Distribution server, distribution server control method, and distribution server control program

Abstract

To carry out FOTA efficiently and equally among multiple communication devices connected to a base station. [Solution] A distribution server that distributes update software to multiple communication devices connected to a base station includes an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the communication method between the base station and the multiple communication devices from the multiple communication devices, a setting unit that sets a ratio for each communication method for the communication devices to which the update software is distributed in one distribution based on the information regarding the communication method, and a distribution unit that distributes the update software to the base station with the number of devices for each communication method set based on the ratio.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a distribution server, a control method for a distribution server, and a control program for a distribution server. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a technology called FOTA (Firmware Over The Air) is known for wireless communication devices, which updates the firmware (software program) of the device via wireless in order to correct defects or add functions. FOTA is also used for IoT (Internet of Things) devices, and for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a firmware providing device that provides firmware to IoT devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6762989 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a distribution server that distributes update software to a plurality of communication devices connected to a base station comprises an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the communication method between the communication devices and the base station from the plurality of communication devices, a setting unit that sets a ratio for each communication method for the communication devices to which the update software is distributed in one distribution based on the information regarding the communication method, and a distribution unit that distributes the update software to the base station with the number of devices for each communication method set based on the ratio.

[0005] In the distribution server according to one embodiment of the present invention, the acquisition unit may acquire information regarding the communication method via a management server that communicates with the communication device using a predetermined protocol.

[0006] In a distribution server according to one embodiment of the present invention, the distribution unit may distribute update software to a base station with a number of units to be distributed for each communication method, the number being obtained based on the maximum number and ratio that can be distributed to a base station in one distribution.

[0007] In the distribution server according to an embodiment of the present invention, the information on the communication method with the base station may include category M1.

[0008] In the distribution server according to one embodiment of the present invention, the information regarding the communication method with the base station may include NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things).

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a control method for a distribution server that distributes update software to a plurality of communication devices connected to a base station includes the steps of a computer acquiring information regarding the communication method between the communication device and the base station from the plurality of communication devices, setting a ratio for each communication method for the communication devices to which update software is to be distributed in one distribution based on the information regarding the communication method, and distributing the update software to the base station with the number of devices for each communication method set based on the ratio.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, a control program of a distribution server that distributes update software to multiple communication devices connected to a base station provides a computer with the following functions: acquiring information regarding the communication method between the base station and the multiple communication devices from the multiple communication devices; setting a ratio for each communication method for the communication devices to which update software is distributed in one distribution based on the information regarding the communication method; and distributing the update software to the base station with the number of devices for each communication method set based on the ratio. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]2(a) to (c) are schematic diagrams illustrating one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a distribution server and a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an example of a sequence between a communication device and a distribution server according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention (also referred to as the present invention) according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to those shown in the drawings. For example, the illustrated distribution server (information processing device), management server, base station, communication device (IoT device), core network, number of database servers, and sequence diagram are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0013] LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) is attracting attention as a communication technology for IoT. LPWA is a communication technology that realizes low power consumption and long distance communication, and is suitable for IoT devices that are installed in various indoor and outdoor locations and are powered by built-in batteries without external power sources. Examples of communication methods for IoT classified as LPWA include Category M1 (Category M1), which is an extension of LTE (Long Term Evolution) (registered trademark), and Narrow Band IoT (NB-IoT). Both Category M1 and NB-IoT are capable of long distance communication with low power consumption compared to LTE and Wi-Fi (registered trademark), but are characterized by narrow communication bands and slow communication speeds. Therefore, downloading data such as firmware update software, which is large in volume compared to data sent and received by IoT devices in normal operation, takes time, and there is a problem that the communication band is occupied for a long time. Therefore, an upper limit is set on the number of communication devices to which update software is distributed at one time. Here, there is a difference in the upper limit number of communication devices that can perform FOTA simultaneously between NB-IoT and Category M1 due to the difference in communication bands and communication speeds. Specifically, the number of devices to which update software can be distributed simultaneously is on the order of several thousand in Category M1, whereas it is only a few hundred in NB-IoT.

