Estimation of congestion situation based on communication standpoints and non-communication standpoints

Abstract

This communication control device comprises at least one processor that: detects the congestion situation of communication in a communication cell by using a communication congestion detection unit; measures the congestion situation of either people or things in the communication cell by using a congestion measurement unit; and, on the basis of the congestion situation of communication as detected by the communication congestion detection unit and the congestion situation of either people or things as measured by the congestion measurement unit, estimates the congestion situation in the communication cell by using a congestion situation estimation unit.

Description

Estimation of congestion status based on communication and non-communication perspectives

[0001] The present disclosure relates to congestion estimation based on communication and non-communication perspectives.

[0002] The number, types, and uses of wireless communication devices (hereinafter referred to as communication devices), such as smartphones and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, are steadily increasing, and wireless communication standards are continually being expanded and improved. For example, commercial service for the fifth-generation mobile communication system, known as "5G," began in 2018, and standardization is still underway at the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). In addition, efforts have begun to develop standards for the sixth-generation mobile communication system, or "6G," as the next-generation wireless communication standard following 5G.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-278886

[0004] In order to optimize communications in each communication cell, communication traffic representing the communication congestion status in that communication cell is constantly monitored. However, communication traffic does not necessarily represent the actual congestion status of people and objects within that communication cell. This is because communication traffic is typically monitored individually for each different communication carrier, and communication traffic of carriers other than the carrier itself is not easily accessible. Furthermore, people and objects that are within the communication cell but are not actually communicating cannot be monitored appropriately because their communication traffic does not become apparent.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of these circumstances, and provides a communication control device and the like that can effectively estimate the congestion state in a communication cell.

[0006] A communication control device of one aspect of the present disclosure includes at least one processor that performs the following operations: detecting a communication congestion status in a communication cell using a communication congestion detection unit; measuring a congestion status of at least one of people and objects in the communication cell using a congestion measurement unit; and estimating a congestion status in the communication cell using a congestion status estimation unit based on the communication congestion status detected by the communication congestion detection unit and the congestion status of at least one of people and objects measured by the congestion measurement unit.

[0007] According to this aspect, the congestion situation in a communication cell can be effectively estimated based on the communication congestion situation detected by the communication congestion detection unit (hereinafter also referred to as the congestion situation from a "communication perspective") and the congestion situation of at least one of people and objects measured by the congestion measurement unit (hereinafter also referred to as the congestion situation from a "non-communication perspective").

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a communication control method that detects a communication congestion state in a communication cell, measures a congestion state of at least one of people and objects in the communication cell, and estimates the congestion state in the communication cell based on the detected communication congestion state and the measured congestion state of at least one of people and objects.

[0009] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is a storage medium storing a communication control program that causes a computer to detect a communication congestion state in a communication cell, measure a congestion state of at least one of people and objects in the communication cell, and estimate the congestion state in the communication cell based on the detected communication congestion state and the measured congestion state of at least one of people and objects.

[0010] Any combination of the above components, or any conversion of these expressions into methods, devices, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc., are also encompassed within the present disclosure.

[0011] According to the present disclosure, the congestion state in a communication cell can be effectively estimated.

[0012] 1 is a functional block diagram of a communication control device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an overview of a wireless communication system 1 to which a communication control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. The wireless communication system 1 includes a 5G wireless communication system 11, a 4G wireless communication system 12, and a satellite communication system 13. The 5G wireless communication system 11 conforms to a fifth-generation mobile communication system (5G) that uses NR (New Radio) or 5G NR (Fifth Generation New Radio) as a radio access technology (RAT) and 5GC (Fifth Generation Core) as a core network (CN). The 4G wireless communication system 12 conforms to a fourth-generation mobile communication system (4G) that uses LTE (Long Term Evolution) or LTE-Advanced as a radio access technology and EPC (Evolved Packet Core) as a core network. The satellite communication system 13 is responsible for satellite communication via a communication satellite 131. Although not shown in the figure, the wireless communication system 1 may include a wireless communication system of a generation earlier than 4G, a wireless communication system of a generation later than 5G (such as 6G), or any wireless communication system that cannot be associated with a generation, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0014] The 5G wireless communication system 11 includes communication devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D (hereinafter collectively referred to as communication devices 2) such as smartphones that are installed on the ground and are also called UE (User Equipment), and multiple 5G base stations 111A, 111B, and 111C (hereinafter collectively referred to as 5G base stations 111) that can communicate via 5G NR. The base station 111 in 5G is also called a gNodeB (gNB). The communication range or support range of each of the 5G base stations 111A, 111B, and 111C is called a cell, and is illustrated as 112A, 112B, and 112C, respectively (hereinafter collectively referred to as 5G cells 112).

