Communication device

Abstract

The present invention provides a communication device that carries out wireless communication with a first communication network via a wireless access network, wireless or wired communication with a second communication network, and wireless communication with a terminal. When the communication device moves, the communication device performs at least any one of an action related to the movement of the communication device and the transmission or reception, by a communication unit, of information related to the movement.

Description

communication equipment

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication device capable of performing wireless communication with a terminal (User Equipment, UE).

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP: registered trademark) is developing specifications for the 5th generation mobile communication system (5G, also known as New Radio (NR) or Next Generation (NG)), and is also developing specifications for the next generation, known as Beyond 5G, 5G Evolution, or 6G.

[0003] For example, a white paper on 6G (Non-Patent Document 1) discusses more flexible network function placement and other aspects of network architecture.

[0004] NTT Docomo, "Docomo 6G White Paper 5.0 Edition," [online], June 2023, Internet <URL:https: / / www.docomo.ne.jp / binary / pdf / corporate / technology / whitepaper_6g / DOCOMO_6G_White_PaperJP_20221116.pdf>

[0005] As part of the mobile communications network architecture, 6G is expected to introduce Network Controlled Access Points (NCAPs, tentative name) as access points (communications devices) that can be installed under the mobile communications network and controlled independently by the network operator.

[0006] The NCAP and the network operator (specifically, the gNB) are expected to be connected wirelessly via the Radio Access Network (RAN). Therefore, the NCAP may be installed in vehicles, aircraft, ships, etc., and may move with the movement of the vehicle.

[0007] When an NCAP moves, the entire network must operate in a way that takes the NCAP's movement into account. Also, when an NCAP moves, information exchange between the UE and the network operator that takes the NCAP's movement into account is required.

[0008] The following disclosure has been made in light of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a communication device that can achieve appropriate operation and information exchange even when the communication device is moving.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is a communication device (NCAP100) that connects to a first communication network, a second communication network, and a terminal, and includes communication units (first communication unit 110, second communication unit 120, and third communication unit 130) that perform wireless communication with the first communication network via a wireless access network, wireless communication or wired communication with the second communication network, and wireless communication with the terminal, and a control unit (control unit 140) that, when the communication device moves, performs at least one of operations related to the movement of the communication device and sending and receiving information related to the movement by the communication units.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a wireless communication system 10. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an NCAP 100. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a UE 200. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example (part 1) of the arrangement of C-plane functions and U-plane functions of a CN in a mobile communication network configured using the NCAP 100. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example (part 2) of the arrangement of C-plane functions and U-plane functions of a CN in a mobile communication network configured using the NCAP 100. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a network configuration when the NCAP 100 moves. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the NCAP 100 moving between cells. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence between a network operator / SON mechanism, an NCAP, and a UE according to an example of operation. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example (part 1) of a sequence related to the initiation of exceptional operation by the NCAP 100. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example (part 2) of a sequence related to the initiation of exceptional operation by the NCAP 100. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example (part 1) of a sequence related to the termination of exceptional operation by the NCAP 100. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a sequence example (part 2) regarding the termination of exceptional operation by the NCAP 100. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing a sequence example (part 3) regarding the termination of exceptional operation by the NCAP 100. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the NCAP 100 and the UE 200. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the vehicle 2001.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or similar reference numerals are used to designate the same functions or configurations, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] (1) Overall Schematic Configuration of Wireless Communication System Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall schematic configuration of a wireless communication system 10 according to this embodiment. The wireless communication system 10 is a wireless communication system conforming to a standard called Beyond 5G, 5G Evolution, or 6G (hereinafter referred to as 6G), and includes a wireless base station 50 (hereinafter referred to as gNB 50) and a terminal 200 (hereinafter referred to as UE 200, User Equipment, UE). Note that the wireless communication system 10 may be a wireless communication system conforming to a standard other than 6G, such as 5G New Radio (NR).

[0013] The gNB50 is a radio base station conforming to 6G, and performs 6G radio communication with the UE 200. The gNB50 and the UE 200 are capable of supporting Massive MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), which generates a more directional antenna beam by controlling radio signals transmitted from multiple antenna elements, Carrier Aggregation (CA), which aggregates multiple component carriers (CCs), and Dual Connectivity (DC), which simultaneously communicates between the UE and two or more RAN nodes.

[0014] The wireless communication system 10 includes a network controlled access point 100 (hereinafter referred to as NCAP 100) in addition to the gNB 50. The NCAP 100 is a type of communication device called an access point (AP) and can provide functions similar to those of a wireless base station. The NCAP is a tentative name and may be called a communication node, a RAN node, a relay device, or another similar name. Alternatively, the NCAP may be called a femto base station, a femtocell, or, in particular, an enhanced femto.

[0015] The NCAP 100 may be installed by the operator (which may be called a network operator or a mobile operator, etc.) of the wireless communication system 10 (mobile communication system), but may also be installed freely by a subscriber (customer, subscriber) of the communication service provided by the wireless communication system 10.

[0016] At least one of the frequency bands (which may include band combinations, etc.), the number of antenna beams, the number of MIMO layers, and the transmission power supported by the NCAP 100 may be more limited than that of the gNB 50. The NCAP 100 can provide substantially the same functions as the gNB 50, and therefore can form a cell C1 and accommodate the UE 200.

[0017] UE 200 is typically a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, but may also be a device for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) or Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC).

[0018] The wireless communication system 10 may be configured by a radio access network (RAN) configured by multiple RAN nodes such as gNBs 50 using 6G radio access technology (RAT), and a core network conforming to 6G. The RAN and the core network may be simply referred to as a "network."

[0019] The core network (CN) may be connected to the RAN and is a network configured by a switch, a subscriber information management device, etc. The UE 200 can communicate with the core network via the RAN.

[0020] In the wireless communication system 10, a control plane (C-plane) function and a user plane (U-plane) function (UPF: User Plane Function) may be defined.

[0021] The C-plane may refer to a series of control processes mainly exchanged to establish communication, etc. The U-plane may refer to the process of transmitting and receiving user data.

[0022] In the core network (and some RANs), the concept of CUPS (Control and User Plane Separation) may be introduced, in which the functions of the C-plane and U-plane are clearly separated.

[0023] The C-plane function of the core network may include an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) that provides a management function for access and mobility of the UE 200, a Session Management Function (SMF) that provides a management function for sessions, etc. Note that the AMF and the SMF may be called by different names.

[0024] The NCAP 100 may be connected to the RAN and subjected to various controls from the network operator side via a C-plane function. At least a part of such connection and / or control may be realized using a Self-Organizing Networks (SON) framework. The SON mechanism may be interpreted as providing a self-optimization function for the mobile communication network, including automatic configuration and parameter optimization during installation of the gNB 50.

[0025] In this way, the NCAP 100 can connect to the gNB 50 via the C-plane function. The connection between the gNB 50 and the NCAP 100 may be via a RAN (RAT) or a wired network. The NCAP 100 can also provide the UE 200 with a communication path to broadband Internet and servers for MEC (Multiaccess Edge Computing) via a local area network (LAN). MEC is a mechanism for deploying servers, storage, and the like closer to users (subscribers) in a mobile communication network. Various cloud services may also be accessible via broadband Internet.

