Measurement system, device, measurement method, and measurement program

Abstract

Provided according to one embodiment is a measurement system, wherein a base station comprises a base station transmission unit that transmits a packet, a transmission frequency control unit that controls the frequency of transmission of the packet to a mobile object, and a base station reception unit that receives a packet transmitted by the mobile object, the mobile object comprises an operation route control unit that sets a plurality of radio wave measurement positions in a target region to be subjected to measurement of the propagation characteristic of a radio wave transmitted by the base station, and calculates the shortest route sequentially passing through the measurement positions, an automated operation unit that moves the mobile object according to the shortest route, a reception unit that receives the packet using the radio wave transmitted by the base station, and a transmission unit that transmits, to the base station, the packet including, as feedback information, the propagation characteristic of the radio wave received by the reception unit, and another device comprises a packet capture unit that captures the packet using the radio wave transmitted and received between the base station and the mobile object, and a radio quality extraction unit that extracts communication quality information of a propagation path from the captured packet.

Description

Measurement system, device, measurement method, and measurement program

[0001] The present invention relates to a measurement system, an apparatus, a measurement method, and a measurement program.

[0002] In recent years, new wireless communication systems, such as 5G and local 5G, have been introduced. In order to provide these wireless communication systems with high quality, it is important to install the optimal wireless base station for the wireless communication system. Methods for this include evaluation using propagation simulation and on-site wireless propagation characteristic surveys.

[0003] Conventionally, in on-site radio propagation surveys, a person typically holds a radio and measures the area of ​​interest. However, this method has drawbacks in terms of manpower and work time. Therefore, to improve the efficiency of measurement work, studies are being conducted to install a radio on an automated vehicle such as an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) and automatically measure radio wave propagation characteristics (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

[0004] Issei Makino and two others, "Indoor Local 5G Wireless Performance Measurement Using Automated Guided Vehicles", Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, IEICE Technical Report, 2021, pp. 34-39

[0005] When performing highly accurate radio wave propagation measurements using autonomous vehicles such as AGVs, it has been necessary to significantly increase the number of measurement points within the target area. Furthermore, wireless communication systems such as 5G are increasingly using radio waves in the high-frequency band. This requires more frequent measurement intervals due to the short wavelength of radio waves, and the need for three-dimensional measurement points to diversify use cases. For example, there is also a growing demand for measuring radio wave propagation characteristics in the sky using drones.

[0006] However, the heavy weight of wireless measuring devices for area assessment hinders the introduction of drones, which have limited payload capacity. In addition, the number of measurement points increases as measurement points are made three-dimensional, which increases measurement time. In other words, the weight of wireless measuring devices exceeds the payload capacity of mobile devices (measurement robots) such as drones, and the increase in measurement time is an issue.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a measurement system, device, measurement method, and measurement program that can efficiently measure the propagation characteristics of radio waves used in wireless communication.

[0008] A measurement system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a measurement system that includes a base station, a mobile body, and other devices and measures radio wave propagation characteristics, wherein the base station has a base station transmitter unit that transmits packets using radio waves, a transmission frequency control unit that controls the frequency of transmitting packets using radio waves to the mobile body, and a base station receiver unit that receives packets using radio waves transmitted by the mobile body; the mobile body has a travel route control unit that sets multiple radio wave measurement positions within a target area to be measured for the propagation characteristics of the radio waves transmitted by the base station and calculates the shortest route that passes through each of the measurement positions in sequence, an automatic travel unit that moves the mobile body along the shortest route calculated by the travel route control unit, a receiver unit that receives packets using radio waves transmitted by the base station when the mobile body passes each of the measurement positions, and a transmitter unit that transmits packets to the base station that include the propagation characteristics of the radio waves received by the receiver as feedback information; and the other devices have a packet capture unit that captures packets using radio waves transmitted between the base station and the mobile body, and a wireless quality extraction unit that extracts communication quality information of the propagation path from the packets captured by the packet capture unit.

[0009] Furthermore, an apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for measuring the propagation characteristics of radio waves transmitted and received between a base station and a mobile body, and is characterized by having a packet capture unit that captures packets using the radio waves transmitted and received between the base station and the mobile body, and a radio quality extraction unit that extracts communication quality information of the propagation path from the packets captured by the packet capture unit.

