Handover of a Mobile Station of a Communication Device to a Peripheral Base Station Based on Communication Quality

Abstract

This communication control device comprises at least one processor configured to: identify, by a communication cell identification unit, a nearby communication cell accommodating a moving mobile station capable of communicating with a communication device; estimate, by a communication quality insufficiency estimation unit, insufficiency in communication quality of the communication device connected to the mobile station; and connect, by a connection control unit, the communication device for which insufficiency in communication quality has been estimated to a nearby base station providing the nearby communication cell. The mobile station comprises a communication device function unit that functions as a communication device for a nearby base station, and a base station function unit that functions as a base station for a communication device with which the mobile station can communicate. The mobile station is an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, the communication device function unit is a mobile termination (MT), and the base station function unit is a distributed unit (DU) (FIG. 2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the transition of a mobile station of a communication device to a surrounding base station based on communication quality.

Background Art

[0002] The number, types, and uses of wireless communication devices typified by smartphones and IoT (Internet of Things) devices are on the rise, and the expansion and improvement of wireless communication standards have continued. For example, commercial services of the fifth-generation mobile communication system known as "5G" started in 2018, but standardization is still underway at 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project). In addition, efforts have also begun towards standardization of "6G" or the sixth-generation mobile communication system as the next-generation wireless communication standard following 5G.

[0003] Mobile communication (hereinafter also referred to as mobile communication) networks for portable communication devices such as smartphones and mobile phones (hereinafter collectively referred to as communication devices) are generally constructed by communication cells (hereinafter also referred to as terrestrial communication cells or fixed communication cells) provided by base stations fixedly installed on the ground (hereinafter also referred to as terrestrial base stations or fixed base stations). However, there has been a problem that mobile communication cannot be performed outside the fixed communication cell, and even within the fixed communication cell, the quality of mobile communication may deteriorate depending on time and location.

[0004] In order to solve such problems, studies on mobile stations for supplementing the fixed communication cells provided by fixed base stations have been underway. As movable mobile stations, those such as communication satellites that function as base stations themselves (hereinafter also referred to as mobile base stations) or those such as repeaters that communicate with existing fixed base stations and mobile base stations to expand existing communication cells (hereinafter also referred to as relay stations) are assumed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-352894 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0006] When a mobile station is attached to a moving body such as a train or a bus, it is assumed that a communication device used by a passenger or the like mainly communicates via the mobile station. However, depending on the moving state of the mobile station and the like, sufficient communication quality may not be achieved.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a communication control device or the like that can supplement a mobile station and achieve sufficient communication quality. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a communication control device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes at least one processor that executes identifying a peripheral communication cell in which a moving mobile station capable of communicating with a communication device is located by a communication cell identifying unit, estimating a deficiency in communication quality of a communication device connected to the mobile station by a communication quality deficiency estimating unit, and connecting a communication device for which a deficiency in communication quality has been estimated to a peripheral base station that provides the peripheral communication cell by a connection control unit.

[0009] In this aspect, a communication device for which a deficiency in communication quality via a mobile station has been estimated is pre-connected to a peripheral base station around the mobile station. Therefore, even when the communication quality becomes insufficient at the mobile station, the communication device can enjoy sufficient communication quality via the peripheral base station.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a communication control method. This method includes identifying a peripheral communication cell in which a moving mobile station capable of communicating with a communication device is located, estimating a deficiency in communication quality of a communication device connected to the mobile station, and connecting a communication device for which a deficiency in communication quality has been estimated to a peripheral base station that provides the peripheral communication cell.

[0011] Still another aspect of the present disclosure is a storage medium. This storage medium stores a communication control program that causes a computer to identify a peripheral communication cell in which a mobile station that can communicate with a communication device is located, estimate a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device connected to the mobile station, and connect the communication device for which a deficiency in communication quality has been estimated to a peripheral base station that provides the peripheral communication cell.

[0012] Note that any combination of the above components, or those obtained by converting these expressions into methods, apparatuses, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc., are also included in the present disclosure.

Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, sufficient communication quality can be realized by supplementing the mobile station.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] FIG. 1 schematically shows an overview of a wireless communication system 1 to which a communication control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. The wireless communication system 1 complies with a 5G wireless communication system 11 that uses NR (New Radio) or 5G NR (Fifth Generation New Radio) as a radio access technology (RAT) and uses 5GC (Fifth Generation Core) as a core network (CN), a 4G wireless communication system 12 that uses LTE (Long Term Evolution) or LTE-Advanced as a radio access technology and uses EPC (Evolved Packet Core) as a core network, and a satellite communication system 13 that is responsible for satellite communication via a communication satellite 131. Although not shown, the wireless communication system 1 may include a wireless communication system of a generation earlier than 4G, may include a wireless communication system of a generation later than 5G (such as 6G), or may include any wireless communication system not associated with a generation such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0016] The 5G wireless communication system 11 includes a plurality of 5G base stations 111A, 111B, 111C (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as 5G base stations 111) that are installed on the ground and can communicate with communication devices 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as communication devices 2) such as smartphones also called user equipment (UE) by 5G NR. The base station 111 in 5G is also called a gNodeB (gNB). The communicable range or support range of each of the 5G base stations 111A, 111B, 111C is called a cell, and is illustrated as 112A, 112B, 112C (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as 5G cells 112), respectively.

[0017] The size of each 5G cell 112 of each 5G base station 111 is arbitrary, but typically ranges from several meters to several tens of kilometers in radius. Although there is no established definition, cells with a radius from several meters to ten meters are called femtocells, cells with a radius from ten meters to several tens of meters are called picocells, cells with a radius from several tens of meters to several hundreds of meters are called microcells, and cells with a radius exceeding several hundreds of meters may be called macrocells. In 5G, high-frequency radio waves such as millimeter waves are often used. Due to the high directivity, the radio waves are blocked by obstacles and the communication range becomes short. Therefore, in 5G, smaller cells tend to be used more frequently than in generations before 4G.

[0018] The communication device 2 can perform 5G communication if it is inside at least one of the plurality of 5G cells 112A, 112B, 112C. In the illustrated example, the communication devices 2B inside the 5G cells 112A and 112B can communicate with both of the 5G base stations 111A and 111B via 5G NR. Also, the communication device 2C inside the 5G cell 112C can communicate with the 5G base station 111C via 5G NR. The communication devices 2A and 2D are outside all of the 5G cells 112A, 112B, 112C, so they are in a state where they cannot communicate via 5G NR. The 5G communication via 5G NR between each communication device 2 and each 5G base station 111 is managed by the 5GC, which is the core network. For example, the 5GC performs data exchange with each 5G base station 111, data exchange with external networks such as the EPC, the satellite communication system 13, and the Internet, and mobility management of the communication device 2.

