Base station device, wireless communication system, control device, and wireless communication method

Abstract

To suppress decrease in communication efficiency when terminal devices that do not support terminal-coordinated communication are mixed together in terminal-coordinated communication in which a plurality of terminal devices is coordinated to communicate.SOLUTION: A base station device has a plurality of wireless units. The base station device includes a setting unit configured to set a portion of the plurality of wireless units as first wireless units that preferentially accommodate terminal devices that correspond to terminal-coordinated communication in which a plurality of terminal devices is coordinated to communicate, and a connection control unit configured to cause terminal devices that correspond to the terminal-coordinated communication to connect to the first wireless units.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a base station device, a wireless communication system, a control device, and a wireless communication method. [Background technology]

[0002] MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) is a technology that is currently widely used to increase capacity in wireless communication systems. MIMO uses multiple antennas to perform space division multiplexing on the same wireless channel, and is adopted in a variety of wireless systems.

[0003] Furthermore, in terminal-cooperative MIMO communications, in which multiple terminal devices share and demodulate signals received from a base station device, thereby equivalently increasing the number of antennas, a method for selecting a group of terminal devices to cooperate from a large number of terminal devices is being considered (see, for example, non-patent document 1). [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] Kasai et al., "A Study on Terminal Selection Using Replica Reliability in Terminal-Cooperative MIMO Reception," IEICE General University, Proceedings of the IEICE Conference (CD-ROM), p. ROMBUNNO.B-5-89, March 3, 2020. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In conventional device-linked MIMO communication (hereinafter referred to as device-linked communication), technical studies have been conducted assuming that all terminal devices are compatible with device-linked communication. However, in actual usage scenarios, there are cases where terminal devices that are compatible with device-linked communication and terminal devices that are not compatible with device-linked communication coexist. In this case, with conventional technology, the number of terminal devices that can be linked may decrease, and the communication efficiency of device-linked communication may decrease.

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and in terminal linkage communication, which involves linking multiple terminal devices to communicate, suppresses a decrease in communication efficiency when terminal devices that do not support terminal linkage communication are mixed in. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, a base station device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a base station device having a plurality of radio units, and includes: a setting unit configured to set some of the plurality of radio units as first radio units that preferentially accommodate terminal devices that support terminal cooperative communication in which a plurality of terminal devices communicate in cooperation; and a connection control unit configured to connect the terminal devices that support the terminal cooperative communication to the first radio units. If the terminal device connected to the first wireless unit does not support the terminal-linked communication, the connection control unit connects the terminal device to a second wireless unit among the multiple wireless units that is different from the first wireless unit, and if the terminal device connected to the second wireless unit supports the terminal-linked communication, the connection control unit connects the terminal device to the first wireless unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in terminal linkage communication in which multiple terminal devices communicate in cooperation with each other, it is possible to suppress a decrease in communication efficiency when terminal devices that do not support terminal linkage communication are mixed in. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram (1) showing an example of a system configuration of a wireless communication system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram (2) showing an example of the system configuration of the wireless communication system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a wireless communication system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process performed by the base station device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the process of the base station device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a wireless communication system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7]10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of a wireless communication system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the process of the wireless communication system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for establishing a wireless link for relay communication according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a data transmission process in terminal link communication according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example, and the embodiment to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0011] <System configuration> (First system configuration) 1 is a diagram (1) showing an example of a system configuration of a wireless communication system according to this embodiment. This diagram shows a first system configuration example of a wireless communication system according to this embodiment. In the first system configuration, a wireless communication system 1 includes a base station device 10 having a plurality of radio units 11-1 and 11-2, and a plurality of terminal devices 20-1 to 20-8.

[0012] In the following description, when referring to any one of the multiple terminal devices 20-1 to 20-8, the term "terminal device 20" is used. Also, in the following description, when referring to any one of the radio units 11-1 and 11-2, the term "radio unit 11" is used. The number 20 of terminal devices shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and the number of terminal devices 20 may be any other number equal to or greater than two. Also, the number of radio units 11 shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and the number 11 of radio units provided in the base station device 10 may be any other number equal to or greater than two.

[0013] Of the multiple terminal devices 20-1 to 20-8, the terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 are assumed to support terminal-cooperative MIMO communication, which shares and demodulates signals received from the base station device 10, thereby equivalently increasing the number of antennas.

[0014] For example, multiple terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 establish a radio link for relay communication for relaying a radio signal received from the base station device 10 to the terminal device 20 that is the destination of the communication. Furthermore, when transmitting data to a terminal device (for example, terminal device 20-1) that is the destination of the communication, the base station device 10 transmits a radio signal for terminal cooperation MIMO communication that includes data for the destination terminal device 20-1 and control information addressed to the other terminal devices 20-2 to 20-4. The other terminal devices 20-2 to 20-4 relay the received radio signal to the destination terminal device 20-1 via the radio link for relay communication in accordance with the control information addressed to the other terminal devices 20-2 to 20-4 that is included in the radio signal received from the base station device 10. As a result, the destination terminal device 20-1 can receive data using terminal cooperation MIMO communication, which equivalently increases the number of antennas, using the radio signal received from the base station device 10 and the radio signals received from the other terminal devices 20-2 to 20-4.

[0015] On the other hand, it is assumed that the terminal devices 20-5 to 20-8 do not support terminal cooperation MIMO communication. The base station device 10 performs, for example, MU (Multi User)-MIMO communication with the terminal devices 20-5 to 20-8 that do not support terminal cooperation MIMO communication. Note that the terminal devices 20-5 to 20-8 that do not support terminal cooperation MIMO communication include terminal devices 20 and the like that have the terminal cooperation MIMO communication function but have disabled the terminal cooperation MIMO communication function due to, for example, a low remaining battery level.