[0010] Furthermore, a measurement method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a measurement method performed by a measurement system that includes a base station, a mobile object, and another device and that measures the propagation characteristics of radio waves, wherein the base station transmits packets using radio waves, controls the frequency of transmitting packets using radio waves to the mobile object, receives packets using radio waves transmitted by the mobile object, the mobile object sets a plurality of measurement positions for radio waves within a target area in which the propagation characteristics of the radio waves transmitted by the base station are to be measured, calculates a shortest route that passes through each of the measurement positions in sequence, moves the mobile object along the calculated shortest route, receives packets using radio waves transmitted by the base station as the mobile object passes through each of the measurement positions, and transmits packets including the propagation characteristics of the received radio waves as feedback information to the base station, and the other device captures packets using radio waves transmitted and received between the base station and the mobile object, and extracts communication quality information of the propagation path from the captured packets.

[0011] In addition, a measurement program according to one embodiment of the present invention is a measurement program executed by an apparatus that measures the propagation characteristics of radio waves transmitted and received between a base station and a mobile object, and is a measurement program for causing a computer to function as each part of the apparatus, which has a packet capture unit that captures packets using the radio waves transmitted and received between the base station and the mobile object, and a wireless quality extraction unit that extracts communication quality information of the propagation path from the packets captured by the packet capture unit.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently measure the propagation characteristics of radio waves used in wireless communication.

[0013] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a measurement system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of the measurement system; FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of the measurement system according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a second modified example of the measurement system according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of the second modified example of the measurement system; FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a third modified example of the measurement system according to an embodiment; FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a fourth modified example of the measurement system according to an embodiment; FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a fifth modified example of the measurement system according to an embodiment; and FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example operation of the fifth modified example of the measurement system.

[0014] First, the background to the invention will be described. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an overview of a measurement system 1 for measuring propagation characteristics of radio waves used in wireless communication. Fig. 12(a) is a diagram showing a target area for measuring propagation characteristics and an overview of the measurement system 1. Fig. 12(b) is a diagram showing an example of a received power map 5 of radio waves measured by the measurement system 1.

[0015] 12(a), in a measurement system 1 for measuring the propagation characteristics of radio waves used in wireless communication, for example, a mobile object 3 such as an AVG moves along an automatic driving route 4 within a target area 100 that is the measurement target for the propagation characteristics of radio waves transmitted by a base station (wireless base station) 2. The mobile object 3 is provided with a receiver (not shown) and has the function of measuring the propagation characteristics of radio waves while moving.

[0016] The propagation characteristics of the radio waves measured by the mobile object 3 are visualized, for example, as a received power map shown in Fig. 12(b). At this time, data for areas other than the measurement points where the mobile object 3 measured the radio waves within the target area 100 is interpolated using the results of measurements made by the mobile object 3.

[0017] Next, a measurement system that enables efficient measurement of the propagation characteristics of radio waves used in wireless communication will be described in detail.

[0018] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a measurement system 10 according to one embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the measurement system 10 according to one embodiment includes a mobile object 30 that receives radio waves transmitted from, for example, a base station 20, and another device (for example, a capture device 40) that performs wireless communication with the mobile object 30. It is assumed that the settings of each component of the measurement system 10 have been completed in advance.

[0019] The mobile body 30 is, for example, a measurement robot that is equipped with the function of an AVG for the target area 100 and is capable of automatic driving, or a measurement robot such as a drone that is capable of automatic operation to any three-dimensional position within the three-dimensional measurement target area 102.

[0020] The other device (for example, the capture device 40) is an external device that has the functionality of a computer, for example.

[0021] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the measurement system 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the base station 20 includes a transmitter 200, a transmission frequency controller 202, and a receiver 204.

[0022] The transmitter 200 functions as a base station transmitter that transmits packets using radio waves (target radio waves). The transmission frequency controller 202 controls the transmission frequency of packets using radio waves to the mobile unit 30. The receiver 204 functions as a base station receiver that receives packets using radio waves transmitted by the mobile unit 30.

[0023] The mobile object 30 has a battery unit 300, a route control unit 302, an automatic operation unit 304, a receiving unit 306, and a transmitting unit 310, and is configured with the minimum functions required for operation in a three-dimensional space.