[0019] The 4G wireless communication system 12 includes a plurality of 4G base stations 121 (only one is shown in FIG. 1) installed on the ground and capable of communicating with the communication device 2 via LTE or LTE-Advanced. The base station 121 in 4G is also called an eNodeB (eNB). Similar to each 5G base station 111, the communication range or support range of each 4G base station 121 is also called a cell and is illustrated as 122.

[0020] If the communication device 2 is inside the 4G cell 122, 4G communication can be performed. In the illustrated example, the communication devices 2A and 2B inside the 4G cell 122 can communicate with the 4G base station 121 via LTE or LTE-Advanced. Since the communication devices 2C and 2D are outside the 4G cell 122, they are in a state where communication via LTE or LTE-Advanced is not possible. The 4G communication between each communication device 2 and each 4G base station 121 via LTE or LTE-Advanced is managed by the EPC, which is the core network. For example, the EPC performs data transfer with each 4G base station 121, data transfer with external networks such as the 5GC, the satellite communication system 13, and the Internet, and mobility management of the communication device 2.

[0021] Focusing on each of the communication devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, in the illustrated example, the communication device 2A is in a state where 4G communication with the 4G base station 121 is possible, the communication device 2B is in a state where 5G communication with the 5G base stations 111A and 111B and 4G communication with the 4G base station 121 are possible, and the communication device 2C is in a state where 5G communication with the 5G base station 111C is possible. When there are multiple communicable base stations (111A, 111B, 121) like the communication device 2B, one base station determined to be optimal from the perspective of communication quality and the like is selected under the management of the 5GC and / or the EPC, which is the core network, and communication with the communication device 2B is performed. Also, since the communication device 2D is not in a state where it can communicate with any of the 5G base stations 111 and the 4G base station 121, communication is performed using the satellite communication system 13 described below.

[0022] The satellite communication system 13 is a wireless communication system that uses a communication satellite 131 as a low-orbit satellite flying in the low-orbit space about 500 km to 700 km above the earth's surface as a non-terrestrial base station. Similar to the 5G base station 111 and the 4G base station 121, the communication range or support range of the communication satellite 131 is also called a cell and is illustrated as 132. In this way, the communication satellite 131 as a non-terrestrial base station provides a satellite communication cell 132 as a non-terrestrial communication cell to the ground. If the communication device 2 on the ground is inside the satellite communication cell 132, satellite communication can be performed. Similar to the 5G base station 111 in the 5G wireless communication system 11 and the 4G base station 121 in the 4G wireless communication system 12, the communication satellite 131 as a base station in the satellite communication system 13 can perform wireless communication directly with the communication device 2 in the satellite communication cell 132 or indirectly via an aircraft or the like. The radio access technology used by the communication satellite 131 for wireless communication with the communication device 2 in the satellite communication cell 132 may be the same 5G NR as the 5G base station 111, or the same LTE or LTE-Advanced as the 4G base station 121, or any other radio access technology that the communication device 2 can use. Therefore, the communication device 2 does not need to be provided with special functions or components for satellite communication.

[0023] The satellite communication system 13 includes a gateway 133 as a ground station installed on the ground and capable of communicating with a communication satellite 131. The gateway 133 is equipped with a satellite antenna for communicating with the communication satellite 131, and is connected to a 5G base station 111 and a 4G base station 121 as ground base stations constituting a terrestrial network (TN: Terrestrial Network). In this way, the gateway 133 interconnects a non-terrestrial network (NTN: Non-Terrestrial Network) constituted by the communication satellite 131 as a non-ground base station or a satellite base station and the TN constituted by the ground base stations 111 and 121 so that they can communicate with each other. When the communication satellite 131 performs 5G communication with a communication device 2 within the satellite communication cell 132 using 5G NR, the 5GC connected via the gateway 133 and the 5G base station 111 (or 5G radio access network) in the TN is used as the core network. When the communication satellite 131 performs 4G communication with the communication device 2 within the satellite communication cell 132 using LTE or LTE-Advanced, the EPC connected via the gateway 133 and the 4G base station 121 (or 4G radio access network) in the TN is used as the core network. In this way, appropriate cooperation is achieved among different wireless communication systems such as 5G communication, 4G communication, and satellite communication via the gateway 133.

[0024] Satellite communication by the communication satellite 131 is mainly used to cover areas where there are no or few ground base stations such as the 5G base station 111 and the 4G base station 121. In the illustrated example, a communication device 2D outside the communication cells of all the ground base stations communicates with the communication satellite 131. On the other hand, although the communication devices 2A, 2B, and 2C, which are in a state where they can communicate well with any of the ground base stations, are also within the satellite communication cell 132 and thus can communicate with the communication satellite 131, in principle, they communicate with the ground base stations rather than the communication satellite 131 as a satellite base station, so that the limited communication resources (including power) of the communication satellite 131 are saved for the communication device 2D and the like. The communication satellite 131 improves the communication quality with the communication device 2D by directing communication radio waves towards the communication device 2D within the satellite communication cell 132 through beamforming.

[0025] The size of the satellite communication cell 132 of the communication satellite 131 as a satellite base station can be arbitrarily set according to the number of beams emitted by the communication satellite 131. For example, by combining up to 2,800 beams, a satellite communication cell 132 with a diameter of about 24 km can be formed. As shown in the figure, the satellite communication cell 132 is typically larger than terrestrial communication cells such as 5G cells 112 and 4G cells 122, and may include one or more 5G cells 112 and / or 4G cells 122 therein. In the above, as a non-terrestrial base station in flight, the communication satellite 131 flying in the low-earth orbit space at a height of about 500 km to 700 km from the earth's surface is exemplified. However, a communication satellite flying in the high-orbit space such as a geostationary orbit at a higher altitude, or an unmanned or manned aircraft flying in the atmosphere such as the stratosphere at a lower altitude (for example, about 20 km from the earth's surface) may be used as a non-terrestrial base station in addition to or instead of the communication satellite 131.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the wireless communication system 1 was generally constructed by terrestrial communication cells 112 and 122 (hereinafter also referred to as fixed communication cells FC) provided by terrestrial base stations 111 and 121 (hereinafter also referred to as fixed base stations FS) fixedly installed on the ground. However, there was a problem that mobile communication could not be performed outside the fixed communication cell FC, and even within the fixed communication cell FC, the quality of mobile communication deteriorated depending on time and location. Note that the wireless communication system 1 may also include a satellite communication system 13 using the communication satellite 131 as a non-terrestrial base station or a mobile base station, but it is unrealistic to supplement the terrestrial network by the terrestrial base stations 111 and 121 only with the communication satellite 131.