[0026] The NCAP 100 may operate in a state where it is fixed at a specific position, but in this embodiment, it may be assumed that it moves. That is, the NCAP 100 may be in a stationary state, or may be in a state where it is not stationary but is moving in a specific direction (which may include altitude).

[0027] For example, the NCAP 100 may be installed in a vehicle such as a car, an aircraft, or a ship. The moving speed and altitude of the NCAP 100 may vary depending on the characteristics of the vehicle in which the NCAP 100 is installed.

[0028] (2) Functional Block Configuration of Wireless Communication System Next, the functional block configuration of the wireless communication system 10 will be described. Specifically, the functional block configurations of the NCAP 100 and the UE 200 will be described. Fig. 2 is a functional block configuration diagram of the NCAP 100. Fig. 3 is a functional block configuration diagram of the UE 200.

[0029] (2.1) NCAP 100 As shown in FIG. 2, the NCAP 100 includes a first communication unit 110, a second communication unit 120, a third communication unit 130, and a control unit 140.

[0030] The first communication unit 110 communicates with the network operator side. Specifically, the first communication unit 110 communicates with RAN nodes including the gNB 50. A radio access technology (RAT) may be used for connection with the gNB 50 (and other RAN nodes), or a wired network other than the RAT may be used. In this embodiment, as described above, the NCAP 100 is assumed to be mobile, and therefore may be connected to the gNB 50 via the RAN.

[0031] The gNB 50 (and other RAN nodes) may be connected wirelessly in this manner, but the form of the wireless communication network (mobile communication network) may be a terrestrial network (TN) or a non-terrestrial network (NTN). By using satellites, etc., an NTN can provide services to areas that cannot be covered by a TN for cost or other reasons.

[0032] The network on the network operator side configured by RAN nodes including the gNB 50 may be referred to as a first communication network. That is, the first communication unit 110 performs communication with the first communication network using a RAT. The network on the network operator side may be interpreted as a concept including SON.

[0033] The second communication unit 120 communicates with a local area network (LAN) side. Specifically, the second communication unit 120 communicates via a communication device such as a router that constitutes the LAN, and via broadband Internet (which may be simply abbreviated as Internet).

[0034] In this embodiment, a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) may be used for connection to the LAN. However, a wired LAN such as Ethernet (registered trademark) may also be used. The network on the LAN side may be called a second communication network. In other words, the second communication unit 120 communicates with the second communication network using LAN technology.

[0035] The second communication unit 120 may also communicate with a network operator via a LAN (second communication network) and broadband Internet. The communication may include not only U-plane functions but also C-plane functions.

[0036] The third communication unit 130 performs communication with the UE 200. Specifically, the third communication unit 130 performs wireless communication with the UE 200 using a radio access technology (RAT). In this case, the NCAP 100 may provide the UE 200 with a function similar to that of the gNB 50.

[0037] In this way, the NCAP 100 can be connected to a network operator's network (first communication network), a local area network (second communication network), and the UE 200. In this embodiment, the first communication unit 110, the second communication unit 120, and the third communication unit 130 may constitute a communication unit that performs wireless communication with the first communication network via a wireless access network, wireless communication or wired communication with the second communication network, and wireless communication with a terminal.

[0038] The control unit 140 controls each functional block constituting the NCAP 100. In particular, in this embodiment, the control unit 140 can control the behavior of the communication device of the NCAP 100. Specifically, the control unit 140 can perform an operation (hereinafter, a specific operation) in which the NCAP 100 serves as a network device (NW device) that accommodates the UE 200.

[0039] The network device is not particularly limited to a specific type of device, as long as it is a device that accommodates the UE 200 (that is intended to connect to the UE 200 and perform wireless communication). Here, a network device such as a radio base station (gNB50) may be intended, and the control unit 140 may perform a specific operation as a radio base station that accommodates the UE 200.

[0040] Furthermore, the control unit 140 can execute control related to the movement of the NCAP 100. The NCAP 100 may operate as a NW device that accommodates the UE 200, and may move during this operation. As described above, the NCAP 100 may be installed in a vehicle or the like, and may move together with the movement of the vehicle.

[0041] However, "movement" here may not only refer to the movement of NCAP100 itself, but also to the relative movement of NCAP100 due to the movement of the network side such as gNB50.

[0042] Examples of elements that move on the network side include the use of satellites or high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) that make up NTNs, and the use of mobile integrated access and backhaul (mobile IAB) that integrates wireless access to UEs and wireless backhaul between wireless access nodes such as gNBs. The type of satellite is not particularly limited, and may include geostationary orbit satellites (GEO) and low earth orbit satellites (LEO).

[0043] When the NCAP 100 moves, the control unit 140 may control operations related to the movement of the NCAP 100. In addition, the control unit 140 may control transmission and reception of information related to the movement of the NCAP 100 by a communication unit (at least one of the first communication unit 110, the second communication unit 120, and the third communication unit 130).

[0044] Specifically, the control unit 140 may control transmission and reception of information related to the movement of at least one of the NCAP 100 and the UE 200 to and from the network side before or during operation as the NCAP 100. Operation as the NCAP 100 may mean operation as a NW device accommodating the UE 200. Before operation as the NCAP 100 may be interpreted as before the NCAP 100 obtains permission (instruction) for the operation from the network side, or before a setting required for the NCAP 100 to operate as a NW device accommodating the UE 200 is completed.

[0045] The information related to movement may be targeted at the NCAP 100 (or the vehicle in which the NCAP 100 is installed) or the UE 200, and may include information that can identify the speed and speed of movement (which may include the amount of change, such as the distance moved per unit time), the direction of movement (latitude, longitude, direction, altitude), trajectory, etc. Also, information indicating a change from the content already transmitted (reported) to the network may be included, and the channel state (including when it has changed) may be included.

[0046] The channels include control channels and data channels, such as a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical random access channel (PRACH), and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH).

[0047] The data channels include a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) and a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

[0048] In addition, information related to movement may include restrictions on the movement of NCAP100 when NCAP100 operates as a NW device accommodating UE200 (e.g., upper or lower speed limit, movement range / direction, trajectory), and may also include information related to handover (HO) (e.g., HO settings / instructions, conditions, restrictions on HO destination).

[0049] The information related to the movement of the UE 200 may be indicated relatively (for example, relative speed) in relation to the information related to the movement of the NCAP 100, or may be indicated as an absolute value. Alternatively, the information may simply be information indicating whether the UE 200 moves together with the NCAP 100.

[0050] The control unit 140 may control operations related to handover (HO) of the NCAP 100 or transmission and reception of information related to the handover with the UE 200. The information related to the handover may include the start and end timing of HO between the gNB 50 and the NCAP 100, the time (section) during which operation as a NW device is stopped during HO, the HO destination, and completion of HO execution. The information related to the handover may also include parameters (including a parameter set) used in wireless communication between the NCAP 100 and the UE 200 after completion of HO between the gNB 50 and the NCAP 100.

[0051] The control unit 140 may control operations related to session disconnection with the network side while operating as the NCAP 100, or control transmission and reception of information related to session disconnection with the UE 200.