[0014] Thus, although the number of devices to which update software can be simultaneously distributed differs depending on the communication method, conventionally, when performing FOTA, differences in the communication method of the communication device are not taken into consideration. Therefore, if update software is distributed at the upper limit number for NB-IoT in order to reduce the failure rate of FOTA, the resources of category M1 are not utilized to the fullest extent, resulting in inefficiency. In contrast, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of IoT devices that execute FOTA may be different for each communication method of the IoT devices present in the cell. This makes it possible to realize stable FOTA while making the most of the resources for each communication method.

[0015] <System configuration> 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Distribution system 600 may be a system that distributes update software for updating firmware to communication device 200. Here, "distribution" may refer to making the update software available for communication device 200 to acquire. For example, distribution unit 113 may store the update software in a location where communication device 200 can download it, and notify communication device 200 of information about the location (URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the download destination).

[0016] The distribution system 600 may include a distribution server 100, a management server 101, a database server 400, a base station 300 (300A, 300B), a plurality of communication devices 200 (200Aa, 200Ab, ..., 200Ba, 200Bb, ...), and a mobile communication network 500. Here, the mobile communication network 500 may include a radio access network through which the base station 300 and the communication devices 200 exchange data, and a core network 50. In FIG. 1, the communication devices 200 connected to the base stations 300A, 300B are given the same capital alphabet A, B, respectively, and when distinguishing between the communication devices, lowercase alphabet a, b, ... are given. However, when there is no particular need to distinguish, the description will be given simply as the base station 300 and the communication device 200.

[0017] The communication device 200 may be any of various IoT devices connected to the base stations 300 and existing (located) within the cell of each base station 300. Hereinafter, the communication device 200 will be described as an IoT device installed in a smart meter for gas (city gas, LP gas), water, electricity, etc., and transmitting meter reading data of the meter. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the communication device 200 may be an IoT sensor used for infrastructure monitoring such as bridges and roads, a wearable device, etc.

[0018] The communication device 200 may be a device conforming to a communication method for IoT classified as LPWA, such as NB-IoT, category M1, etc. Each of the multiple communication devices 200 present in the cell of one base station 300 may communicate with the base station 300 using any of the multiple communication methods described above. For example, the communication method with the base station 300A may be different, such as NB-IoT for the communication device 200Aa and category M1 for the communication device 200Ab.

[0019] The distribution server 100 may have a function of managing firmware versions of each communication device 200 connected to the base station 300, and transmitting update software for updating the firmware of each communication device 200 as necessary (a function for executing FOTA). Note that the operator providing the update software may be different from the operator distributing it. For example, the update software may be provided by a manufacturer of each communication device 200, and distributed to each communication device 200 via the distribution server 100 by a communication operator managing the base station 300.

[0020] The management server 101 may function as an IoT-PF (platform) that processes the meter reading values ​​of each smart meter transmitted from each communication device 200 and transfers necessary data to the administrator of the smart meter. The management server 101 may remotely control the communication device 200 via the mobile communication network 500, and the management server 101 may be connected to a centralized monitoring center (not shown) where the administrator waits. The management server 101 and the distribution server 100 may be provided as the same server, or the functions may be distributed to multiple servers. The management server 101 and the distribution server 100 may be any device as long as they are information processing devices that can realize the functions described in each embodiment, and may include, for example, a server device, a computer (for example, but not limited to, a desktop, a laptop, a tablet, etc.), a communication platform, etc.

[0021] The database server 400 may store various data for associating each communication device 200 with the base station 300, and various information required for processing related to FOTA. For example, the database server 400 may store information on the communication device 200 that is to perform FOTA. Note that in FIG. 1, the database server 400 is shown separately from the distribution server 100, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the data stored in the database server 400 may be stored in, for example, the storage unit 170 of the distribution server 100. Also, the database server 400 may exist separately for each type of data to be stored and for each entity that manages the database.

