Communication device, management device, control method, and program

Abstract

To enable interference suppression control between a plurality of wireless communication systems.SOLUTION: A communication device detects a signal transmitted from a first base station of another wireless communication system different from a wireless communication system to which the communication device belongs. The communication device then transmits a first piece of information related to the first base station and a second piece of information indicating a wireless channel to be used when the communication device communicates user data with a second base station belonging to the wireless communication system on detecting the signal, to a management device that manages communication in the other wireless communication system.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for coordinating interference between multiple wireless communication systems. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been made to institutionalize local 5G (local 5G) and regional broadband wireless access (BWA) systems that utilize fifth-generation (5G) cellular communication standards, enabling operators other than carriers to build and operate cellular communication networks. For use cases in which communication traffic originates from different locations over time, local 5G systems are being considered, with the aim of relocating and operating wireless base stations to match the location of the traffic. When relocating a wireless base station, it is important to suppress inter-area interference caused by overlapping frequency channels used by the relocated wireless base station with those used by other existing wireless base stations. Patent Document 1 (Patent Document 1) describes a method for suppressing such interference, in which a control station connected to a core network arbitrates between a moving wireless base station and another wireless base station at the destination so that the wireless channels used by the moving wireless base station are different from each other. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-250177 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to the invention described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to suppress interference when a wireless base station moves within a wireless communication system deployed by a single network operator. On the other hand, it is assumed that a wireless communication system using local 5G will be deployed in such a manner that a system operated by a first operator is deployed adjacent to a system operated by a second operator different from the first operator. The invention described in Patent Document 1 cannot suppress interference between such systems operated by different operators.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique that enables interference suppression control between a plurality of wireless communication systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A communication device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a detecting means for detecting a signal transmitted from a first base station of a wireless communication system different from a wireless communication system to which the communication device belongs; and a transmitting means for transmitting, to a management device that manages communications in the other wireless communication system, first information related to the first base station and second information indicating a wireless channel to be used when the communication device performs user data communication with a second base station that belongs to the wireless communication system when the communication device detects the signal. The signal is a broadcast signal transmitted from the first base station. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to perform interference suppression control between a plurality of wireless communication systems. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a wireless communication system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the configuration of a communication device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of processing executed in a wireless communication system. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of processing executed in a wireless communication system. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating exemplary configurations of a paging signal and a notification signal. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a message sent when a communication device notifies a base station of a measurement result. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a message when a base station transfers a measurement result to a radio management device. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of processing executed by a communication device. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of processing executed by a base station. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of processing executed by a radio network management device. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of processing executed in a wireless communication system. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of processing executed in a wireless communication system. [Figure 13] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a message transmitted and received in a wireless communication system. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of processing executed by a communication device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] (System Configuration) FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a wireless communication system according to this embodiment. In FIG. 1, for example, a first area 100 indicated by a solid line is owned by a first owner, and a second area 110 indicated by a dashed line is owned by a second owner. A first wireless communication system is operated to cover a part of the first area 100, and a second wireless communication system is operated to cover at least a part (all of the second area 110 in FIG. 1) of the second area 110. The first wireless communication system and the second wireless communication system may be configured using, for example, local 5G in accordance with the fifth generation (5G) cellular communication standard. The first wireless communication system and the second wireless communication system may also be self-protection wireless communication networks. Note that this is just an example, and the system may also be configured using, for example, regional BWA (Broadband Wireless Access).

[0011] The first wireless communication system includes, for example, a first wireless network management device 101 that manages and controls the operation of the entire system, a base station 103 that is connected to and managed and controlled by the first wireless network management device 101, and a communication device 102 that connects to the base station 103 and communicates. In the first wireless communication system, the area in which wireless communication services are provided is changed by relocating the base station 103 based on, for example, a schedule or other circumstances related to the area in which work is performed by a work machine equipped with the communication device 102. FIG. 1 shows that the base station 103 provides communication services in cell 104 before relocation and provides communication services in cell 105 after relocation. For example, after a tiller equipped with the communication device 102 finishes farming using the communication service in an area included in cell 104, the base station 103 is relocated to form cell 105. This allows the tiller equipped with the communication device 102 to farm using the communication service in the area included in cell 105 following the area included in cell 104.

[0012] The second wireless communication system, like the first wireless communication system, is configured to include a second wireless network management device 111 that manages and controls the operation of the entire system. In the second wireless communication system, a plurality of base stations 113-117 are fixedly installed so as to enable wireless communication throughout the entire area owned by the second owner. These plurality of base stations 113-117 are each connected to the second wireless network management device 111 and are managed and controlled by the second wireless network management device 111. A communication device 112 of the second wireless communication system connects to any of these plurality of base stations 113-117 to communicate.

[0013] Note that the base station 103 and the base stations 113 to 117 are gNodeBs in a 5G cellular communication system, and the communication device 102 and the communication device 112 are UEs (User Equipment) in the 5G cellular communication system. However, this is not limiting, and the discussion according to this embodiment can be applied to any system in which a base station and a communication device (terminal) communicate with each other.

[0014] 1, the cell 104 before the base station 103 of the first wireless communication system is relocated does not intersect with the second area 110. Therefore, there is no interference between communications by the base stations 113-117 of the second wireless communication system that cover the second area 110 and communications by the base station 103 of the first wireless communication system. On the other hand, the cell 105 after the base station 103 is relocated intersects with the second area 110, which may result in a state in which communications by the base station 113 and communications by the base station 103 interfere with each other. For example, if the frequency and time resources used by the base station 103 to transmit data to the communication device 102 overlap with the frequency and time resources used by the base station 113 to transmit data to the communication device 112, signal components in the overlapping area will interfere with each other. Such interference may have an effect such as a decrease in the communication throughput of the communication devices 102 and 112, for example.

