Communication device, communication method, and program

Abstract

To construct an adaptive network in a UE unit with high accuracy.SOLUTION: A communication apparatus comprises: an application execution part that executes one or more applications for performing at least data communication; a feature acquisition part that acquires a first feature related to the data communication performed by the one or more applications executed by the application execution part; a feature output part that expresses a second feature indicating one or more desired feature for at least one or more objects in regard to a communication path used for the data communication on the basis of at least the one or more first features acquired by the feature acquisition part; and a transmission part that transmits the second feature expressed by the feature output part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a communication method, and a program Mu . [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, techniques for suitably providing a mobile network used by a communication device are known. For example, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a proposal for an architecture called user-centric Radio Access Network (RAN) for Beyond 5G mobile networks, which provides an appropriate virtual network on a per User Equipment (UE) basis. [Prior Art Literature] [Non-Patent Literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] K. Yamazaki, T. Ohseki, Y. Amano, H. Shinbo, T. Murakami and Y. Kishi, "Proposal for a User-Centric Ran Architecture Towards Beyond 5G," 2021 ITU Kaleidoscope: Connecting Physical and Virtual Worlds (ITU K), Geneva, Switzerland, 2021, pp. 1-7, doi: 10.23919 / ITUK53220.2021.9690496. [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] The architecture described in Non-Patent Document 1 proposes building and providing an appropriate network on a per-UE (User Experience) basis. In current 5G mobile network architectures, an appropriate network for a given application is provided as a slice. However, 5G network slicing is performed by selecting a slice type according to the application from slices pre-created by the network provider. In this configuration, there is a problem that the granularity of representing an appropriate network on a per-UE basis, as shown in Non-Patent Document 1, is too coarse.