[0027] To solve such problems, as schematically shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable to introduce a mobile station MS to supplement the fixed communication cell FC provided by the fixed base station FS (and / or the satellite communication cell 132 provided by a communication satellite 131 not shown). Examples of the movable mobile station MS include a mobile base station such as a communication satellite 131 that functions as a base station by itself, and a repeater (hereinafter also referred to as a relay station) that communicates with an existing fixed base station FS or communication satellite 131 (mobile base station) to expand the existing fixed communication cell FC or satellite communication cell 132. The mobile station MS in the example of FIG. 2 is an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node.

[0028] IAB is a technology defined in 5G. It is a technology for expanding a communication cell by a parent node using a wireless backhaul between a base station serving as an IAB donor (parent node) and an IAB node (child node), and / or between parent and child IAB nodes (the IAB node closer to the IAB donor becomes the parent node, and the IAB node farther from the IAB donor becomes the child node). Here, "expansion of a communication cell" includes not only expanding the area covered by an existing communication cell, but also improving the communication quality of at least a part of the existing communication cell. Further, "expansion of the area covered by a communication cell" includes not only expanding the area in the horizontal plane of an existing communication cell, but also expanding the existing communication cell in the vertical direction, for example, underground, above a building, and / or to lower floors.

[0029] In 6G, for which standardization efforts have started, the use of sub-terahertz waves and terahertz waves with frequencies higher than the millimeter waves introduced in 5G is envisioned, and it is assumed that the directivity of radio waves will be higher and the communication distance will be shorter. Therefore, an IAB node (the name may change in 6G) or the like that can flexibly expand a communication cell is embedded in various devices including IoT devices, wearable devices, and mobility devices such as vehicles, and a use case is envisioned to realize a desired communication range as a whole. For this reason, the present embodiment using an IAB node is considered to be useful also in future wireless communication standards such as 6G.

[0030] In FIG. 2, the mobile station MS as an IAB node functions as a communication function unit 41 that functions as a communication device for a parent node including a fixed base station FS, and a base station function unit 42 that functions as a base station for a communication device 2 with which the mobile station MS can communicate. In 5G, the communication function unit 41 is defined as MT (Mobile Termination) or IAB-MT, and the base station function unit 42 is defined as DU (Distributed Unit: distributed unit) or IAB-DU. Note that in other radio communication systems including generations after 5G, including a CU (Central Unit: centralized unit) not shown in the figure, it is assumed that functions similar to IAB, MT, DU, and CU are provided under different names. However, in the present embodiment, such similar functions may be used as IAB, MT, DU, and CU.

[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates one fixed base station FS. The fixed base station FS provides a fixed communication cell FC. The baseband function of the fixed base station FS may be divided into a centralized unit (CU) on the core network side (not shown) and a distributed unit (DU) on the communication device 2 side. The distributed unit (not shown) of the fixed base station FS is provided near a radio device such as an antenna of the fixed base station FS, typically in the same base station facility as the radio device. The centralized unit (not shown) of the fixed base station FS is connected to the core network. The connections between the radio device such as an antenna and the distributed unit, between the distributed unit and the centralized unit, and between the centralized unit and the core network in the fixed base station FS are typically by wire such as a wire or an optical fiber, but part or all of each connection may be wireless.

[0032] When the communication function unit 41 (IAB-MT) of the mobile station MS is located within the fixed communication cell FC, it can be wirelessly connected to the distributed unit of the fixed base station FS. In this case, the mobile station MS functions as a child node with the fixed base station FS as the parent node or IAB donor, and expands the fixed communication cell FC by the fixed base station FS as the parent node. Then, the base station function unit 42 (IAB-DU) of the mobile station MS provides a mobile communication cell (not shown) as the extended communication cell of the fixed communication cell FC to the communication device 2. Note that the mobile station MS may use a base station not shown in the figure (for example, communication satellite 131) other than the illustrated fixed base station FS as the parent node, and provide the extended communication cell of its communication cell (for example, satellite communication cell 132) within the illustrated fixed communication cell FC. That is, the parent node of the mobile station MS may be any base station available according to the location of the mobile station MS.

[0033] Except when the mobile station MS can move (fly) autonomously like the communication satellite 131, it is attached to a movable mobile body. The mobile body is any movable object or person, including, for example, any vehicle such as an automobile, a train, a motorcycle, a bicycle, an airplane, a ship, etc. Further, the mobile station MS may be a communication device 2 carried by a moving person, for example, a communication device 2 having a tethering function or a personal hot spot function. Since such a communication device 2 (mobile station MS) generally functions as a wireless LAN access point, the RAT (for example, 5G NR) used by the base station of the expansion source (for example, fixed base station FS) and the RAT used by the mobile station MS of the expansion destination may be different. In this embodiment, an example in which a plurality of mobile stations MS1 to MS3 (collectively referred to as mobile stations MS as necessary) are attached to a plurality of vehicles C1 to C3 of a train as a mobile body will be described. Also, as described above, the parent nodes of each of the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 are arbitrary, but in the example of this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, it is assumed that the parent nodes of each of the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 are all the illustrated fixed base station FS.

[0034] As in the illustrated example, when a plurality of mobile stations MS1 to MS3 are attached to a moving body such as a train, it is assumed that the communication device 2 used by passengers or the like mainly communicates via any of the mobile stations MS1 to MS3. However, since the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 sometimes move at high speed together with the moving body, there is a possibility that a stable communication environment cannot be provided inside the moving body. Therefore, a first object of the present embodiment is to provide a communication control device 3 that can supplement the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 and provide a stable communication environment. Further, depending on the moving situation of the moving body to which the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 are attached, sufficient communication quality may not be realized. Therefore, a second object of the present embodiment is to provide a communication control device 3 that can supplement the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 and realize sufficient communication quality.

