figure 4] 1A is a diagram showing the capture results of packets observed by an observation device and the scan results over time, FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the capture results of packets observed by an observation device and the scan results over time, and FIG. 1C is a diagram illustrating the results of synchronization processing performed by a synchronization processing unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a data calculation device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] A frequency situation observation system 1 according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a frequency situation observation system 1 according to an embodiment.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, a frequency situation observation system 1 in one embodiment includes a plurality of observation devices 2-1 to 2-5 that are pre-arranged at different positions within an observation area 100 to perform observations, and a data calculation device 3 that performs calculations based on the results observed by each of the observation devices 2-1 to 2-5.

[0015] It is assumed that a plurality of wireless communication systems including, for example, a wireless LAN are performing wireless communication within the observation area 100. It is also assumed that each wireless communication system includes a base station and a wireless terminal (not shown).

[0016] In addition, the basic bandwidth of each wireless communication system differs depending on the standard. For example, the bandwidth typically used is 125 kHz for LoRa (one of the standards for LPWA: Low Power Wide Area), and 400 kHz for WiSUN (Wireless Smart Utility Network).

[0017] Hereinafter, when there is no need to specify any one of a plurality of components such as observation devices 2-1 to 2-5, they will be simply referred to as observation device 2, etc.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating functions of the observation device 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the observation device 2 includes, for example, a spectrum observation unit 21, a wireless communication unit 22, and a control unit 4.

[0019] The spectrum observation unit 21 scans and observes the spectrum in a predetermined frequency range, and outputs information indicating the observed spectrum to the control unit 4.

[0020] The wireless communication unit 22 performs wireless communication within a predetermined frequency range, and outputs the results of the wireless communication (such as packet capture) to the control unit 4.

[0021] The control unit 4 includes an interface (I / F) unit 41, an interface (I / F) unit 42, a time storage unit 43, a data control unit 44, a data storage unit 45, and a transmission unit 46.

[0022] The I / F unit 41 is an interface that acquires information indicating the spectrum observed by the spectrum observation unit 21. The I / F unit 42 is an interface that acquires the result of the wireless communication performed by the wireless communication unit 22.

[0023] The time storage unit 43 acquires and stores the time when the spectrum observation unit 21 observed the spectrum via the I / F unit 41. The time storage unit 43 also acquires and stores the result of wireless communication performed by the wireless communication unit 22 via the I / F unit 42.

[0024] The data control unit 44 controls each unit constituting the control unit 4. In addition, the data control unit 44 performs a predetermined process on the data acquired from the spectrum observation unit 21 and the wireless communication unit 22.

[0025] The data storage unit 45 acquires and stores spectrum data observed by the spectrum observation unit 21 via the I / F unit 41. The data storage unit 45 also acquires and stores data acquired by the wireless communication unit 22 performing wireless communication via the I / F unit 42. The data storage unit 45 also stores data processed by the data control unit 44 (such as packet information, which will be described later).

[0026] The transmitting unit 46 transmits the data processed by the data control unit 44 to the data calculation device 3 via the data storage unit 45. For example, the transmitting unit 46 transmits the spectrum observed by the spectrum observing unit 21 and the packet information used for wireless communication by the wireless communication unit 22, together with time information indicating the corresponding times, to the data calculation device 3.

[0027] Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating functions of the data calculation device 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the data calculation device 3 includes a storage unit 30, a receiving unit 31, a synchronization processing unit 32, a determining unit 33, a position estimating unit 34, and a generating unit 35.

[0028] The data calculation device 3 may be configured as an on-premise server, or may be configured as a calculation resource on the cloud.

[0029] The storage unit 30 prestores, for example, three-dimensional map information within the observation area 100. The storage unit 30 is also adapted to store the results of calculations performed by the data calculation device 3.

[0030] The receiving unit 31 receives data transmitted by each of the observation devices 2-1 to 2-5, and outputs the data to the synchronization processing unit 32. For example, the receiving unit 31 receives the spectrum in a predetermined frequency range observed by each of the observation devices 2-1 to 2-5, and packet information used for wireless communication within the predetermined frequency range, together with time information indicating the corresponding time.

[0031] The receiving unit 31 may receive data at all times, or may receive data periodically.

[0032] The synchronization processing unit 32 performs processing for time synchronization of the data received by the receiving unit 31, for example, based on the sequence number of the wireless LAN signal, and outputs the result to the determining unit 33. For example, the synchronization processing unit 32 performs processing to synchronize each spectrum received by the receiving unit 31 based on time information of packet information corresponding to the spectrum.

[0033] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic example of a process performed by the synchronization processing unit 32. Fig. 4(a) is a diagram showing the capture result of a packet observed by, for example, the observation device 2-1 and the scan result over time. Fig. 4(b) is a diagram showing the capture result of a packet observed by, for example, the observation device 2-2 and the scan result over time. Fig. 4(c) is a diagram showing an example of the result of the synchronization process performed by the synchronization processing unit 32.

[0034] For example, the synchronization processing unit 32 organizes the sequence numbers of packets sent from each of the terminals of the multiple wireless communication systems within the observation area 100 according to the destination, and compares packets whose source is the same terminal.