[0024] The battery unit 300 supplies the electric power required for the movement (automatic operation) of the mobile body 30 .

[0025] The operation route control unit 302 sets multiple radio wave measurement positions within a target area where the propagation characteristics of the radio waves transmitted by the base station 20 are to be measured, and controls the operation route according to a policy that calculates the shortest route that passes through each of the measurement positions in sequence.

[0026] The automatic operation unit 304 moves the mobile object 30 along the shortest route calculated by the operation route control unit 302 .

[0027] The receiver 306 receives packets using radio waves transmitted from the base station 20 when the mobile unit 30 passes through each measurement position on the shortest route. The receiver 306 may include an omnidirectional antenna or a directional antenna. The receiver 306 may also be a small wireless communication device such as a general mobile terminal.

[0028] The transmitter 310 transmits a packet including, as feedback information, the propagation characteristics of the radio waves received by the receiver 306 to the base station 20. For example, the transmitter 310 may be a small wireless communication device such as a general mobile terminal.

[0029] The capture device 40 includes a packet capture unit 400 and a wireless quality extraction unit 402 .

[0030] The packet capture unit 400 captures packets transmitted and received between the base station 20 and the mobile unit 30 using radio waves.

[0031] The wireless quality extraction unit 402 extracts communication quality information of the propagation path from the packets captured by the packet capture unit 400. For example, the wireless quality extraction unit 402 extracts CSI feedback information of the propagation path from the packets captured by the packet capture unit 400 and measures the MIMO wireless communication quality.

[0032] Next, an operation example of the measurement system 10 will be described. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the measurement system 10 according to one embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, in the measurement system 10, for example, the mobile object 30 analyzes target area information (S100) and calculates a travel route (shortest route) of the mobile object 30 (S102).

[0033] The mobile unit 30 automatically measures the propagation characteristics of the radio waves transmitted by the base station 20 (S104).

[0034] The capture device 40 captures packets transmitted between the base station 20 and the mobile unit 30 using radio waves (S106), and extracts communication quality information of the propagation path from the captured packets (S108).

[0035] Then, the moving body 30 determines whether measurements have been completed at all measurement locations along the travel route (S110), and if not (S110: No), returns to processing S104, and if completed (S110: Yes), ends processing.

[0036] That is, the measurement system 10 includes the capture device 40, which allows for a reduction in the payload of the mobile object 30. Furthermore, the measurement system 10 can control the frequency of packet transmission, allowing for high-frequency measurements. In this way, the measurement system 10 according to one embodiment can efficiently measure the propagation characteristics of radio waves used in wireless communication.

[0037] Next, a first modified example of the measurement system 10 will be described. Fig. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the first modified example of the measurement system 10 according to one embodiment. In each measurement system according to one embodiment, the same reference numerals are used to designate substantially identical components, and the same reference numerals are used to designate substantially identical processes.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4, in the first modified example of the measurement system 10, the mobile object 30a has a battery unit 300, a driving route control unit 302, an automatic driving unit 304, a receiving unit 306, a driving speed control unit 308, and a transmitting unit 310.

[0039] The travel speed control unit 308 calculates and controls the travel speed of the mobile unit 30b on each route based on advance information on the speed and measurement frequency.

[0040] Furthermore, the first variant of the measurement system 10 can acquire propagation characteristics (e.g., received power, throughput, delay profile, fading) within the target area at high frequency and high speed using limited measurement points, thereby reducing measurement time and the payload of the mobile body 30a.

[0041] 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a second modified example of the measurement system 10 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, in the second modified example of the measurement system 10 according to an embodiment, a capture device 40a includes a packet capture unit 400, a wireless quality extraction unit 402, and a throughput estimation unit 404.

[0042] Here, the wireless quality extracting unit 402 extracts, from the packets captured by the packet capturing unit 400, for example, an SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) as communication quality information of the propagation path with an accuracy of up to two decimal places.

[0043] The throughput estimation unit 404 estimates the throughput at each measurement position based on the SNR information extracted by the wireless quality extraction unit 402 .

[0044] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the second modified example of the measurement system 10. In the process of S109, the capture device 40a estimates the throughput at each measurement position based on the SNR information.