[0015] The size of the 5G cell 112 of each 5G base station 111 is arbitrary, but typically has a radius of several meters to several tens of kilometers. Although there is no established definition, a cell with a radius of several meters to several tens of meters is called a femtocell, a cell with a radius of tens to several tens of meters is called a picocell, a cell with a radius of several tens to several hundred meters is called a microcell, and a cell with a radius of more than several hundred meters is called a macrocell. 5G often uses high-frequency radio waves such as millimeter waves, and because of their high line-propagation ability, the radio waves are blocked by obstacles, shortening the communication distance. For this reason, 5G tends to use smaller cells than 4G and earlier generations.

[0016] A communication device 2 can perform 5G communication if it is located within at least one of multiple 5G cells 112A, 112B, and 112C. In the illustrated example, a communication device 2B located within 5G cells 112A and 112B can communicate with both 5G base stations 111A and 111B via 5G NR. Furthermore, a communication device 2C located within 5G cell 112C can communicate with 5G base station 111C via 5G NR. Communication devices 2A and 2D are located outside all of the 5G cells 112A, 112B, and 112C and are therefore unable to communicate via 5G NR. 5G communication via 5G NR between each communication device 2 and each 5G base station 111 is managed by the 5GC, which is a core network. For example, the 5GC handles data exchange with each 5G base station 111, data exchange with external networks such as EPC, satellite communication system 13, and the Internet, and mobility management of the communication device 2.

[0017] The 4G wireless communication system 12 includes multiple 4G base stations 121 (only one is shown in FIG. 1 ). The multiple 4G base stations 121 are installed on the ground and are capable of communicating with the communication device 2 via LTE or LTE-Advanced. In 4G, the base station 121 is also called an eNodeB (eNB). Like each 5G base station 111, the communication range or support area of ​​each 4G base station 121 is also called a cell and is illustrated as 122.

[0018] If the communication device 2 is located inside the 4G cell 122, it can perform 4G communication. In the illustrated example, communication devices 2A and 2B located inside the 4G cell 122 can communicate with the 4G base station 121 via LTE or LTE-Advanced. Communication devices 2C and 2D are located outside the 4G cell 122 and therefore cannot communicate via LTE or LTE-Advanced. 4G communication by LTE or LTE-Advanced between each communication device 2 and each 4G base station 121 is managed by the EPC, which is a core network. For example, the EPC handles the exchange of data with each 4G base station 121, the exchange of data with external networks such as 5GC, the satellite communication system 13, and the Internet, and the mobility management of the communication device 2.

[0019] Focusing on each of the communication devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, in the illustrated example, communication device 2A is capable of 4G communication with 4G base station 121, communication device 2B is capable of 5G communication with 5G base stations 111A and 111B and 4G communication with 4G base station 121, and communication device 2C is capable of 5G communication with 5G base station 111C. When there are multiple base stations (111A, 111B, 121) with which communication is possible, as with communication device 2B, one base station determined to be optimal in terms of communication quality, etc. is selected under the management of the core network 5GC and / or EPC, and communication with communication device 2B is performed. Furthermore, communication device 2D is not capable of communication with any of the 5G base stations 111 and 4G base station 121, and therefore performs communication via satellite communication system 13, which will be described next.

[0020] The satellite communication system 13 is a wireless communication system that uses a communication satellite 131, a low-orbit satellite that flies in space at an altitude of approximately 500 km to 700 km above the Earth's surface, as a non-terrestrial base station. Similar to the 5G base station 111 and the 4G base station 121, the communication coverage or support area of ​​the communication satellite 131 is also called a cell and is illustrated as 132. In this way, the communication satellite 131, as a non-terrestrial base station, provides the satellite communication cell 132, as a non-terrestrial communication cell, to the ground. A terrestrial communication device 2 can perform satellite communication if it is located within the satellite communication cell 132. Similar to the 5G base station 111 in the 5G wireless communication system 11 and the 4G base station 121 in the 4G wireless communication system 12, the communication satellite 131, as a base station in the satellite communication system 13, can wirelessly communicate with the communication device 2 within the satellite communication cell 132 directly or indirectly via an aircraft or the like. The radio access technology that the communication satellite 131 uses for radio communication with the communication device 2 in the satellite communication cell 132 may be 5G NR, the same as the 5G base station 111, or LTE or LTE-Advanced, the same as the 4G base station 121, or any other radio access technology that can be used by the communication device 2. Therefore, the communication device 2 does not need to be provided with special functions or components for satellite communication.