[0005] This invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a communication device and communication method that can construct an appropriate network at the UE (Union Engine) level with high accuracy. and Professional Mu The objective is to provide. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) One aspect of the present invention comprises: an application execution unit that executes at least one application that performs data communication; a feature acquisition unit that acquires first features relating to data communication performed by one or more of the applications executed by the application execution unit; a feature output unit that expresses second features indicating one or more desired features for at least one or more objects with respect to a communication channel used for data communication, based on at least one or more first features acquired by the feature acquisition unit; and a transmission unit that transmits the second features expressed by the feature output unit. The feature output unit expresses a second feature based on situation information, which is information other than information about the application executed by the application execution unit, and is information about the situation. The situation information includes at least information about the desired communication performance input by the user, and the feature output unit expresses the second feature based on the information about the desired communication performance input by the user. It is a communication device. ( 2 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is as described above (1 )of In the communication device, the status information includes at least information regarding the remaining battery level, and the feature output unit expresses a second feature to suppress the amount of communication when the remaining battery level decreases. ( 3 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is as described above (1) or (2)In the communication device, the status information includes at least information regarding the movement status of the device itself. The aforementioned feature output unit expresses a second feature that prioritizes communication stability or establishes a communication path considering the movement route, depending on the speed at which the device is moving. ( 4 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 3 In any of the communication devices described above, the status information includes at least information about time, and the feature output unit expresses a second feature to establish a communication channel in accordance with an event starting from a specific time, or to establish a communication channel for transmitting data at specific time intervals. ( 5 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 4 In any of the communication devices, the status information includes at least historical information relating to a second feature transmitted by the device, and the feature output unit expresses the second feature according to the difference between the historical information and past communication performance. ( 6 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 5 In any of the communication devices, the status information includes at least information transmitted from a communication system that provides the communication path used by the device, and the feature output unit expresses the second feature based on the information in which the communication system has responded to a second feature transmitted by the device once, indicating whether it can be provided and the communication performance it can provide. ( 7 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 6 In any of the communication devices described above, the second feature is expressed by a set of object, condition, value, or range. ( 8 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 7 In any of the communication devices described above, the feature output unit expresses a second feature by statistically calculating the communication features required for data communication by each application based on at least two or more first features acquired by the feature acquisition unit. ( 9 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 8 In any of the communication devices described above, the feature output unit selects, as a second feature, the communication features required for data communication by the active application, based on at least two or more first features acquired by the feature acquisition unit. ( 10 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 9 In any of the communication devices described above, the first feature includes at least two or more features, and the feature output unit expresses the second feature by individually selecting from the two or more features each of the first features that each of the first features includes, based on the at least two or more first features acquired by the feature acquisition unit. ( 11 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 10 In any of the communication devices described above, the transmitting unit transmits the second feature using at least one of the User-Plane (U-Plane) or Control-Plane (C-Plane). ( 12 Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention includes: an application execution step of executing at least one or more applications that perform data communication; a feature acquisition step of acquiring first features relating to data communication performed by one or more of the applications executed by the application execution step; a feature output step of expressing second features that indicate one or more desired features for at least one or more objects with respect to a communication channel used for data communication, based on at least one or more first features acquired by the feature acquisition step; and a transmission step of transmitting the second features expressed by the feature output step. Furthermore, the feature output step expresses a second feature based on situation information, which is information other than information about the application executed by the application execution step and is information about the situation, and the situation information includes at least information about the desired communication performance input from the user, and the feature output step expresses a second feature based on the information about the desired communication performance input from the user. It is a method of communication. ( 13) According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program that causes a computer to execute: an application execution step of executing one or more applications that perform at least data communication; a feature acquisition step of acquiring first features relating to data communication respectively performed by the one or more applications executed in the application execution step; a feature output step of expressing a second feature representing one or more desired features for at least one object with respect to a communication path used for data communication, based on at least one or more first features acquired in the feature acquisition step; and a transmission step of transmitting the second feature expressed in the feature output step The feature output step expresses a second feature based on situation information, which is information other than information about the application executed by the application execution step, and is information about the situation, wherein the situation information includes at least information about desired communication performance input from the user, and the feature output step is a program that expresses the second feature based on the information about desired communication performance input from the user. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, an effect of being able to construct an appropriate network for each UE with high accuracy is obtained. [Brief Description of Drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] It is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a communication device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a functional configuration diagram showing a modified example of the functional configuration of the communication device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a sequence diagram showing an example of a series of operations performed by the communication device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of use of the communication device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing a first modified example of use of the communication device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing a second modified example of use of the communication device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the communication device of the present embodiment. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the communication device, communication method, and program according to aspects of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments, and include various modifications and improvements. In other words, the components described below include those that are easily conceivable by those skilled in the art, and those that are substantially the same, and the components described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of components can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Also, in the following drawings, the scale and number of components in each structure may differ from the scale and number of components in the actual structure in order to make each structure easier to understand.

[0010] [Embodiment] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a communication device according to one embodiment. First, an example of the functional configuration of the communication device 10 will be described with reference to the figure. The communication device 10 comprises one or more applications, a feature acquisition unit 11, a feature output unit 12, and a transmission unit 13. One or more applications are executed by an application execution unit (not shown) provided in the communication device 10. The figure shows an example in which three applications, App1, App2, and App3, are executed. However, this embodiment is not limited to this example.

[0012] The application execution unit executes one or more applications. When the application execution unit executes two or more applications, it is preferable that at least one of the applications performs data communication. The communication device 10 may be, for example, a user equipment (UE) that can access a mobile network. The application operates on the communication device 10 for at least part of its function and utilizes the communication functions of the communication device 10. Examples of applications include web browsers, applications created for the purpose of using specific internet services such as cloud services, video sites, image sites, social networking services, and games, tools for transmitting and receiving sensor data, and tools for remotely controlling other devices.

[0013] The feature acquisition unit 11 acquires the characteristics of the communication performed by the application. The feature acquisition unit 11 may acquire the communication characteristics directly from the application, or it may acquire them indirectly through the application execution unit or the like. The feature acquisition unit 11 transmits information about the acquired characteristics to the feature output unit 12. The characteristics of the communication performed by the application are acquired for each application. The characteristics of the communication performed by the application are information that can be used to determine what level of communication performance the application desires. Communication performance includes, for example, at least one of the following: latency, throughput, communication channel availability, and stability.