[0022] The core network 50 may include nodes such as a mobility management entity (MME), a serving gateway (S-GW), a packet data network gateway (P-GW), and a service capability exposure function (SCEF), which are not shown in the figure. The MME has a function of performing location management, authentication management, and session management between each node (i.e., management of communication bearers) of the communication device 200. The MME also has a function of transmitting paging to the base station 300 when calling the communication device 200. The S-GW has a function as a gateway that routes and transfers user packets between the base station 300 and the core network 50. The P-GW has a function as a gateway that assigns an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the communication device 200 that can be used in an IP communication network after the core network 50, and enables communication between the communication device 200 and an external network of the mobile communication network 500 by using the IP address. In addition, the S-GW and the P-GW may be integrated into one node. The core network 50 may further include a Service Capability Server (SCS) (not shown).

[0023] <Embodiment> An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0024] First, the distribution server 100 may acquire information on the communication device 200 for which FOTA should be performed based on information stored in the database server 400. The communication device for which FOTA should be performed may be, for example, a communication device that requires a firmware update for adding functions, addressing vulnerabilities, or updating to comply with communication standards. The information on the communication device for which FOTA should be performed may be listed in, for example, a CSV data file format in the database server 400. Hereinafter, the communication device for which FOTA should be performed is also referred to as the communication device to which the update firmware is to be distributed.

[0025] The distribution server 100 may acquire, from the communication device 200 to which the update software is to be distributed, identification information for identifying the base station 300 to which the communication device 200 is connected. The identification information for identifying the base station may be a cell ID (IDentifier: a type of identification information). The cell ID may be a number that is uniquely assigned to the base station and uniquely identifies the communication range (cell) of the base station. When connecting to the base station 300, the communication device 200 may store the cell ID of the connection destination base station 300 in a storage unit of the communication device 200. The distribution server 100 may request the management server 101 for the cell ID of the communication device 200. In response to a request from the distribution server 100, the management server 101 may request the communication device 200 to transmit the cell ID, and transmit the cell ID acquired from the communication device 200 to the management server 101. This makes it possible to reliably acquire the cell ID.

[0026] The communication device 200 may transmit and receive data to and from the distribution server 100 using the LwM2M protocol. In LwM2M, a format called a resource model is used for managing data. The resource model is a tree structure of objects, object instances, and resources, and each element is assigned a number. In one embodiment of the present invention, a cell ID for identifying the base station 300 to which the communication device 200 is connected may be stored in the resource "8" of the connectivity monitoring object "4". Therefore, the distribution server 100 may generate a command for specifying the resource " / 4 / 0 / 8" when requesting transmission of the cell ID. When the communication device 200 receives a request for specifying the resource " / 4 / 0 / 8" from the distribution server 100, the communication device 200 may read out the cell ID stored in the resource and transmit it to the distribution server 100. The method for identifying the base station 300 to which each communication device 200 is connected is not limited to the above.

[0027] Furthermore, the distribution server 100 may acquire information on the communication method between the communication device 200 and the base station 300 from the multiple communication devices 200. The information on the communication method may be information for identifying the communication method used by the communication device 200 for communication with the base station 300. The communication method may be a communication method equivalent to LPWA, such as the above-mentioned NB-IoT, category M1, etc. In one embodiment of the present invention, the communication method is not limited to NB-IoT and category M1. The distribution server 100 may request information on the communication method of the communication device 200 from the management server 101. In response to a request from the distribution server 100, the management server 101 may request the communication device 200 to transmit information on the communication method, and transmit the information on the communication method acquired from the communication device 200 to the management server 101.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, information related to the communication method of the communication device 200 may be stored as a network bearer in resource "0" of connectivity monitoring object "4". Therefore, the distribution server 100 may generate a command specifying the resource " / 4 / 0 / 0" when requesting transmission of information related to the communication method. When the communication device 200 receives a request specifying the resource " / 4 / 0 / 0" from the distribution server 100, it may read out the information stored in the resource (information related to the communication method) and transmit it to the distribution server 100.