[0021] The satellite communication system 13 includes a gateway 133 as a ground station installed on the ground and capable of communicating with a communication satellite 131. The gateway 133 includes a satellite antenna for communicating with the communication satellite 131, and is connected to a 5G base station 111 and a 4G base station 121 as terrestrial base stations that constitute a terrestrial network (TN). In this way, the gateway 133 connects the non-terrestrial network (NTN) formed by the communication satellite 131 as a non-terrestrial base station or satellite base station and the TN formed by the terrestrial base stations 111 and 121 so that they can communicate with each other. When the communication satellite 131 performs 5G communication with the communication device 2 in the satellite communication cell 132 using 5G NR, the 5GC connected via the gateway 133 and the 5G base station 111 (or the 5G radio access network) in the TN is used as the core network, and when the communication satellite 131 performs 4G communication with the communication device 2 in the satellite communication cell 132 using LTE or LTE-Advanced, the EPC connected via the gateway 133 and the 4G base station 121 (or the 4G radio access network) in the TN is used as the core network. In this way, appropriate cooperation is achieved between different wireless communication systems such as 5G communication, 4G communication, and satellite communication via the gateway 133.

[0022] Satellite communication using a communication satellite 131 is primarily used to cover areas where terrestrial base stations such as the 5G base station 111 and the 4G base station 121 are not installed or are few in number. In the illustrated example, a communication device 2D located outside the communication cells of all terrestrial base stations communicates with the communication satellite 131. Meanwhile, communication devices 2A, 2B, and 2C that can communicate satisfactorily with any terrestrial base station are also within the satellite communication cell 132 and can therefore communicate with the communication satellite 131. However, by communicating with the terrestrial base station rather than the communication satellite 131 as a satellite base station, the limited communication resources (including power) of the communication satellite 131 are conserved for the communication device 2D and the like. The communication satellite 131 improves the quality of communication with the communication device 2D by directing communication radio waves toward the communication device 2D within the satellite communication cell 132 using beamforming.

[0023] The size of the satellite communication cell 132 of the communication satellite 131 serving as a satellite base station can be set arbitrarily depending on the number of beams emitted by the communication satellite 131. For example, a maximum of 2,800 beams can be combined to form a satellite communication cell 132 with a diameter of approximately 24 km. As shown in the figure, the satellite communication cell 132 is typically larger than terrestrial communication cells such as the 5G cell 112 and the 4G cell 122, and may include one or more 5G cells 112 and / or 4G cells 122 therein. Note that, although the above example illustrates a communication satellite 131 flying in low orbit at an altitude of approximately 500 km to 700 km above the Earth's surface as a flying non-terrestrial base station, a communication satellite flying in high orbit such as a geostationary orbit, or an unmanned or manned aircraft or drone flying in the atmosphere at a lower altitude (e.g., approximately 20 km above the Earth's surface) such as the stratosphere, may also be used as a non-terrestrial base station in addition to or instead of the communication satellite 131.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the communication control device 3 according to this embodiment. The communication control device 3 includes a communication congestion detection unit 31, a congestion measurement unit 32, a congestion status estimation unit 33, and a congestion status sharing unit 34. As long as the communication control device 3 can achieve at least some of the functions and / or effects described below, some of these functional blocks may be omitted. These functional blocks are realized by the cooperation of hardware resources, such as a computer's central processing unit, memory, input devices, output devices, and peripheral devices connected to the computer, and software executed using these resources. Regardless of the type and location of the computer, each of the above functional blocks may be realized by the hardware resources of a single computer or by combining hardware resources distributed across multiple computers. In particular, in this embodiment, some or all of the functional blocks of the communication control device 3 may be realized in a centralized or distributed manner by computers and processors provided in the communication device 2, the sensor unit 4 (described later), the base stations 111, 121, and 131 (distributed units and / or aggregation units), the gateway 133, and the core network CN.

[0025] In this embodiment, many of the functions of the communication control device 3 are implemented on a first mobile communication network provided by a first communication operator OP1. A first base station BS1 (e.g., 5G base station 111) belonging to the first mobile communication network provides a first communication cell CC1 (e.g., 5G cell 112). A second communication operator OP2, which is different from the first communication operator OP1, provides a second mobile communication network different from the first mobile communication network. A second base station BS2 (e.g., 5G base station 111) belonging to the second mobile communication network provides a second communication cell CC2 (e.g., 5G cell 112). As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the first communication cell CC1 provided by the first base station BS1 and the second communication cell CC2 provided by the second base station BS2 cover substantially the same area on the ground.