[0016] In the conventional technology, when a single base station device 10 contains a mixture of terminal devices 20 that support terminal-linked MIMO communication (hereinafter referred to as terminal-linked communication) and terminal devices 20 that do not support terminal-linked communication, the communication efficiency of the terminal-linked communication decreases.

[0017] Therefore, in this embodiment, the base station device 10 has a plurality of radio units 11-1 and 11-2. The base station device 10 also sets some of the plurality of radio units 11-1 and 11-2 (for example, the radio unit 11-1) as a radio unit (hereinafter referred to as a first radio unit) that preferentially accommodates terminal devices 20 that support terminal cooperative communication. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the base station device 10 connects terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 that support terminal cooperative communication to the radio unit 11-1 that has been set as the first radio unit.

[0018] On the other hand, the base station device 10 connects the terminal devices 20-5 to 20-8 that do not support terminal cooperative communication to the radio unit 11-2, which is a radio unit different from the first radio unit (hereinafter referred to as the second radio unit). As a result, the base station device 10 uses the radio unit 11-1 to perform terminal cooperative communication only with the terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 that support terminal cooperative communication, thereby suppressing a decrease in communication efficiency of the terminal cooperative communication.

[0019] In addition, the base station device 10 only needs to have a first radio unit that preferentially accommodates terminal devices 20 that support terminal-linked communication, and a second radio unit for other devices, and the number of first radio units and the number of second radio units may be other numbers.

[0020] (Second system configuration) FIG. 2 is a diagram (2) showing an example of a system configuration of a wireless communication system according to this embodiment. This diagram shows a second system configuration example of a wireless communication system according to this embodiment. In the second system configuration, a wireless communication system 1 includes a plurality of base station devices 10-1 and 10-2, a control device 200 that controls the plurality of base station devices 10-1 and 10-2, and a plurality of terminal devices 20-1 to 20-8. Note that, like the plurality of terminal devices 20-1 to 20-8 described in FIG. 1, the plurality of terminal devices 20-1 to 20-8 include terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 that support terminal cooperative communication and terminal devices 20-5 to 20-8 that do not support terminal cooperative communication. Note that in the following description, when referring to any base station device among the plurality of base station devices 10-1 and 10-2, the term "base station device 10" is used.

[0021] 2, the control device 200 is communicably connected to base station devices 10-1 and 10-2. The control device 200 also sets some of the base station devices 10-1 and 10-2 (for example, base station device 10-1) as a base station device (hereinafter referred to as a first base station device) that preferentially accommodates terminal devices 20 that support terminal cooperative communication. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the control device 200 connects terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 that support terminal cooperative communication to the base station device 10-1 that has been set as the first base station.

[0022] On the other hand, the control device 200 connects the terminal devices 20-5 to 20-8 that do not support terminal cooperative communication to the base station device 10-2, which is a base station device (hereinafter referred to as the second base station device) different from the first base station device. As a result, the control device 200 performs terminal cooperative communication using the base station device 10-1 only with the terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 that support terminal cooperative communication, thereby suppressing a decrease in communication efficiency of the terminal cooperative communication.

[0023] In addition, the wireless communication system 1 only needs to have a first base station device that preferentially accommodates terminal devices 20 that support terminal-linked communication, and a second base station device for other terminal devices, and the number of first base station devices and the number of second base station devices may be other numbers.

[0024] [Example 1] In the first embodiment, an example in which a wireless communication system 1 has a first system configuration as shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

[0025] <Functional configuration> FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the wireless communication system according to the first embodiment.

[0026] (Functional configuration of base station equipment) The base station device 10 includes, for example, a plurality of radio units 11-1 and 11-2, a setting unit 301, a connection control unit 302, a radio signal processing unit 303, and the like.

[0027] The radio unit 11 is, for example, a radio communication device that transmits and receives radio signals for MIMO communication using a plurality of antennas 221, and includes, for example, the plurality of antennas 221, a high-frequency circuit, a baseband circuit, a processor for communication control, etc. The radio unit 11-1 and the radio unit 11-2 have, for example, different identification information.

[0028] The setting unit 301 is realized, for example, by a program executed by a computer included in the base station device 10, and performs setting processing to set some of the multiple radio units 11 as first radio units that preferentially accommodate terminal devices 20 that support terminal-cooperative communication. For example, if the base station device 10 has two radio units 11-1 and 11-2, the setting unit 301 sets one of the two radio units 11-1 and 11-2 as the first radio unit. Here, as an example for explanation, the following description will be given assuming that the setting unit 301 sets the radio unit 11-1 as the first radio unit. In this case, the radio unit 11-2 becomes the second radio unit.

[0029] The connection control unit 302 is realized, for example, by a program executed by a computer included in the base station device 10. The connection control unit 302 executes a connection control process to control, for example, the terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4, which are compatible with terminal linked communication, among the plurality of terminal devices 20-1 to 20-8, to be connected to the radio unit 11-1, which is a first radio unit.

[0030] As an example, the connection control unit 302 determines whether the currently connected terminal device 20 supports terminal cooperative communication and whether the radio unit 11 supports terminal cooperative communication, for each of the radio units 11-1 and 11-2 included in the base station device 10. Furthermore, if the two determination results do not match, the connection control unit 302 switches the wireless connection destination of the terminal device 20 whose determination results do not match to the radio unit 11 according to whether the terminal device 20 supports the terminal cooperative communication function.

