Wireless control device, wireless communication system, wireless control method, and wireless control program

Abstract

To provide a radio control device, a radio communication system, a radio control method, and a radio control program that can achieve stable communication quality.SOLUTION: A radio control device 20a includes: a movement prediction unit 22a that predicts movement of a radio terminal 200 that performs radio communication; a propagation change determination unit 24a that determines a propagation change degree indicating the degree to which the propagation of the radio communication including the received power of the radio communication changes within a predetermined expected delay time; and a selection unit 25a that selects at least one of an antenna and a beam used for radio communication control with the radio terminal 200 from among a plurality of antennas and a plurality of beams based on the propagation change degree determined by the propagation change determination unit 24a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless control device, a wireless communication system, a wireless control method, a wireless control program, and a storage medium storing such a program. For example, the present disclosure relates to a radio base station device and a wireless communication system, and particularly relates to an antenna and a beam control method in a radio base station device of a distributed antenna type (distributed MIMO: Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output) in a high frequency band.

Background Art

[0002] In order to achieve a large capacity of a mobile communication system such as a cellular system, the importance of wireless communication using a high frequency band such as millimeter wave or terahertz wave that can use a wide frequency bandwidth has been increasing. When using a high frequency band for mobile communication, it is possible to enable high-capacity communication by utilizing a wide frequency bandwidth. On the other hand, there are problems that the propagation loss depending on the frequency is large, and the influence of obstacles is large because the radio wave has high directivity and is difficult to wrap around.

[0003] As a means for solving the former problem of propagation loss, there is beamforming technology. Beamforming technology is a technology that strengthens the reception level of a radio signal transmitted in the direction where a communication target exists by performing appropriate phase control on radio signals transmitted from a large number of antenna elements. By using beamforming technology, it is possible to compensate for a large propagation loss due to a high frequency band.

[0004] [[ID=1...]] As a means for solving the latter problem of directivity, there is a distributed antenna system (DAS). DAS reduces the probability that line-of-sight communication between an antenna and a wireless terminal is blocked by extending the antennas of a radio base station and dispersing and arranging a plurality of antennas.

[0005] However, if the wireless terminal is moving and the connection between the wireless terminal and the distributed antenna is obstructed, the received power from the distributed antenna may decrease significantly. In such cases, the wireless terminal may need to switch to a different beam in a direction that allows it to receive reflected waves instead of direct waves, or switch to transmitting from another distributed antenna in line of sight. However, a rapid deterioration in received power may cause a radio link failure, requiring a reconnection procedure to establish the connection. During this time, the wireless terminal will experience a period of time when it cannot communicate data. On the other hand, it is possible to always transmit the same radio signal simultaneously from multiple distributed antennas to prevent this radio link failure, but this may limit system throughput due to the redundant use of radio resources. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2020-507233 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-134217 [Non-patent literature]

[0007] [Non-Patent Document 1] Takashi Seyama, Teppei Oyama, Takashi Dateki, "A Study on Proactive Beamforming Control Using Machine Learning in 5G Mobile Communications," Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, Technical Report SR2018-7, May 2018. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] Non-Patent Document 1 describes a wireless control method that applies machine learning techniques to maintain wireless link connectivity without interruption and to avoid inefficient use of wireless resources due to redundant communication. Non-Patent Document 1 predicts events in which the reception level will drop significantly by using machine learning with time-series data of the beam number selected by the wireless terminal and the reception level of the wireless signal from the base station when that beam is used. Since degradation due to static obstructions such as buildings and trees is reproducible, Non-Patent Document 1 can predict such degradation of the reception level. If degradation of the reception level is predicted, Non-Patent Document 1 maintains the connection by transmitting a backup beam.

[0009] Non-Patent Document 1 enables the estimation of the reception level without explicitly considering obstacles, but depending on the situation of the wireless terminal, it may lead to errors in beam selection and antenna selection. For example, Figure 1 illustrates the switching of the beam to a moving wireless terminal. As shown in Figure 1, as wireless terminal 210 moves, it is shielded from the base station antenna 110 in the shielded section 310 by the obstacle 300, causing a significant deterioration in the reception level. On the other hand, wireless terminal 220 is located in front of the obstacle 300, so it is not affected by the obstacle 300 and its reception level is unaffected. However, because Non-Patent Document 1 performs learning based on the reception level and beam number, it may confuse the situations of wireless terminal 210 and wireless terminal 220. For example, depending on the propagation environment, wireless terminal 210 and wireless terminal 220 may have similar reception power, in which case it is thought that errors in predicting shielding are likely to occur.

[0010] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that uses location information of a wireless terminal to select a beam according to the predicted location, and further detects fixed obstacles such as trees, and selects a beam and antenna according to the detection result. Patent Document 1 is thought to enable the selection of a beam and antenna that avoids obstacles according to the location by using location information.

[0011] However, as described in Patent Document 1, location information alone may not reflect the specific circumstances of the wireless terminal, making it difficult to select the optimal beam and antenna. For example, if beam and antenna selection is based solely on the predicted location, the wireless terminal may be unable to communicate or may experience a disconnection if the prediction is incorrect. Furthermore, if multiple beams and antennas are selected based on both the current state and the predicted location, the redundant use of wireless resources may limit system throughput.

[0012] Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that groups together wireless terminals that are presumed to be traveling by the same mode of transport (such as a train) based on their location and speed information. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 estimates the group's position after a predetermined time and performs beamforming according to its direction of travel. In addition, Patent Document 2 uses user terminals such as smartphones and tablet devices, and train service terminals, as the type information for wireless terminals. Train service terminals include in-train display terminals, communication terminals used for train operation, and machine terminals that control various sensors within the train.

[0013] Patent Document 2 describes how base station coverage can be adjusted by using a beam suitable for the predicted location where the wireless terminal group will move. On the other hand, if an obstacle is located between the base station and the wireless terminal group, the wireless terminal group may be simultaneously blocked by the obstacle, potentially causing a loss of connection.

[0014] As described above, Non-Patent Document 1 and Patent Documents 1-2 disclose methods for detecting predicted positions and obstacles using the location information of a wireless terminal, and selecting beams and antennas accordingly. However, selecting the optimal beam and antenna can be difficult using only location information. For example, if a predicted beam is selected alone, the wireless terminal may lose communication if the prediction is incorrect. Also, if multiple beams and antennas are selected based on both the current state and the predicted position, the redundant use of wireless resources may limit system throughput. There is a need to achieve stable communication quality.

[0015] One of the purposes of this disclosure is to solve these problems and to provide a wireless control device, wireless communication system, wireless control method, and wireless control program that can achieve stable communication quality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] A wireless control device according to one embodiment includes: a movement prediction unit that predicts the movement of a wireless terminal performing wireless communication; a propagation change determination unit that determines the degree of propagation change, which indicates the extent to which the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time; and a selection unit that selects at least one of a plurality of antennas and beams from a plurality of antennas and beams to be used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal, based on the propagation change determination unit.

[0017] A wireless communication system according to one embodiment comprises at least one wireless terminal and a wireless control device that performs wireless communication with the wireless terminal, wherein the wireless control device includes a movement prediction unit that predicts the movement of the wireless terminal, a propagation change determination unit that determines the degree of propagation change indicating the extent to which the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time, and a selection unit that selects at least one of a plurality of antennas and beams from a plurality of antennas and beams to be used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal based on the propagation change degree determined by the propagation change determination unit.

[0018] A wireless control method according to one embodiment predicts the movement of a wireless terminal performing wireless communication, determines a propagation change degree indicating the degree to which the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time, and selects at least one of the antennas and beams from among a plurality of antennas and a plurality of beams to be used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal.

[0019] A wireless control program according to one embodiment and a storage medium storing the program cause a computer to predict the movement of a wireless terminal performing wireless communication, determine a propagation change degree indicating the degree to which the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time, and, based on the determined propagation change degree, cause a computer to select at least one of the antennas and beams from among the multiple antennas and multiple beams to be used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a wireless control device, a wireless communication system, a wireless control method, a wireless control program, and a storage medium storing the program, which can achieve stable communication quality. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. is a diagram illustrating switching of a beam to a moving wireless terminal. [Figure 2] FIG. is a block diagram illustrating a wireless control device according to an overview of an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. is a flowchart diagram illustrating a wireless control method according to an overview of an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a wireless communication system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] FIG. is a block diagram illustrating a radio base station device in the wireless communication system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] FIG. is a block diagram illustrating an antenna beam prediction control unit in the radio base station device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] FIG. is a block diagram illustrating a propagation change determination unit according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] FIG. is a graph illustrating reference delay time information in the propagation change determination unit according to Embodiment 1, showing a reference interval of received power information, control such as candidate beam selection and communication beam determination, and timing of communication with the determined communication beam. [Figure 9] FIG. is a diagram illustrating a Fresnel zone and a Fresnel radius in the propagation change determination unit according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 10A] FIG. is a graph illustrating a change in propagation (radio quality) according to Embodiment 1, where the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents propagation (radio quality) of wireless communication. [Figure 10B] FIG. is a graph illustrating a change in propagation (radio quality) according to Embodiment 1, where the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents propagation (radio quality) of wireless communication. [Figure 11A] FIG. is a diagram illustrating received powers of a current beam and a selected beam according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 11B] FIG. is a diagram illustrating received powers of a current beam and a selected beam according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 11C] FIG. is a diagram illustrating received powers of a current beam and a selected beam according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 12] This flowchart illustrates a prediction control method in the antenna beam prediction control unit according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 13] This flowchart illustrates a predictive control method in the propagation change determination unit and selection unit according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 14] This block diagram illustrates a case where the wireless control device according to Embodiments 1 and 2 is implemented using an information processing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. For clarity of explanation, the following descriptions and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. In addition, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals in each drawing, and redundant explanations have been omitted where necessary.

[0023] (Summary of the embodiment) First, the wireless control device relating to the embodiment will be described. The wireless control device includes several devices described below, such as a wireless base station device. This embodiment was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide, for example, a wireless base station device and a wireless communication system that achieve stable communication quality with the minimum necessary wireless resources. In order to solve these problems, this embodiment has the following features.

[0024] The wireless base station equipment predicts the position where the wireless terminal will move after a predetermined delay time and estimates the terminal's speed. It also estimates the received signal level for each antenna and beam at the predicted position and calculates the propagation change degree, which indicates the degree to which the wireless communication propagation changes within the predetermined delay time, using the speed. Finally, the wireless base station equipment uses the propagation change degree to determine at least one of the antennas and beams to be used for wireless communication with the wireless terminal.

[0025] The above means provides the following effects, for example: The wireless base station device calculates the propagation change rate, determines the need for antenna and beam selection control at the predicted position based on the propagation change rate, and then selects the antenna and beam to be used for wireless communication. As a result, the wireless base station device can achieve stable communication quality with the minimum necessary wireless resources.

[0026] Furthermore, selecting multiple beams and antennas based on both the current state and the predicted location may limit system throughput due to redundant use of wireless resources. Therefore, the wireless base station device of this embodiment calculates how much propagation will change within the assumed delay time.