[0035] The communication control device 3 includes a movement information acquisition unit 31, a communication cell identification unit 32, a communication device movement detection unit 33, a connection control unit 34, a communication quality requirement detection unit 35, and a communication quality deficiency estimation unit 36. As long as the communication control device 3 exhibits at least a part of the operations and / or effects described below, some of these functional blocks can be omitted. In particular, when it is desired to achieve only one of the first object and the second object of the present embodiment described above, functional blocks related to the other object and some of their functions can be omitted. These functional blocks are realized by the cooperation of hardware resources such as a central processing unit of a computer, a memory, an input device, an output device, and peripheral devices connected to the computer, and software executed using them. Regardless of the type and installation location of the computer, each of the above functional blocks may be realized by the hardware resources of a single computer, or may be realized by combining the hardware resources distributed among a plurality of computers. In particular, in the present embodiment, some or all of the functional blocks of the communication control device 3 may be realized centrally or distributively by a computer or a processor provided in a communication device 2, a mobile station MS (including a moving body), a base station such as a fixed base station FS, or a core network (not shown).

[0036] The movement information acquisition unit 31 acquires movement information regarding the movement of the mobile station MS. In the present embodiment, since the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 are attached to the vehicles C1 to C3 as moving bodies, the movement information acquisition unit 31 may acquire movement information regarding the movement of each of the vehicles C1 to C3 and the entire train as the movement information of the mobile station MS. The movement information includes at least any one of the movement route of the mobile station MS, the arrival time of the mobile station MS at each position on the movement route, the traffic congestion situation on the movement route (particularly in the case where the moving body is a vehicle traveling on a public road such as a bus or a car), the movement speed of the mobile station MS, the movement direction of the mobile station MS, and the current position of the mobile station MS. Some or all of these movement information can be acquired from the train itself, the mobile station MS itself, the communication device 2 used by the people riding in the vehicles C1 to C3, a movement instruction device (not shown) that gives a movement instruction to the train remotely, and the like. For example, the movement route, the arrival time at each position on the movement route, and the traffic congestion situation on the movement route can be acquired from a map application or a navigation application installed in the train, the mobile station MS, the communication device 2, the movement instruction device, and the like. Also, the movement speed, the movement direction, and the current position can be acquired from a positioning module such as a GPS module installed in the train, the mobile station MS, the communication device 2, and the like. The movement information acquisition unit 31 may detect that the train, that is, the mobile station MS, is in a moving state and the movement speed when the base station of the parent node of the mobile station MS as a child node in the IAB switches according to the movement of the train.

[0037] The communication cell identification unit 32 identifies the surrounding communication cells in which the mobile station MS is located. Here, the surrounding communication cells are communication cells that the communication device 2 in the train or the communication device 2 that moves together with the train (that is, the mobile station MS) can be directly connected to without passing through the mobile station MS. As shown in the figure, typically, the fixed communication cell FC through which the train is passing is the surrounding communication cell. Hereinafter, the base station that provides such a surrounding communication cell is also referred to as a surrounding base station. In the example shown in the figure, the fixed base station FS that provides the fixed communication cell FC as the surrounding communication cell is the surrounding base station, but the surrounding base station is not limited to the fixed base station FS and may be a ground base station or a non-ground base station (such as the communication satellite 131) that moves in a manner different from the train.

[0038] In the illustrated example, the communication cell identification unit 32 identifies the fixed communication cell FC as the peripheral communication cell around the mobile station MS. For example, the communication cell identification unit 32 identifies the peripheral communication cell (fixed communication cell FC) where the mobile station MS is located based on the movement information of the mobile station MS acquired by the movement information acquisition unit 31. Specifically, by comparing the arrangement information of each communication cell managed by a core network (not shown) or an aggregation unit to which a base station group including a peripheral base station (fixed base station FS) is connected, with the movement information of the mobile station MS acquired by the movement information acquisition unit 31, the peripheral communication cell (fixed communication cell FC) that the mobile station MS is currently passing through and the communication cell that the mobile station MS will pass through at a future time are identified.

[0039] The communication device movement detection unit 33 detects that the communication device 2 in the peripheral communication cell (fixed communication cell FC) moves together with the mobile station MS (i.e., the train). In other words, the communication device movement detection unit 33 detects the communication device 2 in the train. Similar to the movement information acquisition unit 31 that acquires the movement information of the mobile station MS, the communication device movement detection unit 33 may acquire the movement information of the communication device 2. Part or all of the movement information of the communication device 2 can be acquired from a map application or a navigation application installed in the communication device 2 itself, or a positioning module such as a GPS module installed in the communication device 2 itself. The communication device movement detection unit 33 can detect the relative movement of the communication device 2 with respect to the mobile station MS (i.e., the train) by comparing the movement information of the communication device 2 acquired by itself with the movement information of the mobile station MS acquired by the movement information acquisition unit 31. For example, the communication device movement detection unit 33 can detect not only that the communication device 2 is in the train but also that the communication device 2 is moving in the train (e.g., moving between vehicles C1 to C3) (the bidirectional arrow shown behind the communication device 2 in FIG. 2 symbolically represents the movement in the train).

[0040] Specifically, the communication device movement detection unit 33 (and the movement information acquisition unit 31) can recognize whether each communication device 2 is making a significant relative movement with respect to each mobile station MS1 to MS3 (i.e., vehicles C1 to C3) by acquiring the relative distance, relative speed, relative acceleration, etc. between each communication device 2 and each mobile station MS1 to MS3. For example, a communication device 2 with a relative distance to the mobile station MS that is substantially constant or below a predetermined value, or a communication device 2 with a relative speed and relative acceleration with respect to the mobile station MS that are substantially zero, is recognized as a communication device 2 that is not making a significant relative movement with respect to the mobile station MS (i.e., a communication device 2 that moves with the mobile station MS).

[0041] Note that the communication device movement detection unit 33 (and the movement information acquisition unit 31) can recognize the presence or absence of a significant relative movement of the communication device 2 with respect to the mobile station MS without directly acquiring the movement information of the communication device 2 and / or the mobile station MS. For example, when the user of the communication device 2 checks in using the communication device 2 etc. when boarding a train (for example, when holding the communication device 2 near a contactless reader provided at a ticket gate or a train boarding gate), or when purchasing a train boarding ticket online using the communication device 2 etc., it is strongly suggested that the corresponding communication device 2 does not make a relative movement with respect to the mobile station MS (i.e., the train). Alternatively, simply based on the fact that the communication device 2 is continuously or intermittently connected to the mobile station MS, it may be presumed that the communication device 2 is inside the train (strictly speaking, inside the mobile communication cell provided by the mobile station MS).

[0042] The connection control unit 34 controls the communication device 2 inside the mobile communication cell (not shown) provided by the mobile station MS (i.e., inside the train) to be in a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station MS and the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS). In this way, by the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) supplementing the mobile station MS, a stable communication environment can be provided for the communication device 2 inside the mobile communication cell (i.e., inside the train). Therefore, the first object of the present embodiment of providing a communication control device 3 that can supplement the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 and provide a stable communication environment is achieved.