[0029] FIG. 2(a) may be an example of a table associating communication devices 200 (200Aa, 200Ab, ...) to which update software is to be distributed and connected to the base station 200A with the communication method of the communication device 200. The table TB10 may store a communication device ID that uniquely identifies a communication device in association with the communication method of the communication device 200 having the communication device ID. Note that in FIG. 2(a), for simplicity, each ID is indicated by the symbol in FIG. 1. For example, referring to the table TB10, the communication method of the communication device 200Aa is NB-IoT, and the communication method of the communication device 200Ab is category M1. Note that the figure is an example, and the format of the table is not limited to this as long as the communication method of the communication device 200 can be identified.

[0030] The distribution server 100 may acquire the number of communication devices 200 for each communication method based on information on the communication method acquired from the plurality of communication devices 200. FIG. 2(b) may be a table storing the number of communication devices for each communication method connected to the base station 300A. For example, the table TB11 may be acquired based on the table TB10 in FIG. 2(a) and may store the number of communication devices 200 associated with each communication method. In the example of the table TB11, the communication devices 200 connected to the base station 300A and to which update software is to be distributed include 70 devices with a communication method of category M1 and 30 devices with a communication method of NB-IoT. Note that the numerical values ​​in the table TB11 are simplified to make the explanation easier to understand, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0031] The distribution server 100 may set a ratio of each communication method of the communication devices to which the update software is distributed in one distribution based on the number of communication devices 200 connected to the base station 300. This will be described with reference to FIG. 2(c). According to table TB11, the ratio of category M1 to NB-IoT may be "7:3". Therefore, the distribution server 100 may set the number of communication devices to which the update software is distributed in one distribution to be "7:3" for category M1 and NB-IoT. Then, the distribution server 100 may distribute the update software with the number of distributions for each communication method set based on the above ratio. That is, in FIG. 2(c), if band 40 indicates the number of distributions in one distribution, the update software may be distributed to each of the communication devices of category M1 and the communication devices of NB-IoT at a ratio of 7:3.

[0032] The above-mentioned advantages will be described. For example, in the state of table TB11, it is assumed that, among the communication devices 200 connected to the base station 300A, 20 are category M1 communication devices and 12 are NB-IoT communication devices. Also, it is assumed that the upper limit of the number of devices that can be distributed by each communication method is 10 for category M1 and 6 for NB-IoT. In this case, in the past, in order to reduce FOTA failures, the number of devices that can be distributed by the distribution server 100 at one time can be set to 6 in accordance with the number of NB-IoT devices. In this case, if update software is distributed to 6 devices at a time for a total of 32 communication devices, at least 6 distributions are required until the distribution is completed. Here, although category M1 has a wider bandwidth than NB-IoT and the number of devices that can be distributed is greater than 6, the resources that can be distributed by category M1 are not fully utilized.

[0033] In contrast, according to an embodiment of the present invention, update software may be distributed according to the communication method. Therefore, in the first distribution, the upper limit of 10 devices in category M1 may be adopted, and FOTA may be performed for 7 devices and 3 devices in category M1 and NB-IoT, respectively. This makes it possible to fully utilize resources to execute FOTA, and shortens the time required for FOTA for IoT devices.

[0034] Furthermore, the distribution server 100 may set the number of devices to which the software update can be distributed for each communication method based on the upper limit number of devices that can be distributed in one distribution and the above-mentioned ratio, as described above. This makes it possible to perform FOTA without wasting resources even if there is a limit to the number of devices to which the software update can be distributed.

[0035] Next, the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the distribution server 100 and the communication device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0036] <Distribution server> (1) Hardware configuration of distribution server 3 shows an example of a block diagram of the distribution server 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The distribution server 100 may include a control unit 110, a communication unit 120, an input / output unit 130, and a storage unit 170.

[0037] The memory unit 170 is typically realized by various recording media such as a hard disc drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), flash memory, etc., and may have the function of storing various programs and data required for the operation of the distribution server 100.