[0015] This embodiment provides a method for suppressing the occurrence of such interference. That is, for example, when the communication device 112 detects radio waves arriving from the base station 103, the detection result is shared by both the first radio network management device 101 of the first wireless communication system and the second radio network management device 111 of the second wireless communication system. Then, the first radio network management device 101 and the second radio network management device 111 control, for example, the base station 103 and the base station 113 to communicate using different radio channels (frequency ranges and time ranges). Note that this communication may be downlink communication (a link from the base station to the communication device), uplink communication (a link from the communication device to the base station), or both. By sharing the above information, the first radio network management device 101 and the second radio network management device 111 can identify that the cell 105 formed by the base station 103 and the cell formed by the base station 113 are neighboring cells. This allows adjustment of the radio channels used in adjacent cells, while other cells can flexibly use radio channels without such adjustment.

[0016] (Configuration of communication device) 2 shows an example of the configuration of the communication device 112 according to this embodiment. The communication device 112 includes, for example, a CPU 201, an output unit 202, an operation unit 203, a non-volatile memory unit 204, a SIM function unit 205, a power supply unit 206, a RAM 207, and a ROM 208.

[0017] The CPU 201 is a central processing unit for controlling the entire communication device 112. Note that the CPU 201 is an example of a processor, and other processors such as an MPU (microprocessing unit) or a multi-core processor may be used, or a plurality of these may be combined as necessary. That is, the communication device 112 may have one or more processors. Note that the communication device 112 may include a processing circuit such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), a DSP (digital signal processor), or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) in addition to or instead of the CPU 201. The output unit 202 includes a display device such as a display, a speaker, a vibrator, or other devices capable of outputting information. The output unit 202 presents information obtained as a result of processing by the CPU 201 to the user, for example, by displaying a screen on the display, outputting sound from the speaker, and vibrating the vibrator. The operation unit 203 includes a device capable of receiving user operations such as a button, a keyboard, or a touch panel. When the operation unit 203 receives a user operation, it outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the operation content to the CPU 201. Note that a device that combines the output unit 202 and the operation unit 203, such as a touch panel display, may also be used.

[0018] The non-volatile memory unit 204 is configured by a non-volatile storage device for storing information that should be retained even after the communication device 112 is powered off. The SIM function unit 205 executes the function of a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) in the communication device 112. For example, when a SIM card is inserted into a SIM card slot, the SIM function unit 205 enables connection to a wireless communication network using information stored in the SIM card. Note that the SIM function unit 205 may be a device with a built-in SIM and may enable connection to the network by, for example, performing processes such as registering and validating information on a SIM provided by an operator of the wireless communication network. The power supply unit 206 is, for example, a battery and has the function of supplying power to the communication device 112. The RAM 207 is, for example, a random access memory and may function as a work memory when the CPU 201 executes a program stored in the ROM 208. The RAM 207 may also be used to store temporary information, for example, communication-related parameters. The ROM 208 is a read-only memory, and is configured to store, for example, computer programs to be executed by the communication device 112 and instruction codes executable by the computer.

[0019] The communication device 112 also has a wireless communication function for communicating with the base stations 113 to 117. This wireless communication function is configured to include, for example, a baseband processor, an RF (radio frequency) chip, an antenna, etc. In a Long Term Evolution (LTE) or 5G cellular communication network, such wireless communication function enables C-Plane communication for transmitting and receiving control data and U-Plane communication for transmitting and receiving user data between the base station and the communication device. The C-Plane is also called the control plane, and the U-Plane is also called the user plane. The communication device 112 has a U-Plane communication unit 209 for U-Plane communication and a C-Plane communication unit 210 for C-Plane communication, which operate in accordance with, for example, a 5G cellular communication standard. 2, the U-Plane communication unit 209 and the C-Plane communication unit 210 are illustrated separately for convenience, but it is sufficient that the C-Plane communication and the U-Plane communication are logically separated, and they can be physically implemented as a single communication device. The communication device 112 also includes a wireless channel information storage unit 211 that stores information on a wireless channel for U-Plane communication assigned to the communication device 112 by, for example, the second wireless network management device 111. The communication device 112 also includes an other system information storage unit 212 that stores identification information on base stations of wireless communication systems other than the wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 belongs, detected by analyzing an incoming wireless signal. The wireless channel information storage unit 211 and the other system information storage unit 212 can be implemented by physical storage devices such as memory, HDD (hard disk drive), or SSD (solid state drive). The radio channel information storage unit 211 and the other system information storage unit 212 may be implemented by separate storage devices, or may be implemented by a single physical storage device.

[0020] 2 is an example, and communication device 112 may naturally have other configurations. For example, communication device 112 may have a general configuration for executing functions as a terminal device in a cellular communication system, or an additional configuration for executing a specific application. Also, part of the configuration in FIG. 2 may be omitted, or two or more functional blocks may be realized as a single functional block.

[0021] (Processing flow) Next, an example of the flow of processing executed in this embodiment will be described.

[0022] <Processing example 1> 3 is a diagram showing an outline of the processing flow in the first processing example. As shown in FIG. 3, the first radio network management device 101 shown in FIG. 1 includes an allocation control unit 301 that allocates radio channels to be used for U-Plane communication in base stations of the first radio communication system. The first radio network management device 101 also includes, for each base station of the first radio communication system, a database 302 that stores the radio channels used for U-Plane communication and a database 303 of its installation location. Similarly, the second radio network management device 111 includes an allocation control unit 311, and, for each base station of the second radio communication system, a database 312 that stores the radio channels used for U-Plane communication and a database 313 of its installation location. The first radio network management device 101 and the second radio network management device 111 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a WAN (wide area network), and the addresses of these radio network management devices are held and managed by an address management server 321. The address management server 321 may be, for example, a server on the network, or may be included inside each wireless network management device.

