UE (User Equipment), Communication System, and Communication Method

Abstract

Provided are user equipment (UE), a communication system, and a communication method with which it is possible to shorten the arrival time of communication and improve communication stability or reliability. The user equipment (UE) comprises a communication unit capable of transmitting data to a first base station, and a control unit for controlling transmission of data by the communication unit, the control unit assessing whether or not the data is specific data and transmitting the specific data from the communication unit to a second base station different from the first base station when the data is assessed to be specific data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a UE (User Equipment), a communication system, and a communication method. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-145877 filed in Japan on September 8, 2021, and incorporates the content herein by reference.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a communication system including a base station and a mobile station, technologies for improving QoS (Quality of Service), that is, the quality of communication, have been explored. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention in which when the QoS of packets communicated between a first base station and a mobile station is not ensured, the first base station requests the second base station to suppress the use of resources. With this configuration, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 attempts to improve the QoS of the entire system and effectively utilize resources by reducing interference with the mobile station due to the use of resources by the second base station.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to execute a predetermined determination procedure in order to improve QoS and effectively utilize resources, but this determination procedure may take time. Therefore, for example, in an emergency, it may not be appropriate to execute this time-consuming determination procedure.

[0005] Further, although the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 aims to improve the QoS of the entire system and effectively utilize resources, when the number of mobile stations in the system increases, communication congestion occurs, and as a result, communication may become unstable. However, depending on the content of the data to be communicated, it is required that the communication be performed quickly or reliably. For example, data with high urgency or importance is required to be communicated quickly or reliably.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a UE (User Equipment), a communication system, and a communication method capable of shortening the communication arrival time and improving the stability or reliability of communication.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A UE (User Equipment) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication unit capable of transmitting data to a first base station, and a control unit that controls the transmission of data by the communication unit. The control unit determines whether the data is specific data, and when it is determined that the data is specific data, the control unit transmits the specific data from the communication unit to a second base station different from the first base station.

[0008] A communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first base station, a second base station different from the first base station, and a UE (User Equipment) capable of transmitting data to the first base station. The UE determines whether the data is specific data, and when it is determined that the data is specific data, the UE transmits the specific data to the second base station.

[0009] A communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a communication method executed by a UE (User Equipment) capable of transmitting data to a first base station, and includes a step of determining whether the data is specific data, and a step of transmitting the specific data to a second base station different from the first base station when it is determined that the data is specific data.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or equivalent components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions of the same or equivalent components are omitted as appropriate when they overlap.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 1 includes a first base station 10, a second base station 20, and a plurality of UEs (User Equipment) 30.

[0013] The first base station 10 and the second base station 20 provide a communication network using a predetermined wireless communication method. The predetermined wireless communication method may be a communication method using a fifth-generation mobile communication system (5G system). However, the predetermined wireless communication method is not limited to a communication method using the 5G system, and may be other wireless communication methods.

[0014] The first base station 10 and the second base station 20 are configured to be able to communicate information with each other. In this embodiment, the data stored is synchronized between the first base station 10 and the second base station 20. The data synchronized between the first base station 10 and the second base station 20 may be data necessary for wireless communication. The data necessary for wireless communication may include, for example, information regarding the UE 30, as well as control information, time, channel information, and frequency information that are necessary for performing communication control. For example, the first base station 10 and the second base station 20 can synchronize the stored data by transmitting and receiving data to and from each other regularly, irregularly, or constantly. By synchronizing the data, the first base station 10 and the second base station 20 can execute the same process or execute a coordinated process. Here, the communication system 1 has been described assuming that it includes two base stations, namely the first base station 10 and the second base station 20, but the number of base stations included in the communication system 1 is not limited to two. The communication system 1 may include three or more base stations. In this case, the processes executed by the first base station 10 and the second base station 20 described in this embodiment may be executed by the three or more base stations.