[0043] Specifically, technologies such as dual connectivity (DC) and carrier aggregation (CA) can be utilized. Note that in other wireless communication systems including wireless communication systems of generations after 5G, it is assumed that technologies similar to DC and CA may be provided under different names, but in this embodiment, such similar technologies are also referred to as DC and CA including them.

[0044] The connection control unit 34 that utilizes DC controls the communication device 2 within the mobile communication cell to be in a state where it can be simultaneously connected to the mobile station MS and the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS). FIG. 3 schematically shows an example in which the communication device 2 (UE) within the train is dually connected to both the surrounding base station and the mobile station MS (IAB Node 1) by DC. The surrounding base station and the mobile station MS cooperate via an inter-station interface IF such as an X2 interface or an Xn interface to provide a substantially single user plane function (UPF: User Plane Function) to the communication device 2. Also, the surrounding base station and the mobile station MS are connected to the same central unit and / or core network.

[0045] FIG. 4 schematically shows an example in which an edge computer that controls a plurality of mobile stations MS1 to MS3 (IAB Node 1-3) attached to a plurality of vehicles C1 to C3 of a train is attached to the train. The edge computer is provided to implement so-called multi-access edge computing (MEC) on the train. The edge computer may execute part or all of the processing related to the execution of DC instead of the central unit and / or core network. Also, the edge computer integrally controls the plurality of mobile stations MS1 to MS3 of the train and functions as an inter-station interface IF with the surrounding base station and an interface with the central unit and / or core network.

[0046] The connection control unit 34 using CA controls the communication device 2 within the mobile communication cell to be in a communicable state by an integrated carrier wave obtained by bundling the carrier wave of the mobile station MS and the carrier waves of the surrounding base stations (fixed base stations FS). Whether using DC or CA, the frequency bands and / or carrier waves borne by the mobile station MS are processed by the mobile station MS, and the frequency bands and / or carrier waves borne by the surrounding base stations (fixed base stations FS) are processed by the surrounding base stations (fixed base stations FS). However, as also shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, since the mobile station MS (IAB Node 1-3) and the surrounding base stations are all connected to the central unit and / or the core network and are integrally controlled, even if a plurality of different stations are used, one communication can be realized as a whole.

[0047] DC and CA as described above can be implemented in any combination of the mobile station MS and the surrounding base stations. However, it is preferably implemented in the illustrated combination of the mobile station MS as a child node in IAB and the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) as a parent node in IAB. In this case, since the mobile station MS as a child node is directly controlled by the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) as a parent node, the dependence on the upper central unit and core network is reduced, and DC and CA can be efficiently realized at the level of the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS).

[0048] As in the illustrated example, when the mobile station MS is attached to a moving body such as a train, although it is considered desirable that the communication device 2 used by its passengers or the like mainly communicates via the mobile station MS, since the train to which the mobile station MS is attached moves at high speed and the surrounding environment may change drastically, depending only on the mobile station MS will make the communication environment inside the train unstable. Therefore, as in this embodiment, the communication cell specifying unit 32 always grasps the surrounding communication cells (fixed communication cells FC) around the train (i.e., the mobile station MS), and the connection control unit 34 enables the communication device 2 inside the train to use the communication resources (frequency band and carrier wave) of the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) at any time as needed. In this way, even when the communication by the mobile station MS becomes unstable, stable communication can be realized via the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS).

[0049] Specifically, when a passenger on the train moves between cars C1 to C3, since the decks or the like provided at the ends of each of the cars C1 to C3 are located at the edges of the mobile communication cells of each of the mobile stations MS1 to MS3, the communication is likely to become unstable. In this way, the communication device 2 located at the edge of each of the mobile communication cells of each of the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 can communicate stably via the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) without depending only on the unstable mobile stations MS1 to MS3. Also, when passengers are concentrated in a specific car C1 of the train, a large amount of traffic from a large number of communication devices 2 concentrates on the mobile station MS1 attached to the car C1. In this way, by distributing at least a part of the traffic of the communication device 2 inside the car C1 where sufficient throughput cannot be obtained due to the concentration of passengers, not to the mobile station MS1 but to the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS), the stability of the communication inside the car C1 can be substantially improved.

[0050] In addition, by controlling the communication device 2 in the train to be connectable to both the mobile station MS and the surrounding base stations (fixed base station FS) by DC or CA, it is possible to avoid a situation where the communication device 2 frequently transitions from one of the mobile station MS and the surrounding base stations (fixed base station FS) to the other. Such an inter-station transition generally involves signals related to handover and signals related to a change in the tracking area (when the tracking areas to which the mobile station and the surrounding base stations belong are different). According to this embodiment, it is possible to effectively prevent the frequent occurrence of such substantially unnecessary signals.

[0051] Based on the movement information of the mobile station MS (i.e., the train) acquired by the movement information acquisition unit 31, the connection control unit 34 may switch the communication device 2 in the mobile communication cell between a state where it can be connected only to the mobile station MS and a state where it can be connected by DC or CA to both the mobile station MS and the surrounding base stations (fixed base station FS).

[0052] For example, when the speed of the mobile station MS detected based on the movement information acquired by the movement information acquisition unit 31 with respect to the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) of the mobile station MS is greater than a predetermined speed threshold, the connection control unit 34 switches the communication device 2 in the mobile communication cell to a state where it can be connected only to the mobile station MS. When the speed of the mobile station MS detected based on the movement information acquired by the movement information acquisition unit 31 with respect to the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) of the mobile station MS is less than or equal to the speed threshold, the connection control unit 34 may switch the communication device 2 in the mobile communication cell to a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station MS and the surrounding base stations (fixed base station FS).

[0053] When the relative speed of the mobile station MS with respect to the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) is greater than the speed threshold, typically when the train to which the mobile station MS is attached is moving at a very high speed, the train passes through the surrounding communication cell (fixed communication cell FC) provided by the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) in a short time. For this reason, even if the communication device 2 in the train is connected to the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS), it must immediately reconnect to the mobile station MS. To avoid such an inefficient situation, when the relative speed of the mobile station MS with respect to the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) is greater than the speed threshold, the connection control unit 34 switches to a state where the communication device 2 in the mobile communication cell can only be connected to the mobile station MS (that is, cannot be connected to the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS)).