[0027] When the degree of propagation variation is large, significant degradation of communication quality is a concern if shielding occurs due to movement. For this reason, wireless base station equipment predicts the movement of wireless terminals and performs selection control of at least one of the antennas and beams based on the predicted position.

[0028] If the degree of propagation change is small, even if shielding occurs, there is no concern about significant deterioration in communication quality. For this reason, in wireless base station equipment, antenna and beam selection control based on predicted position is unnecessary, and antenna and beam selection control is performed based on information on the received power during current communication.

[0029] The propagation variation is calculated from the relationship between the assumed delay time (control delay) and the radio quality variation time. Here, the radio quality variation time is calculated, for example, from the radio wave line-of-sight space (Fresnel zone) based on the location of the radio terminal and information on the moving speed of the radio terminal.

[0030] In this summary, the position and speed at which the wireless terminal moves are predicted, and propagation change information is calculated based on the speed to determine whether or not the propagation of the wireless communication changes within the assumed delay time. The antenna and beam used for communication with the wireless terminal are also used with this propagation change information.

[0031] The wireless control device according to the outline of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the wireless control device according to the outline of the embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the wireless control device 20a includes a movement prediction unit 22a, a propagation change determination unit 24a, and a selection unit 25a. The movement prediction unit 22a, the propagation change determination unit 24a, and the selection unit 25a each have the functions of a movement prediction means, a propagation change determination means, and a selection means, respectively.

[0032] The movement prediction unit 22a predicts the movement of the wireless terminal performing wireless communication. The propagation change determination unit 24a determines the degree of propagation change, which indicates how much the propagation, including the received power of the wireless communication, will change within a predetermined assumed delay time. Based on the degree of propagation change determined by the propagation change determination unit 24a, the selection unit 25a selects at least one of the antenna and beam used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal.

[0033] Here, the propagation change determination unit 24a may determine the degree of propagation change based on the relationship between the assumed delay time and the quality fluctuation time of the wireless communication. Alternatively, the propagation change determination unit 24a may determine the degree of propagation change based on the relationship between the assumed delay time for each wireless terminal, information indicating the line-of-sight space of the radio waves used for wireless communication, and the predicted movement information of the wireless terminal.

[0034] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a wireless control method according to an embodiment. As shown in step S1 of Figure 3, the movement of the wireless terminal is predicted. Specifically, the movement prediction unit 22a predicts the movement of the wireless terminal performing wireless communication. Next, as shown in step S2, the propagation change degree is determined. For example, the propagation change determination unit 24a determines the propagation change degree, which indicates how much the propagation, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time. Next, as shown in step S3, at least one of the antenna and beam is selected based on the propagation change degree. Specifically, the selection unit 25a selects at least one of the antenna and beam used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal based on the determined propagation change degree. In this way, wireless communication can be controlled.

[0035] As described above, the wireless control device 20a of this embodiment determines whether additional antennas and beams are needed at the predicted location of the wireless terminal by calculating the propagation change rate. The propagation change rate is calculated from the relationship between the assumed delay time for each wireless terminal and the wireless quality fluctuation time for each wireless terminal. Therefore, the wireless control device 20a of this embodiment uses the propagation change rate to determine whether selective control of antennas and beams is necessary at the predicted location, and then selects the antennas and beams to be used for wireless communication. This makes it possible to achieve stable communication quality with the minimum necessary wireless resources.

[0036] (Embodiment 1) Next, as an example of a wireless control device according to Embodiment 1, a wireless communication system and a wireless base station device will be described. The following will describe the <Configuration: System>, <Configuration: Wireless Base Station Device>, <Configuration: Antenna / Beam Prediction Control Unit>, <Configuration: Position Estimation Unit>, <Configuration: Movement Prediction Unit>, <Configuration: Propagation Information Database>, <Configuration: Propagation Change Degree Determination Unit>, and <Configuration: Selection Unit> with reference to the drawings. Following this, the <Antenna and Beam Prediction Control Method> and <Effects> will be described.

[0037] <Configuration: System> Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a wireless communication system according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 4, the wireless communication system 1 comprises a wireless base station device 100 and wireless terminals 210 and 220. The wireless base station device 100 comprises an aggregate base station 90 and a plurality of base station antennas 110 to 130. In this embodiment, the wireless base station device 100 or the aggregate base station 90 includes a wireless control device. The control device, such as the wireless base station device 100 or the aggregate base station 90, performs wireless communication with the wireless terminals 210 and 220.

[0038] Multiple base station antennas 110-130 are distributed. Each base station antenna 110-130 can output multiple beams. Although the diagram shows three base station antennas 110-130, the number of base station antennas 110-130 is not limited to three; it could be two or four or more. The base station antennas 110-130 are collectively referred to as base station antennas 110, etc.

[0039] Furthermore, although the figure shows two wireless terminals 210 and 220, the number of wireless terminals 210 and 220 may be at least one, or three or more. Wireless terminals 210 and 220 are collectively referred to as wireless terminal 200. Wireless terminal 200 is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop computer. Wireless terminal 200 may also be a wearable device with communication capabilities, an information terminal such as AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) glasses, a game console, a camera, an automobile, an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), or industrial equipment such as a robot.

[0040] The wireless communication system 1 transmits and receives wireless signals between the base station antennas 110-130 connected to the aggregate base station 90 in the wireless base station device 100 and the wireless terminal 200.

[0041] <Configuration: Wireless base station equipment> Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless base station device 100 in a wireless communication system 1 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 5, the base station antenna 110 etc. has a beam control unit 140, an RF (Radio Frequency) transceiver unit 150 and a plurality of antenna elements. The beam control unit 140 and the RF transceiver unit 150 have the functions of beam control means and RF transceiver means, respectively. The aggregated base station 90 includes a digital transceiver unit 10, an antenna beam prediction control unit 20 and a wireless resource control unit 30. The digital transceiver unit 10, the antenna beam prediction control unit 20 and the wireless resource control unit 30 have the functions of digital transceiver means, antenna beam prediction control means and wireless resource control means, respectively.

[0042] The beam control unit 140 of the base station antenna 110, etc., is connected to multiple antenna elements. The beam control unit 140 determines the beam direction by adjusting the phase and amplitude of the radio signal for the multiple antenna elements. The specific beam direction or beam number, etc., is specified by the radio resource control unit 30. Other means besides array antennas can be applied as beamforming means. For example, beamforming using directional antennas such as lens antennas or metamaterial antennas may also be used.

[0043] The RF transceiver 150 includes an amplifier, a frequency converter, and the like. The RF transceiver 150 transmits and receives RF signals.

[0044] The digital transceiver 10 performs operations such as modulation and demodulation of user data. For example, it generates wireless signals such as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) transmission on the downlink, and performs processing such as demodulation (MIMO signal detection) of uplink wireless signals received by multiple antennas. Between the digital transceiver 10 and the RF transceiver 150, technologies such as RoF (Radio over Fiber), CPRI (Common Public Radio Interface), and eCPRI (evolved CPRI) may be used, and the functions may be modified accordingly.

[0045] The antenna / beam prediction control unit 20 predicts at least one of the antennas and beams to be used for wireless communication with the wireless terminal 200. Specifically, the antenna / beam prediction control unit 20 estimates the location information of the wireless terminal 200, predicts the location where the wireless terminal 200 will move after an assumed delay time based on the location information, and estimates the received level of the wireless signal for each antenna and beam at the predicted location. Furthermore, the antenna / beam prediction control unit 20 estimates the movement speed of the wireless terminal 200 and calculates the propagation change degree, which indicates how much the propagation will change within the assumed delay time, based on the estimated movement speed. Then, the antenna / beam prediction control unit 20 uses the propagation change degree to determine at least one of the antennas and beams to be used for communication with the wireless terminal 200. More specific operations will be described in detail later.

[0046] The wireless resource control unit 30 specifically determines the wireless resources (antenna, beam, frequency, time, etc.) to be used for each wireless terminal 200 based on the information determined by the antenna beam prediction control unit 20. The wireless resource control unit 30 is also called the scheduler unit.

[0047] <Configuration: Antenna Beam Prediction Control Unit> The antenna / beam prediction control unit 20 of this embodiment selects an antenna and a beam based on the propagation information of the radio signal for each antenna and beam at the predicted position. However, the necessity of antenna and beam selection control is determined by calculating the degree of propagation change using the moving speed. The degree of propagation change is determined from the relationship between the assumed delay time for each radio terminal 200 and the radio quality fluctuation time for each radio terminal 200.

[0048] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating the antenna beam prediction control unit 20 in a wireless base station device 100 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 6, the antenna beam prediction control unit 20 includes a position estimation unit 21, a movement prediction unit 22, a propagation information database 23, a propagation change determination unit 24, and a selection unit 25. The position estimation unit 21, movement prediction unit 22, propagation information database 23, propagation change determination unit 24, and selection unit 25 each function as a position estimation means, a movement prediction means, a propagation information storage means, a propagation change determination means, and a selection means, respectively. As will be described later, any of the components of the antenna beam prediction control unit 20 may be provided on an external device. In particular, the propagation information database 23 may be provided on an external device or on the cloud.

[0049] <Configuration: Position estimation part> The position estimation unit 21 estimates the position of the wireless terminal 200 from the input position-related information. Any of the following methods can be applied to the position estimation unit 21 for estimating the position of the wireless terminal 200.

[0050] The first method for estimating the position of the wireless terminal 200 uses the wireless signal of the wireless communication system 1. The position estimation unit 21 achieves position estimation of the wireless terminal 200 by using the beam direction (azimuth) of the connected single antenna and distance measurement. Furthermore, distance measurement methods include calculating from propagation time such as Round Trip Time, and calculating the distance from the received level based on a propagation model. In addition, tripoint positioning using multiple antennas may be used. Alternatively, the difference in propagation time between multiple antennas may be used. Furthermore, the position may be estimated by linking the received level information of multiple antennas with position information. These methods may also be used hierarchically. For example, the overall position may be estimated using the beam direction and distance measurement, and the detailed position within that overall position may be estimated from the received level information of multiple antennas.

[0051] Thus, the position estimation unit 21 may estimate the position of the wireless terminal 200 based on at least one of the propagation information, received power information, and radio wave arrival time information. The propagation information includes the direction and distance of the beam propagated from the antenna described above. The received power information includes information on the received levels of multiple antennas.

[0052] The second method for estimating the position of the wireless terminal 200 is to determine its position using external information such as GPS (Global Positioning System). Other sensors (such as accelerometers) may also be used. Alternatively, the position information of the wireless terminal 200 may be obtained directly from an external source.

[0053] <Configuration: Movement prediction unit> The movement prediction unit 22 predicts the movement of the wireless terminal 200. Any of the following methods can be applied to the movement prediction method of the movement prediction unit 22.

[0054] The first movement prediction method predicts the position, speed, and direction of movement after a predetermined time by interpolating (for example, linear interpolation) from the time series of location information of the wireless terminal 200. Alternatively, prediction may be made by linear (first-order) and curve (higher-order) regression from the time series of location information.