[0015] In this embodiment, the first base station 10 and the second base station 20 are communicably connected to a plurality of UEs 30. When each of the plurality of UEs 30 transmits uplink communication data, it determines whether the uplink communication data is specific data. Details of the specific data will be described later.

[0016] In this embodiment, when the uplink communication data is normal data, the UE 30 transmits the uplink communication data to the first base station 10. That is, when transmitting and receiving normal data, information communication is performed between the first base station 10 and the UE 30. Here, normal data is data other than specific data.

[0017] In this embodiment, the plurality of UEs 30 do not perform normal data transmission and reception with the second base station 20. That is, although the second base station 20 is connected to be able to communicate with the plurality of UEs 30, it does not perform normal data transmission and reception. When the UE 30 transmits specific data, it transmits it to the second base station 20. That is, when performing transmission and reception of specific data, information communication is performed between the second base station 20 and the UE 30.

[0018] In this embodiment, the second base station 20 is a dedicated base station configured to receive only specific data from the plurality of UEs 30. Therefore, the second base station 20 does not perform normal data transmission and reception.

[0019] When the first base station 10 and the second base station 20 receive data from the UE 30, for example, they may transmit the received data to an information processing device (not shown). The information processing device executes processing based on the received data. The information processing device may be configured by, for example, a server device. The information processing device may also be configured by, for example, a virtual server device provided in the cloud. The information processing device may be configured using multi-access edge computing (MEC).

[0020] The UE 30 is a terminal device. The UE 30 can be configured by any device capable of performing wireless communication of data with a base station. In FIG. 1, as an example of the UE 30, a mobile terminal device 30a such as a smartphone, an in-vehicle device 30b provided in a vehicle, an imaging device 30c such as a surveillance camera, and a robot device 30d used in manufacturing products are schematically illustrated. However, the four devices shown here are only examples of the UE 30. The UE 30 may be configured by any other device. Also, in FIG. 1, as an example of the UE 30, four devices, namely, the mobile terminal device 30a, the in-vehicle device 30b, the imaging device 30c, and the robot device 30d, are illustrated, but the number of UEs 30 included in the communication system 1 is not limited to four. The communication system 1 may include one or more UEs 30.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the communication system 1 in FIG. 1. However, in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal device 30a, the in-vehicle device 30b, the imaging device 30c, and the robot device 30d shown in FIG. 1 are collectively illustrated as UE 30.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the first base station 10 includes, as functional units, a first control unit 11, a first storage unit 12, and a first communication unit 13.

[0023] The first control unit 11 controls and manages the entire first base station 10, including each functional unit of the first base station 10. The first control unit 11 is configured to include at least one processor. The first control unit 11 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes a program defining a control procedure or a dedicated processor specialized for processing each function.

[0024] When a new communication connection is established between the UE 30 and the first base station 10, the first control unit 11 transmits a message (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "MSGE") instructing the UE 30 for which the new communication connection has been established to transmit specific data to the second base station 20. MSGE may include information uniquely identifying the second base station 20. By including information uniquely identifying the second base station 20 in MSGE, the UE 30 that has received MSGE can recognize the second base station 20 as the transmission destination of specific data. The first control unit 11 controls the wireless communication of data between the UE 30 with which the communication connection has been established and the first base station 10. Further, the first control unit 11 executes a process of synchronizing data between the first base station 10 and the second base station 20.

[0025] The first storage unit 12 is a storage medium capable of storing programs and data. The first storage unit 12 can be configured by, for example, a semiconductor memory or a magnetic memory. The first storage unit 12 may store, for example, a program for operating the first base station 10. Further, the base station storage unit 12 may store, for example, information uniquely identifying the second base station 20 to be included in MSGE.

