Terminal, network device, wireless communication system, and wireless communication method

Abstract

This terminal comprises: a communication unit that executes communication with a first network and a second network; and a control unit that, when a specific condition relating to at least one of a congestion state and a quality state of the first network is satisfied, determines execution of communication with the second network.

Description

Terminal, network device, wireless communication system, and wireless communication method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal, a network device, a wireless communication system, and a wireless communication method that support connection to two or more networks.

[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)). 3GPP is also developing specifications for the next generation, known as Beyond 5G, 5G Evolution, or 6G.

[0003] Here, use cases of 5G are expected to include Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) (Non-Patent Document 1).

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

[0005] Generally, cellular networks that use public line networks provide best-effort services. Therefore, in environments where terminals are densely packed (such as concerts), if the traffic from terminals increases explosively, the minimum communication quality cannot be guaranteed, and terminals may be unable to make calls.

[0006] Similarly, even in the case of mission-critical communication services such as URLLC, if traffic related to the mission-critical communication services increases, it may become impossible to guarantee minimum communication quality (e.g., throughput, delay, number of simultaneous connections, etc.).

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a terminal, a network device, a wireless communication system, and a wireless communication method that can improve the guarantee of minimum communication quality.

[0008] The disclosed aspect is a terminal comprising a communication unit that performs communication with a first network and a second network, and a control unit that decides to perform communication with the second network when specific conditions related to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of the first network are satisfied.

[0009] The disclosed aspect is a network device comprising: a control unit that determines to execute communication between a second network and a terminal when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of a first network is satisfied; and a transmission unit that transmits an instruction or request to the second network or the terminal to execute communication between the second network and the terminal.

[0010] An aspect of the disclosure is a wireless communication system comprising a terminal that communicates with a first network and a second network, and a network device that communicates with the terminal or the second network, wherein at least one of the terminal and the network device comprises a control unit that determines to execute communication between the second network and the terminal when a specific condition relating to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of the first network is satisfied.

[0011] An aspect of the disclosure is a wireless communication system comprising a terminal and a base station that communicates with the terminal via a first network or a second network, wherein at least one of the terminal and the base station comprises a control unit that determines to execute communication between the second network and the terminal when a specific condition relating to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of the first network is satisfied.

[0012] The disclosed aspect is a wireless communication method comprising the steps of: performing communication with a first network and a second network; and determining to perform communication with the second network when a specific condition relating to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of the first network is satisfied.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall schematic configuration of a wireless communication system 10. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating frequency ranges used in a cellular network. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of radio frames, subframes, and slots used in a cellular network. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a UE 200. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of a network device 50. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 3. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 3. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 3. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 3. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 4. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 4. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 4. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 4. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 4. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 4. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 5. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 5. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 5. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating Operation Example 5. Fig. 20 is a diagram for explaining operation example 5. Fig. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the gNB 100 and the UE 200. Fig. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a vehicle 2001.

[0014] 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.

[0015] [Embodiment] (1) Overall Schematic Configuration of Wireless Communication System Fig. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a wireless communication system 10 according to an embodiment. The wireless communication system 10 includes a terminal 200 (hereinafter referred to as UE (User Equipment) 200), a first network 10A, and a second network 10B.

[0016] The first network 10A includes a radio access network 20A and a core network 30A. The radio access network 20A includes a base station 100A that performs radio communication with the UE 200. Note that the first network 10A may not include the radio access network 20A but may include the base station 100A. The first network 10A may not include the core network 30A. The base station 100A may be referred to as a NodeB (e.g., gNB) or an AP (Access Point) depending on the system of the first network 10A.

[0017] The second network 10B has a radio access network 20B and a core network 30B. The radio access network 20B includes a base station 100B that performs radio communication with the UE 200. Note that the second network 10B may not have the radio access network 20B but may have the base station 100B. The second network 10B may not have the core network 30B. The base station 100B may be referred to as a NodeB or an AP depending on the system of the second network 10B.

[0018] Here, the first network 10A and the second network 10B may have different wireless access methods. For example, the wireless access method may be a wireless access method of a cellular network called 5G, Beyond 5G, 5G Evolution, 6G, or the like, or a wireless access method different from the wireless access method of a cellular network (for example, a wireless access method conforming to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a Non-Public Network (NPN), Near Field Communication (NFC), WiMAX, Ultra-Wide Band (UWB), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), or the like).

[0019] For example, when the wireless access method is a cellular network wireless access method, the following configuration may be adopted.

[0020] First, the cellular network may support multiple frequency ranges (FR) as shown in Figure 2. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the cellular network may support FR1 and FR2. The frequency bands of each FR are as follows:

[0021] ・FR1: 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz ・FR2-1: 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz ・FR2-2: Over 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz FR1 may use a sub-carrier spacing (SCS) of 15, 30, or 60 kHz and a bandwidth (BW) of 5 to 100 MHz. FR2 is a higher frequency than FR1 and may use an SCS of 60 kHz or 120 kHz (including 240 kHz) and a bandwidth (BW) of 50 to 400 MHz.

[0022] Furthermore, cellular networks may also support higher frequency bands than the FR2 frequency band, specifically, frequency bands above 52.6 GHz up to 71 GHz or 114.25 GHz.

[0023] Second, the cellular network may correspond to the radio frames, subframes and slots shown in FIG.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, one slot consists of 14 symbols, and the larger (wider) the SCS, the shorter the symbol period (and slot period). In addition to 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, and 240 kHz, the SCS may also use 480 kHz, 960 kHz, etc.