[0014] In the following explanation, the communication features acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11 from each application may be referred to as the first feature. The first feature refers to the data communication performed by one or more applications executed by the application execution unit. Furthermore, the first feature refers to the communication features performed by the application, and specifically may be communication statistics information for each application or information such as intents embedded for each application.

[0015] For example, the communication features acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11 may include a log containing the application's communication log, or statistical information of the log. In this case, the communication device 10 can acquire information such as the amount of communication used and the communication time by acquiring the log information. The amount of communication used and the communication time can serve as criteria for determining the communication performance desired by the application.

[0016] Furthermore, the communication features acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11 may also be information about desired communication performance embedded within the application. For example, in a video viewing application, it is possible to anticipate in advance the recommended throughput value depending on the video quality being viewed. In such cases, by embedding information about the desired communication performance within the application in advance, the desired communication performance can be communicated to the feature acquisition unit 11 from the first time the application is used.

[0017] Furthermore, the feature acquisition unit 11 may convert the features of the communication performed by the application before transmitting them to the feature output unit 12. For example, if the data format of the communication features that can be acquired differs for each application, the feature acquisition unit 11 may convert them to a uniform data format before transmitting them to the feature output unit. This conversion may also be performed by the application execution unit instead of the feature acquisition unit 11, or it may be incorporated as a function within each application.

[0018] The feature output unit 12 acquires the characteristics of the communication performed by the application (i.e., the first characteristics) from the feature acquisition unit 11. Based on at least one of the first characteristics, the feature output unit 12 expresses desired characteristics. The desired characteristics are not the communication performance required by each application, but the communication performance desired for the communication device 10 as a whole. The communication performance desired by the feature output unit 12 is expressed in a form that includes one or more desired characteristics for one or more objects with respect to the data communication path used by the communication device 10. For example, the feature output unit 12 may define the object as "wireless access network" and the desired characteristic as "delay of 10 [ms (milliseconds)] or less".

[0019] In the following description, the desired features expressed by the feature output unit 12 may be referred to as the second feature. Specifically, the second feature may be characteristics or Expectation Targets.

[0020] Furthermore, the number of outputs for the desired communication performance is not limited to matching the number of input communication features obtained from the feature acquisition unit 11. This is because the communication features of each application may be combined or decomposed to obtain the desired communication performance for the entire communication device 10.

[0021] The transmitting unit 13 transmits the desired communication performance of the entire communication device 10 (i.e., the second feature expressed by the feature output unit 12), which is output from the feature output unit 12, to the outside of the communication device 10. The destination to which the transmitting unit 13 transmits the information may be, for example, a communication system (not shown) that provides the communication path used by the communication device 10. By transmitting information to the outside, the transmitting unit 13 can provide an appropriate communication path according to the communication performance desired by the communication device 10.

[0022] Figure 2 is a functional configuration diagram showing a modified example of the functional configuration of the communication device according to this embodiment. A modified example of the functional configuration of the communication device 10 will be described with reference to this figure. In the example shown in Figure 2, components that are the same as those already described in Figure 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanation is omitted. In the communication device 10 shown in Figure 2, the feature acquisition unit 11 acquires status information, which is information about the situation, in addition to first features related to the application executed by the application execution unit. Status information is information other than information related to the application executed by the application execution unit. The feature output unit 12 expresses second features based on the status information. Status information is, for example, information obtained from sources other than the application performing data communication, and is various information obtained from inside and outside the communication device 10. Specific examples of status information will be described in detail below.

[0023] For example, the status information may be information regarding the remaining battery level of the communication device 10. If the battery level of the communication device 10 becomes low, the communication device 10 may perform control to suppress the amount of communication in order to extend the operating time of the communication device 10. Therefore, the feature output unit 12 may express a second feature to suppress the amount of communication if it determines, based on the status information, that the battery level is low.