[0026] The first communication unit 13 transmits and receives data (radio signals) via an antenna by wireless communication. The radio signals are used for data communication with the UE 30. Through the transmission and reception of data, data communication between the first base station 10 and the UE 30 is executed. The data received by the first communication unit 13 is subjected to predetermined processing by the first control unit 11. The predetermined processing is a known processing including, for example, AD conversion and Fourier transform. Further, the first communication unit 13 transmits the radio signal generated by the first control unit 11 from the antenna.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the second base station 20 includes, as functional units, a second control unit 21, a second storage unit 22, and a second communication unit 23. The second base station 20 is a base station different from the first base station 10.

[0028] The second control unit 21 controls and manages the entire second base station 20 including each functional unit of the second base station 20. The second control unit 21 includes at least one processor. The second control unit 21 is composed of a processor such as a CPU that executes a program defining a control procedure or a dedicated processor specialized for the processing of each function.

[0029] When a new communication connection is established between the UE 30 and the first base station 10, the second control unit 21 may allocate communication resources (for example, a frequency band) to the UE 30 for which the new communication connection has been established. Further, the second control unit 21 may transmit in advance a UL grant that permits uplink communication from the UE 30 to the second base station 20 to the UE 30 for which the new communication connection has been established. The UE 30 for which a new communication connection has been established can communicate data with the second base station 20 by receiving the UL grant from the second base station 20.

[0030] The second storage unit 22 is a storage medium capable of storing programs and data. The second storage unit 22 can be composed of, for example, a semiconductor memory or a magnetic memory. The second storage unit 22 may store, for example, a program for operating the second base station 20.

[0031] The second communication unit 23 transmits and receives data through wireless communication via an antenna. The wireless signal is used for data communication with the UE 30. Through the transmission and reception of data, data communication between the second base station 20 and the UE 30 is executed. The data received by the second communication unit 23 is subjected to predetermined processing by the second control unit 21. The predetermined processing is a known process including, for example, AD conversion and Fourier transform. Further, the second communication unit 23 transmits the wireless signal generated by the first control unit 11 from the antenna.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the UE 30 includes, as functional units, a UE control unit 31, a UE storage unit 32, a UE communication unit 33, a display unit 34, and an input unit 35.

[0033] The UE control unit 31 controls and manages the entire UE 30 including each functional unit of the UE 30. The UE control unit 31 is configured to include at least one processor. The UE control unit 31 is composed of a processor such as a CPU that executes a program defining a control procedure or a dedicated processor specialized for the processing of each function.

[0034] The UE control unit 31 determines whether the data to be transmitted to the base station is specific data. Here, the specific data is data that should be transmitted to the base station quickly or reliably. For example, the specific data is data predetermined as data with high urgency or importance. Information regarding data that should be recognized as data with high urgency or importance is, for example, predetermined and pre-stored in the UE memory unit 32 described later. Specifically, for example, data indicating that an abnormality (e.g., a failure) has occurred in at least a part of the UE 30 is predetermined as data with high urgency or importance. Alternatively, when the UE 30 is the mobile terminal device 30a, an emergency call to the police or the fire department is predetermined as data with high urgency or importance. When the UE 30 is the imaging device 30c, data indicating that a suspicious person is captured in the captured image, etc., is predetermined as data with high urgency or importance. When the UE 30 is the robot device 30d, data indicating that a foreign object is caught or data indicating that the robot device 30d has stopped urgently, etc., is predetermined as data with high urgency or importance.

[0035] The UE control unit 31 may determine whether the data to be transmitted to the base station is specific data, for example, by referring to the UE memory unit 32. Specifically, the UE control unit 31 determines whether the data to be transmitted to the base station corresponds to data with high urgency or importance pre-stored in the UE memory unit 32. When the UE control unit 31 determines that the data to be transmitted to the base station corresponds to data with high urgency or importance pre-stored in the UE memory unit 32, it determines that the data is specific data. On the contrary, when the UE control unit 31 determines that the data to be transmitted to the base station does not correspond to data with high urgency or importance pre-stored in the UE memory unit 32, it determines that the data is not specific data, that is, normal data.