[0045] The second variant of the measurement system 10 allows for a highly accurate estimation of the throughput when extracting the SNR.

[0046] Furthermore, the second variant of the measurement system 10 can obtain propagation characteristics (e.g., received power, throughput, delay profile, fading) within the target area with high frequency and high accuracy using limited measurement points, thereby reducing measurement time and the payload of the mobile body 30.

[0047] 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a third modified example of the measurement system 10 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the third modified example of the measurement system 10 according to an embodiment includes a plurality of capture devices 40.

[0048] That is, in the third modified example of the measurement system 10 according to the embodiment, it is possible to simultaneously analyze a plurality of propagation paths. Also, in the third modified example of the measurement system 10 according to the embodiment, the capture device 40 also captures packets between the mobile object 30 and another capture device 40.

[0049] The wireless quality extraction unit 402 also extracts communication quality information between the mobile unit 30 and the other capture device 40. Furthermore, the wireless quality extraction unit 402 is capable of merging each piece of data.

[0050] Furthermore, the third variant of the measurement system 10 can acquire propagation characteristics (e.g., received power, throughput, delay profile, fading) within the target area at high frequency and high speed using limited measurement points, thereby reducing measurement time and the payload of the mobile body 30.

[0051] 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a fourth modified example of the measurement system 10 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the fourth modified example of the measurement system 10 according to an embodiment includes a plurality of moving objects 30.

[0052] Here, it is possible to perform measurements simultaneously on multiple travel routes using multiple mobile objects 30 .

[0053] Furthermore, the fourth variant of the measurement system 10 can acquire propagation characteristics (e.g., received power, throughput, delay profile, fading) within the target area at high frequency and high speed using limited measurement points, thereby reducing measurement time and the payload of the mobile body 30.

[0054] 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a fifth modified example of the measurement system 10 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the fifth modified example of the measurement system 10 according to an embodiment includes a base station 20, a mobile object 30b, a capture device 40b, and an information processing device (external device) 50.

[0055] The mobile body 30 b has a battery unit 300 , a route control unit 302 , an automatic operation unit 304 , a receiving unit 306 , a transmitting unit 310 , and a communication unit 312 .

[0056] The communication unit 312 notifies the information processing device 50 of measurement data of the position (measurement position) where the mobile unit 30b receives the radio wave.

[0057] The capture device 40 b includes a packet capture unit 400 , a wireless quality extraction unit 402 , and a communication unit 406 .

[0058] The communication unit 406 notifies the information processing device 50 of the communication quality information extracted by the wireless quality extraction unit 402 .

[0059] The information processing device 50 has a data collating unit 500 and a visualization unit 502, and is connected to the mobile unit 30b and the capture device 40b via a network 150.

[0060] The data collating unit 500 collates the location information of the mobile unit 30b with the wireless quality information of the capture device 40b based on the measurement time.

[0061] The visualization unit 502 creates and displays a propagation characteristics map of the target area from the propagation characteristics at the measurement positions acquired via the network 150. Furthermore, the visualization unit 502 interpolates data for measurement points for which no measurement positions are set using a general interpolation method such as linear interpolation.

[0062] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the fifth modified example of the measurement system 10. The mobile object 30b determines whether or not measurements have been completed at all measurement positions on the travel route (S111), and if not (S111: No), the process returns to S104, and if completed (S111: Yes), the process proceeds to S112.

[0063] In the process of S112, the information processing device 50 performs communication to receive measurement data from the moving body 30b and the capture device 40b.

[0064] In the process of S114, the information processing device 50 creates and displays a propagation characteristics map.

[0065] Furthermore, the fifth variant of the measurement system 10 can acquire propagation characteristics (e.g., received power, throughput, delay profile, fading) within the target area at a high frequency using limited measurement points, thereby reducing measurement time and the payload of the mobile body 30b.

[0066] In addition, each function possessed by the above-mentioned mobile body 30, capture device 40, information processing device 50, etc. may be configured in part or in whole by hardware such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or may be configured as a program executed by a processor such as a CPU.

[0067] For example, the mobile object 30, the capture device 40, and the information processing device 50 can be realized using a computer and a program, and the program can be recorded on a storage medium or provided via a network.