[0054] In addition, the connection control unit 34 may limit the target to the communication device 2 detected by the communication device movement detection unit 33 to be moving together with the mobile station MS (that is, the train) in the surrounding communication cell (fixed communication cell FC), and control it to a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station MS and the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) by DC or CA. Since the communication device 2 that is not the target is outside the train, there is no meaning in connecting it to the mobile station MS passing by with the train, and for the train, it may be connected to the fixed base station FS or the like, which is the surrounding base station.

[0055] Note that the connection control unit 34 may switch the communication device 2 between a state in which it can be connected only to the mobile station MS and a state in which it can be connected to both the mobile station MS and a surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) by DC or CA according to the communication request or service request of the communication device 2 detected by the communication quality requirement detection unit 35 described later. Specifically, when the communication quality requirement detection unit 35 detects high-quality communication such as emergency communication or priority communication by the communication device 2 connected to the mobile station MS, the connection control unit 34 may switch the communication device 2 to a state in which it can be connected to both the mobile station MS and a surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) by DC or CA. Further, when the communication quality of the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) does not reach a predetermined required level, the connection control unit 34 may switch the communication device 2 in the mobile communication cell to a state in which it can be connected only to the mobile station MS. Furthermore, the connection control unit 34 monitors the frequency of transition between the mobile station MS and the surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) and the frequency of transition between a plurality of mobile stations MS1 to MS3, and may switch the communication device 2 in the mobile communication cell to a state in which it can be connected to both the mobile station MS and a surrounding base station (fixed base station FS) by DC or CA in order to reduce it.

[0056] Subsequently, the configuration related to the second object of the present embodiment, which provides the communication control device 3 that can supplement the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 and realize sufficient communication quality, will be described. The same content as the configuration related to the first object of the present embodiment described above will be omitted.

[0057] The communication quality requirement detection unit 35 detects the communication quality requirements from the communication device 2 while connected to the mobile station MS. The communication quality requirements include information on the content of the communication and services requested by the communication device 2, and the communication quality and service quality (QoS: Quality of Service) required therein. Information on QoS in 5G includes various QoS parameters specified by 5QI (5G QoS Identifier) and the like. Examples of QoS parameters include whether bit rate guarantee is required, priority level, packet delay budget, packet error rate, ARP (Allocation and Retention Priority), guaranteed flow bit rate (GFBR: Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate), maximum flow bit rate (MFBR: Maximum Flow Bit Rate), AMBR (Aggregate Maximum Bit Rate), and maximum packet loss rate.

[0058] For typical use cases, 5QI determines the recommended combinations of the above various QoS parameters. Use cases are broadly classified into three resource types: non-guaranteed bit rate (Non-GBR), guaranteed bit rate (GBR), and delay-critical GBR. Each resource type is further subdivided into a plurality of different QoS levels, and for each QoS level, a recommended combination of QoS parameters is determined, and a unique 5QI for specifying the combination is set. Generally, in the above three resource types, the required QoS levels increase in the order of Non-GBR, GBR, and delay-critical GBR.

[0059] Hereinafter, a case where the communication device 2 connected to the mobile station MS particularly requests "high-quality" communication or services will be described. Examples of high-quality communication include emergency communication such as emergency calls, priority communication with high QoS (Quality of Service) requirements such as VoLTE in 4G and VoNR in 5G. In addition, information regarding the communication quality requirements of the communication device 2 may be obtained through a core network involved in providing various communications and services to the communication device 2, a server of a service provider that provides various services to the communication device 2 on a general network such as the Internet, and the like.

[0060] The communication quality deficiency estimation unit 36 estimates a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device 2 connected to the mobile station MS. Specifically, when high-quality communication such as emergency communication or priority communication by the communication device 2 connected to the mobile station MS is detected by the communication quality requirement detection unit 35, the communication quality deficiency estimation unit 36 may estimate a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device 2. That is, even if the communication quality by the mobile station MS is stable, there may be cases where the communication resources of the mobile station MS cannot sufficiently handle high-quality communication. Therefore, if the communication quality is insufficient in the mobile station MS, it is estimated by the communication quality deficiency estimation unit 36.

[0061] The communication quality deficiency estimation unit 36 may estimate a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device 2 connected to the mobile station MS based on the movement information of the mobile station MS acquired by the movement information acquisition unit 31. For example, when a train to which the mobile station MS is attached moves at high speed and passes through a group of relatively small microcells (with a radius of several tens to several hundreds of meters) at high speed, the base station of the parent node of the mobile station MS as a child node (the base station that provides each of these microcells) is frequently switched, and the communication quality by the mobile station MS may decrease and may not be able to satisfy the requirements of the communication device 2. Therefore, if the communication quality is insufficient in the mobile station MS, it is estimated by the communication quality deficiency estimation unit 36.

[0062] The communication quality deficiency estimation unit 36 may estimate a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device 2 connected to the mobile station MS based on the relative movement between the communication device 2 and the mobile station MS detected by the communication device movement detection unit 33 (and the movement information acquisition unit 31). As in the illustrated example, when a plurality of mobile stations MS1 to MS3 are attached to a plurality of vehicles C1 to C3 of a train, decks or the like provided at the ends of the respective vehicles C1 to C3 are located at the edges of the respective mobile communication cells of the respective mobile stations MS1 to MS3, so the communication quality is likely to deteriorate. Therefore, the communication quality deficiency estimation unit 36 estimates that the communication quality is deficient at each of the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 for the communication device 2 located at the end of each of the vehicles C1 to C3 detected by the communication device movement detection unit 33 (and the movement information acquisition unit 31). In addition, since passengers in the train often move from the passenger compartment to the deck when making a phone call, when a call related to the communication device 2 connected to the mobile station MS in the train is detected, the communication quality deficiency estimation unit 36 may estimate that the communication device 2 moves to the deck and that the communication quality is deficient at the mobile station MS.

[0063] The communication quality deficiency estimation unit 36 may utilize an artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) function such as NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function) introduced into the 5GC as the core network of 5G to estimate a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device 2 connected to the mobile station MS after comprehensively considering various viewpoints as described above. NWDAF is responsible for collecting and analyzing data on the network including 5G. Specifically, NWDAF collects and accumulates activity history information regarding various activities performed on the network by a large number of communication devices 2, mobile stations MS, mobile bodies such as trains, etc. connected to the network, and utilizes the analysis results, for example, for traffic control on the network. It is also assumed that in other wireless communication systems including wireless communication systems of generations after 5G, functions similar to NWDAF may be provided under different names, but in this embodiment, such similar functions may be used instead of or in addition to NWDAF.