[0031] For example, when terminal device 20-5 without a terminal link communication function is connected to wireless unit 11-1 with a terminal link communication function, connection control unit 302 switches the connection destination of terminal device 20-5 to wireless unit 11-2. Also, when terminal device 20-1 with a terminal link communication function is connected to wireless unit 11-2 without a terminal link communication function, connection control unit 302 switches the connection destination of terminal device 20-1 to wireless unit 11-1.

[0032] As another example, when the wireless unit 11 accepts a connection request from the terminal device 20, the connection control unit 302 determines whether the requesting terminal device 20 supports terminal cooperation communication and whether the wireless unit 11 supports terminal cooperation communication. If the two determination results do not match, the connection control unit 302 denies the requesting terminal device 20 from connecting to the request destination wireless unit 11. On the other hand, if the two determination results match, the connection control unit 302 allows the requesting terminal device 20 to connect to the request destination wireless unit 11.

[0033] The radio signal processing unit 204 is realized by, for example, a program executed by a computer included in the base station device 10, and generates radio signals for MIMO communication that the radio units 11-1 and 11-2 transmit to the terminal device 20. The radio signal processing unit 204 also extracts control information, data, or the like from the radio signals that the radio units 11-1 and 11-2 receive from the terminal device 20. Note that the base station device 10 may have a different radio signal processing unit 204 for each radio unit 11.

[0034] (Functional configuration of terminal device 1) The terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 having the terminal linkage function include, for example, a radio unit 211, a radio signal processing unit 212, and an inter-terminal linkage unit 213.

[0035] The radio unit 211 is a radio communication device that uses a plurality of antennas 222 to transmit and receive radio signals for MIMO communication that conforms to the same radio communication standard as the base station device 10, for example.

[0036] The radio signal processing unit 212 is realized, for example, by a program executed by a computer included in the terminal device 20. The radio signal processing unit 212 receives data by demodulating and decoding a MIMO signal using, for example, a radio signal addressed to the terminal device itself that the radio unit 211 receives from the base station device 10 and a radio signal that the inter-terminal cooperation unit 213 receives from another terminal device 20. The radio signal processing unit 212 also generates a radio signal that the terminal device 20 transmits to the base station device 10.

[0037] The inter-terminal cooperation unit 213 is realized, for example, by a program executed by a computer included in the terminal device 20, and uses the radio unit 211 to establish a radio link for relay communication that relays a radio signal of terminal cooperation communication received from the base station device 10 to the destination terminal device 20. Furthermore, the inter-terminal cooperation unit 213 controls the relay communication that relays the received radio signal to the destination terminal device 20 in accordance with control information included in the radio signal received from the base station device 10. For example, the inter-terminal cooperation unit 213 of the terminal device 20-1 refers to the control information, and when the radio signal received by the radio unit 211 is a radio signal addressed to another terminal device 20-2, relays (transfers) the radio signal to the other terminal device 20-2 via the radio link for relay communication. Furthermore, the inter-terminal cooperation unit 213 of the terminal device 20-1 receives a radio signal relayed to the terminal device 20-1 from the other terminal device 20-2.

[0038] Preferably, terminal-to-terminal cooperation unit 213 performs relay communication by wireless communication using a frequency channel different from the frequency channel by which wireless unit 211 receives a wireless signal from base station device 10. Note that the wireless communication method by which wireless unit 211 receives a wireless signal from base station device 10 and the wireless communication method by which wireless unit 211 performs relay communication may be the same wireless communication method or different wireless communication methods.

[0039] (Functional configuration of terminal device 2) The terminal devices 20-5 to 20-8 that do not have the terminal linkage function include, for example, a radio unit 211, a radio signal processing unit 212, and the like.

[0040] The radio unit 211 is a radio communication device that uses a plurality of antennas 222 to transmit and receive radio signals for MIMO communication that conforms to the same radio communication standard as the base station device 10, for example.

[0041] The radio signal processing unit 212 is realized by, for example, a program executed by a computer included in the terminal device 20, and the radio unit 211 receives data by demodulating and decoding a radio signal addressed to the terminal device 20 and received from the base station device 10. The radio signal processing unit 212 also generates a radio signal to be transmitted by the terminal device 20 to the base station device 10.

[0042] <Processing flow> Next, a process flow of the wireless communication method according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0043] (Base station device processing 1) Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process performed by the base station device according to the first embodiment. This process illustrates an example of a process performed by the base station device 10 described in Fig. 3 to preferentially accommodate the terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 having a terminal-cooperative communication function in a first radio unit (for example, the radio unit 11-1).

[0044] In step S401, the setting unit 301 of the base station device 10 sets some of the multiple radio units 11-1 and 11-2 included in the base station device 10 as first radio units for terminal cooperative communication. For example, the setting unit 301 sets the radio unit 11-1 of the multiple radio units 11-1 and 11-2 as the first radio unit that preferentially accommodates the terminal device 20 that supports terminal cooperative communication.

[0045] In step S402, the connection control section 302 of the base station device 10 executes the processes of steps S403 to S406 for each of the radio sections 11-1 and 11-2 that the base station device 10 includes.

[0046] In step S403, the connection control unit 302 checks whether each of the terminal devices 20 connected to the wireless unit 11 supports terminal linked communication.

[0047] In step S404, the connection control unit 302 checks whether the wireless unit 11 supports terminal linked communication.

[0048] In step S405, the connection control unit 302 determines whether there is any terminal device 20 whose confirmation result in step S403 does not match the confirmation result in step S404. If there is any terminal device 20 whose confirmation result does not match, the connection control unit 302 executes the process of step S406. On the other hand, if there is no terminal device 20 whose confirmation result does not match, the connection control unit 302 skips (does not execute) the process of step S406.