[0026] The communication congestion detection unit 31 under the management of the first communication operator OP1 detects a communication congestion status of at least the first communication operator OP1 in a first communication cell CC1 provided by the first base station BS1. Specifically, the communication congestion detection unit 31 detects traffic of a first communication performed by a communication device 2 (not shown in FIG. 2 ) in the first communication cell CC1 that is capable of communicating on a first mobile communication network based on a communication service contract with the first communication operator OP1 (hereinafter also referred to as a first communication device 2) connected to the first base station BS1. On the other hand, the communication congestion detection unit 31 under the management of the first communication operator OP1 cannot detect traffic of a second communication performed by a communication device 2 (not shown in FIG. 2 ) in the first communication cell CC1 that does not have a communication service contract with the first communication operator OP1, for example, a communication device 2 (not shown in FIG. 2 ) that is capable of communicating on a second mobile communication network based on a communication service contract with the second communication operator OP2 that is connected to the second base station BS2.

[0027] As described above, the communication congestion detection unit 31 belonging to a specific mobile communication network (first mobile communication network) cannot detect the traffic of all communication devices 2 within that communication cell (first communication cell CC1), and cannot directly detect communication traffic on other mobile communication networks (second mobile communication networks). In other words, the communication traffic on the first mobile communication network detected by the communication congestion detection unit 31 is merely information that partially represents the actual congestion status of people and objects within the first communication cell CC1 as a physical or geographical area. Furthermore, people who do not have a communication device 2 capable of mobile communication or objects without mobile communication capabilities (e.g., automobiles) do not generate communication traffic, and therefore cannot be detected by the communication congestion detection unit 31 even if they are within the first communication cell CC1.

[0028] To compensate for this fragmented "communication-perspective" congestion status related only to the first mobile communication network detected by the communication congestion detection unit 31, in this embodiment, the congestion status measured by the congestion measurement unit 32 from a "non-communication perspective" is also utilized. The "non-communication perspective" means that the congestion measurement by the congestion measurement unit 32 is not based on communication between the measurement target and the first base station BS1. Conversely, the "communication perspective" means that the congestion status, i.e., the communication traffic, detected by the communication congestion detection unit 31 is based on communication between the first communication device 2 as the detection target and the first base station BS1, as described above. The congestion measurement unit 32 measures the congestion status of at least one of people and objects within the first communication cell CC1 (the first communication device 2 detectable by the communication congestion detection unit 31 may be excluded). For example, the congestion measurement unit 32 measures the congestion status of at least one of people and objects (e.g., the second communication device 2) communicating within the first communication cell CC1 through at least the second communication operator OP2.

[0029] The non-communication-perspective measurement by the congestion measurement unit 32 may be performed using communication radio waves from the first base station BS1 that provides the first communication cell CC1. For example, the communication radio waves emitted by the first base station BS1 are reflected by a person or object (or a collection of these) serving as the measurement target. Therefore, the first base station BS1 and sensors such as the sensor unit 4 (described later) located at various locations within the first communication cell CC1 (preferably near the measurement target) can detect the measurement target by measuring the communication radio waves reflected by the measurement target. Note that while this measurement uses communication radio waves, it is classified as a "non-communication-perspective" measurement because it does not involve communication between the measurement target and the first base station BS1 (and / or the sensor) but rather utilizes the physical properties of communication radio waves as electromagnetic waves.

[0030] Furthermore, the non-communication-oriented measurement by the congestion measurement unit 32 may be based on the communication quality measured by the first communication device 2 on the first mobile communication network, whose communication traffic is detected by the communication congestion detection unit 31. The first communication device 2 constantly measures communication quality, such as the strength and quality of communication radio waves received from the first base station BS1. For example, if there are many other first communication devices 2 and second communication devices 2 around the first communication device 2, the communication quality (on the first mobile network) measured by the first communication device 2 may change or deteriorate due to interference from communications performed by these devices on the first mobile communication network and the second mobile communication network. In such a case, the change in communication quality detected by the first communication device 2 indirectly indicates the congestion situation around the first communication device 2. Although this measurement also utilizes the communication radio waves of the first base station BS1, it is not based on communication between the second communication device 2, etc., which is the main measurement target, and the first base station BS1 (it is based on communication between the first communication device 2, which is not the main measurement target here, and the first base station BS1), so it is classified as a measurement from a "non-communication perspective."

[0031] The above-described "non-communication perspective" measurement performed through the communication radio waves of the first base station BS1 can be made more accurate by using a small communication cell (base station) such as a femtocell. Furthermore, high-frequency communication radio waves with high linearity or directionality, such as millimeter waves, can easily capture the relationship between irradiation and reflection at the measurement target, thereby making it possible to make "non-communication perspective" measurements more accurate.