[0052] The operation related to the session disconnection may be interpreted as an operation applied when a session (which may be interpreted as a synonymous term such as a connection or a path) between the NCAP 100 and a node (function) constituting the core network becomes unavailable. The operation may include the NCAP 100 ceasing, stopping, or postponing wireless communication (transmission and / or reception operations) with the UE 200.

[0053] The information related to the session disconnection may be interpreted as information to be notified to the UE 200 when the session becomes unavailable or when the session is resumed. The information may include information such as the occurrence of the session disconnection, the recovery of the session, and the execution of radio link recovery. The control unit 140 may notify the network side (specifically, the network operator / SON mechanism) of the information.

[0054] The control unit 140 may control transmission and reception of operations related to the end of operation as the NCAP 100 or information related to the end of operation to and from the UE 200.

[0055] The operation related to the operation termination may be interpreted as an operation applied when the NCAP 100 terminates its operation as a NW device accommodating the UE 200. The operation may include the termination of wireless communication (transmission and / or reception operations) between the NCAP 100 and the UE 200.

[0056] The information related to the operation termination may be interpreted as information to be notified to the UE 200 when the NCAP 100 terminates its operation as a NW device accommodating the UE 200. The information may include information indicating that the NCAP 100 will terminate its operation as a NW device accommodating the UE 200, settings of an NCAP to which the UE 200 should newly connect following the operation termination, and the like.

[0057] The control unit 140 may execute a specific exceptional operation based on an instruction from the network side when the NCAP 100 moves. The specific exceptional operation may be interpreted as an exceptional operation while the NCAP 100 is operating as a NW device that accommodates the UE 200, and is an operation mainly intended as a countermeasure for a failure on the network side.

[0058] Specifically, the control unit 140 may execute the exceptional operation in response to execution permission / instruction from the network side. The exceptional operation may mean executing a specified operation (specific operation content will be described later) within the operable period and / or while the NCAP 100 is present in a location (area) previously set / notified by the network side.

[0059] The control unit 140 may execute the exceptional operation when permission / instruction to execute the exceptional operation is notified from the network side as a response to communication from the NCAP 100 or the UE 200 to the network side. Alternatively, the control unit 140 may execute the exceptional operation when permission / instruction to execute the exceptional operation is notified from the network side in the operation execution phase as a NW device accommodating the UE 200.

[0060] The control unit 140 may execute the exceptional operation when there is no response to communication from the NCAP 100 or the UE 200 to the network operator (first communication network).

[0061] In addition, the control unit 140 can perform specific operations in at least one of the C-plane of the NCAP 100 or UE 200 related to the CN, and the U-plane of the UE 200 related to the CN. The C-plane function and U-plane function of the CN may include the following processing.

[0062] C-plane functions: Device registration / connection, subscriber management / retention / processing, subscriber (terminal) authentication processing, billing-related control, mobility management, session management U-plane: Connection to IP (Internet Protocol) networks, authentication processing, IP packet routing, priority control

[0063] (2.2) UE 200 As shown in FIG. 3, the UE 200 includes a radio communication unit 210, a connection IF unit 220, and a control unit 230.

[0064] The wireless communication unit 210 transmits and receives wireless signals conforming to 6G with the gNB 50 or the NCAP 100. Specifically, the wireless communication unit 210 transmits UL signals conforming to 6G and receives DL signals conforming to 6G. The wireless communication unit 210 supports Massive MIMO, CA that uses a bundle of multiple CCs, and DC that simultaneously communicates between the UE and two NG-RAN nodes.

[0065] The connection IF unit 220 can provide an interface (IF) function for connecting devices for IIoT or URLLC. The connection IF unit 220 is not essential and may not be provided depending on the specifications of the UE 200. The IF provided by the connection IF unit 220 may be wired or wireless.

[0066] The control unit 230 controls the wireless communication unit 210 and the connection IF unit 220. In particular, in this embodiment, the control unit 230 may execute control related to the connection with the NCAP 100. Specifically, the control unit 230 can execute the connection with the NCAP 100 and the handover (HO) to another NCAP.

[0067] When connected to a gNB, the control unit 230 may perform handover to a gNB that is the same connection destination as the NCAP to which the UE 200 is connected.

[0068] Furthermore, the control unit 230 may execute control to suspend, stop, or postpone wireless communication (transmission and / or reception operations) with the NCAP 100 autonomously or based on a notification from the NCAP 100. Note that the control unit 230 may continue the wireless communication until a specified timing, or may execute the transmission and reception operations for scheduled data.

[0069] (3) Operation of the Wireless Communication System Next, we will explain the operation of the wireless communication system 10. Specifically, we will explain the control operation (including information notification) from the network side to the NCAP 100 when the NCAP 100 moves, and the control operation (including information notification) from the NCAP 100 to the UE 200.

[0070] (3.1) Premise Figure 4 shows an example (part 1) of the arrangement of the C-plane functions and U-plane functions of the CN in a mobile communication network configured using NCAP100.

[0071] 4, when NCAP100 connects to a network operator, communication with the network operator's network may be performed via RAN (using RAT). Specifically, exchange of information regarding the execution of connection between NCAP100 and the network operator's network (e.g., gNB50 or AMF / SMF constituting a core network) may be performed by wireless communication with gNB50, or NCAP100 may perform connection operation as a UE.

[0072] 5 shows an example (part 2) of the arrangement of the C-plane function and U-plane function of the CN in a mobile communication network configured using the NCAP 100. Specifically, when the NCAP 100 connects to a network operator, communication with the network operator's network may be performed via broadband Internet.

[0073] Even when the network architecture shown in Figures 4 and 5 is applied, the CN's C-plane function (Function 1 in the figure) may be located within the network operator's network, and the CN's U-plane function (Function I in the figure) may be located within NCAP100.

[0074] (3.2) Problems Fig. 6 shows an example of a network configuration in the case where the NCAP 100 is moving. As described above and as shown in Fig. 6, the NCAP 100 may be installed in a vehicle such as a car, an aircraft, or a ship.

[0075] Since the network operator's network (specifically, the gNB 50) and the NCAP 100 are connected wirelessly (see FIG. 4), cases in which the NCAP 100 moves are anticipated. Note that this is not necessarily limited to cases in which the NCAP 100 is installed in a vehicle and forms a LAN within the vehicle, but may also include cases in which the NCAP 100 is mounted on a movable object or where the NCAP 100 itself moves.

[0076] Furthermore, the wireless connection between the gNB50 and the NCAP100 may be via a TN or NTN, as described above, and the TN / NTN itself may or may not comply with 3GPP technical standards.

[0077] When the NCAP 100 moves, the entire network needs to operate in consideration of the movement of the NCAP 100. Furthermore, when the NCAP 100 moves, it is necessary to exchange information with the UE 200 and the network operator in consideration of the movement of the NCAP 100. An example of an operation that satisfies such requirements will be described below.

[0078] (3.3) Operational Overview Figure 7 shows an example of the NCAP 100 moving between cells. Figure 8 shows an example of a sequence between the network operator / SON mechanism, the NCAP and the UE according to the operational example.

[0079] As shown in Fig. 7, the NCAP 100 may move while operating as a NW device accommodating the UE 200, and may perform operations related to the movement. This allows the mobile communication network (NCAP network) including the NCAP 100 to be applied to more use cases. In the following, it may be interpreted that it is assumed that the NCAP 100 moves.