[0023] In this process, when the communication device 112 detects a broadcast signal 351 from a base station 103 of a first wireless communication system different from the system to which the communication device 112 belongs, the communication device 112 notifies the first wireless network management device 101 of the first wireless communication system. For example, the communication device 112 acquires identification information of the base station 103 from the broadcast signal 351, and if the identification information is not identification information belonging to the second wireless communication system, the communication device 112 transmits a notification including the identification information to the base station 113. This notification can be made, for example, by a UE Information Indication message 352. Upon receiving this notification, the base station 113 notifies the second wireless network management device 111 that a signal of the other system has been detected by the communication device 112. This notification is made, for example, by a Neighbor Cell Relations Report message 353. The second wireless network management device 111 then transmits a similar notification to the first wireless network management device 101 of the first wireless communication system to which the base station 103 that transmitted the signal detected by the communication device 112 belongs. This notification is also made using, for example, a Neighbor Cell Relations Report message 354. Then, based on the notification, the first radio network management device 101 sets a radio channel to be used in the base station 103 by means of the allocation control unit 301, and notifies the base station 103 of the setting. The first radio network management device 101 also notifies the base station 103 that a cell formed by the base station 113 of the second radio communication system exists as a neighboring cell of the base station 103. This notification can be made using an Update Neighbor Cell Relations message 355. The second radio network management device 111 also notifies the base station 113 by an Update Neighbor Cell Relations message 356 that the cell formed by the base station 103 exists as a neighboring cell.

[0024] FIG. 4 shows an example of the flow of this procedure. Initially, the communication device 112 is located in a cell formed by the base station 113. For example, when the communication device 112 receives a paging signal (S401), the communication device 112 can establish a connection with the base station 113 and receive downlink user data. At this time, the paging signal has a configuration as shown in FIG. 5(A), and the base station (cell) from which the signal is sent is indicated by the PLMN-ID and ECI associated with that base station (cell). The PLMN-ID is a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier. The ECI is an Enhanced Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network cell identifier (E-UTRAN Cell ID). The communication device 112 can perform connection establishment processing based on a paging signal whose sender includes the PLMN-ID of the wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 belongs. Note that FIG. 4 shows an example in which the paging signal is sent from the base station 113, but various signals may be sent from the base station 113, and the communication device 112 may receive these signals.

[0025] Here, it is assumed that the installation location of the base station 103 of the first wireless communication system has been changed (S402), and for example, the state has changed from forming cell 104 to forming cell 105. In this state, a broadcast signal from the base station 103 may reach the communication device 112 (S403). When the communication device 112 detects this broadcast signal, it analyzes the content of the broadcast signal and determines that the broadcast signal has arrived from a base station 103 of a system different from the second wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 belongs. Note that the broadcast signal has a configuration as shown in FIG. 5(B), and the communication device 112 can identify that the signal has arrived from a base station of a system different from the second wireless communication system by the PLMN-ID and ECI. Note that, although the case where the broadcast signal has arrived at the communication device 112 is illustrated here, this is not limiting. For example, when the communication device 112 receives any signal, such as a paging signal, from which it is possible to identify the base station from which the signal originates, it can determine whether the source of the signal is a base station of the second wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 belongs. In addition, the communication device 112 may determine whether the sender of the signal is a base station of the second wireless communication system to which the device belongs by analyzing not only broadcast signals such as annunciation signals and paging signals, but also the control information portion of individual signals.

[0026] In the above example, the base station of a system that transmits a signal is identified based on a combination of a PLMN-ID and an ECI included in the signal. However, this is not limiting. If the system can be identified by only the PLMN-ID or only the ECI, it is sufficient to refer to only the information necessary for the identification. If the system can be identified by information other than the PLMN-ID and the ECI, the PLMN-ID and the ECI do not need to be used to identify the system. Here, the communication device 112 may determine, based on information such as the PLMN-ID and the ECI, whether the signal is from a base station that has been notified in advance by the base station 113 as an adjacent cell. That is, the communication device 112 may determine whether a signal from a cell that is not registered as an adjacent cell in the base station 113 and not notified to the communication device 112 as an adjacent cell has arrived. For example, when the communication device 112 detects a signal from a cell that is not registered as an adjacent cell in the base station 113, the communication device 112 may analyze whether the signal is from a system different from the wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 belongs. Furthermore, when the communication device 112 detects a signal from a cell that is not registered as an adjacent cell in the base station 113, the communication device 112 may determine that the signal is from a system different from the wireless communication system to which the device itself belongs.

[0027] The communication device 112 determines that a signal has arrived from a system different from the second wireless communication system to which the device belongs as described above, and transmits a UE Information Indication message to the base station 113 (S404). FIG. 6 shows an example of the configuration of the UE Information Indication message. The UE Information Indication message includes information 601 indicating that measured information is to be notified, and measurement results 602 and 608 for one or more cells. Note that the communication device 112 can report the information 601 to the base station 113 when instructed by the base station 113 to report the results of measuring the surrounding environment. Note that this measurement of the surrounding environment may be performed in a non-connected state (for example, an RRC_Idle state or an RRC_Inactive state) or in a connected state (RRC_Connected state). Note that RRC refers to radio resource control. The measurement result for each cell includes the cell's physical cell identifier 603, carrier frequency 604, RSSI information 605 indicating a received signal strength indicator, radio channel information 606 used in U-Plane communications, and detected base station information 607 indicating detected base stations. Note that these are merely examples, and it is sufficient to include at least information about detected base stations of other systems (detected base station information 607 in FIG. 6 ). Other information may be optional. For example, the radio channel information 606 may be notified to the base station 113 in order to adjust the radio channel used in U-Plane communications at the base station 113. However, this information does not need to be notified from the communication device 112, as it can be obtained by, for example, the second radio network management device 111 making an inquiry to the first radio network management device 101 based on the detected base station information 607. Similarly, the physical cell identifier 603 and the carrier frequency 604 may also be obtained by the second radio network management device 111 making an inquiry to the first radio network management device 101 based on the detected base station information 607.The RSSI information 605 may indicate, for example, the level of interference power from a cell associated with the measurement result 602. When the magnitude of the RSSI indicated by this information is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, resource control for interference avoidance may be performed. On the other hand, when resource control for interference avoidance is performed on the condition that a signal of another system is detected in the communication device 112, regardless of the RSSI value, the RSSI information 605 may be omitted. The communication device 112 may notify information about the wireless channel used in its own U-Plane communication. In this case, the wireless channel information may be included as an item in the wireless channel information 606. When the information about the wireless channel used by the communication device 112 is notified, the information may be stored in a different field of the UE Information Indication message, separately from the measurement results 602 and 608 related to the neighboring cells. Since the information about the wireless channel used by the communication device 112 is naturally recognized by the second radio network management device 111 and the base station 113, this information does not need to be notified from the communication device 112. In this case, for example, the base station 113 may notify the second radio network management device 111 of information about the radio channels in use.