[0024] For example, the status information may be information relating to the movement status of the device itself (i.e., the communication device 10). Information relating to the movement status may include position information obtained from a position sensor (e.g., a GPS acquisition unit), speed information obtained from a speed sensor (not shown), and acceleration information obtained from an acceleration sensor (not shown). When the device itself begins to move at high speed, the communication device 10 may perform control to prioritize communication stability or to establish a communication path that takes the movement path into consideration. Therefore, the feature output unit 12 may express a second feature based on the status information, prioritizing communication stability or establishing a communication path that takes the movement path into consideration, depending on the speed at which the device itself is moving.

[0025] For example, the status information may be information about time. The communication device 10 may want to establish a communication channel that is time-dependent for an event starting at a specific time, or a communication channel for transmitting data at specific time intervals. Therefore, the feature output unit 12 may express a second feature based on the status information to establish a communication channel that is time-dependent for an event starting at a specific time, or to establish a communication channel for transmitting data at specific time intervals.

[0026] For example, the status information may be historical information relating to the second feature transmitted by the communication device 10. The communication device 10 may compare the difference between the historical information and the communication performance of past data communications to determine the necessity of transmission. Therefore, the feature output unit 12 may express the second feature based on the status information, according to the difference between the historical information and past communication performance.

[0027] For example, the status information may be information transmitted from a communication system (not shown) that provides the communication channel used by the communication device 10. If the communication system responds to a second feature that the communication device 10 has transmitted once with information on whether it can be provided or the communication performance it can provide, the communication device 10 may take this information into account and transmit the second feature. Therefore, the feature output unit 12 may express the second feature based on the status information and the information that the communication system has responded to a second feature that the device has transmitted once with information on whether it can be provided or the communication performance it can provide.

[0028] For example, the status information may be information input by a user using the communication device 10. For example, the communication device 10 receives information based on predetermined operations performed by the user, such as text input, voice input, or selection of options on the user interface screen. The user may be configured to directly input information regarding desired communication performance (i.e., a second feature). In this case, the feature output unit 12 may express the second feature based on the user-inputted information shown in the status information.

[0029] Figure 3 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a series of operations performed by the communication device according to this embodiment. An example of the operation of the communication device 10 will be explained with reference to this figure. The explanation given with reference to this figure is based on a configuration in which the communication device 10 performs processing based on status information (i.e., the functional configuration shown in Figure 2).

[0030] (Step S1) First, the feature acquisition unit 11 detects a start trigger and begins operation. The trigger for the start trigger is mainly when there is a possibility that the communication performance desired by the communication device 10 should be reviewed. For example, a periodic trigger based on time can be exemplified as a trigger for the start trigger. The start trigger may also occur based on changes in the application. For example, the start trigger may occur in response to changes in the operation status of the application, such as starting, stopping, activating, or deactivating the application. The start trigger may also occur based on changes in status information. For example, the start trigger may occur in response to changes in status information such as battery level, movement status, time or duration related to an event, or reception of data from a communication system. The start trigger may also occur in response to a command instruction from a user or the like.

[0031] (Step S2) Next, the feature acquisition unit 11 sends a request to the application to acquire the characteristics of the communication performed by the application (the first characteristic). If necessary, the feature acquisition unit also sends a request to the component holding the status information to acquire characteristics related to status information other than that of the application. While this information may be acquired in response to a request from the feature acquisition unit 11, it may also be transmitted unilaterally. Unilateral transmission is envisioned when the application or the component holding the status information transmits the information at a predetermined timing. If the application or status information is transmitted unilaterally, step S2 can be omitted.

[0032] (Step S3) The application launched by the application execution unit transmits the characteristics of the communication performed by the application to the feature acquisition unit 11 as the first characteristic. The component that holds the status information also transmits the characteristics related to the status information to the feature acquisition unit 11. The feature transmission process performed in step S3 may be in response to the request in step S2, or it may be performed spontaneously.