[0080] Specifically, the following operations related to the movement of the NCAP 100 and transmission and reception of information related to the movement may be included.

[0081] (Operation Example 1): Information reported by the NCAP to the network operator / SON mechanism and information received from the network operator / SON mechanism before obtaining permission to operate as an NCAP. (Operation Example 2): Information and triggers reported and sent by the NCAP to the network operator / SON mechanism and information received from the network operator / SON mechanism while operating as an NCAP. (Operation Example 3): Corresponding operations between the NCAP and UE when the NCAP performs a handover (HO) while operating as an NCAP. (Operation Example 4): Operations related to disconnecting a session with the network operator or terminating operation as an NCAP while operating as an NCAP. (Operation Example 5): Execution of exceptional operations while operating as an NCAP (failure countermeasures). Note that, in the following, it may be assumed that the NCAP 100 moves, but it may also be possible for the NCAP 100 to move relative to the network side, such as the gNB 50. Examples of factors that cause the network side to move include, as mentioned above, using satellites or HAPS that make up the NTN, and using a mobile IAB. In this case, the description regarding the location or movement of the NCAP may be read as the location or movement of the gNB / network side.

[0082] The information in the above-described operation example may be reported from the NCAP to the gNB / network operator / SON mechanism as an MDT (Minimization of Drive Test) report. The type of MDT may be an Immediate MDT or a logged MDT report. The Immediate MDT may be interpreted as an MDT executed by an NCAP in a connected state, and the logged MDT may be interpreted as an MDT executed by an NCAP in an idle state in the radio resource control layer (RRC).

[0083] In addition, when the information is reported to the gNB, the gNB may transmit the information to a TCE (Trace Collection Server) / SON mechanism. Note that when the information is reported to a network operator / SON mechanism, the report destination may be interpreted as a gNB (radio base station).

[0084] (3.4) Operational Example 1 In this operational example, the NCAP 100 may report information to or receive information from a network operator / SON mechanism before obtaining permission to operate as an NCAP from the network.

[0085] Specifically, the NCAP 100 may report the following information to the network operator / SON organization:

[0086] Information related to the movement of the NCAP For example, the speed, velocity (including the amount of change), direction of movement, and trajectory (track) of the NCAP (or vehicle) may be mentioned.

[0087] Information related to the movement of UE that can be accommodated in the NCAP For example, the relative speed (or speed difference) based on the speed of the NCAP, the absolute speed, whether or not the UE moves together with the NCAP, etc.

[0088] - Network types applicable to communications between NCAP and network operators / SON organizations. Examples include wired networks, wireless networks, 3GPP technical standard compliance / non-compliance, TN / NTN, licensed spectrum / unlicensed spectrum, etc.

[0089] The NCAP 100 may also receive information from the network operator / SON organization such as:

[0090] - Restrictions on the movement of the NCAP when it operates as a network device accommodating the UE. For example, these include the speed, velocity (including the amount of change), direction of movement, and trajectory (track) of the NCAP. If the restrictions are not met, the NCAP may suspend or stop its operation as a network device. The NCAP may also report the non-compliance of the restrictions to the network operator / SON mechanism.

[0091] - Settings / instructions regarding handover (HO), matters regarding executing HO, restrictions on the HO destination (e.g., frequency, frequency range, band combination, cell ID, etc.) - Settings / instructions regarding switching of network type, switching conditions, restrictions on the switching destination (e.g., limiting to some of the network types mentioned above) - Various parameters related to operation as a NW device corresponding to the location / movement status of the NCAP when the NCAP operates as the NW device For example, parameter set A may be used at location (or area) A of the NCAP, and parameter set B may be used at location (area) B.

[0092] According to this operation example, NCAP100 can report the information to the network operator / SON mechanism before obtaining permission to operate as NCAP from the network, and can receive the information from the network operator / SON mechanism. Therefore, even if NCAP100 moves, the entire network can quickly prepare for corresponding operations in advance.

[0093] (3.5) Operational Example 2 In this operational example, the NCAP 100 may report information or send triggers to the network operator / SON mechanism while operating as an NCAP, and may receive information from the network operator / SON mechanism.

[0094] Specifically, in addition to the information in Operation Example 1, the NCAP 100 may report the following information to the network operator / SON mechanism:

[0095] - Changes from previously reported information. For example, NCAP position, speed, velocity, direction of movement, trajectory, etc.

[0096] Channel state (which may include changes in state) For example, measurements of the received power, received quality, and interference of the channel can be included.

[0097] - Communication quality between NCAP and network operator / SON mechanism (may include changes in quality) Examples include latency, jitter, throughput, and data retention.

[0098] ・Information about gNBs / cells for which NCAP can perform HO (may include changes in content) ・Network types applicable to communication between NCAP and network operator / SON mechanism (may include changes in content) ・Information before / during / after HO For example, the connection destination of NCAP before HO, the connection destination of NCAP after HO The above information may be reported periodically, or when the information changes or when the amount of change in the information exceeds a predetermined threshold. Alternatively, NCAP 100 may report the information according to an explicit or implicit trigger from NCAP to network operator / SON mechanism.

[0099] In addition to the information in Operation Example 1, the NCAP 100 may also receive the following information from the network operator / SON mechanism.

[0100] - Instruction for executing HO The UE's HO method when going via NTN (for example, HO based on satellite ephemeris (orbit information)) may be applied to NCAP's HO.

[0101] - Instruction to switch network type - Instruction to use / not use parameter / parameter set The NCAP may receive instructions related to after HO execution before or during HO execution.

[0102] Suspension of operation as a NW device At least one of the suspension start timing, suspension end timing, suspension period, and operation resumption condition (for example, the location of the NCAP) may be notified. The NCAP may suspend or resume operation according to the notification, and may notify the UE that accommodates it that the operation has been suspended or resumed.

[0103] According to this operation example, NCAP100 can report information or send triggers to the network operator / SON mechanism while operating as an NCAP, and can receive information from the network operator / SON mechanism, so that even when NCAP100 is moving, the entire network can operate according to the movement situation.

[0104] (3.6) Operation Example 3 In this operation example, when the NCAP 100 performs handover (HO) while operating as an NCAP, the NCAP 100 may perform a corresponding operation between the NCAP and the UE.

[0105] Specifically, NCAP100 may notify UE200 of the following information related to HO between NCAP and gNB:

[0106] - HO start / end timing - Operation stop time (section) as a NW device during HO - HO destination - Completion of HO execution NCAP100 may cancel, stop, or postpone communication (transmission operation and / or reception operation) with UE200. Note that NCAP100 may perform transmission or reception operation for scheduled communication (data), or may continue communication with UE200 regardless of HO.

[0107] The NCAP 100 may notify the UE 200 to stop, suspend, or postpone communication (transmission and / or reception operations).

[0108] The UE 200 may stop, suspend, or postpone communication (transmission and / or reception) with the NCAP 100. The UE 200 may perform transmission or reception operations for scheduled communications (data) and may continue communication with the NCAP 100 regardless of HO.

[0109] In addition, when UE200 is connected to gNB50, it may perform handover to a gNB that is connected to the same NCAP as the UE200 is connected to.