[0028] Upon receiving the UE Information Indication message, the base station 113 generates a Neighbor Cell Relations Report message and notifies the second radio network management device 111 of the message (S405). An example of the configuration of a Neighbor Cell Relations Report is shown in Fig. 7. The Neighbor Cell Relations Report includes, for example, a first field 701 that stores parameters related to the neighbor relations of the current cell, and a second field 702 that stores the information notified in S404. The second field 702 stores information corresponding to the radio channel information 606 and the detected base station information 607.

[0029] When the second radio network management device 111 receives the Neighbor Cell Relations Report, it analyzes the contents thereof and determines whether or not information about a base station not under its control is stored based on detected base station information 607. If information about a base station not under its control is stored, the second radio network management device 111 identifies another radio network management device (radio communication system) corresponding to that base station. The second radio network management device 111 then transfers the Neighbor Cell Relations Report to the address of the other radio network management device. At this time, if the second radio network management device 111 has previously stored information about the address of the other radio network management device, it transfers the Neighbor Cell Relations Report with that address as the destination. On the other hand, if the second radio network management device 111 does not previously store information about the address of the other radio network management device, it queries, for example, the address management server 321 for information about that address. The second radio network management device 111 then transfers the Neighbor Cell Relations Report with the address acquired from the address management server 321 as the destination. In the example of Fig. 4, the second radio network management device 111 identifies the first radio network management device 101 based on information about the base station 103. Then, the second radio network management device 111 queries the address management server 321 for the address of the first radio network management device 101 in order to transfer the Neighbor Cell Relations Report (S406). Then, the second radio network management device 111 receives a response containing the address of the first radio network management device 101 from the address management server 321 (S407). Then, the second radio network management device 111 transfers the Neighbor Cell Relations Report received in S405 to the address acquired in S407 as the destination (S408). Note that in this case, the second radio network management device 111 may include information about the base station 113 that is the sender of the Neighbor Cell Relations Report in this report before transmitting it. In this way, information on neighboring cell relationships can be shared between multiple radio network management devices of different radio communication systems (e.g., local 5G systems).

[0030] Then, the second radio network management device 111 transmits an Update Neighbor Cell Relations message to the base station 113 to which the communication device 112 transmitted the UE Information Indication message (S409). Based on this message, the base station 113 transmits a UE Information Response message to the communication device 112 (S410). In response to receiving this message, the communication device 112 can recognize that the base station 113 treats the cell formed by the base station 103 as a neighboring cell. In addition, in one example, the communication device 112 can recognize that radio resources will be adjusted between the base stations 103 and 113 in subsequent communications. Meanwhile, the first radio network management device 101 identifies the base station 103 for which neighbor cell relation information should be updated, based on the Neighbor Cell Relations Report. Then, the first radio network management device 101 transmits an Update Neighbor Cell Relations message to the identified base station 103 (S411). This allows base station 103 to treat the cell formed by base station 113 as an adjacent cell.

[0031] Next, the processing executed by each device will be described. Fig. 8 shows an example of the flow of processing executed by communication device 112. Note that this processing can be realized, for example, by CPU 201 executing a computer program stored in ROM 208 or the like.

[0032] When the communication device 112 detects a signal such as a broadcast signal in the above-described S401 (S801), it determines whether the signal is a signal of the second wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 itself belongs (S802). For example, the communication device 112 determines whether the PLMN-ID included in the detected signal matches the PLMN-ID of the second wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 itself belongs, and if they do not match, it may determine that a signal of another wireless communication system has been detected. When the communication device 112 determines that it has detected a signal of the second wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 itself belongs (YES in S802), it executes normal processing for the signal (S808) and ends the processing. For example, when the signal is a broadcast signal, the communication device 112 acquires various parameters included in the broadcast signal and performs processing to store the parameters in the communication device itself (newly register or update the parameters). In addition, if the signal is a paging signal, the communication device 112 determines whether the device is receiving a call from the paging signal, and if the device is receiving a call, it can establish a connection with the base station 113 and receive user data from the base station 113.

[0033] On the other hand, when the communication device 112 determines that it has detected a signal of a wireless communication system different from the second wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 belongs (NO in S802), it performs preparations for notifying the base station 113 of the identification information of the base station included in the signal. First, the communication device 112 temporarily stores, for example, a combination of the PLMN-ID and ECI included in the signal as the identification information of the base station. Then, the communication device 112 sets the temporarily stored information in the detected base station information 607 field of the UE Information Indication message to be transmitted to the base station 113 (S803). Then, the communication device 112 sets, for example, information indicating a wireless channel used in U-Plane communication of the communication device 112 in the wireless channel information 606 field of the UE Information Indication message (S804). Then, the communication device 112 transmits the UE Information Indication message in which these parameters are set to the base station 113 (S805). For example, if the communication device 112 is in the RRC_Idle state, it establishes a new connection with the base station 113, and if it is in the RRC_Inactive state, it resumes the connection with the base station 113 and transmits this message to the base station 113.