[0049] In step S406, the connection control unit 302 switches the connection destination of the terminal device 20 for which the confirmation results do not match.

[0050] 4, when a terminal device 20 that does not support terminal cooperative communication is connected to the wireless unit 11-1, which is the first wireless unit, the connection control unit 302 connects the terminal device 20 to the wireless unit 11-2, which is the second wireless unit. Also, when a terminal device 20 that supports terminal cooperative communication is connected to the wireless unit 11-2, which is the second wireless unit, the connection control unit 302 connects the terminal device 20 to the wireless unit 11-1, which is the first wireless unit.

[0051] The base station device 10 repeatedly executes the process of FIG. 4 or the process of steps S402 to S406 in FIG. 4, thereby preferentially accommodating the terminal device 20 that supports terminal-linked communication in the first wireless unit.

[0052] (Base station device processing 2) Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the process of the base station device according to the first embodiment. This process illustrates another example of the process in which the base station device 10 described in Fig. 3 preferentially accommodates the terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 having a terminal-cooperative communication function in the first radio unit (for example, the radio unit 11-1). Note that detailed description of the process similar to the process described in Fig. 4 will be omitted here.

[0053] In step S501, the setting unit 301 of the base station device 10 sets some of the multiple radio units 11-1 and 11-2 included in the base station device 10 as first radio units for terminal-cooperative communication.

[0054] In step S502, when the radio units 11-1 and 11-2 of the base station apparatus 10 receive a connection request from the terminal apparatus 20, the connection control unit 302 shifts the process to step S503.

[0055] In step S503, the connection control unit 302 checks whether the terminal device 20 that has sent the connection request supports terminal linked communication.

[0056] In step S504, the connection control unit 302 checks whether the wireless unit 11 that has received the connection request supports terminal linked communication.

[0057] In step S505, the connection control unit 302 determines whether the confirmation result of step S503 matches the confirmation result of step S504. If the confirmation results match, the connection control unit 302 shifts the process to step S506. On the other hand, if the confirmation results do not match, the connection control unit 302 shifts the process to step S507.

[0058] In step S506, the connection control unit 302 permits the connection of the requesting terminal device 20. On the other hand, in step S507, the connection control unit 302 denies the connection of the requesting terminal device 20.

[0059] 5, when a terminal device 20 that supports terminal cooperative communication requests a connection to the wireless unit 11-1, which is the first wireless unit, the connection control unit 302 permits wireless connection to the wireless unit 11-1 by the terminal device 20. On the other hand, when a terminal device 20 that does not support terminal cooperative communication requests a connection to the wireless unit 11-1, which is the first wireless unit, the connection control unit 302 denies wireless connection to the wireless unit 11-1 by the terminal device 20.

[0060] Furthermore, when a terminal device 20 that supports terminal link communication requests a connection to the wireless unit 11-2, which is the second wireless unit, the connection control unit 302 denies the terminal device 20 from wirelessly connecting to the wireless unit 11-2. On the other hand, when a terminal device 20 that does not support terminal link communication requests a connection to the wireless unit 11-2, which is the second wireless unit, the connection control unit 302 permits the terminal device 20 to wirelessly connect to the wireless unit 11-2.

[0061] The base station device 10 performs the processing of steps S503 to S507 each time the radio unit 11-1 or the radio unit 11-2 receives a connection request from the terminal device 20, thereby preferentially accommodating the terminal device 20 that is compatible with terminal linked communication in the first radio unit.

[0062] [Example 2] In the second embodiment, an example in which the wireless communication system 1 has a second system configuration as shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

[0063] <Functional configuration> Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a wireless communication system according to Example 2. In Fig. 6, it is assumed that the base station device 10-2 has the same functional configuration as the base station device 10-1.

[0064] (Functional configuration of the control device) The control device 200 includes, for example, a communication unit 601, a setting unit 301, a connection control unit 302, and the like.

[0065] The communication unit 601 is a communication device for communicating with the base station devices 10-1 and 10-2 via a wired or wireless communication network N, for example.

[0066] The setting unit 301 is realized, for example, by a program executed by a computer included in the control device 200, and performs setting processing to set some of the multiple base station devices 10 as first base station devices that preferentially accommodate terminal devices 20 that support terminal-cooperative communication. For example, if the wireless communication system 1 has two base station devices 10-1 and 20-2, the setting unit 301 sets one of the two base station devices 10-1 and 10-2 as the first base station device. Here, as an example for purposes of explanation, the following description will be given assuming that the setting unit 301 sets the base station device 10-1 as the first base station device. In this case, the base station device 10-2 becomes the second base station device.

[0067] The connection control unit 302 is realized, for example, by a program executed by a computer included in the control device 200. The connection control unit 302 executes a connection control process to control, for example, terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4, which are compatible with terminal linked communication, among the plurality of terminal devices 20-1 to 20-8, to connect to the base station device 10-1, which is the first base station device.

[0068] As an example, the connection control unit 302 determines whether the currently connected terminal device 20 supports terminal cooperative communication and whether the base station device 10 supports terminal cooperative communication for each of the base station devices 10-1 and 10-2 included in the wireless communication system 1. If the two determination results do not match, the connection control unit 302 switches the wireless connection destination of the terminal device 20 whose determination results do not match to a base station device 10 that corresponds to whether the terminal device 20 supports the terminal cooperative communication function.