[0036] The UE control unit 31 may determine whether the data to be transmitted to the base station is specific data by a method other than the method described above. For example, the UE control unit 31 may determine whether the data is specific data according to an algorithm stored in the UE storage unit 32. Alternatively, for example, the UE control unit 31 may determine whether the data is specific data based on an input to the input unit 35 described later. Specifically, the UE control unit 31 may determine that the data specified (input) by the user as specific data using the input unit 35 is specific data.

[0037] The UE control unit 31 controls the transmission and reception of data with the base station by the UE communication unit 33. Specifically, the UE control unit 31 normally transmits data (normal data) from the UE communication unit 33 to the first base station 10, except when it is determined that the data is specific data. When the UE control unit 31 determines that the data is specific data, the UE control unit 31 transmits the specific data from the UE communication unit 33 to the second base station 20.

[0038] The UE storage unit 32 is a storage medium capable of storing programs and data. The UE storage unit 32 can be configured by, for example, a semiconductor memory or a magnetic memory. The UE storage unit 32 may store, for example, a program for operating the UE 30.

[0039] The UE storage unit 32 stores information on data with high urgency or importance that should be determined as specific data, for example. The UE storage unit 32 may store, for example, an algorithm used by the UE control unit 31 to determine whether the data is specific data.

[0040] The UE communication unit 33 transmits and receives data by wireless communication via an antenna. Through the transmission and reception of data, data communication is performed between the first base station 10 or the second base station 20 and the UE 30. In this embodiment, the UE communication unit 33 can transmit data to the first base station 10 and the second base station 20. Also, the data received by the UE communication unit 33 is subjected to predetermined processing by the UE control unit 31. The predetermined processing is known processing including, for example, AD conversion and Fourier transform. Further, the UE communication unit 33 transmits, from the antenna, the radio signal of the data generated by the UE control unit 31.

[0041] The display unit 34 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electro-luminescence panel (OLED), or an inorganic electro-luminescence panel (ILED). The display unit 34 displays characters, images, symbols, figures, etc. The display unit 34 may be configured as a touch screen display including not only a display function but also a touch screen function. In this case, the touch screen detects contact by a finger of the user of the UE 30 or a stylus pen.

[0042] The input unit 35 receives operation inputs from the user of the UE 30. The input unit 35 is configured by, for example, operation buttons (operation keys). The input unit 35 may be configured by a touch screen, and an input area for receiving operation inputs from the user may be displayed on a part of the display device that is the display unit 34 to receive touch operation inputs by the user. The input unit 35 may receive, for example, operation inputs from the user for designating specific data. In this case, the data designated by the user's operation input is recognized as specific data and processing is executed. For example, when the user inputs data with high urgency or importance into the UE 30 and performs an operation to transmit it from the UE 30, the user can perform an operation input for designating the data as specific data.

[0043] In addition to the functional units described with reference to FIG. 2, the UE 30 may appropriately include functional units necessary to perform specific functions. For example, when the UE 30 is the imaging device 30c, the imaging device 30c may include an imaging unit for capturing an image. For example, when the UE 30 is the robot device 30d, the robot device 30d may include a mechanism for manufacturing a product, a sensor for detecting an abnormality during the manufacturing process, and the like. The UE 30 is not limited to the examples shown here, and may appropriately include appropriate functional units according to the application and the like.

[0044] Next, an example of processing by the communication system will be described. First, for the purpose of comparison with the communication system 1 according to the present disclosure, an example of processing by a conventional communication system will be described. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing by a conventional communication system. The sequence shown in FIG. 5 shows the processing when communication is executed only between the UE 30 and the first base station 10, which is different from the present embodiment. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the second base station 20 does not exist.

[0045] First, a communication connection is established between the first base station 10 and the UE 30 (step S41).