[0032] The non-communication-oriented measurement by the congestion measurement unit 32 may be performed through sensors such as the sensor unit 4 located at various locations within the first communication cell CC1. The sensors including the sensor unit 4 acquire any measurement information that indicates the congestion status of people and objects within the first communication cell CC1, and provide the information to the congestion measurement unit 32 via the first mobile communication network.

[0033] For example, the sensor may be an image sensor such as a camera, and the congestion measurement unit 32, which can use various image recognition technologies, and the congestion situation estimation unit 33, which will be described later, can detect the congestion situation based on images captured by the image sensor. Similarly, the sensor may be an audio sensor such as a microphone, and the congestion measurement unit 32, which can use various voice recognition technologies, and the congestion situation estimation unit 33, which will be described later, can detect the congestion situation based on voice acquired by the voice sensor.

[0034] The sensor may also be a sensor that measures physical quantities, chemical quantities, or biological quantities that directly or indirectly represent various conditions in the measured area, such as a temperature sensor, humidity sensor, electrical sensor, magnetic sensor, optical sensor, mechanical sensor, acoustic sensor, chemical sensor, or biological sensor. If the measured values ​​of such various sensors are significantly outside the range that can be obtained in normal or non-congested times, the congestion measurement unit 32 or the congestion state estimation unit 33 described below may determine that the measured area is congested.

[0035] Furthermore, the sensor may acquire communication measurement information such as communication quality, traffic volume, and communication type in the mobile communication network (first mobile communication network and / or second mobile communication network). For example, if the traffic volume in a specific location increases rapidly compared to other locations, the congestion measurement unit 32 or the congestion situation estimation unit 33 described below may determine that the location is congested. Furthermore, if emergency communications such as emergency calls are concentrated in a specific location, the congestion measurement unit 32 or the congestion situation estimation unit 33 described below may determine that the location is congested as a result of some kind of emergency occurring there.

[0036] The various sensors described above are distributed in various modes or forms on the mobile communication network (particularly, the first mobile communication network), specifically within the first communication cell CC1.

[0037] At least some of the sensors may be provided in a communication device 2 capable of communicating with a mobile communication network (particularly, a first mobile communication network). In this case, various sensor functions provided in a general-purpose communication device 2 such as a smartphone constitute each sensor. Specifically, recent smartphones have sensor functions such as an image sensor (camera), an audio sensor (microphone), a temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor (inertial sensor), a position sensor (GPS, etc.), and a biometric sensor (measuring heart rate or blood pressure). Furthermore, a communication device 2 such as a smartphone is provided with various communication measurement (communication sensor) functions as standard for mobile communication with the mobile communication network. Specifically, the communication device 2 functioning as a communication sensor measures communication quality and the like at its own location and provides the measured results to a base station (particularly, a first base station BS1) in the form of channel state information (CSI), etc.

[0038] At least some of the sensors may be provided in communication stations that constitute a mobile communication network and can communicate with the communication device 2. Here, the mobile communication network refers to the entire network including a radio access network (RAN) including various base stations 111, 121, and 131 as exemplified in FIG. 1 and a core network. The communication stations mainly constitute the RAN, and specific examples include various base stations 111, 121, and 131, IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) nodes, and relay stations. Each communication station may be equipped with one or more sensors of any type.

[0039] At least some of the sensors may be provided as sensor units 4 capable of communicating directly or indirectly with communication stations (base stations, IAB nodes, relay stations, etc.) constituting a mobile communication network, or directly or indirectly with a RAN. The sensor units 4 may be provided in a moving object such as a vehicle or any other object equipped with a communication function. These sensor units 4 do not need to have advanced communication functions like general-purpose communication devices 2 such as smartphones, and may be IoT devices equipped with minimal communication functions capable of sharing measurement results with a RAN and / or a core network. Furthermore, the sensor units 4 may provide measurement results to nearby communication devices 2, communication stations, other sensor units 4, etc. using short-range wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth (trademark), which then relays or provides the results to a RAN and / or a core network as needed.

[0040] As described above, a wide variety of sensors are interconnected or coupled via a mobile communication network (particularly, a RAN) to form a sensor network. The functions of the congestion measurement unit 32 and the congestion status estimation unit 33 (described later), which collect measurement information from various sensors in such a sensor network, may be realized at least in part by an AI (artificial intelligence) / ML (machine learning) function, such as an NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function), which collects and / or analyzes data on the mobile communication network. While such AI / ML functions and other data processing functions are typically implemented in a core network, they may also be realized at least in part by an edge server located closer to the communication device 2 than the core network. Technology that uses such edge servers to distribute and speed up processing is also called multi-access edge computing (MEC). Furthermore, the data processing functions available in the congestion measurement unit 32 and the congestion status estimation unit 33 (described later), etc., may also be realized at least in part by a user plane function (UPF) in the core network.