[0038] The control unit 110 is typically a processor, and may be realized by a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or the like. The control unit 110 may execute the functions and methods shown in each embodiment by reading a program stored in the storage unit 170 and executing a code or instruction included in the read program. The control unit 110 may realize each process disclosed in each embodiment by a logic circuit (hardware) or a dedicated circuit formed in an integrated circuit (IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, LSI (Large Scale Integration)), or the like. Furthermore, these circuits may be realized by one or more integrated circuits, and multiple processes shown in each embodiment may be realized by one integrated circuit.

[0039] The communication unit 120 is implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, communication software, or a combination of these, and transmits and receives various data to and from an external device. The communication may be performed either wired or wirelessly, and any communication protocol may be used as long as the communication between them can be performed. For example, the distribution server 100 and the communication device 200 may transmit and receive data using protocols for IoT such as LwM2M (Lightweight M2M), MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport), and CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol) established by OMA (Open Mobile Alliance). The communication unit 120 may transmit and receive various data using a communication bearer established between the distribution server 100 and each communication device 200.

[0040] The input / output unit 130 may include an input device for inputting various operations to the distribution server 100, and an output device for outputting the processing results processed by the distribution server 100. The input device includes, for example, a touch panel, a touch display, hardware keys such as a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, a camera (operation input via an image), and a microphone (operation input by voice). The output device outputs the processing results processed by the control unit 110, and includes, for example, a touch panel, a speaker, etc. The input device and the output device may be installed in a centralized monitoring center (not shown) for remotely monitoring the communication device 200, and may receive operations from a monitor (administrator) and output various information to the monitor.

[0041] The distribution server 100 may include an acquisition unit 111, a setting unit 112, and a distribution unit 113 as functions realized by the control unit 110. The acquisition unit 111 may acquire, from a communication device 200 to which update software is to be distributed, identification information (cell ID) for identifying a base station 300 to which the communication device 200 is connected. The acquisition unit 111 may also acquire information on a communication method between the communication device 200 and the base station 300 from a plurality of communication devices 200. The acquisition unit 111 may acquire the identification information via a management server 101 that communicates with the communication device 200 using a predetermined protocol. Here, the predetermined protocol may be LwM2M.

[0042] The setting section 112 may set a ratio for each communication method of the communication devices 200 to which update software is distributed in one distribution, based on the information related to the communication method of each communication device 200 acquired by the acquisition section 111.

[0043] The distribution unit 113 may distribute the update software to the base station 300 in the number of units to be distributed for each communication method that is set based on the ratio. Note that the distribution unit 113 may distribute the update software to the base station 300 in the number of units to be distributed for each communication method that is acquired based on the ratio and the upper limit number of units that can be distributed in one distribution.

[0044] <Communication Device> Next, a communication device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The communication device 200 may include a control unit 210, a communication unit 220, an input / output unit 230, and a storage unit 270. The control unit 210 and the communication unit 220 constituting the communication device 200 may be software or a module in which processing is performed by a processor executing a program stored in a memory. Alternatively, the control unit 210 and the communication unit 220 constituting the communication device 200 may be hardware such as a circuit or a chip.

[0045] The communication unit 220 may communicate with the base station 300 using a predetermined communication method, and may transmit and receive various data with the distribution server 100 and the management server 101 via the mobile communication network 500. For example, the communication unit 220 may be compatible with NB-IoT, Category M1, LTE, etc. as the predetermined communication method.

[0046] The control unit 210 may be composed of, for example, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) or the like, and may perform processing for operating the communication device 200 in compliance with NB-IoT, Category M1, etc., by executing a program stored in the memory unit 270.

[0047] Furthermore, the control unit 210 may execute various processes for connecting to the mobile communication network 500 (registering to the core network 50) and for disconnecting from the mobile communication network 500. Furthermore, the control unit 210 may download FOTA update software via the communication unit 220. Furthermore, the control unit 210 may update the firmware of its own device using the downloaded update software.