[0046] Assume that, with the communication connection established between the first base station 10 and the UE 30, the UE 30 transmits uplink communication data (hereinafter also simply referred to as "UL data") to the first base station 10. Here, the UE 30 transmits UL data classified as "normal data" in the above embodiment to the first base station 10. In this case, the UE 30 transmits a reservation signal for requesting a resource for transmitting the UL data to the first base station 10 (step S42). The reservation signal may be a known reservation signal, for example, a scheduling request or a buffer status report.

[0047] When the first base station 10 receives the reservation signal from the UE 30, the first base station 10 transmits a UL grant for permitting uplink communication from the UE 30 to the first base station 10 to the UE 30 (step S43). Thereby, a resource for uplink communication to the first base station 10 is allocated to the UE 30.

[0048] When the UE 30 receives a UL grant, it transmits UL data to the first base station 10 (step S44). In this way, UL data is transmitted from the UE 30 to the first base station.

[0049] When the first base station 10 receives UL data from the UE 30, it transmits the UL data to the information processing device 40 (step S45). The information processing device 40 is constituted by, for example, a server device and executes processing based on the received UL data.

[0050] When the UE 30 transmits UL data, the processing from step S42 to step S45 is executed each time.

[0051] Next, it is assumed that an abnormality has occurred in the UE 30 (step S46). The data indicating that an abnormality has occurred is UL data determined as "specific data" in the above embodiment. However, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the UE 30 may or may not determine the data indicating that the abnormality has occurred as specific data. This is because, in the example shown in FIG. 5, even if it is determined as specific data, it is transmitted to the first base station 10.

[0052] That is, when the UE 30 transmits data indicating that an abnormality has occurred as UL data, it transmits a reservation signal for requesting a resource for transmitting the UL data to the first base station 10 (step S47).

[0053] When the first base station 10 receives the reservation signal from the UE 30, it transmits a UL grant for permitting uplink communication from the UE 30 to the first base station 10 to the UE 30 (step S48).

[0054] When the UE 30 receives the UL grant, it transmits UL data to the first base station 10 (step S49). In this way, data indicating that an abnormality has occurred is transmitted from the UE 30 to the first base station.

[0055] When the first base station 10 receives UL data from the UE 30, the first base station 10 transmits the UL data to the information processing device 40 (step S50).

[0056] The details of steps S47 to S50 in FIG. 5 are the same as those of steps S42 to S45, respectively. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 5, UL data is transmitted from the UE 30 to the first base station 10 regardless of the content of the UL data. However, for example, when the number of UEs 30 communicatively connected to the first base station 10 increases, congestion may occur in the communication between the UE 30 and the first base station. When communication congestion occurs, communication becomes unstable, and there may be problems such that UL data cannot be transmitted to the first base station 10 or, even if it can be transmitted, it takes time. Such problems are desirably avoided particularly when transmitting specific data with high urgency or importance. According to the communication system 1 according to the present embodiment, such problems can be avoided, the communication arrival time can be shortened, and the stability or certainty of communication can be improved.

[0057] FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing by the communication system 1 of FIG. 2 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 shows an example of a communication method in the present disclosure.

[0058] First, data is synchronized between the first base station 10 and the second base station 20 (step S11). The synchronization of data between the first base station 10 and the second base station 20 may be performed constantly or as appropriate in the flow shown in FIG. 3.

[0059] Next, it is assumed that a communication connection is established between the first base station 10 and the UE 30 (step S12).

[0060] When the communication connection between the UE 30 and the first base station 10 is established, the UE 30 acquires the communication resources of the second base station 20 in advance. For example, in the present embodiment, after the communication connection between the first base station 10 and the UE 30 is established in step S12, the communication resources of the second base station 20 are acquired by the UE 30 from steps S13 to S16.

[0061] That is, when a communication connection is newly established between the first base station 10 and the UE 30, the first base station 10 transmits an MSGE to instruct the UE 30 to transmit specific data to the second base station 20 (step S13).

[0062] The first base station 10 notifies the second base station 20 that it has transmitted an MSGE to the UE 30 (step S14). The notification may include information that uniquely identifies the UE 30. As a result, the second base station 20 can recognize that the first base station 10 has established a connection with a new UE 30.