[0055] The second movement prediction method predicts the position, speed, and direction of the wireless terminal 200 based on its past movement history. A model for movement direction and speed is generated using the time series of past location information of the wireless terminal 200. The movement of the wireless terminal 200 is predicted using this model. Map information that includes information on sidewalks, roads, pathways, railway lines, etc. may also be used to generate the above model. Alternatively, the above model may be generated by learning using the past movement history information of the wireless terminal 200.

[0056] In this way, the movement prediction unit 22 predicts the position, speed, and direction of the wireless terminal 200 based on information from at least one of the following: the time series of location information of the wireless terminal 200, the movement history of the wireless terminal 200, and a map of the area surrounding the wireless terminal 200.

[0057] Furthermore, the predicted position may be smoothed using at least one of the following: moving average processing and various filters (Kalman filter, particle filter, etc.).

[0058] <Configuration: Propagation information database (propagation information storage unit)> The propagation information database 23 receives and records received power information, beam information, and antenna information of radio signals from the base station antenna 110, etc., measured at the wireless terminal 200. The propagation information database 23 stores the received power information input from the wireless terminal 200 or from the base station's received power measurement unit as propagation information. Here, the measurement results of the received power at the wireless terminal 200 are reported by the wireless terminal 200 to the base station antenna 110, etc., based on the measurement results of the synchronization signal and reference signal. The synchronization signal includes, for example, the NR's PSS (Primary Synchronization Signal) and SSS (Secondary Synchronization Signal). The reference signal includes, for example, the NR's PBCH-DMRS (Physical Broadcast Channel-Demodulation Reference Signal) and CSI-RS (Channel State Information-Reference Signal).

[0059] When beamforming is used, each synchronization signal and each reference signal is transmitted via beam, so the propagation information database 23 also receives and records the measured beam information (beam number, etc.). Furthermore, if information from the connected base station antenna 110, etc., can be obtained on the wireless terminal 200 side, the propagation information database 23 receives this information from the wireless terminal 200. Since the beam information and antenna information are values ​​set on the base station antenna 110, etc., the propagation information database 23 may also obtain them from within the base station antenna 110, etc.

[0060] In addition to the above, or separately, the propagation information database 23 receives and records received power information, beam information, and antenna information of the base station antenna 110, etc. The received power at the base station antenna 110, etc. may be measured using a reference signal transmitted from the wireless terminal 200. The reference signal includes, for example, SRS (Sounding Reference Signal) and DMRS (Demodulation Reference Signal). The propagation information database 23 records the received beam information and antenna information, etc., at the base station antenna 110, etc., used when receiving the reference signal.

[0061] Furthermore, the propagation information database 23 receives and records location information of the wireless terminal 200 from the location estimation unit 21. The location information may be managed using coordinate information such as latitude and longitude, or it may be managed using grid numbers when the area is divided into grids.

[0062] The propagation information database 23 does not need to record all information regarding the above-mentioned wireless terminal 200 (received power, beam information, antenna information, location, etc.), and may record only representative values ​​such as averages and median values. Alternatively, the propagation information database 23 may reduce the amount of information by forgetting past values. Regarding location information, the propagation information database 23 may manage it using coordinate information such as latitude and longitude, or it may manage it using grid numbers when the area is divided into grids.

[0063] <Configuration: Propagation change determination unit> Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating a propagation change determination unit 24 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 7, the propagation change determination unit 24 includes an assumed delay time calculation unit 26, a radio wave line-of-sight space calculation unit 27, a radio quality fluctuation time calculation unit 28, and a change degree determination unit 29. The assumed delay time calculation unit 26, the radio wave line-of-sight space calculation unit 27, the radio quality fluctuation time calculation unit 28, and the change degree determination unit 29 each function as an assumed delay time calculation means, a radio wave line-of-sight space calculation means, a radio quality fluctuation time calculation means, and a change degree determination means, respectively.

[0064] The assumed delay time calculation unit 26 calculates the assumed delay time from the assumed delay information. The radio wave line-of-sight space calculation unit 27 calculates the radio wave line-of-sight space from the movement prediction information, which includes movement speed information, position information, and movement direction information. The radio quality fluctuation time calculation unit 28 calculates the radio quality fluctuation time from the movement prediction information and the radio wave line-of-sight space. The degree of change determination unit 29 calculates the degree of propagation change from the assumed delay time and the radio quality fluctuation time.

[0065] With this configuration, the propagation change determination unit 24 calculates propagation change degree information using assumed delay information and movement prediction information. The propagation change degree information is used to determine whether at least one of the following is necessary: ​​adding an antenna, switching antennas, adding a beam, or switching beams.

[0066] The propagation variation information is calculated from the relationship between 1. the expected delay time for each of 200 wireless terminals and 2. the wireless quality variation time for each of 200 wireless terminals.

[0067] 1. The assumed delay time is the time from the moment the received power information is received until the antenna and beam selected based on that received power information become active. The assumed delay time can also be described as the time from the moment the received power information is received until it is updated by the next received power information.

[0068] 2. Wireless quality variation time is the time it takes for wireless quality, including received power, to fall below a predetermined threshold when radio waves used in wireless communication are shielded by an obstruction. If the assumed delay time is longer than the wireless quality variation time, there is a possibility that the wireless quality may deteriorate drastically due to shielding during communication with the selected antenna and beam. On the other hand, if the assumed delay time is sufficiently shorter than the wireless quality variation time, even if shielding occurs during communication with the selected antenna and beam, it is possible to switch to the next selected antenna and beam. In other words, it means that even if the wireless quality during communication is partially degraded, it is possible to switch to the next selected antenna and beam based on the received power information received. Here, the relationship may be a "ratio (proportion)" or a "difference (comparison of magnitude)".

[0069] The following will explain, with reference to the diagram, 1. the assumed delay time for each of the 200 wireless terminals, and 2. the wireless quality fluctuation time for each of the 200 wireless terminals.

[0070] Figure 8 is a graph illustrating reference delay time information in the propagation change determination unit 24 according to Embodiment 1, showing the reference interval for received power information, control of candidate beam selection and communication beam determination, and the timing of communication on the determined communication beam.

[0071] As shown in Figure 8, the assumed delay time for each wireless terminal 200 is calculated, for example, using assumed delay information from the wireless resource control unit 30. The assumed delay information includes reference delay time information based on the reference acquisition interval and control delay of the required received power information. The assumed delay time may also include information on the allocation interval for each wireless terminal 200. In this case, the assumed delay time for each wireless terminal 200 may be calculated by multiplying a part of the reference delay time information by the allocation interval information for each wireless terminal 200. In the case shown in the figure, the assumed delay time for a wireless terminal 200 with an allocation interval of 2 is (t+2s), etc.

[0072] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the Fresnel zone and Fresnel radius in the propagation change determination unit 24 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 9, the radio quality fluctuation time for each wireless terminal 200 is calculated using the moving speed information for each wireless terminal 200. For example, the radio quality fluctuation time for each wireless terminal 200 is calculated from the width of the radio wave line-of-sight space (e.g., the Fresnel radius or diameter in the Fresnel zone) and the time it takes for the wireless terminal 200 to pass through.

[0073] Here, the width of the radio wave line-of-sight space may be fixedly set based on the operating frequency of the wireless communication system 1. Alternatively, the width of the radio wave line-of-sight space may be calculated using the position information of the wireless terminal 200 and the position information of the installed antennas, based on the spacing between the antennas and the distance between the antenna closest to the wireless terminal 200 and the wireless terminal 200, using a formula such as Fresnel radius or diameter.

[0074] For example, if the distance between the transmitting antenna of the wireless terminal 200 and the shield 300 is d1 (meter, hereafter referred to as m), the distance between the receiving antenna such as the base station antenna 110 and the shield 300 is d2 (m), and the operating frequency is f (Megahertz, hereafter referred to as MHz), then the Fresnel radius r (m) is given by the following equation (1).

[0075] r=√[(300 / f)×{(d1×d2) / (d1+d2)}] (1) Note that the symbol " / " in equation (1) represents division.

[0076] In other words, the width of the line-of-sight space for radio waves may include the Fresnel radius in the Fresnel zone centered on the shielding object 300. Furthermore, the width of the line-of-sight space for radio waves may be calculated from the Fresnel radius or diameter, etc., after estimating the movement angle of the wireless terminal 200 relative to the antenna using information on the direction of movement of the wireless terminal 200. The distance to the shielding object 300 is determined by the assumed wireless environment (for example, in an environment where the wireless terminal 200 moves near the shielding object 300, values ​​such as 50 (centimeter, hereafter referred to as cm) or 1 (m) are assumed, but are not limited to these).

[0077] The wireless quality fluctuation time is calculated as the time it takes for each wireless terminal 200 to pass through, based on the width of the radio wave line-of-sight space for each wireless terminal 200 calculated above and the movement speed information for each wireless terminal 200 estimated by the movement prediction unit 22. For example, the wireless quality fluctuation time is calculated by dividing the width of the radio wave line-of-sight space by the movement speed of each wireless terminal 200. The wireless quality fluctuation time is the time it takes for the wireless quality to deteriorate when radio waves are shielded by obstacles or other shielding objects 300.

[0078] Finally, propagation change information is calculated from the relationship between the assumed delay time and the wireless quality fluctuation time for each wireless terminal 200. Figures 10A and 10B are graphs illustrating the changes in propagation (wireless quality) according to Embodiment 1, where the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents the propagation (wireless quality) of wireless communication. The propagation change shown in the graph of Figure 10A is large, and the propagation change shown in the graph of Figure 10B is small. The change determination unit 29 calculates such propagation change. Any of the following calculation methods is acceptable.

[0079] One method involves calculating the propagation change degree from the ratio (percentage) of the assumed delay time for each wireless terminal 200 to the wireless quality fluctuation time for each wireless terminal 200. This ratio (percentage) value is then output as propagation change degree information. If this ratio (percentage) value is 1 or greater, it means that the assumed delay time is longer. In this case, if the antenna and beam remain in the state of communication and are shielded by the obstacle 300 during the assumed delay time, the wireless communication quality may deteriorate significantly (Figure 10A). For this reason, the propagation change determination unit 24 (or selection unit 25) determines that selection control of the antenna and beam at the predicted position is "necessary (effective)".

[0080] On the other hand, if the value of this ratio (percentage) is less than 1, it means that the time of radio quality fluctuation is longer. In this case, even if the antenna and beam remain in the state during communication and are shielded by the shielding object 300, it is possible to update the antenna and beam based on the next received power information before the radio communication quality deteriorates significantly (Figure 10B). For this reason, the propagation change determination unit 24 (or the selection unit 25) determines that the selection control of the antenna and beam at the predicted position is "unnecessary (ineffective)". The determination is made by the degree of change determination unit 29 in the propagation change determination unit 24, but it may also be made by the selection unit 25.