[0034] Thereafter, the communication device 112 determines whether a response (UE Information Response message) to the UE Information Indication message has been received from the base station 113 (S806). If the communication device 112 has not received this response (NO in S806), it simply ends the process. Note that the communication device 112 may, for example, repeatedly execute the transmission of S805. On the other hand, if the communication device 112 has received this response (YES in S806), it deletes the identification information of the base station that was temporarily stored (S807) and ends the process.

[0035] 9 shows an example of the flow of processing executed by base station 113. Note that this processing can be realized, for example, by a computer provided in base station 113 executing a computer program stored in a storage device.

[0036] When the base station 113 receives the UE Information Indication message from the communication device 112, it extracts the radio channel information 606 and the detected base station information 607 therefrom, as well as other parameters such as those shown in FIG. 6 . Then, based on this information, the base station 113 stores the information in the parameter field (second field 702) of a Neighbor Cell Relations Report (S901). Then, the base station 113 transmits the Neighbor Cell Relations Report message to the second radio network management device 111 (S902). Thereafter, the base station 113 waits for an Update Neighbor Cell Relations message from the second radio network management device 111 (S903). When the base station 113 receives the Update Neighbor Cell Relations message (YES in S903), it transmits a UE Information Response message to the communication device 112 and ends the process (S904). The Update Neighbor Cell Relations message may include, for example, information about the radio channel to be used in U-Plane communication with the communication device 112. Based on this information, the base station 113 can set the frequency channel to be used in U-Plane communication with the communication device 112 and perform communication.

[0037] 10 shows an example of the flow of processing executed by second radio network management device 111. Note that this processing can be realized, for example, by a computer provided in second radio network management device 111 executing a computer program stored in a storage device.

[0038] The second radio network management device 111 first receives a Neighbor Cell Relations Report message (S1001). Then, the second radio network management device 111 determines whether the message contains information about a base station of a system other than the system to which the second radio network management device 111 belongs (S1002). Here, the second radio network management device 111 determines, for example, whether the message contains detected base station information 607 having a PLMN-ID different from the PLMN-ID corresponding to the second radio network management device 111's system. If the second radio network management device 111 determines that the message contains information about a base station of the other system (YES in S1002), it then determines whether it has acquired the address of another radio network management device in the system to which the base station belongs (S1003). Here, the second radio network management device 111 may determine, for example, whether it has previously stored the address of another radio network management device. Furthermore, for example, if the second radio network management device 111 does not hold the address of another radio network management device or if the address has expired, the second radio network management device 111 can acquire the address by transmitting an inquiry message to the address management server 321. Note that this inquiry can be made by transmitting, for example, information identifying the radio network management device based on a PLMN-ID or base station identification information (a combination of a PLMN-ID and an ECI) to the address management server 321. Then, for example, if the second radio network management device 111 succeeds in acquiring the address from the address management server 321, the second radio network management device 111 can determine that the address has been acquired, and if the acquisition fails, the second radio network management device 111 can determine that the address has not been acquired. Note that if the address management server 321 does not exist, the second radio network management device 111 may determine whether or not the address of another radio network management device is held within the second radio network management device. Even in this case, if the second radio network management device 111 has a mechanism for acquiring the address of another radio network management device, the second radio network management device 111 may attempt to acquire the address using the mechanism and determine whether the address was actually acquired.

[0039] If the second radio network management device 111 acquires information about the address (YES in S1003), it transfers a Neighbor Cell Relations Report message to the address (S1004). Then, the second radio network management device 111 updates the Neighbor Cell Relations information in the network to which the second radio network management device 111 belongs and sets a status indicating that the update was successful (S1005). Note that even if there is no identification information of a base station other than that of the system to which the second radio network management device 111 belongs (NO in S1002), the second radio network management device 111 updates the Neighbor Cell Relations information and sets a status indicating that the update was successful (S1005). Here, the second radio network management device 111 may determine NO in S1002 and proceed to S1005, for example, even if it acquires information about a base station of another system that was acquired previously. On the other hand, if the second radio network management device 111 is unable to acquire the address information (NO in S1003), it updates the Neighbor Cell Relations information and sets a status indicating update failure (S1006).

[0040] After updating the Neighbor Cell Relations information, the second radio network management device 111 transmits an Update Neighbor Cell Relations message generated based on the updated information to the base station 113. The Update Neighbor Cell Relations message updates information about the radio channel that the base station 113 should use for communication in the U-Plane.

[0041] Meanwhile, the other radio network management device (first radio network management device 101) that receives the transferred Neighbor Cell Relations Report message analyzes the information in the message. Then, based on the information in the message, the other radio network management device updates the Neighbor Cell Relations information in the radio communication network to which the own device belongs. In this case, a status indicating that the Neighbor Cell Relations information has been successfully updated is set. Furthermore, based on the detected base station information indicated in the received Neighbor Cell Relations Report, the other radio network management device identifies a subordinate base station to which the radio channel used for U-Plane communications should be adjusted. Then, the other radio network management device transmits an Update Neighbor Cell Relations message to the identified base station, and updates the information on the radio channel that the base station should use for U-Plane communications.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, the communication device 112 notifies the base station 113 that it has detected a signal of a system other than the wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 belongs. At this time, the communication device 112 performs this notification using a UE Information Indication message prepared as a new control message. Note that, for example, the communication device 112 may transmit this notification using dedicated wireless resources without receiving an instruction from the base station 113, or the communication device 112 may transmit this notification upon receiving an explicit or implicit instruction from the base station 113. Furthermore, for example, a predetermined event may be defined, such as detection of a signal of a cell other than a cell notified by the base station 113 as an adjacent cell at a predetermined power level or higher. In this case, in response to detecting the predetermined event, the communication device 112 may establish a connection with the base station 113 and transmit a UE Information Indication message without following an instruction from the base station 113. Note that the communication device 112 may transmit this message as a C-Plane message, or may transmit this message as U-Plane user data or multiplexed with user data. This message may be realized by extending information elements of a message related to Measurement reporting in the 3GPP standard TS37.320. Also, for example, the content of the UE Information Indication message may be transmitted in a message used by the communication device 112 when establishing a connection with the base station 113. For example, the communication device 112 may include the content in Message 3 of the random access procedure when transitioning from an RRC_Idle state or an RRC_Inactive state to an RRC_Connected state.