[0035] Furthermore, even if some packets have failed to be captured, the synchronization processing unit 32 utilizes other multiple capture results.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 4(c), the synchronization processor 32 synchronizes the scan results based on the timing at which the packets were transmitted (packet information) to generate an aggregated result.

[0037] It should be noted that the synchronization processing unit 32 does not need to use the same channel as the spectrum observation unit 21 when synchronizing the packet capture results based on the packet information.

[0038] For example, the spectrum observation unit 21 may observe the 916 MHz to 920 MHz band, and the wireless communication unit 22 may perform packet capture of signals in the 922 MHz to 923 MHz band.

[0039] The synchronization processor 32 synchronizes the spectrum (scan result) based on the packet capture result, thereby making the synchronization accuracy comparable to the time accuracy of the capture. For example, if the time accuracy of the capture is within a few msec, it is also possible to use the observation result of a signal of several tens of msec for synchronization.

[0040] For example, if the observation area 100 is an area of ​​several hundred meters square, the error range is considered to be several msec even when the delay time of radio waves is taken into consideration. This synchronization range is within the range that the observation device 2 can capture.

[0041] In this way, the synchronization processing unit 32 may synchronize between the observation devices 2-1 to 2-5 using the results (sequence number and capture result) of the wireless communication unit 22 capturing each demodulatable signal, such as a wireless LAN signal, based on the scan results of multiple spectrum observation units 21.

[0042] The determination unit 33 has, for example, a utilization status determination unit 330 and a wireless system determination unit 332, performs a predetermined determination, and outputs the determination result to the position estimation unit .

[0043] The utilization status determination unit 330 determines the utilization status of frequencies within the observation area 100 based on each spectrum processed by the synchronization processing unit 32 for synchronization, and outputs the determined utilization status to the wireless system determination unit 332 .

[0044] The wireless system determination unit 332 determines the type of wireless system transmitting radio waves within the observation area 100 based on each of the spectrums processed for synchronization by the synchronization processing unit 32 and the determination results obtained by the usage status determination unit 330, and outputs the determined type to the position estimation unit 34.

[0045] The position estimation unit 34 estimates the position of each wireless terminal and base station for each wireless communication system within the observation area 100 based on the judgment result (type of wireless communication system) determined by the wireless system judgment unit 332, and outputs the estimation results to the memory unit 30 and the generation unit 35.

[0046] Furthermore, the position estimation unit 34 may estimate the signal reachable range of the wireless terminal based on the estimated position of the wireless terminal and the radio wave intensity observed by the spectrum observation unit 21.

[0047] The position estimation unit 34 can also identify each signal strength that can be estimated to have been transmitted from the same terminal from the signal strengths in multiple synchronized scan results. Therefore, the position estimation unit 34 can estimate the distance between one terminal and each spectrum observation unit 21 from the strength information of the signal transmitted from that terminal, and can estimate the position of the terminal from the observation results of three or more points (principle of three-point positioning).

[0048] Furthermore, the position estimation unit 34 may further utilize beacon information and the like to estimate the position of the terminal, etc. In this case, the position estimation unit 34 can improve the accuracy of position estimation by combining the scan result and the beacon information.

[0049] The generation unit 35 generates a radio wave propagation model, etc. within the observation area 100 based on the three-dimensional map information within the observation area 100 stored in the memory unit 30 and the estimation results of the position estimation unit 34 (the positions of the wireless terminal and base station), and stores the generated radio wave propagation model, etc. in the memory unit 30.

[0050] That is, the generation unit 35 generates a propagation model to enable estimation of the radio wave arrival direction from synchronous observation results at multiple positions. The generation unit 35 may also generate the propagation model using the radio wave reception strength and GPS information.

[0051] In this way, the frequency situation observation system 1 determines the type of wireless communication system of the observed spectrum from the bandwidth and signal duration predicted for the wireless signal in the frequency band within the observation area 100, and estimates the terminal position from the determination result.

[0052] In addition, since the wireless signal length observed by the frequency status observation system 1 is within a certain range, for example, if the signal is a signal of a parameter of a power company, the signal length can be predicted to some extent from the contents of the wireless frame. Therefore, it is also possible to determine the type of wireless communication system from the contents of the wireless frame.

[0053] In this way, the frequency situation observation system 1 according to one embodiment can make it possible to observe the frequency situation with high accuracy even when a plurality of wireless communication systems are present within a given area.

[0054] In addition, since the frequency status observation system 1 observes the characteristics (bandwidth and signal length) of the wireless signals used within the observation area 100, it is possible to determine the type of wireless signal, etc. even if the wireless signal cannot be demodulated.

[0055] In addition, since the frequency situation observation system 1 has observation devices 2-1 to 2-5 pre-placed at multiple locations, observations can be made at the same time, eliminating the need to consider time differences in radio wave usage conditions at each observation point, as occurs with conventional mobile observation methods.

[0056] In addition, each function possessed by the data calculation device 3 and the control unit 4 may be configured in part or in whole by hardware such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or may be configured as a program executed by a processor such as a CPU.