[0081] As a second method, for example, the propagation change degree is calculated from the difference (magnitude comparison) between the assumed delay time for each wireless terminal 200 and the wireless quality fluctuation time for each wireless terminal 200. Then, this difference (magnitude comparison) value is output as propagation change degree information. Note that if this difference value is positive (greater than or equal to 0), it means that the assumed delay time is longer. In this case, if the antenna and beam remain in the state of communication and are shielded by the shielding object 300 during the assumed delay time, the wireless communication quality may deteriorate significantly. For this reason, the propagation change determination unit 24 (or selection unit 25) determines that selection control of the antenna and beam at the predicted position is "necessary (effective)".

[0082] On the other hand, if the value of this difference is negative (less than 0), it means that the wireless quality fluctuation time is longer. In this case, even if the antenna and beam remain in the same state as during communication and are shielded by the shielding object 300, it is possible to update the antenna and beam based on the next received power information before the wireless communication quality deteriorates significantly. For this reason, the propagation change determination unit 24 (or the selection unit 25) determines that the selection control of the antenna and beam at the predicted position is "unnecessary (ineffective)". The determination is made by the degree of change determination unit 29 in the propagation change determination unit 24, but it may also be made by the selection unit 25.

[0083] Thus, the propagation change determination unit 24 determines the degree of propagation change by calculating the degree of propagation change, and then determines whether or not selection control, including the addition and switching of antennas and beams, is necessary based on the determined degree of propagation change. Alternatively, the propagation change determination unit 24 may determine the degree of propagation change by calculating the degree of propagation change, and the selection unit 25 may determine whether or not selection control, including the addition and switching of antennas and beams, is necessary based on the degree of propagation change determined by the propagation change determination unit 24.

[0084] Furthermore, these criteria may not only be determined as simple binary values ​​such as 1 or greater (less than 1) or positive (negative), but may also include predetermined margins and thresholds, or they may be reflected probabilistically as continuous values ​​in the selection control of the antenna and beam.

[0085] <Structure: Selection Section> The selection unit 25 selects at least one of the antenna and beam to be used at the predicted position input from the movement prediction unit 22. Figures 11A to 11C illustrate the received power of the current beam and the selected beam according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figures 11A to 11C, for example, the selection unit 25 selects at least one of the antenna and beam to be used for wireless communication by comparing the received power of the current beam with the received power of the selected beam.

[0086] The first method for selecting antennas and beams involves accessing the registration information of the wireless terminal 200 recorded in the propagation information database 23 to determine which antennas and beams to use. The propagation information database 23 stores location information, received power for each antenna and beam at each location, and information regarding the antenna index and beam index that yielded the highest received power at each location. The selection unit 25 accesses the location information input from the movement prediction unit 22, as well as information regarding the received power for each antenna and beam at the closest location and the closest grid. The selection unit 25 then selects at least one of the antenna number and beam number that yield the maximum received power.

[0087] If the selected antenna number and beam number are the same as the antenna number and beam number currently used for wireless communication, there will be no change to the antenna number and beam number used for wireless communication, such as the base station antenna 110. The antenna number and beam number currently used for wireless communication may be updated using received power information, or using information input from the wireless resource control unit 30.

[0088] If the selected antenna number is the same as the antenna number currently used for wireless communication, but the selected beam number is different from the beam number currently used for wireless communication, the selection unit 25 may change to the selected beam number. Alternatively, if the antenna is composed of multiple sub-arrays, the selection unit 25 may use beams from both the selected beam number and the beam number of the current wireless communication. Alternatively, if the received power of the current beam number at the predicted location is above a predetermined threshold (Figure 11A), the selection unit 25 does not need to change the beam number. If the received power of the current beam number at the predicted location is below the threshold (Figure 11B or Figure 11C), the selection unit 25 changes to the beam of the selected beam number. Alternatively, the selection unit 25 may use beams from both the selected beam number and the current beam number.

[0089] If the selected antenna number is different from the antenna number currently used for wireless communication, the selection unit 25 may change to the selected antenna number. Alternatively, the selection unit 25 may use both antennas for wireless communication. Alternatively, if the received power of the current antenna number (and the beam number with the maximum received power) at the predicted location is above a predetermined threshold, the selection unit 25 does not need to change the antenna number. Only if the received power of the current antenna number is below the threshold, the selection unit 25 may change to the selected antenna number, or use both the selected antenna number and the antenna number used for the current wireless communication.

[0090] The second method for selecting antennas and beams involves calculating the received power for each antenna and beam according to the propagation information, based on a radio wave propagation prediction (e.g., propagation simulation using ray tracing) between the base station antenna 110 and the wireless terminal 200 on a 2D or 3D map, instead of the received power and location information reported from the wireless terminal 200. In this case, the 2D or 3D map also reflects the size and location of objects that act as shields 300, and the received power level for each antenna and beam according to the propagation information at each point is estimated by performing a propagation simulation on these maps. Furthermore, in this case, it is necessary to model the propagation information according to the surrounding environment, and the characteristics of the radio waves in the surrounding environment (for example, if inside a train on a railway line, the angular penetration loss to the wireless terminal 200 inside the train) are modeled.

[0091] This simulation may be performed in real time. Alternatively, the simulation may be performed in advance, the results recorded in the propagation information database 23, and referred to as needed. Furthermore, both the received power estimation results from the propagation simulation and the received power values ​​reported from the wireless terminal 200 may be used. The selected antenna number and beam number are sent to the wireless resource control unit 30 in the aggregated base station 90, and wireless resource control is performed based on this information.

[0092] The selection unit 25 also uses propagation change degree information from the propagation change determination unit 24 to perform the first or second selection control described above. For example, if the propagation change degree information is 1 or greater, or positive (≧0), the propagation change determination unit 24 (or selection unit 25) determines that selection control including the addition and switching of antennas and beams is necessary (effective), and the selection unit 25 performs the selection control described above. On the other hand, if the propagation change degree information is less than 1, or negative (<0), the propagation change determination unit 24 determines that selection control including the addition and switching of antennas and beams is unnecessary (ineffective). In this case, the selection unit 25 does not perform the selection control described above and performs control using at least one of the antennas and beams currently in use for communication.

[0093] If selection control, including the addition and switching of antennas and beams, is disabled (unnecessary), the currently communicating antenna number and beam number may be used as is, or they may be updated using received power information. Alternatively, they may be updated using information input from the wireless resource control unit 30. Furthermore, instead of simply determining as a binary value of 1 or greater (less than 1) and positive (negative), a predetermined margin may be set, or antenna and beam selection control may be performed probabilistically as a continuous value. For example, control based on predicted position and control based on information during communication may be probabilistically integrated for control.

[0094] Thus, the selection unit 25 receives information on the received power for each antenna and beam at the location of the wireless terminal 200 predicted by the movement prediction unit 22 from the propagation information database 23, which stores the received power information as propagation information. Based on the information on the received power for each antenna and beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal 200, the selection unit 25 selects at least one of the antennas and beams from among the multiple antennas and beams to be used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal 200.

[0095] The selection unit 25 may select at least one of the antenna and beam used for wireless communication with the wireless terminal 200. The selection unit 25 may also select at least one of the antenna and beam used for wireless resource control with the wireless terminal 200.

[0096] If selection control including the addition and switching of antennas and beams is required, the selection unit 25 may select at least one of the antennas and beams based on the received power information for each antenna and beam at the location of the wireless terminal 200 predicted by the movement prediction unit 22. If selection control including the addition and switching of antennas and beams is not required, the selection unit 25 may select at least one of the antennas and beams based on the received power information for at least one of the antennas and beams during communication.

[0097] Furthermore, the selection unit 25 may select, with a predetermined probability, at least one of the antennas and beams selected based on the received power information for each antenna and beam at the location of the wireless terminal 200 predicted by the movement prediction unit 22, and at least one of the antennas and beams selected based on the received power information for at least one of the antennas and beams in communication.

[0098] <Predictive control method for antennas and beams> Next, the antenna and beam prediction control method will be described. Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the prediction control method in the antenna / beam prediction control unit 20 according to Embodiment 1.

[0099] As shown in step S11 of Figure 12, the position of the wireless terminal 200 is estimated. For example, the position estimation unit 21 in the antenna beam prediction control unit 20 may estimate the position of the wireless terminal 200 using wireless signals used within the wireless communication system 1. Alternatively, the position estimation unit 21 may estimate the position of the wireless terminal 200 using external information such as GPS. Or, the position information of the wireless terminal 200 may be obtained directly from an external source.

[0100] Next, as shown in step S12, the movement of the wireless terminal 200 is predicted. For example, the movement prediction unit 22 may predict the movement of the wireless terminal 200 from the time series of location information of the wireless terminal 200 by extrapolation interpolation or by linear or curved regression. Alternatively, the movement prediction unit 22 may predict the movement of the wireless terminal 200 based on information about the past movement history of the wireless terminal 200.

[0101] Next, as shown in step S13, the propagation change degree is calculated and determined. For example, the propagation change determination unit 24 calculates and determines the propagation change degree, which indicates how much the propagation, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time. The propagation change determination unit 24 may also determine the propagation change degree from the relationship between the assumed delay time and the wireless quality fluctuation time.

[0102] Next, as shown in step S14, antenna selection and beam selection are performed based on the propagation change rate and the predicted position of the wireless terminal 200. Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating the prediction control method in the propagation change determination unit 24 and selection unit 25 according to Embodiment 1.

[0103] As shown in step S21 of Figure 13, the propagation change determination unit 24 determines whether to enable (necessary) or disable (unnecessary) antenna and beam selection control based on the calculated propagation change degree. If the propagation change determination unit 24 determines in step S21 that it is enabled (necessary), then, as shown in step S22, the selection unit 25 controls antenna selection and beam selection based not only on the information of the antenna and beam currently communicating, but also on the predicted position of the wireless terminal 200.

[0104] On the other hand, if the propagation change determination unit 24 determines in step S21 that it is invalid (unnecessary), the selection unit 25 performs control using the antenna and beam during communication, as shown in step S23. In this way, predictive control of the antenna and beam is performed. The determination is made by the propagation change determination unit 24, but it may also be made by the selection unit 25.

[0105] <Effects> Next, the effects of this embodiment will be explained. In this embodiment described above, the antenna / beam prediction control unit 20 calculates the propagation change degree using the moving speed information. The antenna / beam prediction control unit 20 uses the calculated propagation change degree information to determine whether or not it is necessary to select and control the antenna and beam at the predicted position. Then, the antenna / beam prediction control unit 20 selects the antenna and beam to be used for communication. This makes it possible to achieve stable communication quality with the minimum necessary wireless resources.

[0106] The reason is as follows: Selecting multiple beams and antennas based on both the current state and the predicted location may limit system throughput due to redundant use of wireless resources. To address this issue, in this embodiment, for example, the propagation change degree is calculated for each wireless terminal 200 from the relationship between the assumed delay time and the wireless quality fluctuation time. If the propagation change degree information determined by the propagation change determination unit 24 determines that antenna and beam selection control is unnecessary, the selection unit 25 does not perform antenna and beam selection control at the predicted location of the wireless terminal 200. Therefore, redundant use of wireless resources can be suppressed while maintaining stable communication quality.