[0110] Furthermore, the NCAP 100 may notify the UE 200 of parameters / parameter sets to be used for communication between the NCAP and the UE after the HO between the NCAP and the gNB. The parameters (including the parameter sets, the same applies hereinafter) may be notified before or during the HO, or may be notified after the HO.

[0111] The parameters used before the HO may continue to be used until the HO is completed or a notification of the completion of the HO is received. Alternatively, new parameters may be used after the HO is completed or a notification of the completion of the HO is received.

[0112] The above-described information relating to this operation example may be reported from the NCAP 100 to the network operator / SON organization.

[0113] According to this operation example, when NCAP100 HOs while operating as an NCAP, it can perform corresponding operations between the NCAP and the UE, so that appropriate communication control between the NCAP and the UE can be achieved even when NCAP100 HOs to another gNB while moving.

[0114] (3.7) Operation Example 4 In this operation example, when NCAP 100 disconnects a session with the network operator or terminates its operation as an NCAP while operating as an NCAP, it may perform a corresponding operation between the NCAP and the UE.

[0115] Specifically, the NCAP 100 may cancel, halt, or postpone communication (transmission and / or reception) with the UE 200 in the event of a connection error between the NCAP and the gNB (e.g., a radio link failure (RLF)) or a disconnection of a session with the network operator. Note that the NCAP 100 may perform a transmission or reception operation for scheduled communication (data), or may continue communication with the UE 200 until a specified timing.

[0116] The NCAP 100 may notify the UE 200 that a connection error or a session disconnection has occurred. The NCAP 100 may also notify the UE 200 that communication with the UE 200 has been discontinued, stopped, or postponed.

[0117] The UE 200 may receive the notification and cancel, halt, or postpone the communication (transmission operation and / or reception operation). The UE 200 may perform a transmission or reception operation for the scheduled communication (data), or may continue communication with the NCAP 100 until a specified timing.

[0118] When the connection state or session with the gNB is recovered or when Radio link recovery is performed, NCAP100 may resume communication with UE200. Furthermore, NCAP100 may notify UE200 of the resumption of communication. UE200 may resume communication with NCAP100 after receiving the notification.

[0119] The above-described information relating to this operation example may be reported to the network operator / SON mechanism from the NCAP 100. The information may also include the time required to recover the connection state or session (if recovery is successful), or the fact that recovery failed (if recovery is unsuccessful).

[0120] Furthermore, when NCAP 100 terminates its operation as an NCAP, it may notify the UE 200 of the termination. NCAP 100 may terminate the operation based on an instruction from the gNB or a network operator, or may autonomously determine the termination of the operation depending on the mobility state or communication conditions.

[0121] In response to the notification, the UE 200 may terminate communication with the NCAP or may attempt to connect to another NCAP. The NCAP 100 may notify the UE 200 of a new NCAP to which the UE 200 is to be connected. The UE 200 may attempt to connect to the new NCAP based on the notification.

[0122] According to this operation example, when NCAP100 disconnects a session with a network operator or terminates operation as an NCAP while operating as an NCAP, it can perform corresponding operations between the NCAP and the UE, thereby enabling appropriate communication control between the NCAP and the UE to be achieved even if a failure occurs while NCAP100 is moving.

[0123] (3.8) Operation Example 5 In this operation example, the NCAP 100 may execute a specific exceptional operation while operating as an NCAP. The exceptional operation may be mainly intended as a fault countermeasure.

[0124] When the NCAP 100 moves, it may perform an exceptional action if it receives permission or instruction to perform the exceptional action from the network operator side.

[0125] 9 shows a sequence example (part 1) regarding the start of exceptional operation by NCAP 100. As shown in FIG. 9, NCAP 100 may execute exceptional operation when it receives an exceptional operation instruction (which may be permission, the same applies below) as a response to communication from NCAP 100 or UE 200 to the network operator side. In this case, the network operator side has a mechanism in CN or RAN that notifies NCAP 100 of the instruction. Note that the communication from NCAP 100 or UE 200 to the network operator side may be any communication, and may be limited to communication associated with the exceptional operation.

[0126] By having the NCAP 100 perform such an operation, the exceptional operation of the NCAP 100 can be controlled at the initiative of the network operator.

[0127] 10 shows a sequence example (part 2) regarding the start of exceptional operation by the NCAP 100. As shown in FIG. 10, the NCAP 100 may execute the exceptional operation when it receives an instruction for the exceptional operation from a network operator while executing an operation (specific operation) as a network device accommodating the UE 200.

[0128] In this case, the NCAP 100 may not perform communication from the NCAP 100 or the UE 200 to the network operator side related to an instruction for exceptional operation from the network operator, and may receive an instruction for exceptional operation from the network operator in a state where operation as a network device accommodating the UE 200 has started. Also in this case, the network operator side has a mechanism in the CN or the RAN for notifying the NCAP 100 of the instruction.

[0129] The instruction for the exceptional operation from the network operator may be given to each NCAP 100 (unicast) or to each group of NCAPs 100 (groupcast / multicast), or the instruction may be given to all NCAPs 100 (broadcast).

[0130] By having the NCAP 100 perform such an operation, the exceptional operation of the NCAP 100 can be controlled at the initiative of the network operator.

[0131] When moving, if there is no response to a notification to the network operator side and no response to communication N times in time T, the NCAP 100 may perform one of the following operations. Note that the values ​​of N and T may be defined by the 3GPP specifications or may be set in advance by an upper layer or the like.

[0132] - Do not perform exceptional operation - Perform exceptional operation if present in a location (area) previously set / notified by the network operator - Perform exceptional operation based on communication with other NCAPs (for example, if it is shared that the same situation exists for other NCAPs) Furthermore, NCAP 100 may perform the following exceptional operation if present in a location (area) previously set / notified by the network operator, or until the operational deadline (specific examples will be described later). Specifically, the C-plane function and U-plane function of the CN may include the following processing.

[0133] - C-plane functions: Device (equipment) registration / connection, subscriber management / retention / processing, subscriber (terminal) authentication processing, billing-related control, mobility management, session management - U-plane: Connection to IP (Internet Protocol) network, authentication processing, IP packet routing, priority control NCAP100 may perform data communication for UE200 without performing the above-mentioned C-plane functions (which may also be called C-plane-related operations).

[0134] Alternatively, NCAP100 may execute the C-plane function based on a notification from the network operator side. That is, the C-plane function may be executed in NCAP100, rather than being executed on the network operator side. In this case, the notification may be made in advance, or may be made in conjunction with (associated with) the instruction of the exceptional operation shown in Figures 9 and 10. Furthermore, when NCAP100 executes a C-plane-related operation, it may discard information related to the operation (e.g., which UE performed communication), or may report it to the network operator side during or after the exceptional operation is executed. The report destination may be the network operator to which UE200 connected to NCAP100 belongs.

[0135] Furthermore, whether to perform a C-plane-related operation and / or the operation content (e.g., the type of session to be set) may be determined by the NCAP 100 or may be defined by the 3GPP specifications. Alternatively, the NCAP 100 may determine the operation content based on a notification from the network operator. The notification may be made in advance or may be made in conjunction with (associated with) the instruction of the exceptional operation shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0136] When the NCAP 100 executes an exceptional operation, the NCAP 100 may notify the UE 200 that the exceptional operation is being executed. The notification may be a predetermined operation instruction corresponding to the exceptional operation.