[0043] Furthermore, the base station 113 notifies the radio network management device of the other system of information about the detected cell using a Neighbor Cell Relations Report. This allows neighbor cell relationships to be shared among multiple networks. Furthermore, the second radio network management device 102 may receive an Update Neighbor Cell Relations message from the first radio network management device 101 and acquire information about the radio channel used by the base station 103 for U-Plane communication. As a result, the base station 113 can perform U-Plane communication with the communication device 112 using a radio channel different from that used by the cell of the other system that is adjacent to the cell formed by the base station 113 itself. Note that the base station 113 may use a radio channel not used by the base station 103 for communication with a communication device that detected a signal from the base station 103, and may use a radio channel used by the base station 103 for communication with other communication devices. That is, the radio channels to be used by the base stations 103 and 113 may be determined and set in advance between the first radio network management device 101 and the second radio network management device 111, or may not be set in advance. If no setting in advance is made, the base stations 103 and 113 are notified of information about the radio channels in use by the base stations 113 and 103, respectively, and the radio channels to be actually used can be determined independently by the base stations 103 and 113.

[0044] In the above example, the communication device 112 transmits a UE Information Indication message in response to detecting a signal from another system. However, this message may be transmitted periodically. By periodically transmitting the measurement result of the radio environment in the communication device 112, the base station 113 can predict whether a signal from the base station 103 will interfere with the downlink communication of the communication device 112. That is, the UE Information Indication message can be used to identify whether the communication device 112 is located in a position where it will be interfered with by a signal from the base station 103. If interference is predicted, the base station 113 may prevent the use of the radio channel used by the base station 103 in the downlink communication of the communication device 112. Note that a conventional Measurement Report may be used for such control. That is, after the neighboring cell relationship is defined on the network side, the base station 113 may notify the communication device 112 of information about the cell formed by the base station 103 as neighboring cell information, and the communication device 112 may perform measurement based on the information. The base station 113 may then acquire the measurement result and perform radio resource allocation control.

[0045] The above-described process can prevent two adjacent cells that belong to different systems from using the same radio channel at least in the overlapping portion of the cells due to, for example, the relocation of a base station of a local 5G radio communication system. This makes it possible to prevent or at least suppress interference in these cells without any operation by the operator of the radio communication system.

[0046] <Processing example 2> 11 is a diagram showing an outline of a processing flow in the second processing example. The device configuration in FIG. 11 is the same as that in FIG. 3. In this processing example, when the communication device 112 detects a radio signal such as a broadcast signal 1151 from a base station 103 of another system that has been relocated and started operation, the communication device 112 inquires of the address management server 321 about the address of the first radio network management device 101 of this other system. For example, the communication device 112 transmits a signal 1152 inquiring about the address of the first radio network management device 101 to the address management server 321 via the base station 113 and the second radio network management device 111 based on the PLMN-ID or the like included in the detected radio signal. Then, when the communication device 112 receives a response including the address from the address management server 321, the communication device 112 transmits information 1153 about the detected cell (for example, a combination of the PLMN-ID and ECI related to the cell) to the address.

[0047] The flow of this process will be described with reference to FIG. 12. The communication device 112 is staying in a cell formed by the base station 113 and is in a state where it can receive a broadcast signal or a paging signal from the base station 113 (S1201). Then, it is assumed that the base station 103 has been relocated as described above, and radio waves can now reach a partial area of ​​the cell formed by the base station 113 (S1202). As a result, the communication device 112 begins to detect signals such as a broadcast signal from the base station 103 (S1203). The communication device 112 analyzes the signal and identifies that it is a signal from a first wireless communication system different from a second wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 belongs. For example, the communication device 112 identifies that it has detected a signal from a first wireless communication system different from the second wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 belongs, based on the PLMN-ID included in the signal. In this case, the communication device 112 communicates with the address management server 321 to inquire about information related to the base station 103 (information about the first wireless network management device 101 in the first wireless communication system). For example, the communication device 112 sets up an IP (Internet Protocol) communication path with the address management server 321 (S1204), thereby enabling IP communication with the address management server 321. Then, the communication device 112 transmits a message (Foreign Base Station Database Discovery message) for inquiring about information related to the base station 103 to the address management server 321 (S1205). The Foreign Base Station Database Discovery message transmitted here includes, for example, a combination of a PLMN-ID and a cell identifier (e.g., ECI) related to the base station 103, as shown in FIG. 13(A). Then, the communication device 112 receives a response (Foreign Base Station Database Discovery Response message) from the address management server 321 (S1206). This Foreign Base Station Database Discovery Response message includes, for example, the address of the first radio network management device 101 associated with the base station 103, as shown in FIG. 13(B).This message may also include a combination of the PLMN-ID and cell identifier (e.g., ECI) related to the base station 103. This allows the communication device 112 to clearly identify that this is a response to the inquiry of S1205. The communication device 112 may issue identification information for the inquiry, transmit the message of S1205 including the identification information, and receive the response including the identification information in S1206. In one example, after completing this inquiry, the communication device 112 releases the IP communication path established in S1204 (S1207).