[0068] 11 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a capture device 40 (mobile body 30 or information processing device 50) according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11 , the capture device 40 has an input unit 600, an output unit 601, a communication unit 602, a CPU 603, a memory 604, and an HDD 605 connected via a bus 606, and has the functionality of a computer. The capture device 40 is also capable of inputting and outputting data to and from a computer-readable storage medium 607.

[0069] The input unit 600 is, for example, a keyboard and a mouse. The output unit 601 is, for example, a display device. The communication unit 602 is a communication interface for performing communication.

[0070] The CPU 603 controls each component of the capture device 40 and performs predetermined processing, etc. The memory 604 and HDD 605 store data, etc.

[0071] The storage medium 607 is capable of storing programs and the like that cause the capture device 40 to execute the functions of the capture device 40. Note that the architecture that configures the capture device 40 is not limited to the example shown in FIG.

[0072] 1... measurement system, 2... base station, 3... mobile body, 4... automatic driving route, 5... reception power map, 10... measurement system, 20... base station, 30, 30a, 30b... mobile body, 40, 40a, 40b... capture device, 50... information processing device, 100... target area, 200... transmission unit, 202... transmission frequency control unit, 204... reception unit, 300... battery unit, 302... driving route control unit, 304... automatic driving unit, 306: receiving unit, 308: operating speed control unit, 310: transmitting unit, 312: communication unit, 400: packet capture unit, 402: wireless quality extraction unit, 404: throughput estimation unit, 406: communication unit, 500: data collating unit, 502: visualization unit, 600: input unit, 601: output unit, 602: communication unit, 603: CPU, 604: memory, 605: HDD, 606: bus, 607: storage medium

Claims

1. A measurement system for measuring radio wave propagation characteristics comprising a base station, a mobile object, and other devices, wherein the base station comprises: a base station transmitting unit for transmitting packets using radio waves; a transmission frequency control unit for controlling the frequency of transmitting packets using radio waves to the mobile object; and a base station receiving unit for receiving the packets using radio waves transmitted by the mobile object; the mobile object comprises: a travel route control unit for setting a plurality of measurement positions for radio waves within a target area for measuring the propagation characteristics of the radio waves transmitted by the base station and calculating the shortest route that passes through each of the measurement positions in order; an automatic travel unit for moving the mobile object along the shortest route calculated by the travel route control unit; a receiving unit for receiving packets using radio waves transmitted by the base station when the mobile object passes through each of the measurement positions; and a transmitting unit for transmitting packets to the base station including the propagation characteristics of the radio waves received by the receiving unit as feedback information; and the other devices comprise: a packet capturing unit for capturing packets using radio waves transmitted between the base station and the mobile object; and a wireless quality extracting unit for extracting communication quality information of the propagation path from the packets captured by the packet capturing unit.

2. An apparatus for measuring the propagation characteristics of radio waves transmitted and received between a base station and a mobile unit, comprising: a packet capture unit for capturing packets using the radio waves transmitted and received between the base station and the mobile unit; and a wireless quality extraction unit for extracting communication quality information of the propagation path from the packets captured by the packet capture unit.

3. A measurement method performed by a measurement system having a base station, a mobile object, and other devices for measuring radio wave propagation characteristics, wherein the base station transmits radio wave packets, controls the frequency of transmitting the radio wave packets to the mobile object, receives the radio wave packets transmitted by the mobile object, the mobile object sets a plurality of radio wave measurement positions within a target area in which the propagation characteristics of the radio waves transmitted by the base station are measured, calculates a shortest route that passes through each of the measurement positions in order, moves the mobile object according to the calculated shortest route, receives the radio wave packets transmitted by the base station as the mobile object passes through each of the measurement positions, and transmits packets to the base station including the propagation characteristics of the received radio waves as feedback information, and the other devices capture the radio wave packets transmitted and received between the base station and the mobile object, and extracts communication quality information of the propagation path from the captured packets.

4. A measurement program executed by a device for measuring the propagation characteristics of radio waves transmitted between a base station and a mobile unit, the measurement program causing a computer to function as each part of the device having a packet capture unit for capturing packets using the radio waves transmitted between the base station and the mobile unit, and a wireless quality extraction unit for extracting communication quality information of the propagation path from the packets captured by the packet capture unit.

Images