[0137] A UE 200 under any network operator may be connectable to such an NCAP 100. A UE 200 under any network operator may be interpreted as all UEs 200 connectable to a network on the side of any network operator. In other words, a UE 200 may be connectable to the NCAP 100 regardless of whether the network operator to which the UE 200 belongs is the network operator. The UE 200 may be notified that any UE 200 belonging to any network operator can connect to the NCAP 100. Alternatively, the fact that any UE 200 belonging to any network operator can connect to the NCAP 100 may be notified as a predetermined mobile communication network (PLMN: Public Land Mobile Network). This notification may be the same as (or may be shared with) a notification that the NCAP 100 is in exceptional operation. Note that the network operators that can be included in "any network operator" may be limited, and in this case, information on multiple PLMNs may be notified during the exceptional operation of the NCAP 100.

[0138] Various parameters (for example, various parameters related to SON) when the NCAP 100 executes an exceptional operation as a NW device may be handled as follows.

[0139] - The parameters notified before the failure continue to be applied.

[0140] -Continue applying the parameters that were notified for the purpose of being applied when a failure occurred.

[0141] Apply the parameters notified in association with the exceptional operation instructions shown in FIGS.

[0142] - Changing the applied parameters based on the implementation of NCAP 100 and / or the interaction (communication) between NCAPs 100.

[0143] According to the exceptional operation of the NCAP 100 as a NW device as described above, even if a failure occurs on the network operator side, communication using the NCAP network can be continued.

[0144] Furthermore, the NCAP 100 may end the exceptional operation as follows.

[0145] Fig. 11 shows a sequence example (part 1) regarding the termination of an exceptional operation by the NCAP 100. As shown in Fig. 12, after starting the exceptional operation, the NCAP 100 may execute the exceptional operation until receiving a notification of the termination of the exceptional operation from the network operator side.

[0146] 12 shows a sequence example (part 2) regarding the termination of exceptional operation by NCAP 100. As shown in FIG. 12, after starting exceptional operation, NCAP 100 may periodically (for example, at regular time intervals) transmit a query to the network operator and execute the exceptional operation until receiving an instruction (which may be a notification) to terminate the exceptional operation from the network operator in response to the query. Note that the transmission of the query may be irregular or at irregular intervals.

[0147] 11 and 12, the NCAP 100 may be constrained to always perform an operation of receiving a notification from a network operator. The inquiry and / or notification from the NCAP 100 may be a signal of a lower layer (e.g., SSB (Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel blocks) / PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel)) or a signal of a higher layer (e.g., RRC (Radio Resource Control) or a layer higher than RRC).

[0148] 13 shows a sequence example (part 3) regarding the termination of an exceptional operation by the NCAP 100. As shown in FIG. 13, the NCAP 100 may execute the exceptional operation until a time (t) has elapsed after the start of the exceptional operation. In this case, the time (t) may be defined by the 3GPP specifications or may be set in advance by a higher layer or the like.

[0149] The NCAP 100 may terminate the exceptional operation by its own determination, without such notification or inquiry. When the exceptional operation of the NCAP 100 is terminated or ended by any of the above procedures or other procedures, the NCAP 100 may notify the UE 200 and / or the network operator of the termination of the exceptional operation. Furthermore, when the exceptional operation is terminated, the NCAP 100 may start executing the specific operation (i.e., operation as a network device (NW device) accommodating the UE 200 while interacting with the network operator), or may terminate operation as a network device accommodating the UE 200.

[0150] By performing such an operation, NCAP100 can prevent NCAP100 from continuing the exceptional operation (or specific operation) indefinitely, and after the failure on the network operator side is resolved, NCAP100 can quickly return to the control of the network operator.

[0151] According to this operation example, NCAP100 can perform the above-mentioned exceptional operations while operating as an NCAP, so that appropriate operations can be performed across the network, such as continuing communication, even if a failure occurs while the NCAP is moving.

[0152] (4) Other Embodiments Although the embodiments have been described above, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the description of the embodiments, and that various modifications and improvements are possible.

[0153] For example, in the above-described embodiment, it was described that it is possible to connect to a server for MEC and broadband Internet via a LAN, but the LAN may be set up on the same segment, or may be a different LAN that is physically or logically separated.

[0154] In the above-described embodiment, the NCAP 100 is connected to both the network (first communication network) on the network operator side and the LAN (second communication network), but may be connected to only one of the networks. Furthermore, the UE 200 connected to the network configured by the NCAP 100 may or may not be separately connected to a radio base station on the network operator side. The operation of the NCAP 100 and / or the UE 200 may differ depending on whether or not the connection is established. The network configured by the NCAP 100 may use a licensed band or an unlicensed band.

[0155] Furthermore, the block diagrams (FIGS. 2 and 3) used in the description of the above-described embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of hardware and / or software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are connected directly or indirectly (e.g., via wire, wirelessly, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may also be realized by combining software with the single device or multiple devices.

[0156] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, judgment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, consideration, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assignment. For example, a functional block (component) that performs transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on how each is implemented.

[0157] Furthermore, the above-described NCAP 100 and UE 200 may function as a computer that performs processing of the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the NCAP 100 and UE 200. As shown in Fig. 14, the NCAP 100 and UE 200 may be configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0158] In the following description, the term "apparatus" can be interpreted as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the apparatus may be configured to include one or more of the apparatuses shown in the drawings, or may be configured to exclude some of the apparatuses.

[0159] Each functional block of the NCAP 100 and the UE 200 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is realized by any hardware element of the computer device or a combination of the hardware elements.

[0160] In addition, each function in NCAP100 and UE200 is realized by loading specified software (programs) onto hardware such as processor 1001 and memory 1002, causing processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication by communication device 1004, and control at least one of reading and writing data in memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0161] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system, and may be configured as a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control unit, an arithmetic unit, and registers.

[0162] The processor 1001 also reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executes various processes in accordance with these. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the various processes described above may be executed by a single processor 1001, or may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The programs may be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0163] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured by at least one of, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The memory 1002 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 may store a program (program code), a software module, etc., capable of executing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0164] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be, for example, at least one of an optical disk such as a Compact Disc ROM (CD-ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray disc), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned recording medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other suitable medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0165] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also called, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module.

[0166] The communication device 1004 may be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. to realize, for example, at least one of Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD).

[0167] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. Note that the input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (e.g., a touch panel).

[0168] Furthermore, each device such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002 is connected to a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0169] Furthermore, the device may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0170] Furthermore, the notification of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in the present disclosure, and may be performed using other methods. For example, the notification of information may be performed by physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI), Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB))), other signals, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the RRC signaling may be referred to as an RRC message, and may be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, or the like.

[0171] Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be applied to at least one of a system using Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, a 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), a 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), a 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), an xth generation mobile communication system (xG) (where x is, for example, an integer or a decimal), Future Radio Access (FRA), New Radio (NR), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other suitable system, and a next-generation system extended based on these. Furthermore, a combination of multiple systems (e.g., a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G) may also be applied.