[0069] For example, when terminal device 20-5 without a terminal-linked communication function is connected to base station device 10-1 with a terminal-linked communication function, connection control unit 302 switches the connection destination of terminal device 20-5 to base station device 10-2. Also, when terminal device 20-1 with a terminal-linked communication function is connected to base station device 10-2 without a terminal-linked communication function, connection control unit 302 switches the connection destination of terminal device 20-1 to base station device 10-1.

[0070] As another example, when the connection control unit 302 receives a connection request from the base station device 10 and the terminal device 20, it determines whether the requesting terminal device 20 supports terminal cooperative communication and whether the base station device 10 supports terminal cooperative communication. If the two determination results do not match, the connection control unit 302 denies the requesting terminal device 20 from connecting to the requested base station device 10. On the other hand, if the two determination results match, the connection control unit 302 allows the requesting terminal device 20 to connect to the requested base station device 10.

[0071] (Functional configuration of base station equipment) The base station device 10 includes, for example, a radio unit 11, a communication unit 611, a communication control unit 612, a radio signal processing unit 303, and the like.

[0072] The radio unit 11 is, for example, a radio communication device that transmits and receives radio signals for MIMO communication using a plurality of antennas 221, and includes, for example, the plurality of antennas 221, a high-frequency circuit, a baseband circuit, and a processor for communication control.

[0073] The communication unit 611 is a communication device for communicating with the control device 200 via a wired or wireless communication network N, for example.

[0074] The communication control unit 612 is realized by, for example, a program executed by a computer included in the base station device 10, and controls wireless communication with the terminal device 20 by the radio unit 11. For example, the communication control unit 612 controls processing (handover, etc.) to switch the connection destination of the terminal device 20 connected to the base station device 10 to another base station device 10 in accordance with control from the control device 200. The communication control unit 612 also transmits information about the terminal device 20 requesting connection to the base station device 10, information about the terminal device 20 connected to the base station device 10, etc. to the control device 200.

[0075] The radio signal processing unit 204 is realized by, for example, a program executed by a computer included in the base station device 10, and generates a radio signal for MIMO communication that the radio unit 11 transmits to the terminal device 20. In addition, the radio signal processing unit 204 extracts control information, data, or the like from the radio signal that the radio unit 11 receives from the terminal device 20.

[0076] (Functional configuration of terminal device) The functional configurations of the terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 and the terminal devices 20-5 to 20-8 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0077] (Variation) The functional configuration of the wireless communication system 1 according to the second embodiment shown in Fig. 6 is an example, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, the setting unit 301 and the connection control unit 302 may be included in one of the base station devices 10-1 and 10-2 (for example, the base station device 10-1). In this case, for example, the base station device 10-1 executes the processes of the base station device 10-1 and the control device 200 in Fig. 6.

[0078] 6. Alternatively, the control device 200 may have only the communication unit 601 and the setting unit 301, and each base station device 10 may have a connection control unit 302. In this case, the connection control units 302 included in each base station device 10 cooperate with each other to perform the function of the connection control unit 302 in FIG.

[0079] <Processing flow> Next, a process flow of the wireless communication method according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0080] (Wireless communication system processing 1) Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of the wireless communication system according to the embodiment 2. This process illustrates an example of a process in which the wireless communication system 1 described in Fig. 6 preferentially accommodates the terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 having a terminal-cooperative communication function in a first base station device (for example, the base station device 10-1).

[0081] In step S701, the setting unit 301 of the control device 200 sets some of the multiple base station devices 10 included in the wireless communication system 1 as first base station devices for terminal cooperative communication. For example, the setting unit 301 sets the base station device 10-1, of the multiple base station devices 10-1 and 10-2, as the first base station device that preferentially accommodates the terminal device 20 that supports terminal cooperative communication.

[0082] In step S702, the connection control unit 302 of the control device 200 executes the processes of steps S703 to S706 for each of the base station devices 10-1 and 10-2 included in the wireless communication system 1.

[0083] In step S703, the connection control unit 302 checks whether each of the terminal devices 20 connected to the base station device 10 supports terminal-linked communication.

[0084] In step S704, the connection control unit 302 checks whether the base station device 10 supports terminal-linked communication.

[0085] In step S705, the connection control unit 302 determines whether there is any terminal device 20 whose confirmation result in step S703 does not match the confirmation result in step S704. If there is any terminal device 20 whose confirmation result does not match, the connection control unit 302 executes the process of step S706. On the other hand, if there is no terminal device 20 whose confirmation result does not match, the connection control unit 302 skips (does not execute) the process of step S706.

[0086] In step S706, the connection control unit 302 switches the connection destination of the terminal device 20 for which the confirmation results do not match.

[0087] 7, when a terminal device 20 that does not support terminal cooperative communication is connected to base station device 10-1, which is a first base station device, connection control unit 302 connects the terminal device 20 to base station device 10-2, which is a second base station device. Also, when a terminal device 20 that supports terminal cooperative communication is connected to base station device 10-2, which is the second base station device, connection control unit 302 connects the terminal device 20 to base station device 10-1, which is the first base station device.

[0088] The wireless communication system 1 repeatedly executes the process of FIG. 7 or the process of steps S702 to S706 in FIG. 7, thereby preferentially accommodating the terminal device 20 that supports terminal-linked communication in the first base station device.

[0089] (Wireless communication system processing 2) Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of the process of the wireless communication system according to the second embodiment. This process shows another example of the process in which the wireless communication system 1 described in Fig. 6 preferentially accommodates the terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 having a terminal-cooperative communication function in a first base station device (for example, the base station device 10-1). Note that detailed description of the process similar to the process described in Fig. 7 will be omitted here.