[0033] (Step S4) The feature acquisition unit 11 performs a transformation of the features received in step S3 as necessary. For example, if the data format of the communication features that can be acquired differs for each application, the feature acquisition unit 11 may perform a transformation to a uniform data format internally. The data format transformed by this transformation may be a format containing one or more desired features for one or more objects, as output by the feature output unit 12. Note that the order of steps S3 and S4 may be reversed, and the transformation process may be performed within the application.

[0034] (Step S5) The feature acquisition unit 11 transmits the acquired features to the feature output unit 12.

[0035] (Step S6) The feature output unit 12 outputs the desired communication performance for the entire communication device 10 based on the information received from the feature acquisition unit 11. The desired communication performance is expressed in a form that includes one or more desired features for one or more objects with respect to the communication path used by the communication device 10. Features expressed by the feature output unit 12 based on the first features acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11 may be described as second features.

[0036] Here, the desired feature expressed by the feature output unit 12 may be expressed as a set of object, condition, value, or range related to the object. For example, if the object is to be "wireless access network" and the desired feature is to be "delay is 10 [ms (milliseconds)] or less", then the object would be "delay", the condition would be "or less", and the value would be "10 [ms]".

[0037] Furthermore, constraints may be imposed on the object, desired features, and desired communication performance. For example, a constraint on desired features may be expressed as "the delay to the wireless access network is 10 ms or less between 9:00 and 12:00".

[0038] Here, the application execution unit may execute multiple applications simultaneously. In such cases, communication characteristics will be obtained from each application. In other words, the first characteristic may include multiple characteristics. If the first characteristic includes at least two or more characteristics, the characteristic output unit 12 derives the desired communication characteristics for the entire communication device 10 based on these characteristics. The characteristic output unit 12 may employ the following method when deriving the desired communication characteristics for the entire communication device 10.

[0039] The first method involves selecting the maximum, minimum, sum, and average values ​​from the communication characteristics performed by the application. The feature output unit 12 can also express the second characteristics by performing statistical calculations on the communication characteristics required for data communication by each application, based on at least two first characteristics acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11. Statistical calculations include various operations in addition to calculating the maximum, minimum, sum, and average values. For example, if the first application has a desired communication characteristic of "delay of 10 [ms] or less" and the second application has a desired communication characteristic of "delay of 20 [ms] or less" for the same object "wireless access network", the feature output unit 12 may derive the minimum value, "delay of 10 [ms] or less", as the desired communication performance for the entire communication device 10.

[0040] A second method is to select or prioritize the communication characteristics of the active application. The feature output unit 12 can also select the communication characteristics required for data communication by the active application as a second characteristic, based on at least two first characteristics acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11. For example, in an application for remote control operated by a user, if the first application has a desired communication characteristic of "delay of 10 [ms] or less" and the second application has a desired communication characteristic of "delay of 20 [ms] or less", and only the second application is actively used, the feature output unit 12 may derive the "delay of 20 [ms] or less", which is a characteristic of the second application, as the desired communication performance for the entire communication device 10.

[0041] A third method involves decomposing the characteristics of the communication performed by the application into individual characteristics. For example, in the case of an application that allows interactive operation on transmitted video, communication characteristics may be obtained for both throughput and latency, such as "throughput of 200 [Mbps]" and "latency of 10 [ms]". In this case, if it is not necessary to satisfy each communication characteristic with a single communication channel, the characteristic output unit 12 may represent each characteristic as an individual characteristic of a different communication channel. That is, the characteristic output unit 12 can also represent a second characteristic by individually selecting from two or more characteristics contained in each of the two or more first characteristics acquired by the characteristic acquisition unit 11.