[0041] The congestion status estimation unit 33 estimates the actual congestion status in the first communication cell CC1 based on the congestion status from a "communication perspective" within the first mobile communication network (i.e., communication traffic on the first mobile communication network, etc.) detected by the communication congestion detection unit 31 and the congestion status from a "non-communication perspective" outside the first mobile communication network (e.g., the congestion status of people and things related to the second communication carrier OP2) measured by the congestion measurement unit 32. In other words, the congestion status estimation unit 33 estimates the physical congestion status in the first communication cell CC1 by combining the congestion status from a "communication perspective" and a "non-communication perspective".

[0042] As described above, the data analysis function of the congestion status estimation unit 33 may be realized, for example, by the NWDAF or other AI / ML functions introduced in 5GC, the core network of 5G. The NWDAF is responsible for collecting and analyzing data on networks, including 5G. Specifically, the NWDAF collects and stores measurement information from sensors, such as numerous communication devices 2, communication stations (base stations, IAB nodes, relay stations, etc.), and sensor units 4, connected to the mobile communication network, and uses the analysis results to control traffic on the mobile communication network, for example. Note that it is anticipated that functions similar to the NWDAF may be provided under different names in other wireless communication systems, including wireless communication systems of generations after 5G. In this embodiment, such similar functions may be used instead of or in addition to the NWDAF. Furthermore, as described above, the data processing function of the congestion status estimation unit 33 may be realized by an edge server capable of executing MEC.

[0043] The congestion status sharing unit 34 shares the congestion status in the first communication cell CC1 estimated by the congestion status estimation unit 33 with a service provider SP that provides a service within the first communication cell CC1. The congestion status sharing unit 34's function of sharing or disclosing information to parties outside the first communication carrier OP1 may be realized by a Network Exposure Function (NEF) that provides an application programming interface (API) for various functions within 5GC. Note that the congestion status sharing unit 34 may distribute or publish the congestion status in the first communication cell CC1 estimated by the congestion status estimation unit 33 over the first mobile communication network or a general network such as the Internet, or may display it on digital signage installed in the first communication cell CC1.

[0044] The congestion status sharing unit 34 may share the congestion status with a service provider SP that provides services at a store within the first communication cell CC1. Examples of stores include a shop, a commercial facility, and a restaurant. In the first scene SC1 schematically shown in FIG. 2 , many people are lined up in front of the restaurant. Because people waiting in line tend to spend time looking at their smartphones or the like, a relatively large amount of communication traffic is generated in the first scene SC1. Of this, the communication traffic on the first mobile communication network is detected by the communication congestion detection unit 31. Furthermore, the congestion measurement unit 32 directly or indirectly measures the number of people lined up in front of the restaurant.

[0045] The congestion situation estimation unit 33 determines that the area around the restaurant is actually congested based on the communication-perspective detection result by the communication congestion detection unit 31, that a lot of communication traffic is occurring near the restaurant, and the non-communication-perspective measurement result by the congestion measurement unit 32, that a lot of people are waiting in line in front of the restaurant. Furthermore, the congestion situation estimation unit 33 may recognize that the congestion around the restaurant is caused by a line of people or that people in line are waiting for a long time. The congestion situation around the restaurant, the cause of the congestion, and the status of people and objects causing the congestion are shared with the restaurant by the congestion situation sharing unit 34, leading to various actions to address the congestion. For example, the restaurant can distribute coupons that can be used at the restaurant over the mobile communication network (the first mobile communication network and / or the second mobile communication network) to alleviate the frustration of people waiting in line.

[0046] The congestion status sharing unit 34 may share the congestion status with an emergency agency that provides emergency services according to the congestion status in the first communication cell CC1. Examples of emergency agencies include public agencies such as police agencies, fire departments, and the Japan Coast Guard. Note that the emergency agency is not limited to public agencies and may also be a non-public agency. For example, an organization that manages or has an interest in the location or facility where congestion estimated by the congestion status estimation unit 33 is occurring, or an organization that is affected in some way by the congestion, may accept the congestion status shared by the congestion status sharing unit 34 as an emergency agency.

[0047] In the second scene SC2 shown in Fig. 2, many people gather around the scene of the car accident, causing a traffic jam with many other cars. Many people, including people in other cars in the traffic jam, use the communication device 2 to report the accident, check information about the accident, etc., so a large amount of communication traffic is generated in the second scene SC2. Of this, the communication traffic on the first mobile communication network is detected by the communication congestion detection unit 31. In addition, the congestion measurement unit 32 directly or indirectly measures the number of people and cars around the accident scene.