[0048] The storage unit 270 stores various programs and various data required for the operation of the communication device 200. The storage unit 270 may include, for example, a semiconductor memory (magnetic memory, flash memory, etc.). The storage unit 270 may also include a memory (RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc.) that provides a working area for the control unit 210. The storage unit 270 may store base station identification information (cell ID) 271 that uniquely identifies the base station 300 to which the device itself is connected, and information regarding the communication method (communication method information) 272.

[0049] The input / output unit 230 is an interface with an external device such as a sensor, and may include, for example, a U-bus interface, a Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (UART) interface, a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) interface, an I2C interface, etc. The communication device 200 may transmit data detected by a sensor connected via the input / output unit 230 to the management server 101, etc.

[0050] <Distribution process of software updates> The update software distribution process according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a sequence diagram between the distribution server 100 and the communication device 200 when executing the update software distribution process (FOTA). Note that the following description focuses on the NB-IoT communication device 200Aa and the category M1 communication device 200Ab connected to the base station 300A. It is also assumed that the distribution server 100 identifies that the communication devices 200Aa and 200Ab are connected to the base station 300A by the cell ID acquired from the communication devices 200Aa and 200Ab.

[0051] Upon receiving a request from the management server 101, the communication devices 200Aa and 200Ab may transmit information about the communication method of the own device via the management server 101 (steps S11 and S12). The distribution server 100 may acquire information about the communication method with the base station 300A from the multiple communication devices 200Aa and 200Ab of the software update (step S13). As a result, the table TB10 in FIG. 2(a) may be acquired.

[0052] The distribution server 100 may set a ratio for each communication method of the communication devices to which the update software is distributed in one distribution based on the information on the communication methods acquired from the communication devices 200Aa and 200Ab (step S14). As a result, the ratios in the table TB11 in FIG. 2(b) and FIG. 2(c) may be set.

[0053] Then, the distribution server 100 may distribute the update software to the base station 300A by the number of distribution units for each communication method set based on the ratio (steps S15, S16, S17). The update software may be distributed by sending a FOTA command (distribution notification) indicating that FOTA is to be executed to each communication device 200. The FOTA command may include information (URL) regarding the download destination of the update software.

[0054] The communication devices 200 may download the update software and update their own firmware using the downloaded update software. When the firmware update is completed, the communication devices 200Aa and 200Ab may transmit a notification indicating that FOTA is complete to the distribution server 100. Thereafter, a FOTA command may be further transmitted to the communication devices 200 to which the update software has not yet been distributed in the first distribution, the number of which is determined by the ratio set for each communication method.

[0055] Although the present invention has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that a person skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions included in each means, each step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to cause logical contradictions, and multiple means, steps, etc. can be combined into one or divided. In addition, the configurations shown in the above embodiments may be appropriately combined. For example, each component described as being included in the distribution server 100 may be realized by being distributed among multiple servers. In addition, the processing described as the function of the distribution server 100 may be performed by the communication device 200. Conversely, the processing that is to be performed by the communication device 200 may be performed by the distribution server 100 or the management server 101.

[0056] For example, in the above description, a cell ID is used as an example of identification information of a base station. However, an E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier (ECGI) may be used as identification information of a base station. Furthermore, in addition to the cell ID, information on a communication carrier that provides the base station 300 and information on an installation area of ​​the base station 300 may be used to identify the base station 300.

[0057] Also, the ratio of the number of delivery devices for each communication method may be changed according to a predetermined weighting. For example, the control unit 210 of each communication device 200 may acquire communication quality information related to the communication quality of the device itself, and transmit it to the management server 101 via the communication unit 220. The communication quality information may be, for example, Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR), etc., but is not limited thereto. The control unit 210 of the communication device 200 may measure the communication quality information based on the state of wireless communication, such as the reception strength of the radio wave received by the communication unit 220. Then, the distribution server 100 may lower the ratio of the number of delivery devices for a communication method with poor communication quality. This can reduce the probability of FOTA failure.

[0058] Also, for example, FOTA that specifies a communication method may be performed. For example, FOTA may be executed only for the NB-IoT communication device 200. This allows for more flexible execution of FOTA.