[0048] Thereafter, the communication device 112 communicates with the first radio network management device 101 based on the information acquired in S1206 to update the neighbor cell relations. For example, the communication device 112 sets up an IP communication path with the first radio network management device 101 (S1208) to enable IP communication with the first radio network management device 101. The communication device 112 then transmits a Neighbor Cell Relation Update Request message to the first radio network management device 101 to request an update of the neighbor cell relations (S1209). The Neighbor Cell Relation Update Request message includes, for example, information indicating the detected cell (base station 103) and information on the radio channel being used by the communication device 112, as shown in FIG. 13(C). The first radio network management device 101 can update the Neighbor Cell Relations information under its control based on this information. Furthermore, based on this information, the first radio network management device 101 can recognize that if the base station 103 uses a radio channel that is being used by the communication device 112, interference may occur in the communication of the communication device 112. Therefore, for example, the first radio network management device 101 can perform processing such as changing the radio channel to be used for U-Plane communication in the base station 103. Furthermore, the first radio network management device 101 can notify, for example, the base station 103 of information on the radio channel that is being used by the communication device 112, and can prevent a communication device located at the cell edge from using that radio channel by the base station 103. Note that this notification can be performed using an Update Neighbor Cell Relations message. Furthermore, the first radio network management device 101 notifies the second radio network management device 101 that the cells formed by the base station 103 and the base station 113 are neighboring cells (S1210). Based on this notification, second radio network management device 111 can update the Neighbor Cell Relations information under its control.The first radio network management device 101 may notify the second radio network management device 111, for example, of information indicating that the radio channel used by the base station 103 has been adjusted, or information indicating the radio channel to be used by the base station 113. The first radio network management device 111 may also include information such as identification information of the base station 103 and the radio channel being used by the communication device 112. This notification may be performed by Update Neighbor Cell Relations.

[0049] Furthermore, the first radio network management device 101 transmits to the communication device 112 information indicating that the neighbor cell relations have been updated (S1211). This information is transmitted, for example, by a Neighbor Cell Relations Update Response message. This Neighbor Cell Relations Update Response message includes a Result Code indicating whether the update was successful or not, as shown in FIG. 13(D), for example. This message may also include information on the radio channel being used by the communication device 112 and identification information of the base station 103. Note that, for example, identification information for identifying the Neighbor Cell Relations Update Request message may be added. In this case, the identification information may be included in the Neighbor Cell Relations Update Response message. This allows the communication device 112 to identify which message this message is received in response to. When the neighbor cell relations have been updated by transmitting and receiving the Neighbor Cell Relations Update Response message, the communication device 112 releases the IP communication path between the communication device 112 and the first radio network management device 101 (S1212).

[0050] 14 shows an example of the flow of processing executed by the communication device 112. Note that this processing can be realized, for example, by the CPU 201 executing a computer program stored in the ROM 208 or the like.

[0051] When the communication device 112 detects a signal such as a broadcast signal in S1201 described above (S1401), it determines whether the signal is a signal of the second wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 itself belongs (S1402). This process is the same as S801 and S802 in FIG. 8. When the communication device 112 determines that it has detected a signal of the second wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 itself belongs (YES in S1402), it executes normal processing for the signal (S1409) and ends the process. This process in S1409 is also the same as S808 in FIG. 8. When the communication device 112 determines that it has detected a signal of a system different from the second wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 itself belongs (NO in S1402), it extracts identification information of the base station 103 that is the source of the signal from the signal and temporarily stores it (S1403). This identification information is, for example, a combination of PLMN-ID and ECI. Furthermore, the communication device 112 temporarily stores information specifying the wireless channel that the device itself is using (S1404).

[0052] The communication device 112 then queries the address management server 321 for the address of the first wireless network management device 101 of the system to which the base station 103 that is the sender of the detected signal belongs. For example, the communication device 112 transmits a Foreign Base Station Database Discovery message including the stored identification information of the base station 103 to the address management server 321 (S1405). Note that if the address management server 321 is included in the second wireless network management device 111 of the wireless communication system to which the communication device 112 belongs, this message is transmitted to the second wireless network management device 111. Thereafter, the communication device 112 waits for a response to arrive from the address management server 321 (S1406). The address management server 321 searches for the address of the corresponding first wireless network management device 101 based on the identification information of the base station 103, and transmits a response including the search results to the communication device 112. Here, the response may be, for example, a Foreign Base Station Database Discovery Response message. If the communication device 112 does not receive this response or if the valid address of the first radio network management device 101 is not stored in the response (NO in S1406), the communication device 112 ends the process. On the other hand, if the communication device 112 acquires the valid address of the first radio network management device 101 (YES in S1406), the communication device 112 requests the first radio network management device 101 to update the neighboring cell relations, etc. (S1407). For example, the communication device 112 transmits a Neighbor Cell Relations Update Request including identification information of the base station 103 and information about the radio channel being used by the communication device 112 to the first radio network management device 101. Note that the identification information of the communication device 112 may be included in the transmitted message. After this request, the communication device 112 can recognize that the neighboring cell relations have been updated by receiving, for example, a Neighbor Cell Relations Update Response. After transmitting the Neighbor Cell Relations Update Request, the communication device 112 deletes the information stored in S1403 from the storage area (S1408) and ends the process.Note that the communication device 112 may delete the information in response to receiving a Neighbor Cell Relations Update Response message. However, this is not limited to this, and the communication device 112 may delete the information after transmitting a Neighbor Cell Relations Update Request message without waiting for a response to be received.

[0053] By the above-described procedure, the communication device 112 transmits information directly to the first radio network management device 101, and the first radio network management device 101 can recognize that a signal transmitted from a subordinate base station 103 may interfere with the communication of the communication device 112. As a result, the first radio network management device 101 can perform control to change the radio channel used by the base station 103, for example. This processing can prevent the same radio channel from being used in two adjacent cells that belong to different systems. This makes it possible to prevent interference from occurring in these cells, or at least to suppress such interference, without any operation by the operator of the radio communication system.