[0090] In step S801, the setting unit 301 of the control device 200 sets some of the base station devices 10-1 and 10-2 included in the wireless communication system 1 as first base station devices for terminal-cooperative communication.

[0091] In step S802, when the base station device 10-1 or the base station device 10-2 receives a connection request from the terminal device 20, the connection control unit 302 of the control device 200 shifts the process to step S803.

[0092] In step S803, the connection control unit 302 checks whether the terminal device 20 that has sent the connection request supports terminal linked communication.

[0093] In step S804, the connection control unit 302 checks whether the base station device 10 that has received the connection request supports terminal-linked communication.

[0094] In step S805, the connection control unit 302 determines whether the confirmation result of step S803 matches the confirmation result of step S804. If the confirmation results match, the connection control unit 302 shifts the process to step S806. On the other hand, if the confirmation results do not match, the connection control unit 302 shifts the process to step S807.

[0095] In step S806, the connection control unit 302 permits the connection of the requesting terminal device 20. On the other hand, in step S807, the connection control unit 302 denies the connection of the requesting terminal device 20.

[0096] 8, for example, when a terminal device 20 that supports terminal cooperative communication requests a connection to base station device 10-1, which is the first base station device, connection control unit 302 permits wireless connection to base station device 10-1 by the terminal device 20. On the other hand, when a terminal device 20 that does not support terminal cooperative communication requests a connection to base station device 10-1, which is the first base station device, connection control unit 302 denies wireless connection to base station device 10-1 by the terminal device 20.

[0097] Furthermore, for example, when a terminal device 20 that supports terminal cooperative communication requests a connection to base station device 10-2, which is the second base station device, the connection control unit 302 denies wireless connection to base station device 10-2 by the terminal device 20. On the other hand, when a terminal device 20 that does not support terminal cooperative communication requests a connection to base station device 10-2, which is the second base station, the connection control unit 302 permits wireless connection to base station device 10-2 by the terminal device 20.

[0098] In the wireless communication system 1, the base station device 10-1 or the base station device 10-2 performs the processing of steps S803 to S807 each time it receives a connection request from the terminal device 20, thereby preferentially accommodating the terminal device 20 that supports terminal-linked communication in the first base station device.

[0099] <Example of device-linked communication> Next, an example of a process related to terminal link communication according to this embodiment will be described.

[0100] (Processing for establishing a wireless link for relay communication) 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for establishing a wireless link for relay communication according to the present embodiment. This process shows an example of a process for establishing a wireless link for relay communication executed by a base station device 10-1 supporting terminal-linked communication and terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 supporting terminal-linked communication in a wireless communication system 1 as shown in FIG.

[0101] In step S901, the communication control unit 612 of the base station device 10-1 transmits control information to the terminal device 20 that is the destination of the communication, instructing the terminal device 20 to establish a radio link for relay communication.

[0102] In step S902, the inter-terminal link unit 213 of the destination terminal device 20 transmits a predetermined broadcast signal in accordance with an instruction from the base station device 10. Note that this predetermined broadcast signal is assumed to be, for example, a predetermined signal that requests the other terminal devices 20 that have received the broadcast signal to transmit a connection request to the terminal device 20 that transmitted the broadcast signal.

[0103] In step S903, the inter-terminal cooperation unit 213 of the destination terminal device 20 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the broadcast signal was transmitted, and if the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process proceeds to step S904. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has elapsed, the inter-terminal cooperation unit 213 proceeds to step S906. Note that the predetermined time is assumed to be a time required to accept a connection request transmitted by another terminal device that has received the predetermined broadcast signal, and is set in advance.

[0104] When the process proceeds to step S904, the inter-terminal cooperation unit 213 of the destination terminal apparatus 20 determines whether or not a connection request has been received from another terminal apparatus 20, and executes the process of step S905 if a connection request has been received from another terminal apparatus 20. On the other hand, if a connection request has not been received from another terminal apparatus 20, the inter-terminal cooperation unit 213 returns the process to step S903.

[0105] When the process proceeds to step S905, the terminal-to-terminal linking unit 213 of the destination terminal device 20 sends a connection permission to the other terminal device 20 that sent the connection request, establishes a wireless link for relay communication with the other terminal device 20 that sent the connection request, and returns the process to step S903.

[0106] Through the processing of steps S903 to S905, the inter-terminal link unit 213 of the destination terminal device 20 establishes a wireless link for relay communication with other terminal devices 20 in the vicinity of the destination terminal device 20.

[0107] When the process proceeds from step S903 to S906, the terminal-to-terminal cooperation unit 213 of the destination terminal device 20 transmits the establishment result of the wireless link for relay communication to the base station device 10. Preferably, the wireless communication system 1 re-executes the process shown in Fig. 9, for example, every time a predetermined time elapses, to update the wireless link for relay communication.

[0108] (Data transmission process) Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a data transmission process for terminal cooperative communication according to this embodiment. This process shows an example of a data transmission process executed by a base station device 10-1 supporting terminal cooperative communication and terminal devices 20-1 to 20-4 supporting terminal cooperative communication in a wireless communication system 1 as shown in Fig. 2, for example. It is assumed that the wireless communication system 1 has already executed the process of Fig. 9 at the start of the process of Fig. 10.

[0109] In step S1001, the radio unit 11 of the base station device 10-1 transmits a radio signal for terminal cooperative communication including data to be transmitted to the terminal device 20 that is the destination of the communication and a control signal to a cooperative terminal that cooperates with the destination terminal device 20. Here, the cooperative terminal is assumed to be, for example, another terminal device 20 that has established a radio link for relay communication with the destination terminal device 20 in the process of FIG.