[0042] Furthermore, as a variation of the third method, communication characteristics can be obtained for both throughput and latency, such as "throughput of 200 [Mbps] or more recommended for video transmission" and "latency of 10 [ms] or less recommended for operation." Normally, it is possible to derive desired communication performance that includes both "throughput of 200 [Mbps] or more" and "latency of 10 [ms] or less" as desired characteristics. However, since a communication channel that satisfies both high speed and low latency simultaneously requires a large amount of network resources, there are cases where it is deemed unsuitable to desire such a communication channel, for example, by receiving a response from the communication system providing the channel that it cannot be provided or a warning regarding resource consumption. In such cases, the communication device 10 may consider each communication characteristic as an individual characteristic of a separate communication channel, taking into account that it is not necessary to satisfy each communication characteristic with a single communication channel. For example, the communication characteristics for the video communication channel may be derived as the first desired communication performance, and the communication characteristics for the operation communication channel may be derived as the second desired communication performance. Furthermore, the application may include information indicating whether or not it is necessary to satisfy the characteristics of each communication channel as a characteristic of the communication performed by the application.

[0043] A fourth method involves constructing a learning model that uses the derivation of past desired communication performance as feedback. In this case, the communication device 10 may have a function to allow the user to confirm and evaluate the derived desired communication performance. Furthermore, by incorporating a model that learns from the results of the user's confirmation and evaluation, the communication device 10 will be able to derive desired communication performance that reflects user feedback when similar communication characteristics are used in the future.

[0044] (Step S7) The feature output unit 12 determines whether or not to transmit the derived desired communication performance. For example, if the feature output unit 12 determines that there is no change from the desired communication performance transmitted previously and there is no need to retransmit the derived desired communication performance to the outside, it will not perform transmission by the transmission unit 13 and will terminate the process.

[0045] (Step S8) In step S7, if it is determined that the desired communication performance should be transmitted externally, the feature output unit 12 transmits the desired communication performance to the transmission unit 13.

[0046] (Step S9) The transmitting unit 13 transmits the desired communication performance to the outside.

[0047] Figure 4 shows an example of how the communication device according to this embodiment is used. An example of how the communication device 10 is used will be explained with reference to this figure. Here, the communication device 10 is assumed to be a terminal that can access a mobile network. In this case, the communication channel used by the terminal is the mobile network, and the communication system that provides the communication channel is the system of the mobile network operator.

[0048] When the communication device 10 sends the desired communication performance (i.e., the second characteristic described above) to the mobile network operator's system, for example, it may send it to the reception system 20 provided by the mobile network operator. For the connection from the communication device 10 to the reception system 20, a User-Plane (U-Plane), a communication channel available for normal mobile network access, may be used. For example, the connection from the communication device to the reception system 20 may be made by accessing it using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (Secure) (HTTP(S)) from a web browser, or by using an Application Programming Interface (API) from an application for connecting to the reception system 20.

[0049] The reception system 20 communicates the desired communication performance to the control device 30 of the mobile network operator, and the control device 30 constructs a communication path in accordance with the desired communication performance. The control device 30 transmits the connection information of the communication path to the communication device 10 via the reception system 20, and the communication device 10 becomes able to communicate using the constructed communication path. In the illustrated example, a communication path using RAN40 and Core50 is constructed.

[0050] Figure 5 shows a first modified example of the use of the communication device according to this embodiment. The first modified example of the use of the communication device 10 will be explained with reference to this figure. In this example, when the communication device 10 sends the desired communication performance, it uses the Control-Plane (C-Plane), a communication channel that can be used for normal mobile network access. If the frequency of the communication device 10 sending the desired communication performance increases, processing on the C-Plane can be performed to avoid load concentration on the reception system.

[0051] For example, a mobile network operator may distribute the devices and systems it provides to specific areas. The desired communication performance transmitted from the communication device 10 passes through the wireless access network (RAN 41) and is sent to the equipment of the core network (Core 51). For example, the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocol may be used to connect the communication device 10 to Core 51. When using the NAS protocol, for example, a Message Type for sending the desired communication performance may be defined, or an Information Element for information regarding the desired communication performance may be defined. Core 51 communicates the desired communication performance to the control device 30 of the mobile network operator. The control device 30 constructs a communication path in accordance with the desired communication performance. The control device 30 communicates the connection information of the communication path to the communication device 10 via Core 51. The communication device 10 becomes able to communicate using the constructed communication path. In the illustrated example, a communication path using RAN 42 and Core 52 is constructed.