[0057] For example, the data calculation device 3 and the control unit 4 can each be realized using a computer and a program, and the program can be recorded on a storage medium or provided via a network.

[0058] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a data calculation device 3 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, for example, the data calculation device 3 has an input unit 50, an output unit 51, a communication unit 52, a CPU 53, a memory 54, and a HDD 55 connected via a bus 56, and has a function as a computer. In addition, the data calculation device 3 is configured to input and output data to and from a computer-readable storage medium 57.

[0059] The input unit 50 is, for example, a keyboard and a mouse, etc. The output unit 51 is, for example, a display device, etc. The communication unit 52 is, for example, a network interface, etc.

[0060] The CPU 53 controls each unit constituting the data calculation device 3 and performs predetermined processing, etc. The memory 54 and the HDD 55 store data, etc.

[0061] The storage medium 57 is capable of storing programs and the like for executing the functions of the data processing device 3. Note that the architecture constituting the data processing device 3 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 frequency status observation system, 2-1 to 2-5 observation device, 3 data calculation device, 4 control unit, 21 spectrum observation unit, 22 wireless communication unit, 30 storage unit, 31 receiving unit, 32 synchronization processing unit, 33 determining unit, 34 position estimation unit, 35 generating unit, 41 I / F unit, 42 I / F unit, 43 time storage unit, 44 data control unit, 45 data storage unit, 46 transmitting unit, 50 input unit, 51 output unit, 52 communication unit, 53 CPU, 54 memory, 55 HDD, 56 bus, 57 storage medium

Claims

1. A plurality of observation devices each arranged in advance at different positions within a predetermined area to perform observations; a data calculation device that performs calculations based on the results observed by each of the plurality of observation devices; Equipped with The observation device is a spectrum observation unit that observes a spectrum in a predetermined frequency range; a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication within a predetermined frequency range; a transmission unit that transmits to the data calculation device the spectrum observed by the spectrum observation unit and packet information used in wireless communication by the wireless communication unit together with time information indicating the corresponding times of the spectrum and packet information; having The data calculation device includes: A receiving unit that receives spectrum and packet information from each of the plurality of observation devices together with time information of each of the observation devices; a synchronization processing unit that processes each spectrum received by the receiving unit so as to synchronize the spectrum based on time information of packet information corresponding to the spectrum; a determination unit that determines a frequency usage status within the predetermined area or a type of a wireless system transmitting radio waves within the predetermined area based on each of the spectrums processed by the synchronization processing unit to be synchronized; A frequency situation observation system comprising:

2. Further comprising a location estimation unit that estimates a location of each wireless terminal located within the predetermined area based on the type of wireless communication system determined by the determination unit.

2. The frequency situation observation system according to claim 1,

3. A storage unit that stores three-dimensional map information within the predetermined area; a generation unit that generates a radio wave propagation model within the predetermined area based on the positions of the wireless terminals estimated by the position estimation unit and the three-dimensional map information stored in the storage unit; 3. The frequency status observation system according to claim 2,

4. a spectrum observation step of observing a spectrum in a predetermined frequency range by a plurality of observation devices each of which is pre-arranged at a different position within a predetermined area and performs observation; a wireless communication step of wirelessly communicating within a predetermined frequency range; a transmitting step of transmitting the observed spectrum and packet information used in the wireless communication together with time information indicating the corresponding times to a data processing device; a receiving step in which the data processing device receives spectrum and packet information from each of the plurality of observation devices together with time information of each of the observation devices; a synchronization processing step of processing each spectrum received by the data processing device so as to synchronize the spectrum based on time information of packet information corresponding to the spectrum; a determination step of determining a frequency usage status within the predetermined area or a type of a wireless system transmitting radio waves within the predetermined area based on each of the spectrums processed to be synchronized; A frequency situation observation method comprising:

5. The method further includes a position estimation step of estimating the position of each wireless terminal located within the predetermined area based on the determined type of wireless communication system.

5. The method for observing frequency conditions according to claim 4, further comprising:

6. The method further includes a generating step of generating a radio wave propagation model within the predetermined area based on the estimated positions of the wireless terminals and three-dimensional map information within the predetermined area.

6. The frequency status observation method according to claim 5, further comprising:

7. a receiving unit that receives a spectrum in a predetermined frequency range observed by a plurality of observation devices that are respectively arranged in advance at different positions within a predetermined area, and packet information used in wireless communication within the predetermined frequency range, together with time information indicating a time corresponding to each of the spectrum and packet information; a synchronization processing unit that processes each spectrum received by the receiving unit so as to synchronize the spectrum based on time information of packet information corresponding to the spectrum; a determination unit that determines a frequency usage status within the predetermined area or a type of a wireless system transmitting radio waves within the predetermined area based on each of the spectrums processed by the synchronization processing unit to be synchronized; A data calculation device comprising:

8. Further comprising a location estimation unit that estimates a location of each wireless terminal located within the predetermined area based on the type of wireless communication system determined by the determination unit.

8. The data processing device according to claim 7,

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