[0063] When the second base station 20 receives a notification indicating that an MSGE has been transmitted to the UE 30, the second base station 20 allocates communication resources to the UE 30 (step S15).

[0064] In addition, the second base station 20 transmits a UL grant to the UE 30 to permit uplink communication from the UE 30 to the second base station 20 (step S16).

[0065] When the UE 30 receives the allocation of communication resources and the UL grant from the second base station 20, the UE 30 becomes capable of transmitting UL data to the second base station 20.

[0066] Note that the first base station 10 does not necessarily have to execute step S14. That is, the first base station 10 does not necessarily have to notify the second base station 20 that it has transmitted an MSGE to the UE 30. For example, through data synchronization between the first base station 10 and the second base station 20, the second base station 20 can recognize that the first base station 10 has newly established a communication connection with the UE 30. In this case, the second base station 20 may execute steps S15 and S16 when it recognizes that the first base station 10 has newly established a communication connection with the UE 30. If the UE 30 can acquire the communication resources of the second base station 20 in advance when the communication connection with the first base station 10 is established in step S12, the processing may be executed in an arbitrary procedure.

[0067] Next, assume that the UE 30 transmits UL data to the first base station 10. In this case, the UE 30 determines whether the UL data to be transmitted is specific data. If the UE 30 determines that the UL data to be transmitted is not specific data, that is, if it determines that the UL data to be transmitted is normal data, the UE 30 transmits a reservation signal requesting a resource for transmitting the UL data to the first base station 10 (step S17).

[0068] When the first base station 10 receives the reservation signal from the UE 30, the first base station 10 transmits a UL grant permitting uplink communication from the UE 30 to the first base station 10 to the UE 30 (step S18). Thereby, resources for uplink communication to the first base station 10 are allocated to the UE 30.

[0069] When the UE 30 receives the UL grant, the UE 30 transmits the UL data to the first base station 10 (step S19). In this way, UL data is transmitted from the UE 30 to the first base station.

[0070] When the first base station 10 receives UL data from the UE 30, the first base station 10 transmits the UL data to the information processing device 40 (step S20). The information processing device 40 is constituted by, for example, a server device, and executes processing based on the received UL data.

[0071] The details of steps S17 to S20 in FIG. 3 are the same as those of steps S42 to S45 in FIG. 5, respectively.

[0072] When the UE 30 transmits normal data, the processing from step S17 to step S20 is executed.

[0073] Next, assume that an abnormality has occurred in the UE 30 (step S21). In this case, the UE 30 determines that the data indicating that the abnormality has occurred is specific data.

[0074] When the UE 30 determines that the UL data to be transmitted is specific data, it transmits the UL data to the second base station 20 using the communication resources of the second base station 20 acquired in step S15 (step S22).

[0075] When the second base station 20 receives the UL data from the UE 30, it transmits the UL data to the information processing device 40 (step S23). The information processing device 40 is constituted by, for example, a server device and executes processing based on the received UL data.

[0076] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing executed by the UE 30 in FIG. 2. At the start of the flow in FIG. 4, it is assumed that the communication connections between the UE 30, the first base station 10, and the second base station 20 are not established.

[0077] First, the UE 30 establishes a communication connection with the first base station 10 (step S31).

[0078] When the communication connection between the UE 30 and the first base station 10 is established, as described in step S13 of FIG. 3, the MSGE is transmitted from the first base station 10. The UE 30 receives the MSGE transmitted from the first base station 10 (step S32).

[0079] Also, as described in step S15 of FIG. 3, communication resources are allocated to the UE 30 from the second base station 20. Thereby, the UE 30 secures the communication resources of the second base station 20 (step S33).

[0080] Furthermore, as described in step S16 of FIG. 3, a UL grant is transmitted from the second base station 20 to the UE 30. The UE 30 acquires the UL grant transmitted from the second base station 20 (step S34). Thereby, the UE 30 becomes in a state where it can transmit UL data to the second base station 20.