[0110] In step S1002, the cooperating terminal relays the wireless signal received from base station device 10-1 to destination terminal device 20 via a wireless link for relay communication in accordance with the control information included in the wireless signal received from base station device 10-1. For example, the wireless signal received by the cooperating terminal includes control information addressed to the cooperating terminal. In this case, the cooperating terminal transmits the received wireless signal to destination terminal device 20 indicated in the control information addressed to the cooperating terminal, for example, on the indicated frequency channel and in the indicated transmission order for relay communication.

[0111] In step S1003, the destination terminal device 20 receives data by MIMO using the radio signal addressed to itself received from the base station device 10 and the radio signal addressed to itself received from the associated terminal. This allows the destination terminal device 20 to perform terminal-coordinated communication (terminal-coordinated MIMO communication) that expands the capacity of MIMO transmission beyond the number of antennas that the destination terminal device 20 has.

[0112] The wireless communication system 1 and the wireless communication method according to the present embodiment have been described above, but the wireless communication system 1 and the wireless communication method according to the present invention can be modified and applied in various ways.

[0113] For example, the wireless communication system 1 may treat a terminal device 20, such as a terminal device 20 that moves at high speed, for which the applicable time of the terminal linkage function is short and the effect of terminal linkage MIMO communication is expected to be low, as a terminal device 20 that does not have the function of terminal linkage MIMO communication.

[0114] In each of the above-described embodiments, the wireless communication system 1 controls the accommodation destination of the terminal device 20 simply based on whether or not the device supports terminal-linked communication. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the wireless communication system 1 may control the accommodation destination of the terminal device 20 when a gain can be expected, taking into consideration the wireless communication quality of the terminal device 20 before and after controlling the accommodation destination.

[0115] Furthermore, although the above description has been given assuming a single wireless communication method and wireless system, it is also possible to use a combination of multiple different wireless communication methods between a base station device and a terminal device and between terminal devices, for example.

[0116] <Hardware configuration example> Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer according to this embodiment. The base station device 10, the terminal device 20, and the control device 200 each have, for example, the hardware configuration of a computer 1100 as shown in Fig. 11. In the example of Fig. 11, the computer 1100 includes a processor 1101, a memory 1102, a storage device 1103, a communication device 1104, an input device 1105, an output device 1106, a bus B, etc.

[0117] The processor 1101 is, for example, an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that realizes various functions by executing a predetermined program stored in a storage medium. The memory 1102 is a storage medium readable by the computer 1100, and includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The storage device 1103 is a computer-readable storage medium, and may include, for example, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), various optical disks, and magneto-optical disks.

[0118] The communication device 1104 includes one or more pieces of hardware (transmitting / receiving devices) for communicating with other devices via a wireless or wired network. For example, the communication device 1104 includes a wireless unit 11-1, a wireless unit 11-2, a wireless unit 211, a wireless unit 11, a communication unit 601, or a communication unit 611.

[0119] The input device 1105 is an input device (for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1106 is an output device (for example, a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that performs output to the outside. Note that the input device 1105 and the output device 1106 may be integrated into one device (for example, an input / output device such as a touch panel display).

[0120] The bus B is commonly connected to the above components and transmits, for example, address signals, data signals, and various control signals. The processor 1101 is not limited to a CPU, and may be, for example, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0121] (supplement) In this embodiment, the base station device 10, the control device 200, and the terminal device 20 are not limited to being realized by dedicated devices, but may be realized by a general-purpose computer. In this case, a program for realizing this function may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed to realize the function. Note that the term "computer system" here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices.

[0122] Additionally, "computer-readable recording media" includes various storage devices such as portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, as well as hard disks built into computer systems. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" may also include devices that dynamically store programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, and devices that store programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory within computer systems that serve as servers or clients in such cases.

[0123] Furthermore, the above program may be one that realizes part of the above-mentioned functions, or may be one that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system, or may be one that is realized using hardware such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0124] <Effects of the embodiment> According to this embodiment, in terminal linkage communication in which a plurality of terminal devices 20 communicate in cooperation with each other, it is possible to suppress a decrease in communication efficiency when a terminal device 20 that does not support terminal linkage communication is mixed in.

[0125] <Summary of the embodiment> This specification discloses at least the following wireless communication methods and wireless communication systems. (Section 1) A base station device having a plurality of radio units, a setting unit configured to set some of the plurality of wireless units as first wireless units that preferentially accommodate terminal devices that support terminal cooperation communication in which a plurality of terminal devices communicate in cooperation with each other; a connection control unit configured to connect a terminal device compatible with the terminal cooperation communication to the first wireless unit; A base station device having: (Section 2) The connection control unit If the terminal device connected to the first wireless unit does not support the terminal linked communication, the terminal device is connected to a second wireless unit different from the first wireless unit among the plurality of wireless units; If the terminal device connected to the second wireless unit is compatible with the terminal linked communication, the terminal device is connected to the first wireless unit. 2. The base station device according to claim 1. (Section 3) The connection control unit When a terminal device requesting a connection to the first wireless unit is compatible with the terminal linked communication, allowing the terminal device to connect to the first wireless unit; If a terminal device requesting connection to the first wireless unit does not support the terminal linked communication, the terminal device is denied connection to the first wireless unit. 2. The base station device according to claim 1. (Section 4) A wireless communication system including a plurality of base station devices and a control device that controls the base station devices, a setting unit configured to set some of the plurality of base station devices as first base station devices that preferentially accommodate terminal devices that support terminal cooperative communication in which a plurality of terminal devices communicate in cooperation with each other; a connection control unit configured to connect a terminal device compatible with the terminal cooperative communication to the first base station device; A wireless communication system comprising: (Section 5) The connection control unit If a terminal device connected to the first base station device does not support the terminal cooperative communication, the terminal device is connected to a second base station device different from the first base station device among the plurality of base station devices; If a terminal device connected to the second base station device supports the terminal-cooperative communication, the terminal device is connected to the first base station device. 5. A wireless communication system according to claim 4. (Section 6) The connection control unit If a terminal device requesting a connection to the first base station device supports the terminal-linked communication, allowing the terminal device to connect to the first base station device; If a terminal device requesting connection to the first base station device does not support the terminal cooperative communication, the terminal device is denied connection to the first base station device. 5. A wireless communication system according to claim 4. (Section 7) A control device that controls a plurality of base station devices, a setting unit configured to set some of the plurality of base station devices as first base station devices that preferentially accommodate terminal devices that support terminal cooperative communication in which a plurality of terminal devices communicate in cooperation with each other; a connection control unit configured to connect a terminal device compatible with the terminal cooperative communication to the first base station device; A control device having: (Section 8) A wireless communication system including a plurality of base station devices and a control device that controls the base station devices, a process of setting some of the plurality of base station devices as first base station devices that preferentially accommodate terminal devices that support terminal cooperative communication in which a plurality of terminal devices communicate in cooperation with each other; A process of connecting a terminal device compatible with the terminal cooperative communication to the first base station device; A wireless communication method for performing the above.