[0048] The congestion situation estimation unit 33 then determines that the area around the accident site is actually congested based on the communication-perspective detection result by the communication congestion detection unit 31, which indicates that a large amount of communication traffic is occurring near the accident site, and the non-communication-perspective measurement result by the congestion measurement unit 32, which indicates that many people and vehicles are gathered around the accident site. Furthermore, the congestion situation estimation unit 33 may recognize that the congestion around the accident site is caused by a car accident, or the facial expressions, movements, and other conditions of the people gathered around the accident site. The congestion situation around the accident site, the cause of the accident, and the conditions of the people and objects causing the congestion are shared with each emergency agency by the congestion situation sharing unit 34, leading to various actions in response to the accident or congestion. For example, the police, as an emergency agency, can quickly dispatch police officers to the accident site.

[0049] In the third scene SC3 shown in Fig. 2, many people are traveling in a group. Because these people are not using the communication device 2, no significant communication traffic is generated. Therefore, the communication congestion detection unit 31 does not detect communication congestion on the first mobile communication network. On the other hand, the congestion measurement unit 32 detects physical congestion by directly or indirectly measuring the number of people traveling in a group.

[0050] Then, based on the detection result from the communication congestion detection unit 31, that communication traffic on the first mobile communication network is low (no significant increase is observed), and the measurement result from the congestion measurement unit 32, that many people are moving in groups, the congestion situation estimation unit 33 determines that physical congestion that does not substantially affect the first mobile communication network is temporarily occurring due to the many people. In other words, the congestion situation estimation unit 33 determines that the many people measured by the congestion measurement unit 32 are "moving without performing mobile communication." In this way, the congestion situation estimation unit 33 may determine the state of at least one of the people and objects measured by the congestion measurement unit 32. The state that can be determined by the congestion situation estimation unit 33 (and / or the state that can be measured by the congestion measurement unit 32) may include the presence or absence, position, posture, and movement (speed and acceleration) of the person or object to be determined.

[0051] As described above, the congestion situation estimation unit 33 comprehensively estimates the actual congestion situation in the first communication cell CC1 based on the congestion situations from a "communication perspective" and a "non-communication perspective," allowing for precise analysis of the congestion situation from a "communication perspective" and / or a "non-communication perspective." For example, if the congestion measurement unit 32 measures an extremely large number of people but the communication traffic detected by the communication congestion detection unit 31 is significantly lower than expected, it is suspected that some kind of communication abnormality is occurring in the mobile communication network. Conversely, if the communication congestion detection unit 31 detects a large amount of communication traffic but the congestion measurement unit 32 does not measure people or objects causing the communication traffic, it is suspected that the communication congestion detection unit 31 and / or the congestion measurement unit 32 are not functioning normally.

[0052] According to the above embodiment, the actual congestion situation in the first communication cell CC1 can be effectively estimated by the congestion situation estimation unit 33 based on the congestion situation from a "communication perspective" detected by the communication congestion detection unit 31 and the congestion situation from a "non-communication perspective" measured by the congestion measurement unit 32.

[0053] In particular, by using both the communication congestion detection unit 31, which detects congestion conditions limited to the first communication carrier OP1, and the congestion measurement unit 32, which measures congestion conditions not limited to the first communication carrier OP1, the congestion condition estimation unit 33 can estimate the actual congestion conditions across communication carrier boundaries.The congestion condition sharing unit 34 can share such highly objective congestion conditions that are not limited to a specific communication carrier with various service providers SP.This can also lead to the expansion and quality improvement of services provided by the service providers SP.

[0054] The present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments. Various modifications are possible to the combinations of the components and processes in the exemplary embodiments, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such modifications are included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0055] The configuration, operation, and function of each device and method described in the embodiments can be realized by hardware resources, software resources, or a combination of hardware and software resources. Examples of hardware resources include processors, ROM, RAM, and various integrated circuits. Examples of software resources include operating systems, applications, and other programs.