[0052] Furthermore, when exchanging desired communication performance (intent) using C-Plane signals, processing performance can be scaled by designing Core51 and RAN42, which receive the intent, in a distributed manner. For example, one specific example is to install separate Core51 and RAN42 equipment in each area where the communication device 10 is located.

[0053] Figure 6 shows a second modified example of the use of the communication device according to this embodiment. The second modified example of the use of the communication device 10 will be explained with reference to this figure. In this example, the desired communication performance transmitted from the communication device 10 may use C-Plane, as in the example explained with reference to Figure 5, but the destination will be the equipment of RAN41. For example, in this case, the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol may be used to connect from the communication device 10 to RAN41. RAN41 communicates the desired communication performance to the control device 30 of the mobile network operator, and the control device 30 constructs a communication path in accordance with the desired communication performance. The control device 30 communicates the connection information of the communication path to the communication device 10 via RAN41. The communication device 10 can then perform communication using the constructed communication path. In the illustrated example, a communication path using RAN42 and Core52 is constructed.

[0054] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the communication device of this embodiment. At least some of the functions of the communication device can be realized using a computer. As shown in the figure, the computer consists of a central processing unit 901, RAM 902, input / output ports 903, input / output devices 904 and 905, etc., and a bus 906. The computer itself can be realized using existing technology. The central processing unit 901 executes instructions contained in programs read from RAM 902, etc. The central processing unit 901 writes data to RAM 902, reads data from RAM 902, and performs arithmetic and logical operations according to each instruction. RAM 902 stores data and programs. Each element contained in RAM 902 has an address and can be accessed using that address. RAM stands for "Random Access Memory". Input / output ports 903 are ports for the central processing unit 901 to exchange data with external input / output devices, etc. Input / output devices 904 and 905 are input / output devices. Input / output devices 904 and 905 exchange data with the central processing unit 901 via input / output ports 903. Bus 906 is a common communication channel used within the computer. For example, the central processing unit 901 reads and writes data to RAM 902 via bus 906. Also, for example, the central processing unit 901 accesses input / output ports via bus 906. Furthermore, all or part of each functional unit of the communication device may be implemented using hardware such as ASICs, PLDs, or FPGAs. Furthermore, all or part of each functional unit may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware.

[0055] [Summary of Embodiments] According to this embodiment, the communication device 10 includes an application execution unit to execute at least one application that performs data communication, a feature acquisition unit 11 to acquire first features relating to data communication performed by one or more applications executed by the application execution unit (i.e., features of the communication performed by each application), a feature output unit 12 to express second features indicating one or more desired features for at least one or more objects with respect to the communication channel used for data communication (i.e., desired communication features for the communication device 10 as a whole) based on at least one or more first features acquired by the feature acquisition unit 11, and a transmission unit 13 to transmit the second features expressed by the feature output unit 12.

[0056] By adopting this configuration, this embodiment makes it possible to construct and provide an appropriate network depending on the application and situational information used. This embodiment also makes it possible to improve the accuracy of representing an appropriate network as a whole, taking into account the characteristics of the application. Therefore, this embodiment makes it possible to construct and provide an appropriate network.

[0057] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0058] Alternatively, computer programs for realizing the functions of each of the above-mentioned devices may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the programs recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed. Note that the term "computer system" here may include hardware such as an operating system and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" refers to writable non-volatile memory such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, and flash memory, portable media such as DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems.