[0107] For example, even if the quality of the antenna and beam selected based on the predicted location is better, if the propagation change is small, the communication quality will not deteriorate so much that the connection is interrupted even with the current antenna and beam. Therefore, the system can be controlled to select a new antenna and beam at the next control timing without adding an antenna and beam based on the predicted location. This allows the unused antenna and beam to be allocated to, for example, another wireless terminal 200, thus enabling efficient use of wireless resources.

[0108] Furthermore, this embodiment also includes a feature that determines whether antenna and beam selection control is necessary by calculating the degree of propagation change based solely on the moving speed information of each wireless terminal 200. In particular, this embodiment also includes a feature that calculates the degree of propagation change by calculating the assumed delay time and radio wave line-of-sight space for each wireless terminal 200. Therefore, even for wireless terminals 200 with the same moving speed, the determination result will differ according to the delay and environment of each wireless terminal 200 at that time. Thus, there is also the advantage that more optimal wireless resource control (antenna selection and beam selection) can be achieved.

[0109] (Embodiment 2) Next, Embodiment 2 will be described. This embodiment includes additional elements to at least one of the embodiments described above.

[0110] For example, this embodiment can further implement the following methods for determining propagation changes and utilizing propagation change degree information.

[0111] The propagation change determination unit 24 may consider the movement speed of obstacles 300, including other obstructions, in addition to the wireless terminal 200. If a moving obstacle 300 is anticipated and its movement speed and direction can be estimated, the propagation change determination unit 24 may calculate the degree of propagation change by using the relative speed of the obstacle 300 to the speed of the wireless terminal 200 as the movement speed of the obstacle 300. For example, if a wireless terminal 200 moving at speed A and an obstacle 300 moving at speed B may be moving toward each other on the same straight line, the propagation change determination unit 24 may calculate the movement speed as A + B. Furthermore, if the movement speed and direction of the obstacle 300 are unknown, the propagation change determination unit 24 may make fixed assumptions about the movement speed and direction of the obstacle 300 according to the environment. In addition, the propagation change determination unit 24 may assume that the movement speed of the obstacle 300 is the movement speed of the fastest moving wireless terminal 200 among other wireless terminals 200 that are close to the target wireless terminal 200.

[0112] The propagation change determination unit 24 may output propagation change degree information. The movement prediction unit 22 (or selection unit 25) may then use the propagation change degree information to update the movement prediction, including the predicted time and predicted position of the wireless terminal 200. For example, if the propagation change determination unit 24 outputs a calculated ratio (percentage) as propagation change degree information, the movement prediction unit 22 may multiply the predicted time based on the propagation change degree information. On the other hand, for example, if the propagation change determination unit 24 outputs a calculated difference (comparison of magnitude) as propagation change degree information, the movement prediction unit 22 may add or subtract the predicted time based on the propagation change degree information. The above shows an example of updating the predicted time in the movement prediction unit 22, but as another method, the selection unit 25 may use the propagation change degree information, based on the relationship between the current position and the original predicted position, to update the predicted position to correspond to the predicted time to be updated.

[0113] Furthermore, for example, the following methods can be used as methods for selecting antennas and beams.

[0114] The selection unit 25 may receive slice information for each wireless terminal 200 and each wireless communication from a higher-level control device or wireless base station device 100, and determine whether selection control, including the addition and switching of antennas and beams, is necessary based on the slice information. For example, if the slice information is for a slice where reliability is particularly important, the selection unit 25 may always enable (require) selection control of antennas and beams based on predicted position. On the other hand, for example, if the slice does not pose any problem even if the reliability is low, the selection unit 25 may always disable (disable) selection control of antennas and beams using predicted position and perform selection control of antennas and beams based on the current received power information.

[0115] When using antenna and beam selection control based on information registered in the propagation information database 23, the surrounding environment may differ from when the information was recorded and learned in the propagation information database 23 (for example, if there is an obstruction 300 such as a large truck parked there). In such cases, it may not be possible to select the appropriate antenna and beam.

[0116] Therefore, the received power for each antenna and beam actually used for communication at the current location and at multiple locations leading up to the current location is compared with the received power registered in the propagation information database 23. The prediction accuracy of the propagation information database 23 can then be evaluated from the comparison results. If the prediction accuracy is determined to be high as a result of the comparison, the antenna number and beam number selected based on the results registered in the propagation information database 23 are used. Conversely, if the prediction accuracy is determined to be low, the antenna number and beam number currently being used for communication are not changed. In cases between the two extremes, both antenna numbers and both beam numbers may be used.

[0117] Thus, the selection unit 25 may select at least one of the antennas and beams after evaluating the prediction accuracy by comparing the measured values ​​of the received power for each antenna and beam actually used for wireless communication at the current location and locations in the movement history of the wireless terminal 200 with the predicted received power for each antenna and beam at each location.

[0118] In the above explanation, it was assumed that the antenna number and beam number selected by the selection unit 25 are a single set, but it is also possible to select multiple sets of antenna number and beam number. For example, the estimated level of received power for the antenna number and beam number currently used for communication, as well as the antenna number and beam number selected by the selection unit 25, may all be low. In such cases, additional antenna number and beam number estimated to have the next highest received power can be set. Doing so increases redundancy, but it may improve connectivity.

[0119] Furthermore, the selection unit 25 may, as an alternative method for selecting multiple sets of antenna numbers and beam numbers, add (select) multiple sets of antenna numbers and beam numbers based not only on the position predicted by the movement prediction, but also on multiple positions from the current position to the position predicted by the movement prediction. In this case as well, although redundancy increases, connectivity may be improved.

[0120] Thus, the selection unit 25 may determine candidate antennas and beams for a plurality of positions predicted by the movement prediction unit 22, and select at least one of the antennas and beams to be actually used from all the candidates. Alternatively, the selection unit 25 may select at least one of the antennas and beams based on the relationship between the predicted received power for the candidate antennas and beams, the measured value of the received power for the antennas and beams during communication, and a predetermined threshold value for the received power.

[0121] On the other hand, using a large number of antennas and beams can limit system throughput. For this reason, considering the current radio resource utilization rate of the base station antenna 110, etc., control may be used according to the radio resource utilization rate, such as allowing the use of redundant antennas and beams only when the radio resource utilization rate is low. Specifically, the selection unit 25 may determine the number of antennas and beams to be used simultaneously according to the radio resource utilization rate.

[0122] Furthermore, as another way to efficiently use radio resources, the selection unit 25 may, as described above, select at least one of the antennas and beams based on the relationship between the measured value of the received power of the antenna and beam currently communicating, the predicted received power of each candidate antenna and beam at the predicted location, and a predetermined threshold for the received power. For example, the selection unit 25 may add or select an antenna and beam at the predicted location only if the predicted value of the received power of the antenna and beam currently communicating at that location falls below a predetermined threshold.

[0123] The selection unit 25 may select an antenna and beam not only based on the predicted location of the wireless terminal 200 at a predetermined time, but also based on the predicted locations of multiple wireless terminals 200 at even further in the future. For example, if the antenna number estimated to have the maximum power changes many times at the predicted locations of multiple wireless terminals 200, the selection unit 25 may also select an antenna number that avoids frequent changes in the antenna number.

[0124] For at least one of the position estimation and movement prediction, the wireless base station device 100 may not perform the estimation and prediction internally, but may instead directly acquire the position information of the wireless terminal 200 (the position of the wireless terminal 200 during any given time period) and movement prediction information (the predicted position information and movement speed of the wireless terminal 200 after an assumed delay time), etc., from an external source.

[0125] Furthermore, the moving speed of the wireless terminal 200 may be calculated from the Doppler frequency estimated from wireless quality information such as received power information.

[0126] It is also possible to select antennas and beams while taking into account the accuracy of the positional information (at least one of position estimation and movement prediction). For example, the selection unit 25 may select at least one of the antennas and beams from a plurality of predicted positions as candidates, depending on the accuracy of the positional information.

[0127] If the accuracy of the predicted location information of the wireless terminal 200 is determined to be low, the propagation information database 23 is referenced for several locations of the wireless terminal 200 in the direction of the location information. It is also possible to set multiple antenna numbers and beam numbers for which the maximum received power is predicted at each location. For example, if the location information is managed in a grid, the antenna numbers and beam numbers for which the maximum received power is predicted may be set including the surrounding grids of the grid containing the predicted location predicted by the movement prediction unit 22.

[0128] The radio base station equipment 100, antenna beam prediction control unit 20, position estimation unit 21, movement prediction unit 22, propagation change determination unit 24, and selection unit 25 shown in Figures 5 to 7 are described as part of the radio base station equipment 100, but are not limited to this. For example, some or all of the parts in Figures 5 to 7 may be implemented in the RU (Radio Unit), DU (Distributed Unit), or CU (Central Unit) of the radio base station. Also, some or all of the parts in Figures 5 to 7 may be implemented in external devices other than the radio base station equipment 100, such as an RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller).

[0129] Thus, the wireless control device comprises a first control device and a second control device, and at least one of the position estimation unit 21, movement prediction unit 22, propagation information database 23, propagation change determination unit 24, and selection unit 25 is provided in the first control device, while the other of the position estimation unit 21, movement prediction unit 22, propagation information database 23, propagation change determination unit 24, and selection unit 25 that are not provided in the first control device may be provided in the second control device. In this case, the first control device and the second control device may be any of the wireless base station equipment 100, RU, DU, CU, and RIC.

[0130] Furthermore, the application may extend beyond millimeter-wave and other wireless communications to include terahertz wave (subterahertz wave) communications, optical space communications (free-space optical communications), and visible light communications (optical wireless communications), etc.

[0131] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, embodiments combining the configurations of Embodiments 1 and 2 are also included within the scope of the technical idea. Furthermore, wireless control programs that cause a computer to execute wireless control methods are also included within the scope of the technical idea.

[0132] The wireless control device 20a described above may be an information processing device such as a microcomputer, personal computer, or server. Figure 14 is a block diagram illustrating the case in which the wireless control device 20a according to Embodiments 1 and 2 is implemented by an information processing device. As shown in Figure 14, the information processing device 400 may include a processor PRC, memory MMR, and storage device STR. The storage device STR may store programs that perform the processing performed by each component of the wireless control device 20a. The processor PRC may also read the program from the storage device STR into memory MMR and execute the program. In this way, the processor PRC realizes the functions of each component of the wireless control device 20a. The information processing device 400 may realize the wireless control device 20a shown in Figure 2 by having the processor PRC execute programs corresponding to the movement prediction unit 22a, the propagation change determination unit 24a, and the selection unit 25a while referring to memory MMR and storage device STR.

[0133] Each component of the wireless control device 20a may be implemented with dedicated hardware. Furthermore, some or all of each component may be implemented by general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors (PRCs), etc., or combinations thereof. These may be implemented by a single chip or by multiple chips connected via a bus. Some or all of each component may be implemented by a combination of the aforementioned circuits, etc., and a program. Additionally, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), FPGA (Field-programmable Gate Array), quantum processor (quantum computer control chip), etc., can be used as the processor (PRC).