[0126] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such a specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 1. Wireless communication systems 10, 10-1, 10-2 Base station equipment 11, 11-1, 11-2 Radio section 20, 20-1 to 20-8 Terminal equipment 20-1 to 20-4 Terminal devices compatible with terminal linked communication 200 control device 301 Settings 302 Connection control section 1100 Computer

Claims

1. A base station device having a plurality of radio units, a setting unit configured to set some of the plurality of wireless units as first wireless units that preferentially accommodate terminal devices that support terminal cooperation communication in which a plurality of terminal devices communicate in cooperation with each other; a connection control unit configured to connect a terminal device compatible with the terminal cooperation communication to the first wireless unit; and The connection control unit If the terminal device connected to the first wireless unit does not support the terminal linked communication, the terminal device is connected to a second wireless unit different from the first wireless unit among the plurality of wireless units; If the terminal device connected to the second wireless unit is compatible with the terminal linked communication, the terminal device is connected to the first wireless unit. Base station equipment.

2. The connection control unit When a terminal device requesting a connection to the first wireless unit is compatible with the terminal linked communication, allowing the terminal device to connect to the first wireless unit; If a terminal device requesting connection to the first wireless unit does not support the terminal linked communication, the terminal device is denied connection to the first wireless unit. The base station device according to claim 1 .

3. A wireless communication system including a plurality of base station devices and a control device that controls the base station devices, a setting unit configured to set some of the plurality of base station devices as first base station devices that preferentially accommodate terminal devices that support terminal cooperative communication in which a plurality of terminal devices communicate in cooperation with each other; a connection control unit configured to connect a terminal device compatible with the terminal cooperative communication to the first base station device; and The connection control unit If a terminal device connected to the first base station device does not support the terminal cooperative communication, the terminal device is connected to a second base station device different from the first base station device among the plurality of base station devices; If a terminal device connected to the second base station device supports the terminal-cooperative communication, the terminal device is connected to the first base station device. Wireless communication system.

4. The connection control unit When a terminal device requesting a connection to the first base station device supports the terminal-linked communication, allowing the terminal device to connect to the first base station device; If a terminal device requesting connection to the first base station device does not support the terminal cooperative communication, the terminal device is denied connection to the first base station device.

4. The wireless communication system according to claim 3.

5. A control device that controls a plurality of base station devices, a setting unit configured to set some of the plurality of base station devices as first base station devices that preferentially accommodate terminal devices that support terminal cooperative communication in which a plurality of terminal devices communicate in cooperation with each other; a connection control unit configured to connect a terminal device compatible with the terminal cooperative communication to the first base station device; and The connection control unit If a terminal device connected to the first base station device does not support the terminal cooperative communication, the terminal device is connected to a second base station device different from the first base station device among the plurality of base station devices; If a terminal device connected to the second base station device supports the terminal-cooperative communication, the terminal device is connected to the first base station device. Control device.

6. A wireless communication system including a plurality of base station devices and a control device that controls the base station devices, a setting process for setting some of the plurality of base station devices as first base station devices that preferentially accommodate terminal devices that support terminal cooperative communication in which a plurality of terminal devices communicate in cooperation with each other; a connection control process for connecting a terminal device compatible with the terminal cooperative communication to the first base station device; Run The connection control process includes: If a terminal device connected to the first base station device does not support the terminal cooperative communication, the terminal device is connected to a second base station device different from the first base station device among the plurality of base station devices; If a terminal device connected to the second base station device supports the terminal-cooperative communication, the terminal device is connected to the first base station device. Wireless communication method.

7. A base station device having a plurality of radio units, a setting process for setting some of the plurality of wireless units as first wireless units that preferentially accommodate terminal devices that support terminal cooperation communication in which a plurality of terminal devices communicate in cooperation with each other; a connection control process for connecting a terminal device compatible with the terminal cooperation communication to the first wireless unit; Run The connection control process includes: If the terminal device connected to the first wireless unit does not support the terminal linked communication, the terminal device is connected to a second wireless unit different from the first wireless unit among the plurality of wireless units; If the terminal device connected to the second wireless unit is compatible with the terminal linked communication, the terminal device is connected to the first wireless unit. Wireless communication method.

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