[0059] Each functional unit of the distribution server 100 or the communication device 200 may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, LSI (Large Scale Integration)) or a dedicated circuit, or may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Each functional unit may be realized by one or more integrated circuits, and the functions of multiple functional units may be realized by one integrated circuit.

[0060] The programs of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided in a state stored in a storage medium readable by an information processing device. The storage medium can store the programs in a "non-transitory tangible medium." The programs include, for example, software programs and information processing device programs. When each functional unit of the distribution server 100 as an information processing device is realized by software, the distribution server 100 functions as the acquisition unit 111, the setting unit 112, and the distribution unit 113 by the processor executing the programs loaded on the memory.

[0061] The storage medium may, where appropriate, include one or more semiconductor-based or other integrated circuits (ICs) (e.g., field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific ICs (ASICs), etc.), hard disk drives (HDDs), hybrid hard drives (HHDs), optical disks, optical disk drives (ODDs), magneto-optical disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy diskettes, floppy disk drives (FDDs), magnetic tapes, solid state drives (SSDs), RAM drives, secure digital cards or drives, any other suitable storage media, or any suitable combination of two or more of these. The storage medium may, where appropriate, be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile.

[0062] In addition, each embodiment of the present disclosure may be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which a program is embodied by electronic transmission. Note that the program of the present disclosure may be implemented using, for example, a script language such as JavaScript (registered trademark) or Python, C language, Go language, Swift (registered trademark), Koltin (registered trademark), Java (registered trademark), or the like.

[0063] According to each aspect of the present disclosure described above, by providing technology related to monitoring and maintenance of IoT devices for 5G and beyond network technologies, it is possible to contribute to the achievement of Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is to "build inclusive and sustainable industries, promote industry, innovation and infrastructure." [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 100 Distribution server (information processing device) 110 Control section 111 Acquisition Department 112 Setting section 113 Distribution Department 120 Communications Department 130 Input / output section 170 Storage section 101 Management Server 200 Communication equipment (IoT devices) 210 Control section 220 Communications Department 230 Input / output section 270 Storage section 271 Base Station Identification Information (Cell ID) 272 Communication method information 300 base stations 500 Mobile Communication Network 50 Core Network 600 Distribution System

Claims

1. A distribution server that distributes update software to a plurality of communication devices connected to a base station, an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding a communication method between the communication devices and the base station from the plurality of communication devices; a setting unit that sets a ratio for each of the communication methods of the communication devices that distribute the update software in one distribution based on information related to the communication methods; a distribution unit that distributes the update software to the base station by a distribution number for each of the communication methods that is set based on the ratio; A distribution server comprising:

2. The acquisition unit acquires information about the communication method via a management server that communicates with the communication device using a predetermined protocol. The distribution server according to claim 1 .

3. the distribution unit distributes the update software to the base station with the number of distributions for each of the communication methods acquired based on an upper limit number that can be distributed to the base station in one distribution and the ratio; The distribution server according to claim 1 .

4. The information regarding the communication method with the base station includes category M1 (Category M1), The distribution server according to claim 1 .

5. The information regarding the communication method with the base station includes NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things), The distribution server according to claim 1 .

6. A method for controlling a distribution server that distributes update software to a plurality of communication devices connected to a base station, comprising the steps of: The computer acquiring information regarding a communication method between the communication devices and the base station from the plurality of communication devices; setting a ratio of the communication devices to which the update software is distributed in one distribution based on information related to the communication methods; distributing the update software to the base station by the number of devices for each of the communication methods set based on the ratio; A method for controlling a distribution server.

7. A control program for a distribution server that distributes update software to a plurality of communication devices connected to a base station, comprising: On the computer, A function of acquiring information regarding a communication method between the plurality of communication devices and the base station from the plurality of communication devices; a function of setting a ratio for each of the communication methods of the communication devices that distribute the update software in one distribution based on information regarding the communication methods; a function of distributing the update software to the base station by a number of units for each of the communication methods set based on the ratio; A control program for the distribution server that makes this possible.

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