[0134] Furthermore, if some or all of the components of the wireless control device 20a are implemented by multiple information processing devices or circuits, these multiple information processing devices or circuits may be centrally located or distributed. For example, the information processing devices or circuits may be implemented in a form in which each is connected via a communication network, such as a client-server system or a cloud computing system. In addition, the functions of the wireless control device 20a may be provided in SaaS (Software as a Service) format.

[0135] The program, when loaded into a wireless control device 20a including a computer, includes a set of instructions (or software code) for causing the computer to perform one or more of the functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-temporary computer-readable medium or a physical storage medium. Examples, but not limited to, include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray® disc or other optical disc storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. The program may be transmitted over a temporary computer-readable medium or a communication medium. Examples, but not limited to, include temporary computer-readable medium or a communication medium including electrical, optical, acoustic or other forms of propagating signals.

[0136] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following:

[0137] (Note 1) A movement prediction unit that predicts the movement of a wireless terminal performing wireless communication, A propagation change determination unit that determines the degree of propagation change, which indicates the extent to which the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time, A selection unit selects at least one of the antennas and beams from among the plurality of antennas and a plurality of beams to be used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal, based on the degree of propagation change determined by the propagation change determination unit. A wireless control device equipped with the following features. (Note 2) The aforementioned selection unit is From the propagation information storage unit, which stores the received power information as propagation information, the received power information for each antenna and each beam at the location of the wireless terminal predicted by the movement prediction unit is received. Based on the information of the received power for each antenna and each beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal, at least one of the antenna and the beam used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal is selected. The wireless control device described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The propagation change determination unit is, By calculating the degree of propagation change, the degree of propagation change is determined. Based on the determined degree of propagation change, the necessity of selective control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and the beam, is determined. The wireless control device described in Appendix 2. (Note 4) The propagation change determination unit determines the propagation change by calculating the propagation change degree, The selection unit determines, based on the degree of propagation change determined by the propagation change determination unit, whether or not selection control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and the beam, is necessary. The wireless control device described in Appendix 2. (Note 5) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam used for the wireless communication with the wireless terminal. A wireless control device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4. (Note 6) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam used for wireless resource control between the wireless terminal and the wireless terminal. A wireless control device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4. (Note 7) The propagation change determination unit determines the degree of propagation change based on the relationship between the assumed delay time and the quality variation time of the wireless communication. A wireless control device as described in any one of the items 1 to 6 of the appendix. (Note 8) The assumed delay time includes the time from the moment the received power information is received until it is updated by the next received power information. The wireless control device described in Appendix 7. (Note 9) The aforementioned wireless communication quality fluctuation time includes the time during which the received power drops to a predetermined threshold or below when the radio waves used for the wireless communication are blocked by an obstruction. A wireless control device as described in Appendix 7 or 8. (Note 10) The quality fluctuation time of the aforementioned wireless communication is calculated by dividing the width of the line-of-sight space of the radio waves by the speed of movement of the wireless terminal. A wireless control device as described in any one of the items 7 to 9 of the appendix. (Note 11) The width of the line-of-sight space of the radio waves includes the Fresnel radius or diameter in the Fresnel zone between the radio terminal and the radio terminal. The wireless control device described in Appendix 10. (Note 12) The propagation change determination unit determines the degree of propagation change based on the relationship between the assumed delay time for each wireless terminal, information indicating the line-of-sight space of the radio waves used for wireless communication, and the predicted movement information of the wireless terminal. A wireless control device as described in any one of the items 1 to 11 of the appendices. (Note 13) The propagation change determination unit outputs the degree of propagation change, The movement prediction unit updates the prediction of the wireless terminal's movement based on the outputted propagation change rate. A wireless control device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 12. (Note 14) The aforementioned selection unit is If the aforementioned selection control is necessary, at least one of the antennas and beams is selected based on the received power information for each antenna and each beam at the position of the wireless terminal predicted by the movement prediction unit. If the aforementioned selection control is not required, at least one of the antenna and the beam is selected based on the received power information of at least one of the antenna and the beam during communication. A wireless control device as described in Appendix 3 or 4. (Note 15) The selection unit selects, with a predetermined probability, at least one of the antennas and beams selected based on the received power information for each antenna and beam at the location of the wireless terminal predicted by the movement prediction unit, and at least one of the antennas and beams selected based on the received power information for at least one of the antennas and beams during communication. A wireless control device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 14. (Note 16) The movement prediction unit predicts the position and speed of the wireless terminal based on at least one of the following: the time series of the wireless terminal's location information, the wireless terminal's movement history, and a map of the area surrounding the wireless terminal. A wireless control device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 15. (Note 17) The system further includes a position estimation unit for estimating the position of the aforementioned wireless terminal. A wireless control device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 16. (Note 18) The position estimation unit estimates the position of the wireless terminal based on at least one of the propagation information, the received power information, and the radio wave arrival time information. The wireless control device described in Appendix 17. (Note 19) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam based on the relationship between the predicted received power for the candidate antenna and beam, the measured value of the received power for the antenna and beam during communication, and a predetermined threshold value for the received power. A wireless control device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 18. (Note 20) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam based on a plurality of positions from the current position of the wireless terminal to the position predicted by the movement prediction unit. A wireless control device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 19. (Note 21) The selection unit evaluates the prediction accuracy by comparing the measured values ​​of the received power for each antenna and beam actually used for the wireless communication at the current location and locations in the movement history of the wireless terminal with the predicted received power for each antenna and beam at each location, and then selects at least one of the antenna and beam. A wireless control device as described in any one of the items 1 to 20 of the appendix. (Note 22) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam from a plurality of predicted positions as candidates, according to the accuracy of the position information. A wireless control device as described in any one of the items 1 to 21 of the appendix. (Note 23) The selection unit determines the number of antennas to be used simultaneously and the number of beams to be used simultaneously, according to the wireless resource utilization rate. A wireless control device as described in any one of the items 1 to 22 of the appendix. (Note 24) The selection unit determines candidate antennas and beams for use at multiple locations predicted by the movement prediction unit, and selects at least one of the antennas and beams to be used from all candidates. A wireless control device as described in any one of the items 1 to 23 of the appendix. (Note 25) The selection unit receives slice information for each wireless terminal and each wireless communication from a higher-level control device or wireless base station device, and determines whether or not selection control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and beam, is necessary based on the slice information. A wireless control device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 24. (Note 26) The system includes a first control device and a second control device, At least one of the movement prediction unit, the propagation change determination unit, and the selection unit is provided in the first control device, Of the aforementioned movement prediction unit, propagation change determination unit, and selection unit, those not provided in the first control device are provided in the second control device. A wireless control device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 25. (Note 1A) A movement prediction unit that predicts the movement of a wireless terminal performing wireless communication, A propagation change determination unit that determines the degree of propagation change, which indicates the extent to which the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time, A selection unit selects at least one of the antennas and beams from among the plurality of antennas and a plurality of beams to be used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal, based on the degree of propagation change determined by the propagation change determination unit. A wireless base station device equipped with the following features. (Note 2A) The aforementioned selection unit is From the propagation information storage unit, which stores the received power information as propagation information, the received power information for each antenna and each beam at the location of the wireless terminal predicted by the movement prediction unit is received. Based on the information of the received power for each antenna and each beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal, at least one of the antenna and the beam used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal is selected. The wireless base station equipment described in Appendix 1A. (Note 3A) The propagation change determination unit is, By calculating the degree of propagation change, the degree of propagation change is determined. Based on the determined degree of propagation change, the necessity of selective control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and the beam, is determined. The wireless base station equipment described in Appendix 2A. (Note 4A) The propagation change determination unit determines the propagation change by calculating the propagation change degree, The selection unit determines, based on the degree of propagation change determined by the propagation change determination unit, whether or not selection control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and the beam, is necessary. The wireless base station equipment described in Appendix 2A. (Note 5A) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam used for the wireless communication with the wireless terminal. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 4A of the appendix. (Note 6A) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam used for wireless resource control between the wireless terminal and the wireless terminal. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 4A of the appendix. (Note 7A) The propagation change determination unit determines the degree of propagation change based on the relationship between the assumed delay time and the quality variation time of the wireless communication. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 6A of the appendix. (Note 8A) The assumed delay time includes the time from the moment the received power information is received until it is updated by the next received power information. The wireless base station equipment described in Appendix 7A. (Note 9A) The aforementioned wireless communication quality fluctuation time includes the time during which the received power drops to a predetermined threshold or below when the radio waves used for the wireless communication are blocked by an obstruction. Wireless base station equipment as described in Appendix 7A or 8A. (Note 10A) The quality fluctuation time of the aforementioned wireless communication is calculated by dividing the width of the line-of-sight space of the radio waves by the speed of movement of the wireless terminal. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 7A to 9A of the appendix. (Note 11A) The width of the line-of-sight space of the radio waves includes the Fresnel radius or diameter in the Fresnel zone between the radio terminal and the radio terminal. The wireless base station equipment described in Appendix 10A. (Note 12A) The propagation change determination unit determines the degree of propagation change based on the relationship between the assumed delay time for each wireless terminal, information indicating the line-of-sight space of the radio waves used for wireless communication, and the predicted movement information of the wireless terminal. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 11A. (Note 13A) The propagation change determination unit outputs the degree of propagation change, The movement prediction unit updates the prediction of the wireless terminal's movement based on the outputted propagation change rate. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 12A of the appendix. (Note 14A) The aforementioned selection unit is If the aforementioned selection control is necessary, at least one of the antennas and beams is selected based on the received power information for each antenna and each beam at the position of the wireless terminal predicted by the movement prediction unit. If the aforementioned selection control is not required, at least one of the antenna and the beam is selected based on the received power information of at least one of the antenna and the beam during communication. Wireless base station equipment as described in Appendix 3A or 4A. (Note 15A) The selection unit selects, with a predetermined probability, at least one of the antennas and beams selected based on the received power information for each antenna and beam at the location of the wireless terminal predicted by the movement prediction unit, and at least one of the antennas and beams selected based on the received power information for at least one of the antennas and beams during communication. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 14A of the appendix. (Note 16A) The movement prediction unit predicts the position and speed of the wireless terminal based on at least one of the following: the time series of the wireless terminal's location information, the wireless terminal's movement history, and a map of the area surrounding the wireless terminal. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 15A of the appendix. (Note 17A) The system further includes a position estimation unit for estimating the position of the aforementioned wireless terminal. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 16A of the appendix. (Note 18A) The position estimation unit estimates the position of the wireless terminal based on at least one of the propagation information, the received power information, and the radio wave arrival time information. The wireless base station equipment described in Appendix 17A. (Note 19A) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam based on the relationship between the predicted received power for the candidate antenna and beam, the measured value of the received power for the antenna and beam during communication, and a predetermined threshold value for the received power. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 18A of the appendix. (Note 20A) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam based on a plurality of positions from the current position of the wireless terminal to the position predicted by the movement prediction unit. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 19A of the appendices. (Note 21A) The selection unit evaluates the prediction accuracy by comparing the measured values ​​of the received power for each antenna and beam actually used for the wireless communication at the current location and locations in the movement history of the wireless terminal with the predicted received power for each antenna and beam at each location, and then selects at least one of the antenna and beam. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 20A. (Note 22A) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam from a plurality of predicted positions as candidates, according to the accuracy of the position information. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 21A. (Note 23A) The selection unit determines the number of antennas to be used simultaneously and the number of beams to be used simultaneously, according to the wireless resource utilization rate. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 22A of the appendix. (Note 24A) The selection unit determines candidate antennas and beams for use at multiple locations predicted by the movement prediction unit, and selects at least one of the antennas and beams to be used from all candidates. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 23A of the appendix. (Note 25A) The selection unit receives slice information for each wireless terminal and each wireless communication from a higher-level control device or wireless base station device, and determines whether or not selection control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and beam, is necessary based on the slice information. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 24A of the appendix. (Note 26A) The system includes a first control device and a second control device, At least one of the movement prediction unit, the propagation change determination unit, and the selection unit is provided in the first control device, Of the aforementioned movement prediction unit, propagation change determination unit, and selection unit, those not provided in the first control device are provided in the second control device. A radio base station device as described in any one of the items 1A to 25A of the appendix. (Note 1B) At least one wireless terminal and A wireless control device that performs wireless communication with the aforementioned wireless terminal, Equipped with, The aforementioned wireless control device is A movement prediction unit predicts the movement of the aforementioned wireless terminal, A propagation change determination unit that determines the degree of propagation change, which indicates the extent to which the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time, A selection unit selects at least one of the antennas and beams from among the plurality of antennas and a plurality of beams to be used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal, based on the degree of propagation change determined by the propagation change determination unit. A wireless communication system equipped with this system. (Note 2B) The aforementioned selection unit is From the propagation information storage unit, which stores the received power information as propagation information, the received power information for each antenna and each beam at the location of the wireless terminal predicted by the movement prediction unit is received. Based on the information of the received power for each antenna and each beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal, at least one of the antenna and the beam used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal is selected. The wireless communication system described in Appendix 1B. (Appendix 3B) The propagation change determination unit is, By calculating the degree of propagation change, the degree of propagation change is determined. Based on the determined degree of propagation change, the necessity of selective control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and the beam, is determined. The wireless communication system described in Appendix 2B. (Note 4B) The propagation change determination unit determines the propagation change by calculating the propagation change degree, The selection unit determines, based on the degree of propagation change determined by the propagation change determination unit, whether or not selection control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and the beam, is necessary. The wireless communication system described in Appendix 2B. (Note 5B) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam used for the wireless communication with the wireless terminal. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 4B of the appendix. (Note 6B) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam used for wireless resource control between the wireless terminal and the wireless terminal. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 4B of the appendix. (Note 7B) The propagation change determination unit determines the degree of propagation change based on the relationship between the assumed delay time and the quality variation time of the wireless communication. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 6B of the appendix. (Note 8B) The assumed delay time includes the time from the moment the received power information is received until it is updated by the next received power information. The wireless communication system described in Appendix 7B. (Note 9B) The aforementioned wireless communication quality fluctuation time includes the time during which the received power drops to a predetermined threshold or below when the radio waves used for the wireless communication are blocked by an obstruction. The wireless communication system described in Appendix 7B or 8B. (Note 10B) The quality fluctuation time of the aforementioned wireless communication is calculated by dividing the width of the line-of-sight space of the radio waves by the speed of movement of the wireless terminal. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 7B to 9B of the appendix. (Note 11B) The width of the line-of-sight space of the radio waves includes the Fresnel radius or diameter in the Fresnel zone between the radio terminal and the radio terminal. The wireless communication system described in Appendix 10B. (Note 12B) The propagation change determination unit determines the degree of propagation change based on the relationship between the assumed delay time for each wireless terminal, information indicating the line-of-sight space of the radio waves used for wireless communication, and the predicted movement information of the wireless terminal. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 11B of the appendix. (Note 13B) The propagation change determination unit outputs the degree of propagation change, The movement prediction unit updates the prediction of the wireless terminal's movement based on the outputted propagation change rate. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 12B of the appendix. (Note 14B) The aforementioned selection unit is If the aforementioned selection control is necessary, at least one of the antennas and beams is selected based on the received power information for each antenna and each beam at the position of the wireless terminal predicted by the movement prediction unit. If the aforementioned selection control is not required, at least one of the antenna and the beam is selected based on the received power information of at least one of the antenna and the beam during communication. The wireless communication system described in Appendix 3B or 4B. (Note 15B) The selection unit selects, with a predetermined probability, at least one of the antennas and beams selected based on the received power information for each antenna and beam at the location of the wireless terminal predicted by the movement prediction unit, and at least one of the antennas and beams selected based on the received power information for at least one of the antennas and beams during communication. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 14B of the appendix. (Note 16B) The movement prediction unit predicts the position and speed of the wireless terminal based on at least one of the following: the time series of the wireless terminal's location information, the wireless terminal's movement history, and a map of the area surrounding the wireless terminal. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 15B of the appendix. (Note 17B) The system further includes a position estimation unit for estimating the position of the aforementioned wireless terminal. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 16B of the appendix. (Note 18B) The position estimation unit estimates the position of the wireless terminal based on at least one of the propagation information, the received power information, and the radio wave arrival time information. The wireless communication system described in Appendix 17B. (Note 19B) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam based on the relationship between the predicted received power for the candidate antenna and beam, the measured value of the received power for the antenna and beam during communication, and a predetermined threshold value for the received power. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 18B of the appendix. (Note 20B) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam based on a plurality of positions from the current position of the wireless terminal to the position predicted by the movement prediction unit. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 19B of the appendix. (Note 21B) The selection unit evaluates the prediction accuracy by comparing the measured values ​​of the received power for each antenna and beam actually used for the wireless communication at the current location and locations in the movement history of the wireless terminal with the predicted received power for each antenna and beam at each location, and then selects at least one of the antenna and beam. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 20B of the appendix. (Note 22B) The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam from a plurality of predicted positions as candidates, according to the accuracy of the position information. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 21B of the appendix. (Note 23B) The selection unit determines the number of antennas to be used simultaneously and the number of beams to be used simultaneously, according to the wireless resource utilization rate. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 22B of the appendix. (Note 24B) The selection unit determines candidate antennas and beams for use at multiple locations predicted by the movement prediction unit, and selects at least one of the antennas and beams to be used from all candidates. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 23B of the appendix. (Note 25B) The selection unit receives slice information for each wireless terminal and each wireless communication from a higher-level control device or wireless base station device, and determines whether or not selection control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and beam, is necessary based on the slice information. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 24B of the appendix. (Note 26B) The wireless control device has a first control device and a second control device, At least one of the movement prediction unit, the propagation change determination unit, and the selection unit is provided in the first control device, Of the aforementioned movement prediction unit, propagation change determination unit, and selection unit, those not provided in the first control device are provided in the second control device. A wireless communication system as described in any one of the items 1B to 25B of the appendix. (Note 1C) Predicting the movement of wireless terminals that perform wireless communication, The propagation change degree, which indicates the degree to which the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time, is determined. Based on the determined propagation change degree, at least one of the antennas and beams used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal is selected from among the plurality of antennas and plurality of beams. Wireless control method. (Note 2C) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, From the propagation information storage unit, which stores the received power information as propagation information, the received power information for each antenna and each beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal is received. Based on the information of the received power for each antenna and each beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal, at least one of the antenna and the beam used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal is selected. The wireless control method described in Appendix 1C. (Note 3C) When determining the degree of propagation change, By calculating the degree of propagation change, the degree of propagation change is determined. Based on the determined degree of propagation change, the necessity of selective control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and the beam, is determined. The wireless control method described in Appendix 2C. (Note 4C) When determining the degree of propagation change, By calculating the degree of propagation change, the degree of propagation change is determined. When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, Based on the determined degree of propagation change, the necessity of selective control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and the beam, is determined. The wireless control method described in Appendix 2C. (Note 5C) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, Select at least one of the antenna and the beam used for the wireless communication with the wireless terminal. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 4C. (Note 6C) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, Select at least one of the antenna and the beam used for wireless resource control between the wireless terminal and the wireless terminal. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 4C. (Appendix 7C) When determining the degree of propagation change, The degree of propagation change is determined from the relationship between the assumed delay time and the quality variation time of the wireless communication. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 6C. (Note 8C) The assumed delay time includes the time from the moment the received power information is received until it is updated by the next received power information. The wireless control method described in Appendix 7C. (Note 9C) The aforementioned wireless communication quality fluctuation time includes the time during which the received power drops to a predetermined threshold or below when the radio waves used for the wireless communication are blocked by an obstruction. The wireless control method described in Appendix 7C or 8C. (Note 10C) The quality fluctuation time of the aforementioned wireless communication is calculated by dividing the width of the line-of-sight space of the radio waves by the speed of movement of the wireless terminal. The wireless control method described in any one of the items 7C to 9C of the appendix. (Note 11C) The width of the line-of-sight space of the radio waves includes the Fresnel radius or diameter in the Fresnel zone between the radio terminal and the radio terminal. The wireless control method described in Appendix 10C. (Note 12C) When determining the degree of propagation change, The degree of propagation change is determined from the relationship between the assumed delay time for each wireless terminal, information indicating the line-of-sight space of the radio waves used for wireless communication, and the predicted movement information of the wireless terminal. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 11C. (Note 13C) When determining the degree of propagation change, Output the degree of propagation change, When predicting the movement of the aforementioned wireless terminal, The prediction of the wireless terminal's movement is updated based on the outputted propagation change rate. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 12C. (Note 14C) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, If the aforementioned selection control is necessary, at least one of the antennas and beams is selected based on the received power information for each antenna and each beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal. If the aforementioned selection control is not required, at least one of the antenna and the beam is selected based on the received power information of at least one of the antenna and the beam during communication. The wireless control method described in Appendix 3C or 4C. (Note 15C) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, Select at least one of the antennas and beams selected based on the received power information for each antenna and beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal, and select at least one of the antennas and beams selected based on the received power information for at least one of the antennas and beams during communication, with a predetermined probability. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 14C. (Note 16C) When predicting the movement of the aforementioned wireless terminal, Based on at least one of the following pieces of information: the time series of location information of the wireless terminal, the movement history of the wireless terminal, and a map of the area surrounding the wireless terminal, the position and speed of the wireless terminal are predicted. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 15C. (Note 17C) Furthermore, the location of the wireless terminal is estimated. The wireless control method described in any one of the items 1C to 16C of the appendix. (Note 18C) When estimating the location of the wireless terminal, The position of the wireless terminal is estimated based on at least one of the propagation information, the received power information, and the arrival time information of the radio waves. The wireless control method described in Appendix 17C. (Note 19C) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, Based on the relationship between the predicted received power in the candidate antenna and beam, the measured value of the received power in the antenna and beam during communication, and a predetermined threshold value for the received power, at least one of the antenna and beam is selected. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 18C. (Note 20C) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, Based on a plurality of positions from the current position of the wireless terminal to a predicted position, at least one of the antenna and the beam is selected. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 19C. (Note 21C) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, After evaluating the prediction accuracy by comparing the measured values ​​of the received power for each antenna and beam actually used for the wireless communication at the current location and locations in the movement history of the wireless terminal with the predicted received power for each antenna and beam at each location, at least one of the antenna and beam is selected. The wireless control method described in any one of the items 1C to 20C of the appendix. (Note 22C) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, Depending on the accuracy of the location information, at least one of the antenna and the beam is selected as a candidate from among a plurality of predicted locations. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 21C. (Note 23C) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, The number of antennas and beams to be used simultaneously are determined according to the wireless resource utilization rate. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 22C. (Note 24C) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, For multiple predicted locations, candidate antennas and beams are determined, and at least one of the antennas and beams to be actually used is selected from all candidates. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 23C. (Note 25C) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, The system receives slice information for each wireless terminal and each wireless communication from a higher-level control device or wireless base station device, and determines whether or not selective control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and beam, is necessary based on the slice information. The wireless control method described in any one of the appendices 1C to 24C. (Note 1D) To predict the movement of wireless terminals that perform wireless communication, The system determines the degree of propagation change, which indicates how much the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time. Based on the determined propagation change degree, at least one of the antennas and beams used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal is selected from among the multiple antennas and multiple beams. A wireless control program that causes a computer to perform a specific action. (Note 2D) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, The propagation information storage unit, which stores the received power information as propagation information, receives the received power information for each antenna and each beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal. Based on the received power information for each antenna and each beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal, at least one of the antenna and beam used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal is selected. A wireless control program described in Appendix 1D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 3D) When determining the degree of propagation change, By calculating the degree of propagation change, the degree of propagation change is determined. Based on the determined degree of propagation change, the system determines whether or not selective control is necessary, including the addition and switching of the antenna and the beam. A wireless control program described in Appendix 2D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 4D) When determining the degree of propagation change, By calculating the degree of propagation change, the degree of propagation change is determined. When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, Based on the determined degree of propagation change, the system determines whether or not selective control is necessary, including the addition and switching of the antenna and the beam. A wireless control program described in Appendix 2D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 5D) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, To allow at least one of the antenna and the beam used for wireless communication with the wireless terminal to be selected. A wireless control program described in any one of the appendices 1D to 4D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 6D) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, Causing at least one of the antenna and the beam used for radio resource control with the wireless terminal to be selected The radio control program according to any one of Appendices 1D to 4D, causing the computer to execute the above (Appendix 7D) When causing the degree of propagation change to be determined Causing the degree of propagation change to be determined from the relationship between the assumed delay time and the quality fluctuation time of the wireless communication The radio control program according to any one of Appendices 1D to 6D, causing the computer to execute the above (Appendix 8D) The assumed delay time includes the time from the timing when the information on the received power is received until it is updated by the information on the received power received next The radio control program according to Appendix 7D (Appendix 9D) The quality fluctuation time of the wireless communication includes the time when the received power drops below a predetermined threshold when the radio wave used for the wireless communication is blocked by an obstacle The radio control program according to Appendix 7D or 8D (Appendix 10C) The quality fluctuation time of the wireless communication is calculated by dividing the width of the line-of-sight space of the radio wave by the moving speed of the wireless terminal The radio control program according to any one of Appendices 7D to 9D (Appendix 11D) The width of the line-of-sight space of the radio wave includes the Fresnel radius or diameter in the Fresnel zone between the wireless terminal The radio control program according to Appendix 10D (Appendix 12D) When causing the degree of propagation change to be determined Causing the degree of propagation change to be determined from the relationship between the assumed delay time for each wireless terminal, the information indicating the line-of-sight space of the radio wave used for the wireless communication, and the predicted movement information of the wireless terminal The radio control program according to any one of Appendices 1D to 11D, causing the computer to execute the above (Appendix 13D) When determining the degree of propagation change, Output the aforementioned propagation change rate, When predicting the movement of the aforementioned wireless terminal, The prediction of the wireless terminal's movement is updated based on the outputted propagation change rate. A wireless control program described in any one of the appendices 1D to 12D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 14D) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, If the aforementioned selection control is necessary, the system will select at least one of the antennas and beams based on the received power information for each antenna and each beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal. If the aforementioned selection control is not required, the system will select at least one of the antenna and the beam based on the received power information of at least one of the antenna and the beam during communication. A wireless control program described in Appendix 3D or 4D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 15D) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, The system selects, with a predetermined probability, at least one of the antennas and beams selected based on the received power information for each antenna and beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal, and at least one of the antennas and beams selected based on the received power information for at least one of the antennas and beams during communication. A wireless control program described in any one of the appendices 1D to 14D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 16D) When predicting the movement of the aforementioned wireless terminal, Based on at least one of the following pieces of information: the time series of location information of the wireless terminal, the movement history of the wireless terminal, and a map of the area surrounding the wireless terminal, the position and speed of the wireless terminal are predicted. A wireless control program described in any one of the appendices 1D to 15D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 17D) Furthermore, to estimate the location of the wireless terminal, A wireless control program described in any one of the appendices 1D to 16D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 18D) When estimating the location of the aforementioned wireless terminal, The position of the wireless terminal is estimated based on at least one of the propagation information, the received power information, and the radio wave arrival time information. A wireless control program described in Appendix 17D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 19D) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, Based on the relationship between the predicted received power for the candidate antenna and beam, the measured value of the received power for the antenna and beam during communication, and a predetermined threshold value for the received power, at least one of the antenna and beam is selected. A wireless control program described in any one of the appendices 1D to 18D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 20D) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, Based on a plurality of positions from the current position of the wireless terminal to a predicted position, at least one of the antenna and the beam is selected. A wireless control program described in any one of the appendices 1D to 19D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 21D) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, After evaluating the prediction accuracy by comparing the measured values ​​of the received power for each antenna and beam actually used for the wireless communication at the current location and locations in the movement history of the wireless terminal with the predicted received power for each antenna and beam at each location, at least one of the antenna and beam is selected. A wireless control program described in any one of the appendices 1D to 20D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 22D) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, Depending on the accuracy of the location information, at least one of the antenna and the beam is selected as a candidate from a plurality of predicted locations. A wireless control program described in any one of the appendices 1D to 21D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 23D) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, The number of antennas and beams to be used simultaneously are determined according to the wireless resource utilization rate. A wireless control program described in any one of the appendices 1D to 22D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 24D) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, The system determines candidate antennas and beams for use at multiple predicted locations, and selects at least one of the antennas and beams to actually use from all candidates. A wireless control program described in any one of the appendices 1D to 23D that causes a computer to perform the following actions. (Note 25D) When selecting at least one of the antenna and the beam, A higher-level control device or wireless base station device inputs slice information for each wireless terminal and each wireless communication, and based on said slice information, determines whether or not selection control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and beam, is necessary. A wireless control program according to any one of appended claims 1D to 24D, which causes a computer to execute.