[0054] 12 or 14, if the communication device 112 detects a signal from the same source as the signal detected in the previous process after completing the process in FIG. 12 or 14, the communication device 112 may not repeatedly execute the process in FIG. 12 or 14. In this case, the communication device 112 may, for example, notify the base station 113 of the measurement result of the signal from the base station 103 as the measurement result of the neighboring cell, while not notifying the first radio network management device 101. In accordance with the notification, the base station 113 may, for example, perform communication of the communication device 112 using a radio channel not used by the base station 103 if the effect of interference is significant.

[0055] In the above processing example, an example has been described in which both the base station 103 and the base station 113 perform control such as changing the wireless channel to be used, but this is not limiting. For example, priorities may be set between the systems. In this case, the wireless channel to be used in the system with a lower priority may be changed, while the wireless channel to be used in the system with a higher priority may not be changed.

[0056] Note that the communication between the communication device 112 and the address management server 321 or the first radio network management device 101 described above may be performed via the base station 113. This communication may also be performed via the second radio network management device 111. In this case, for example, a Foreign Base Station Discovery message may be transmitted addressed to the address management server 321 and the second radio network management device 111. Similarly, a Neighbor Cell Relations Update Request message may be transmitted not only to the first radio network management device 101 but also to the second radio network management device 111. In this way, the second radio network management device 111 can recognize that a signal from the base station 103 has been detected in the communication device 112 when it receives any of these messages. Therefore, in this case, for example, the processing of S1210 can be omitted. Note that the communication between the communication device 112 and the address management server 321 or the first radio network management device 101 may also be performed without going through the base station 113. For example, the radio network management device 101 is located at the cell edge of the cell formed by the base station 113, and communication with the base station 113 may fail. In this case, communication may be performed between the communication device 112 and the address management server 321 or the first radio network management device 101 via, for example, another base station of the second radio communication system, a wireless LAN, or in some cases, a base station of the first radio communication system. The radio channel information transmitted at this time is information about the radio channel to be used when communicating user data with the base station 113 of the second radio communication system when a signal from the base station 103 is detected. Even in this case, a communication path is configured between the communication device 112 and the address management server 321 or the first radio network management device 101 as described above, and information is transmitted and received, thereby achieving the same effect.

[0057] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0058] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 101, 111: wireless network management device, 103, 113: base station, 112: communication device, 201: CPU, 209: U-Plane communication unit, 210: C-Plane communication unit, 211: wireless channel information storage unit, 212: other system information storage unit

Claims

1. A communication device, a detecting means for detecting a signal transmitted from a first base station of a wireless communication system different from the wireless communication system to which the communication device belongs; a transmitting means for transmitting, to a management device that manages communications in the other wireless communication system, first information related to the first base station and second information indicating a wireless channel to be used when the communication device performs user data communication with a second base station that belongs to the other wireless communication system when the communication device detects the signal; and The communication device, wherein the signal is a broadcast signal transmitted from the first base station.

2. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting means transmits the first information and the second information to the management device via the second base station.

3. 3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting means, based on the detection of the signal by the detecting means, establishes a connection with the second base station without receiving an instruction from the second base station, and transmits the first information and the second information to the management device.

4. 3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting means establishes a connection with the second base station when instructed by the second base station, and transmits the first information and the second information to the management device.

5. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting means transmits the first information and the second information to the management device without passing through the second base station.

6. further comprising an acquisition unit that acquires an address of the management device based on the first information; 6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting means transmits the first information and the second information to the address.

7. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wireless communication system and the other wireless communication system are configured using local 5G.

8. 8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the first information includes a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN-ID).

9. The communication device according to claim 8 , wherein the first information includes a cell identifier of a cell configured by the first base station.

10. 10. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein the transmitting means transmits the first information and the second information in a control plane.

11. A control method executed by one or more management devices, comprising: When a signal transmitted from another base station of another wireless communication system different from the wireless communication system to which the one or more management devices belong is detected in a communication device connected to a base station managed by the one or more management devices, acquiring first information related to the other base station; transmitting the first information and second information indicating a wireless channel to be used when the communication device detects the signal and communicates user data with the base station to one or more other management devices that manage communications in the other wireless communication system; Including, A control method, characterized in that the signal is a broadcast signal transmitted from the other base station.

12. 12. The control method according to claim 11, wherein the second information is acquired from the communication device.

13. 13. The control method according to claim 11, wherein the base station acquires the first information by transmitting an instruction to the communication device to transmit the first information.

14. 13. The control method according to claim 11, wherein the first information is acquired by establishing a connection between the communication device and the base station in response to the communication device detecting the signal, without the base station transmitting an instruction to the communication device.

15. further acquiring addresses of the one or more other management devices based on the first information; 15. The control method according to claim 11, further comprising transmitting the first information and the second information to the address.

16. The control method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that the wireless communication system and the other wireless communication system are configured using local 5G.

17. 17. The control method of claim 16, wherein the first information includes a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN-ID).

18. 18. The control method according to claim 17, wherein the first information includes a cell identifier of a cell formed by the other base station.

19. 19. The control method according to claim 16, wherein the first information and the second information are transmitted in a control plane.

20. A control method performed by a communication device, comprising: detecting a signal transmitted from a first base station of a wireless communication system other than the wireless communication system to which the communication device belongs; transmitting, to a management device that manages communications in the other wireless communication system, first information related to the first base station and second information indicating a wireless channel to be used when communicating user data with a second base station that belongs to the other wireless communication system when the communication device detects the signal; Including, The control method, wherein the signal is a broadcast signal transmitted from the first base station.

21. A management device, an acquisition means for acquiring, when a communication device connected to a base station managed by the management device detects a signal transmitted from another base station of a wireless communication system different from the wireless communication system to which the management device belongs, first information related to the other base station; a transmitting means for transmitting the first information and second information indicating a wireless channel to be used when the communication device detects the signal and communicates user data with the base station to another management device that manages communication in the other wireless communication system; and The management device is characterized in that the signal is a broadcast signal transmitted from the other base station.

22. A program for causing a computer to function as the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

23. A program for causing a computer to function as the management device according to claim 21.

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