[0081] Next, after receiving the MSGE in step S32, the UE 30 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed (step S35). The predetermined time may be determined as appropriate and may be set, for example, in the range from several minutes to several hours. The predetermined time may be set to a time during which the communication situation by the first base station 10 or the second base station 20 may change.

[0082] If the UE 30 determines that the predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in step S35), it proceeds to step S32 and receives the MSGE from the first base station 10 again. For example, after transmitting the MSGE to the UE 30, the first base station 10 may transmit the MSGE again when the predetermined time has elapsed, and the UE 30 may receive the retransmitted MSGE in step S32. Alternatively, when the UE 30 determines that the predetermined time has elapsed, it may transmit a retransmission request for the MSGE to the first base station 10, and the first base station 10 may transmit the MSGE to the UE 30 again based on the retransmission request.

[0083] In this case, the second base station 20 performs the allocation of communication resources and the transmission of the UL grant to the UE 30 again. Based on these processes of the second base station 20, the UE 30 secures the communication resources of the second base station 20 (step S33) and acquires the UL grant of the second base station 20 (step S34). In this way, the UE 30 becomes capable of transmitting UL data to the second base station 20 again. In particular, when the UE 30 executes steps S32 to S34 again because it determines that the predetermined time has elapsed in step S35, the communication resources allocated to the UE 30 may be changed from the initially allocated communication resources. In this way, when the communication connection situation with other UEs 30 by the second base station 20 changes due to the elapse of the predetermined time, appropriate communication resources corresponding to the latest communication connection situation are allocated to the UE 30.

[0084] If the UE 30 determines in step S35 that the predetermined time has not elapsed (No in step S35), it determines whether it has acquired UL data to be transmitted to the base station (step S36). For example, the UE 30 can acquire UL data by means of a sensor provided in the UE 30, acquire UL data by completing a predetermined process in the UE 30, acquire UL data based on a user operation input received from the input unit 35, or acquire UL data by performing information communication with an external device. In addition to the examples shown here, the UE 30 can acquire UL data to be transmitted to the base station by any method.

[0085] If the UE 30 determines that it has not acquired UL data (No in step S36), it proceeds to step S53 and determines whether the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0086] On the other hand, if the UE 30 determines that it has acquired UL data (Yes in step S36), it determines whether the UL data is specific data (step S37).

[0087] If the UE 30 determines that the UL data is not specific data (No in step S37), it executes the transmission process of the UL data to the first base station 10 (step S38). Specifically, the transmission process of the UL data to the first base station 10 is performed by the processes from step S17 to step S19 in FIG. 3. Then, the UE 30 proceeds to step S35.

[0088] On the other hand, if the UE 30 determines that the UL data is specific data (Yes in step S37), it executes the transmission process of the UL data to the second base station 20 (step S39). Specifically, as described in step S22 of FIG. 3, the UL data is directly transmitted from the UE 30 to the second base station 20. Then, the UE 30 proceeds to step S35.

[0089] In the communication system 1 of this embodiment, when the UE 30 determines that the UL data is specific data, the UE 30 transmits the specific data to the second base station 20 different from the first base station 10. Therefore, even if congestion occurs in the communication with the first base station 10 that performs normal data transmission and reception, the specific data can be transmitted from the UE 30 to the second base station 20 without being affected by the congestion. That is, in the transmission of specific data, the stability or reliability of communication can be improved. In particular, when the second base station 20 is a dedicated base station configured to receive only specific data as in this embodiment, for specific data with high urgency or importance, it becomes easier to ensure the speed and stability of communication, and the communication arrival time can be shortened.

[0090] Also, as in this embodiment, when a communication connection between the UE 30 and the first base station 10 is established, the UE 30 acquires the communication resources of the second base station 20 in advance. Therefore, when it is necessary to transmit specific data, there is no need to secure communication resources or perform authentication. Therefore, the UE 30 can quickly transmit specific data.