[0172] The order of the procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be changed unless it is consistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0173] In the present disclosure, a specific operation described as being performed by a base station may also be performed by its upper node in some cases. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with a terminal may be performed by at least one of the base station and another network node other than the base station (e.g., MME or S-GW, etc., but are not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates a case where there is one other network node other than the base station, a combination of multiple other network nodes (e.g., MME and S-GW) may also be used.

[0174] Information, signals (information, etc.) may be output from a higher layer (or a lower layer) to a lower layer (or a higher layer), or may be input and output via multiple network nodes.

[0175] The input and output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, a memory) or may be managed using a management table. The input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added to. The output information may be deleted. The input information may be transmitted to another device.

[0176] The determination may be made based on a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), a Boolean value (true or false), or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0177] The aspects / embodiments described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to explicit notification, but may be implicit (e.g., not notifying the predetermined information).

[0178] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0179] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0180] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0181] Note that terms described in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of a channel and a symbol may be a signal (signaling). Furthermore, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, a cell, a frequency carrier, etc.

[0182] As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0183] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc. described in the present disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, may be expressed using relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or may be expressed using other corresponding information. For example, a radio resource may be indicated by an index.

[0184] The names used for the above-described parameters are not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, the mathematical expressions using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure. The various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements may be identified by any suitable names, and therefore the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0185] In this disclosure, terms such as "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "NodeB," "eNodeB (eNB)," "gNodeB (gNB)," "access point," "transmission point," "reception point," "transmission / reception point," "cell," "sector," "cell group," "carrier," and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. Base stations may also be referred to by terms such as macrocell, small cell, femtocell, and picocell.

[0186] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells (also called sectors). When a base station accommodates multiple cells, the overall coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, and each smaller area can be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a small indoor base station (Remote Radio Head: RRH)).

[0187] The terms "cell" or "sector" refer to part or all of the coverage area of ​​a base station and / or base station subsystem that provides communication services within that coverage area.

[0188] In the present disclosure, the base station transmitting information to a terminal may be interpreted as the base station instructing the terminal to control or operate based on the information.

[0189] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," "terminal," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0190] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0191] At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be referred to as a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be a device mounted on a mobile object, the mobile object itself, etc. The mobile object may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile object (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). At least one of the base station and the mobile station may also include devices that do not necessarily move during communication operations. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may be an Internet of Things (IoT) device such as a sensor.

[0192] Furthermore, a base station in the present disclosure may be read as a mobile station (user terminal, the same applies hereinafter). For example, the aspects / embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a mobile station is replaced with communication between multiple mobile stations (which may be called, for example, Device-to-Device (D2D) or Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X)). In this case, the mobile station may be configured to have the functions of a base station. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be read as terms corresponding to terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "side"). For example, terms such as an uplink channel and a downlink channel may be read as a side channel (or sidelink).

[0193] Similarly, a mobile station in the present disclosure may be interpreted as a base station, in which case the base station may have the functions of a mobile station.

[0194] A radio frame may be composed of one or more frames in the time domain. Each of the one or more frames in the time domain may be called a subframe. A subframe may further be composed of one or more slots in the time domain. A subframe may have a fixed time length (e.g., 1 ms) that is independent of numerology.

[0195] Numerology may be communication parameters that apply to the transmission and / or reception of a signal or channel, such as subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, symbol length, cyclic prefix length, transmission time interval (TTI), number of symbols per TTI, radio frame structure, specific filtering operations performed by the transceiver in the frequency domain, and specific windowing operations performed by the transceiver in the time domain.

[0196] A slot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain (such as an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbol, etc.) A slot may be a numerology-based time unit.

[0197] A slot may include multiple minislots. Each minislot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain. A minislot may also be called a subslot. A minislot may consist of fewer symbols than a slot. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted in a time unit larger than a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type A. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted using a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type B.

[0198] The radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol all represent time units for transmitting signals, and may be referred to by other names corresponding to the radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol.

[0199] For example, one subframe may be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI), multiple consecutive subframes may be referred to as a TTI, or one slot or one minislot may be referred to as a TTI. That is, at least one of the subframe and the TTI may be a subframe (1 ms) in existing LTE, a period shorter than 1 ms (e.g., 1-13 symbols), or a period longer than 1 ms. Note that the unit representing the TTI may be called a slot, minislot, etc., instead of a subframe.

[0200] Here, TTI refers to, for example, the smallest time unit for scheduling in wireless communication. For example, in an LTE system, a base station schedules each user terminal to allocate radio resources (such as frequency bandwidth and transmission power that can be used by each user terminal) in TTI units. Note that the definition of TTI is not limited to this.

[0201] The TTI may be a transmission time unit for a channel-encoded data packet (transport block), a code block, a code word, etc., or may be a processing unit for scheduling, link adaptation, etc. When a TTI is given, the time interval (e.g., the number of symbols) to which a transport block, a code block, a code word, etc. is actually mapped may be shorter than the TTI.

[0202] In addition, when one slot or one minislot is called a TTI, one or more TTIs (i.e., one or more slots or one or more minislots) may be the minimum time unit for scheduling, and the number of slots (minislots) constituting the minimum time unit for scheduling may be controlled.

[0203] A TTI having a time length of 1 ms may be referred to as a regular TTI (TTI in LTE Rel. 8-12), normal TTI, long TTI, regular subframe, normal subframe, long subframe, slot, etc. A TTI shorter than a regular TTI may be referred to as a shortened TTI, short TTI, partial or fractional TTI, shortened subframe, short subframe, minislot, subslot, slot, etc.

[0204] In addition, a long TTI (e.g., a normal TTI, a subframe, etc.) may be interpreted as a TTI having a time length of more than 1 ms, and a short TTI (e.g., a shortened TTI, etc.) may be interpreted as a TTI having a TTI length shorter than the TTI length of a long TTI and equal to or greater than 1 ms.

[0205] A resource block (RB) is a resource allocation unit in the time domain and the frequency domain, and may include one or more consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. The number of subcarriers included in an RB may be the same regardless of numerology, for example, 12. The number of subcarriers included in an RB may be determined based on numerology.

[0206] The time domain of an RB may include one or more symbols and may have a length of one slot, one minislot, one subframe, or one TTI, each of which may consist of one or more resource blocks.

[0207] Note that one or more RBs may also be called a physical resource block (PRB), a sub-carrier group (SCG), a resource element group (REG), a PRB pair, an RB pair, etc.

[0208] Furthermore, a resource block may be composed of one or more resource elements (REs). For example, one RE may be a radio resource region of one subcarrier and one symbol.

[0209] A Bandwidth Part (BWP) (which may also be referred to as a fractional bandwidth) may represent a subset of contiguous common resource blocks (RBs) for a given numerology on a given carrier, where the common RBs may be identified by their index relative to a common reference point of the carrier. PRBs may be defined in a given BWP and numbered within that BWP.

[0210] The BWP may include a BWP for UL (UL BWP) and a BWP for DL ​​(DL BWP). One or more BWPs may be configured for a UE within one carrier.

[0211] At least one of the configured BWPs may be active, and the UE may not expect to transmit or receive a given signal / channel outside the active BWP. Note that the terms "cell," "carrier," etc. in this disclosure may be read as "BWP."