[0064] The connection control unit 34 connects the communication device 2, for which the communication quality deficiency estimation unit 36 has estimated a deficiency in communication quality by the mobile station MS, to a peripheral base station (fixed base station FS) that provides a peripheral communication cell (fixed communication cell FC). The destination peripheral base station may be any base station to which the communication device 2 can be directly connected around the train (i.e., the mobile station MS), but it is preferably a "large" base station that provides a relatively large macro cell (with a radius exceeding several hundred meters). If it is a "large" base station, even if the train moves a little, the connection state with the communication device 2 can be maintained, and thus high communication quality can be obtained. The "large" base station may be a terrestrial base station or a non-terrestrial base station such as the communication satellite 131.

[0065] In this way, since the communication device 2, for which the communication quality deficiency estimation unit 36 has estimated a deficiency in communication quality via the mobile station MS, is pre-connected by the connection control unit 34 to the peripheral base station (fixed base station FS) specified by the communication cell specifying unit 32, even when the communication quality deteriorates at the mobile station MS, the communication device 2 can enjoy sufficient communication quality via the peripheral base station (fixed base station FS). Therefore, the second object of the present embodiment of providing the communication control device 3 that can supplement the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 to achieve sufficient communication quality is achieved.

[0066] As described above, according to the communication control device 3 according to the present embodiment, the first object of providing a stable communication environment by supplementing the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 and the second object of realizing sufficient communication quality by supplementing the mobile stations MS1 to MS3 can be achieved.

[0067] The connection control unit 34 can be switched between a stable communication priority mode in which the in-vehicle communication device 2 is controlled to be connectable to both the mobile station MS and the surrounding base stations (fixed base station FS) by DC or CA in accordance with the first purpose, and a communication quality priority mode in which the in-vehicle communication device 2 for which a lack of communication quality is estimated by the mobile station MS is connected only to the surrounding base stations (fixed base station FS) in accordance with the second purpose. For example, by using an AI / ML function such as NWDAF, the stable communication priority mode is preferentially applied to the communication device 2 among the in-vehicle communication devices 2 for which communication stability should be emphasized, and the communication quality priority mode is preferentially applied to the communication device 2 among the in-vehicle communication devices 2 for which communication quality should be emphasized.

[0068] As described above, the present disclosure has been described based on the embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible for the combination of each component and each process in the embodiments as examples, and such modifications are included in the scope of the present disclosure.

[0069] In the embodiment, the IAB node is exemplified as the mobile station MS. However, the mobile station MS may be a relay station that relays communication radio waves between the base station (for example, the fixed base station FS) and the communication device 2, or the mobile station MS may be a mobile base station (for example, the communication satellite 131) that can provide a mobile communication cell (for example, the satellite communication cell 132) to the communication device 2 by itself.

[0070] Note that the configurations, operations, and functions of each device and each method described in the embodiments can be realized by hardware resources or software resources, or by the cooperation of hardware resources and software resources. As the hardware resources, for example, a processor, a ROM, a RAM, and various integrated circuits can be used. As the software resources, for example, programs such as an operating system and an application can be used.

[0071] The present disclosure may be expressed as follows.

[0072] Item 1: The communication cell identification unit identifies a peripheral communication cell in which a mobile station that can communicate with a communication device is located. The communication quality deficiency estimation unit estimates a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device connected to the mobile station. The connection control unit causes the communication device for which a deficiency in communication quality has been estimated to be connected to a peripheral base station that provides the peripheral communication cell. A communication control device including at least one processor that executes the above. Item 2: The communication quality deficiency estimation unit according to item 1, wherein the communication quality deficiency estimation unit estimates a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device based on detection of priority communication by the communication device connected to the mobile station. Item 3: The at least one processor executes to obtain movement information regarding the movement of the mobile station by a movement information acquisition unit. The communication quality deficiency estimation unit estimates a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device connected to the mobile station based on the movement information. The communication control device according to item 1 or 2. Item 4: The at least one processor executes to detect a relative movement of the communication device connected to the mobile station with respect to the mobile station by a communication device movement detection unit. The communication quality deficiency estimation unit estimates a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device based on the relative movement. The communication control device according to any one of items 1 to 3. Item 5: The mobile station according to any one of items 1 to 4, wherein the mobile station can communicate with the peripheral base station to expand the peripheral communication cell. Item 6: The mobile station according to any one of items 1 to 5, comprising a communication device function unit that functions as a communication device for the peripheral base station and a base station function unit that functions as a base station for a communication device with which the mobile station can communicate. Item 7: The mobile station is an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node. The communication device function unit is MT (Mobile Termination), and the base station function unit is DU (Distributed Unit). The communication control device according to item 6. Item 8: The mobile station is attached to a movable mobile body, and is the communication control device according to any one of items 1 to 7. Item 9: The connection control unit can be switched between a communication quality priority mode in which the communication device for which a lack of communication quality is estimated is connected to the surrounding base station, and a stable communication priority mode in which the communication device is controlled to be in a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station and the surrounding base station. The communication control device according to any one of items 1 to 8. Item 10: In the stable communication priority mode, the connection control unit controls the communication device connected to the mobile station to be in a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station and the surrounding base station at the same time. The communication control device according to item 9. Item 11: In the stable communication priority mode, the connection control unit controls the communication device connected to the mobile station to be in a state where it can communicate by an integrated carrier wave in which the carrier wave of the mobile station and the carrier wave of the surrounding base station are bundled. The communication control device according to item 9 or 10. Item 12: Identifying a surrounding communication cell where a moving mobile station capable of communicating with the communication device is located; Estimating a lack of communication quality of the communication device connected to the mobile station; Connecting the communication device for which a lack of communication quality is estimated to a surrounding base station that provides the surrounding communication cell; A communication control method comprising. Item 13: Identifying a surrounding communication cell where a moving mobile station capable of communicating with the communication device is located; Estimating a lack of communication quality of the communication device connected to the mobile station; Connecting the communication device for which a lack of communication quality is estimated to a surrounding base station that provides the surrounding communication cell; A storage medium storing a communication control program for causing a computer to execute. Item 14: Identifying, by a communication cell identifying unit, a peripheral communication cell in which a mobile station that can communicate with a communication device is located; Controlling, by a connection control unit, a communication device in a mobile communication cell provided by the mobile station to be in a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station and a peripheral base station providing the peripheral communication cell; A communication control device including at least one processor that executes the above. Item 15: The communication control device according to item 14, wherein the connection control unit controls the communication device in the mobile communication cell to be in a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station and the peripheral base station simultaneously. Item 16: The communication control device according to item 14 or 15, wherein the connection control unit controls the communication device in the mobile communication cell to be in a state where it can communicate by an integrated carrier wave obtained by bundling the carrier wave of the mobile station and the carrier wave of the peripheral base station. Item 17: The at least one processor executes to obtain movement information regarding the movement of the mobile station by a movement information acquisition unit, and the communication cell identifying unit identifies the peripheral communication cell in which the mobile station is located based on the movement information. The communication control device according to any one of items 14 to 16. Item 18: The at least one processor executes to obtain movement information regarding the movement of the mobile station by a movement information acquisition unit, and the connection control unit switches, based on the movement information, the communication device in the mobile communication cell between a state where it can be connected only to the mobile station and a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station and the peripheral base station. The communication control device according to any one of items 14 to 17. Item 19: The connection control unit When the speed of the mobile station detected based on the movement information with respect to the surrounding base station is greater than a predetermined speed threshold, the communication device in the mobile communication cell is switched to a state where it can be connected only to the mobile station. When the speed of the mobile station detected based on the movement information with respect to the surrounding base station is less than or equal to the speed threshold, the communication device in the mobile communication cell is switched to a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station and the surrounding base station. The communication control device according to item 18. Item 20: The at least one processor executes detecting, by a communication device movement detection unit, that the communication device in the surrounding communication cell moves together with the mobile station. The connection control unit controls the communication device detected to move together with the mobile station in the surrounding communication cell to a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station and the surrounding base station. The communication control device according to any one of items 14 to 19. Item 21: The mobile station can communicate with the surrounding base station to expand the surrounding communication cell. The communication control device according to any one of items 14 to 20. Item 22: The mobile station includes a communication device function unit that functions as a communication device with respect to the surrounding base station, and a base station function unit that functions as a base station with respect to a communication device with which the mobile station can communicate. The communication control device according to any one of items 14 to 21. Item 23: The mobile station is an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node. The communication device function unit is an MT (Mobile Termination). The base station function unit is a DU (Distributed Unit). The communication control device according to item 22. Item 24: The mobile station is attached to a movable moving body. The communication control device according to any one of items 14 to 23. Item 25: Identifying a peripheral communication cell in which a mobile station capable of communicating with a communication device is located; Controlling a communication device within a mobile communication cell provided by the mobile station to be in a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station and a peripheral base station providing the peripheral communication cell; A communication control method comprising the above. Item 26: Identifying a peripheral communication cell in which a mobile station capable of communicating with a communication device is located; Controlling a communication device within a mobile communication cell provided by the mobile station to be in a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station and a peripheral base station providing the peripheral communication cell; A storage medium storing a communication control program for causing a computer to execute the above.