[0059] Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" includes volatile memory (such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)) within computer systems that act as servers or clients when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, which retains the program for a certain period of time. In addition, the above program may be transmitted from the computer system that stores the program in a memory device, etc., to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves within the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" for transmitting the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. Furthermore, the above program may be intended to implement some of the functions described above. It may also be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can implement the aforementioned functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 10...Communication device, 11...Feature acquisition unit, 12...Feature output unit, 13...Transmission unit, 20...Reception system, 30...Control device, 40, 41, 42...RAN, 50, 51, 52...Core

Claims

1. An application execution unit that runs at least one application that performs data communication, A feature acquisition unit that acquires first features relating to data communication performed by one or more applications executed by the application execution unit, A feature output unit expresses a second feature that represents one or more desired features for at least one or more objects with respect to a communication channel used for data communication, based on at least one or more first features obtained by the feature acquisition unit, A transmission unit that transmits the second feature expressed by the feature output unit, Equipped with, The feature output unit expresses a second feature based on situation information, which is information other than information about the application executed by the application execution unit, and is information about the situation. The aforementioned status information includes at least information about the desired communication performance entered by the user. The feature output unit expresses a second feature based on the information regarding the desired communication performance input from the user. Communication device.

2. The aforementioned status information includes at least information regarding the remaining battery level. The feature output unit expresses a second feature to suppress the amount of data transmitted when the battery level is low. The communication device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned status information includes at least information regarding the movement status of the device itself. The feature output unit expresses a second feature in such a way that, depending on the speed at which the device is moving, it prioritizes communication stability or establishes a communication path that takes the movement path into consideration. The communication device according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned situational information includes at least information regarding time, The feature output unit expresses a second feature to establish a communication channel in accordance with an event that starts at a specific time, or to establish a communication channel for transmitting data at specific time intervals. The communication device according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned status information includes at least historical information relating to the second characteristic transmitted by the device itself. The feature output unit expresses a second feature according to the difference between the historical information and past communication performance. The communication device according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned status information includes at least information transmitted from the communication system that provides the communication channel used by the device, The feature output unit expresses the second feature based on the information received from the communication system in response to the second feature transmitted by the device, including information on whether it can be provided and the communication performance it can provide. The communication device according to claim 1.

7. The second characteristic described above is expressed by a set of object, condition, value, or range. The communication device according to claim 1.

8. The feature output unit expresses a second feature by statistically calculating the communication features required for data communication by each application based on at least two or more first features acquired by the feature acquisition unit. The communication device according to claim 1.

9. The feature output unit selects, as a second feature, the communication characteristics required for data communication by the active application, based on at least two or more first features acquired by the feature acquisition unit. The communication device according to claim 1.

10. The first feature includes at least two or more features, The feature output unit expresses a second feature by individually selecting from two or more features included in each of the first features, based on at least two or more first features acquired by the feature acquisition unit. The communication device according to claim 1.

11. The transmitting unit transmits the second feature using at least one of User-Plane (U-Plane) or Control-Plane (C-Plane). The communication device according to claim 1.

12. An application execution process that runs at least one application that performs data communication, A feature acquisition step is to acquire a first feature relating to data communication performed by one or more of the applications executed in the application execution step, A feature output step, based on at least one first feature obtained by the feature acquisition step, expresses a second feature that represents one or more desired features for at least one or more objects with respect to a communication channel used for data communication, A transmission step which transmits the second feature expressed by the feature output step, It has, The feature output step expresses a second feature based on situation information, which is information other than information about the application executed by the application execution step, and is information about the situation. The aforementioned status information includes at least information about the desired communication performance entered by the user. The feature output step expresses a second feature based on the desired communication performance information input by the user. Communication method.

13. On the computer, An application execution step that runs one or more applications that perform data communication, A feature acquisition step which acquires a first feature relating to data communication performed by one or more of the applications executed in the application execution step, A feature output step expresses a second feature that represents one or more desired features for at least one or more objects with respect to a communication channel used for data communication, based on at least one or more first features obtained in the feature acquisition step, A transmission step which transmits the second feature expressed by the feature output step, A program that executes, The feature output step expresses a second feature based on situation information, which is information other than information about the application executed by the application execution step, and is information about the situation. The aforementioned status information includes at least information about the desired communication performance entered by the user. The feature output step expresses a second feature based on the desired communication performance information input by the user. program.

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