[0212] The above-described structures of the radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol are merely examples. For example, the number of subframes included in a radio frame, the number of slots per subframe or radio frame, the number of minislots included in a slot, the number of symbols and RBs included in a slot or minislot, the number of subcarriers included in an RB, the number of symbols in a TTI, the symbol length, the cyclic prefix (CP) length, and other configurations may be changed in various ways.

[0213] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0214] The reference signal may also be abbreviated as Reference Signal (RS) and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0215] As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0216] The "means" in the configuration of each of the above devices may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0217] As used in this disclosure, any reference to an element using a designation such as "first," "second," etc. does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed therein or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

[0218] When the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when the term "or" is used in this disclosure, it is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0219] In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0220] As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as having been "judged" or "decided." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "decided." Furthermore, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0221] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0222] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

[0223] 15 shows an example of the configuration of a vehicle 2001. As shown in Fig. 15, the vehicle 2001 includes a drive unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, left and right front wheels 2007, left and right rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013.

[0224] The drive unit 2002 is composed of, for example, an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor. The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a handle) and is configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel operated by the user. The electronic control unit 2010 is composed of a microprocessor 2031, memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and a communication port (IO port) 2033. Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2027 provided in the vehicle are input to the electronic control unit 2010. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0225] The signals from the various sensors 2021 to 2028 include a current signal from a current sensor 2021 that senses the current of the motor, a rotation speed signal of the front and rear wheels obtained by a rotation speed sensor 2022, an air pressure signal of the front and rear wheels obtained by an air pressure sensor 2023, a vehicle speed signal obtained by a vehicle speed sensor 2024, an acceleration signal obtained by an acceleration sensor 2025, an accelerator pedal depression amount signal obtained by an accelerator pedal sensor 2029, a brake pedal depression amount signal obtained by a brake pedal sensor 2026, a shift lever operation signal obtained by a shift lever sensor 2027, and a detection signal for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc. obtained by an object detection sensor 2028.

[0226] The information service unit 2012 is composed of various devices, such as a car navigation system, an audio system, speakers, a television, and a radio, for providing (outputting) various types of information, such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, and one or more ECUs for controlling these devices. The information service unit 2012 uses information acquired from external devices via the communication module 2013, etc., to provide various types of multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 1.

[0227] The information service unit 2012 may include input devices (e.g., keyboards, mice, microphones, switches, buttons, sensors, touch panels, etc.) that accept input from the outside, and may also include output devices (e.g., displays, speakers, LED lamps, touch panels, etc.) that output to the outside.

[0228] The driving assistance system unit 2030 is composed of various devices that provide functions for preventing accidents and reducing the driver's driving burden, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS, etc.), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps, etc.), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System), etc.), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. The driving assistance system unit 2030 also transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize driving assistance functions or autonomous driving functions.

[0229] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 1 via the communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 transmits and receives data via the communication port 2033 to and from a driving unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, left and right front wheels 2007, left and right rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, a microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021 to 2028, which are provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0230] The communication module 2013 is a communication device that can be controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010 and can communicate with an external device. For example, it transmits and receives various information to and from the external device via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 may be located either inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. The external device may be, for example, a base station, a mobile station, or the like.

[0231] The communication module 2013 may transmit at least one of signals from the above-mentioned various sensors 2021 to 2028 input to the electronic control unit 2010, information obtained based on the signals, and information based on input from the outside (user) obtained via the information service unit 2012 to an external device via wireless communication. The electronic control unit 2010, the various sensors 2021 to 2028, the information service unit 2012, etc. may be referred to as input units that accept input. For example, the PUSCH transmitted by the communication module 2013 may include information based on the above-mentioned input.

[0232] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, traffic signal information, vehicle-to-vehicle information, etc.) transmitted from external devices and displays it on an information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle. The information service unit 2012 may also be called an output unit that outputs information (for example, outputs information to a device such as a display or speaker based on the PDSCH (or data / information decoded from the PDSCH) received by the communication module 2013). The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from external devices in a memory 2032 that can be used by the microprocessor 2031. Based on the information stored in the memory 2032, the microprocessor 2031 may control the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, left and right front wheels 2007, left and right rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, sensors 2021 to 2028, and the like provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0233] (Additional Note) The above disclosure may be expressed as follows: A first feature is a communication device connected to a first communication network, a second communication network, and a terminal, the communication device including: a communication unit that performs wireless communication with the first communication network via a wireless access network, wireless communication or wired communication with the second communication network, and wireless communication with the terminal; and a control unit that, when the communication device moves, performs at least one of an operation related to the movement of the communication device and transmission and reception of information related to the movement by the communication unit.

[0234] A second feature based on the first feature is that the control unit controls transmission and reception of information related to movement of at least one of the communication device and the terminal with a network side before or during operation as the communication device.

[0235] A third feature is the first or second feature, wherein the control unit controls transmission and reception of information related to handover of the communication device to and from the terminal.

[0236] A fourth feature is that, in the first to third features, the control unit controls operations related to session disconnection with the network side while operating as the communication device, or controls transmission and reception of information related to the session disconnection with the terminal.

[0237] A fifth feature is any one of the first to fourth features, wherein the control unit controls transmission and reception of an operation related to the end of operation as the communication device or information related to the end of operation to and from the terminal.

[0238] A sixth feature is any one of the first to fifth features, wherein the control unit executes a specific exceptional operation during operation as the communication device based on an instruction from a network side.

[0239] 10 Wireless communication system 50 gNB 100 NCAP 110 First communication unit 120 Second communication unit 130 Third communication unit 140 Control unit 200 UE 210 Wireless communication unit 220 Connection IF unit 230 Control unit 1001 Processor 1002 Memory 1003 Storage 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device 1007 Bus 2001 Vehicle 2002 Drive unit 2003 Steering unit 2004 Accelerator pedal 2005 Brake pedal 2006 Shift lever 2007 Left and right front wheels 2008 Left and right rear wheels 2009 Axle 2010 Electronic control unit 2012 Information service unit 2013 Communication module 2021 Current sensor 2022 Rotation speed sensor 2023 Air pressure sensor 2024 Vehicle speed sensor 2025 Acceleration sensor 2026 Brake pedal sensor 2027 Shift lever sensor 2028 Object detection sensor 2029 Accelerator pedal sensor 2030 Driving assistance system section 2031 Microprocessor 2032 Memory (ROM, RAM) 2033 Communication port

Claims

1. A communication device connected to a first communication network, a second communication network, and a terminal, comprising: a communication unit that performs wireless communication with the first communication network via a wireless access network, wireless communication or wired communication with the second communication network, and wireless communication with the terminal; and a control unit that, when the communication device moves, performs at least one of an operation related to the movement of the communication device and transmission and reception of information related to the movement by the communication unit.

2. A communication device as described in claim 1, wherein the control unit controls transmission and reception of information related to the movement of at least one of the communication device and the terminal with the network side before or during operation as the communication device.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls transmission and reception of information related to handover of the communication device to and from the terminal.

4. A communication device as described in claim 1, wherein the control unit controls operations related to disconnection of a session with the network side while operating as the communication device, or controls transmission and reception of information related to the disconnection of the session with the terminal.

5. A communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls transmission and reception of operations related to the termination of operation as the communication device or information related to the termination of operation with the terminal.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes a specific exceptional operation during operation as the communication device based on an instruction from the network side.