[0056] This disclosure may be expressed in the following terms:

[0057] Item 1: A communication control device comprising at least one processor that executes the following: detecting a communication congestion status in a communication cell using a communication congestion detection unit; measuring a congestion status of at least one of people and objects in the communication cell using a congestion measurement unit; and estimating a congestion status in the communication cell using a congestion status estimation unit based on the communication congestion status detected by the communication congestion detection unit and the congestion status of at least one of people and objects measured by the congestion measurement unit. Item 2: The communication control device according to item 1, wherein the at least one processor executes a congestion status sharing unit that shares the congestion status in the communication cell estimated by the congestion status estimation unit with a service provider that provides a service in the communication cell. Item 3: The communication control device according to item 2, wherein the service provider includes an emergency organization that provides emergency service according to the congestion status in the communication cell. Item 4: The communication control device according to item 2 or 3, wherein the service provider provides service at a store in the communication cell. Item 5: The communication control device according to any of items 1 to 4, wherein the congestion status estimation unit determines the status of at least one of people and objects measured by the congestion measurement unit. Item 6: The communication control device according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the communication cell is a first communication cell provided by a first communication carrier, the communication congestion detection unit detects a communication congestion status of at least the first communication carrier in the first communication cell, the congestion measurement unit measures a congestion status of at least one of people and things communicating in the first communication cell through at least a second communication carrier different from the first communication carrier, and the congestion status estimation unit estimates the congestion status in the first communication cell based on the communication congestion status of at least the first communication carrier detected by the communication congestion detection unit and the congestion status of at least one of people and things for at least the second communication carrier measured by the congestion measurement unit. Item 7: The communication control device according to any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the congestion measurement unit measures a congestion status of at least one of people and things in the communication cell via communication radio waves of a base station that provides the communication cell.Item 8: A communication control method that executes the following: detecting a communication congestion state in a communication cell, measuring a congestion state of at least one of people and objects within the communication cell, and estimating a congestion state in the communication cell based on the detected communication congestion state and the measured congestion state of at least one of people and objects. Item 9: A storage medium that stores a communication control program that causes a computer to execute the following: detecting a communication congestion state in a communication cell, measuring a congestion state of at least one of people and objects within the communication cell, and estimating a congestion state in the communication cell based on the detected communication congestion state and the measured congestion state of at least one of people and objects.

[0058] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-176218, filed on November 2, 2022, and the entire contents of that application are incorporated by reference.

[0059] The present disclosure relates to congestion estimation based on communication and non-communication perspectives.

[0060] 1 Wireless communication system, 2 Communication device, 3 Communication control device, 4 Sensor unit, 11 5G wireless communication system, 12 4G wireless communication system, 13 Satellite communication system, 31 Communication congestion detection unit, 32 Congestion measurement unit, 33 Congestion status estimation unit, 34 Congestion status sharing unit, 111 5G base station, 112 5G cell, 121 4G base station, 122 4G cell, 131 Communication satellite, 132 Satellite communication cell, 133 Gateway, OP1 First communication carrier, OP2 Second communication carrier.

Claims

1. Detecting, by a communication congestion detection unit, the congestion status of communication in a communication cell; Measuring, by a congestion measurement unit, the congestion status of at least one of people and objects within the communication cell; Estimating, by a congestion status estimation unit, the congestion status in the communication cell based on the communication congestion status detected by the communication congestion detection unit and the congestion status of at least one of people and objects measured by the congestion measurement unit; A communication control device that executes the above.

2. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein a congestion status sharing unit executes sharing the congestion status in the communication cell estimated by the congestion status estimation unit with a service provider that provides services within the communication cell.

3. The communication control device according to claim 2, wherein the service provider includes an emergency agency that provides emergency services according to the congestion status in the communication cell.

4. The communication control device according to claim 2, wherein the service provider provides services in stores within the communication cell.

5. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the congestion status estimation unit determines the status of at least one of people and objects measured by the congestion measurement unit.

6. The communication cell is a first communication cell provided by a first communication carrier, The communication congestion detection unit detects the congestion status of at least the communication of the first communication carrier in the first communication cell, The congestion measurement unit measures the congestion status of at least one of people and objects that communicate through a second communication carrier that is at least different from the first communication carrier within the first communication cell, The congestion status estimation unit estimates the congestion status in the first communication cell based on the congestion status of at least the communication of the first communication carrier detected by the communication congestion detection unit and the congestion status of at least one of people and objects related to the second communication carrier measured by the congestion measurement unit. The communication control device according to claim 1.

7. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the congestion measurement unit measures the congestion status of at least one of people and objects within the communication cell through the communication radio waves of the base station that provides the communication cell.

8. Detecting the congestion status of communication in a communication cell; Measuring the congestion status of at least one of people and objects within the communication cell; Estimating a congestion situation in the communication cell based on the detected communication congestion situation and at least one of the measured congestion situations of the people and objects; A communication control method for performing the above.

9. Detecting a congestion situation of communication in a communication cell; Measuring a congestion situation of at least one of people and objects in the communication cell; Estimating a congestion situation in the communication cell based on the detected communication congestion situation and at least one of the measured congestion situations of the people and objects; A communication control program for causing a computer to execute the above.