Industrial Applicability

[0073] The present disclosure relates to connection control regarding a mobile station and a peripheral base station.

Explanation of Signs

[0074] 1 Wireless communication system, 2 Communication device, 3 Communication control device, 11 5G wireless communication system, 12 4G wireless communication system, 13 Satellite communication system, 31 Mobile information acquisition unit, 32 Communication cell identification unit, 33 Communication device movement detection unit, 34 Connection control unit, 35 Communication quality requirement detection unit, 36 Communication quality deficiency estimation unit, 41 Communication device function unit, 42 Base station function unit, 111 5G base station, 112 5G cell, 121 4G base station, 122 4G cell, 131 Communication satellite, 132 Satellite communication cell, 133 Gateway, MS Mobile station.

Claims

1. A communication cell identification unit identifies a peripheral communication cell in which a mobile station that can communicate with a communication device is located; A communication quality deficiency estimation unit estimates a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device connected to the mobile station; A connection control unit connects the communication device for which a deficiency in communication quality has been estimated to a peripheral base station that provides the peripheral communication cell; comprising at least one processor that executes the above; The communication quality deficiency estimation unit is a communication control device that estimates a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device based on detection of priority communication by the communication device connected to the mobile station.

2. The at least one processor executes acquiring movement information regarding the movement of the mobile station by a movement information acquisition unit; The communication quality deficiency estimation unit estimates a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device connected to the mobile station based on the movement information. The communication control device according to Claim 1.

3. The at least one processor executes detecting a relative movement of the communication device connected to the mobile station with respect to the mobile station by a communication device movement detection unit; The communication quality deficiency estimation unit estimates a deficiency in the communication quality of the communication device based on the relative movement. The communication control device according to Claim 1.

4. The at least one processor executes communication control regarding the mobile station that can communicate with the peripheral base station and can expand the peripheral communication cell. The communication control device according to Claim 1.

5. The at least one processor executes communication control regarding the mobile station including a communication device function unit that functions as a communication device with respect to the peripheral base station and a base station function unit that functions as a base station with respect to a communication device with which the mobile station can communicate. The communication control device according to Claim 1.

6. The at least one processor is the mobile station that is an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node, the communication device function unit is an MT (Mobile Termination), the base station function unit is a DU (Distributed Unit), and executes communication control regarding the mobile station. The communication control device according to Claim 5.

7. The at least one processor executes communication control regarding the mobile station attached to a movable mobile body. The communication control device according to Claim 1.

8. The connection control unit is switchable between a communication quality priority mode in which the communication device for which insufficient communication quality is estimated is connected to the peripheral base station, and a stable communication priority mode in which the communication device is controlled to be in a state where it can be connected to both the mobile station and the peripheral base station. The communication control device according to claim 1.

9. In the stable communication priority mode, the connection control unit controls a communication device connected to the mobile station to be in a state where it can be connected to the mobile station and the peripheral base station at the same time. The communication control device according to claim 8.

10. In the stable communication priority mode, the connection control unit controls a communication device connected to the mobile station to be in a state where it can communicate by an integrated carrier wave in which the carrier wave of the mobile station and the carrier wave of the peripheral base station are bundled. The communication control device according to claim 8.

11. Identifying a peripheral communication cell where a mobile station that can communicate with a communication device is located; Estimating insufficient communication quality of a communication device connected to the mobile station; Connecting the communication device for which insufficient communication quality is estimated to a peripheral base station that provides the peripheral communication cell; comprising The estimating of the insufficient communication quality estimates the insufficient communication quality of the communication device based on detection of priority communication by the communication device connected to the mobile station. A communication control method.

12. Identifying a peripheral communication cell where a mobile station that can communicate with a communication device is located; Estimating insufficient communication quality of a communication device connected to the mobile station; Connecting the communication device for which insufficient communication quality is estimated to a peripheral base station that provides the peripheral communication cell; causing a computer to execute The estimating of the insufficient communication quality estimates the insufficient communication quality of the communication device based on detection of priority communication by the communication device connected to the mobile station. A storage medium storing a communication control program.

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