[0091] In the above embodiment, some processes may be omitted without being executed. For example, step S35 in the flow of FIG. 4 may be omitted. Specifically, for example, in an environment where the fluctuation of the communication connection status by the second base station 20 is small, step S35 may be omitted. This is because even if step S35 is omitted, the communication connection between the UE 30 and the second base station 20 can be maintained well.

[0092] Also, for example, step S15 in the sequence of FIG. 3 and step S33 in the flow of FIG. 4 may be omitted. For example, when the MSGE transmitted to the UE 30 in step S13 of the sequence of FIG. 3 includes information on communication resources used in the communication with the second base station 20, even if step S15 in the sequence of FIG. 3 and step S33 in the flow of FIG. 4 are omitted, the UE 30 can execute a communication connection with the second base station 20.

[0093] Also, for example, step S16 of the sequence in FIG. 3 and step S34 of the flow in FIG. 4 may be omitted. For example, when the second base station 20 always allocates communication resources dedicated to specific uplink communication, step S16 of the sequence in FIG. 3 and step S34 of the flow in FIG. 4 may be omitted. Specifically, the second base station 20 may be a grant-free base station capable of communicating with the UE 30 without performing prior permission (grant), for example. When the second base station 20 is in the grant-free mode, the UE 30 can transmit specific data to the second base station 20 without receiving prior permission. Therefore, when the second base station 20 is in the grant-free mode, step S16 of the sequence in FIG. 3 and step S34 of the flow in FIG. 4 can be omitted.

[0094] In the above embodiment, it was described that when the UE 30 determines that the UL data is specific data, the UE 30 transmits the UL data to the second base station 20 (steps S37 and S39 in FIG. 4). When the UE 30 determines that the UL data is specific data, the UE 30 may perform a process of indicating that the UL data is specific data. For example, when it is determined that the UL data is specific data, a flag may be set in the UL data. This flag indicates that the UL data with the flag set is specific data. Alternatively, for example, when it is determined that the UL data is specific data, a process of changing the state of some bits of the UL data to a specific state indicating that the UL data is specific data may be performed. By setting the flag or changing the bit state in this way, the UE 30 can recognize that the UL data is specific data. The UE 30 transmits the UL data with the flag set or the bit state changed to the second base station 20. Thereby, the same processing as in the above embodiment can be realized.

[0095] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each functional unit or each step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and it is possible to combine or divide a plurality of functional units or steps into one.

Claims

1. A communication unit capable of transmitting data to a first base station, A control unit for controlling the transmission of data by the communication unit, Comprising, The control unit determines whether the data is specific data, and if it is determined that the data is specific data, the control unit transmits the specific data from the communication unit to a second base station different from the first base station, The control unit acquires communication resources of the second base station in advance when a communication connection with the first base station is established. UE (User Equipment).

2. If the control unit determines that the data is not specific data, the control unit transmits the data from the communication unit to the first base station. The UE according to claim 1.

3. The specific data is data predetermined as data with high urgency or importance. The UE according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Data stored is synchronized between the first base station and the second base station. The UE according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. When a communication connection with the first base station is established, the UE acquires communication resources of the second base station in advance without establishing a communication connection with the second base station. The UE according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A first base station, A second base station different from the first base station, A UE (User Equipment) capable of transmitting data to the first base station, Comprising, The UE determines whether the data is specific data, and if it is determined that the data is specific data, the UE transmits the specific data to the second base station, The UE acquires communication resources of the second base station in advance when a communication connection with the first base station is established. Communication system.

7. A communication method executed by a UE (User Equipment) capable of transmitting data to a first base station, comprising: Determining whether the data is specific data; When it is determined that the data is specific data, transmitting the specific data to a second base station different from the first base station; Acquiring communication resources of the second base station in advance when a communication connection with the first base station is established. Including, communication method.

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