Explanation of Signs

[0138] 1 Wireless communication system 10 Digital transmission / reception unit 20 Antenna beam prediction control unit 20a Wireless control device 21 Position estimation unit 22, 22a Movement prediction unit 23 Propagation information database 24, 24a Propagation change determination unit 25, 25a Selection unit 26 Assumed delay time calculation unit 27 Radio wave line-of-sight space calculation unit 28 Wireless quality fluctuation time calculation unit 29 Degree of change determination unit 30 Wireless resource control unit 90 Aggregation base station 100 Wireless base station device 110, 120, 130 Base station antennas 140 Beam control unit 150 RF transmission / reception unit 200, 210, 220 Wireless terminals 300 Obstacle 310 Shielded area 400 Information processing device PRC Processor MMR Memory STR Storage device

Claims

1. A movement prediction unit that predicts the movement of a wireless terminal performing wireless communication, A propagation change determination unit that determines the degree of propagation change, which indicates the extent to which the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time, A selection unit selects at least one of the antennas and beams from among the plurality of antennas and a plurality of beams to be used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal, based on the degree of propagation change determined by the propagation change determination unit. Equipped with, The propagation change determination unit determines the degree of propagation change based on the relationship between the assumed delay time and the quality fluctuation time of the wireless communication, The assumed delay time includes the time from the moment the received power information is received until it is updated by the next received power information. Wireless control device.

2. The aforementioned selection unit is From the propagation information storage unit, which stores the received power information as propagation information, the received power information for each antenna and each beam at the location of the wireless terminal predicted by the movement prediction unit is received. Based on the information of the received power for each antenna and each beam at the predicted location of the wireless terminal, at least one of the antenna and the beam used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal is selected. The wireless control device according to claim 1.

3. The propagation change determination unit is, By calculating the degree of propagation change, the degree of propagation change is determined. Based on the determined degree of propagation change, the necessity of selective control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and the beam, is determined. The wireless control device according to claim 2.

4. The propagation change determination unit determines the propagation change by calculating the propagation change degree, The selection unit determines, based on the degree of propagation change determined by the propagation change determination unit, whether or not selection control, including the addition and switching of the antenna and the beam, is necessary. The wireless control device according to claim 2.

5. The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam used for the wireless communication with the wireless terminal. The wireless control device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The selection unit selects at least one of the antenna and the beam used for wireless resource control between the wireless terminal and the wireless terminal. The wireless control device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. At least one wireless terminal, A wireless control device that performs wireless communication with the aforementioned wireless terminal, Equipped with, The aforementioned wireless control device is A movement prediction unit predicts the movement of the aforementioned wireless terminal, A propagation change determination unit that determines the degree of propagation change, which indicates the extent to which the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time, A selection unit selects at least one of the antennas and beams from among the plurality of antennas and a plurality of beams to be used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal, based on the degree of propagation change determined by the propagation change determination unit. Equipped with, The propagation change determination unit determines the degree of propagation change based on the relationship between the assumed delay time and the quality fluctuation time of the wireless communication, The assumed delay time includes the time from the moment the received power information is received until it is updated by the next received power information. Wireless communication system.

8. Predicting the movement of wireless terminals that perform wireless communication, The propagation change degree, which indicates the degree to which the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time, is determined. Based on the determined propagation change degree, at least one of the antennas and beams used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal is selected from among the plurality of antennas and plurality of beams. When determining the degree of propagation change, The degree of propagation change is determined from the relationship between the assumed delay time and the quality variation time of the wireless communication, The assumed delay time includes the time from the moment the received power information is received until it is updated by the next received power information. Wireless control method.

9. To predict the movement of wireless terminals that perform wireless communication, The system determines the degree of propagation change, which indicates how much the propagation of the wireless communication, including the received power of the wireless communication, changes within a predetermined assumed delay time. Based on the determined propagation change degree, at least one of the antennas and beams used for wireless communication control with the wireless terminal is selected from among the multiple antennas and multiple beams. A wireless control program that causes a computer to perform the following actions: When determining the degree of propagation change, The degree of propagation change is determined from the relationship between the assumed delay time and the quality variation time of the wireless communication. Have the computer do it, The assumed delay time includes the time from the moment the received power information is received until it is updated by the next received power information. Wireless control program.

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