[0025] Furthermore, the number of symbols constituting one slot does not necessarily have to be 14 (for example, 28 symbols or 56 symbols). Furthermore, the number of slots per subframe may differ depending on the SCS.

[0026] The time direction (t) shown in Fig. 3 may be called a time domain, a symbol period, a symbol time, etc. The frequency direction may be called a frequency domain, a resource block, a subcarrier, a bandwidth part (BWP), etc.

[0027] (2) Functional Block Configuration of Wireless Communication System The functional block configuration of the wireless communication system 10 will be described below.

[0028] First, the functional block configuration of the UE 200 will be described.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4 , the UE 200 includes a first communication unit 210, a second communication unit 220, and a control unit 230.

[0030] The first communication unit 210 communicates with the first network 10A. The first communication unit 210 may transmit a control signal to the first network 10A, or may receive a control signal from the first network 10A. The first communication unit 210 may transmit a data signal to the first network 10A, or may receive a data signal from the first network 10A.

[0031] The second communication unit 220 communicates with the second network 10B. The second communication unit 220 may transmit a control signal to the second network 10B, or may receive a control signal from the second network 10B. The second communication unit 220 may transmit a data signal to the second network 10B, or may receive a data signal from the second network 10B.

[0032] In the embodiment, the first communication unit 210 and the second communication unit 220 may constitute a communication unit that performs communication with the first network 10A and the second network 10B.

[0033] The control unit 230 controls each block constituting the UE 200. In the embodiment, the control unit 230 may be configured as a control unit that determines to execute communication with the second network 10B when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion state and the quality state of the first network 10A is satisfied.

[0034] Secondly, the functional block configuration of the network device 50 will be described. For example, the network device 50 is provided in the first network 10A or the second network 10B. That is, the network device 50 may be the base station 100A or may be a device provided in the core network 30A. The network device 50 may be the base station 100B or may be a device provided in the core network 30B. However, the network device 50 may be provided in a network different from the first network 10A and the second network 10B.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5, the network device 50 includes a receiving unit 51 , a transmitting unit 52 , and a control unit 53 .

[0036] The receiver 51 receives various signals from the UE 200, the first network 10A, or the second network 10B. The receiver 51 may receive a control signal or a data signal. For example, when the network device 50 is a gNB, the control signal may be interpreted as a PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and the data signal may be interpreted as a PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel).

[0037] The transmitter 52 transmits various signals to the first network 10A or the second network 10B. The transmitter 52 may transmit a control signal or a data signal. For example, if the network device 50 is a gNB, the control signal may be interpreted as a PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), and the data signal may be interpreted as a PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel).

[0038] In the embodiment, the transmitter 52 may constitute a transmitter that transmits to the second network 10B or the UE 200 an instruction or a request to perform communication between the second network and the terminal.

[0039] The control unit 130 controls each block constituting the network device 50. In an embodiment, the control unit 130 may be configured as a control unit that determines to execute communication with the second network 10B when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion state and the quality state of the first network 10A is satisfied.

[0040] (3) Issues Generally, cellular networks that use public line networks provide best-effort services. Therefore, in environments where terminals are densely packed (such as concerts), if the traffic of terminals increases explosively, it may not be possible to guarantee the minimum communication quality, and terminals may not be able to make calls.

[0041] Similarly, even in the case of mission-critical communication services such as URLLC (Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications), if traffic related to the mission-critical communication service increases, it may become impossible to guarantee minimum communication quality (e.g., throughput, delay, number of simultaneous connections, etc.).

[0042] (4) Operation Example In order to solve the above-described problem, the following operation may be performed. In the following, a case will be described in which the first network 10A is a network (e.g., a cellular network) that must guarantee a minimum communication quality. The second network 10B is a network to which at least a portion of the communication expected in the first network 10A is offloaded in order to guarantee the minimum communication quality in the first network 10A.

[0043] (4.1) Operation Example 1 In Operation Example 1, a case will be described in which the first network 10A and the second network 10B are operated in cooperation with each other. A case will be described in which the UE 200 can establish a connection with both the first network 10A and the second network 10B. In Operation Example 1, a case will be described in which communication executable in the first network 10A and communication executable in the second network 10B are selectively used. The following options are possible for Operation Example 1.

[0044] In option 1-1, the first network 10A may restrict communication of data signals (or data channels) and allow communication of control signals (or control channels), while the second network 10B may allow communication of data signals (or data channels) and control signals (or control channels).

[0045] In such a case, the first network 10A may transmit assistance information required for communication of the second network 10B to the second network 10B. For example, the assistance information may include measurement results reported from the UE 200 to the first network 10A. The measurement results may include measurement results of the first network 10A (e.g., Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) and Reference Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)) and measurement results of the second network 10B (e.g., RSRP and RSSI).

[0046] In option 1-2, the first network 10A may restrict communication of downlink signals (or downlink channels) and allow transmission / reception of uplink signals (or downlink channels). The second network may restrict communication of uplink signals (or downlink channels) and allow transmission / reception of downlink signals (or downlink channels).

[0047] In options 1-3, a first type of communication may be allowed in the first network 10A, and a second type of communication may be allowed in the second network 10B. The communication type may be high-speed, large-capacity, low-latency, multi-connection, general-purpose, or the like. Each of the first type and the second type may include two or more types. The first type and the second type may include different communication types or the same communication type. The communication types included in the first type and the second type may be determined based on one or more requirements satisfied by the first network 10A and the second network 10B. For example, the requirements may be conditions such as throughput, delay, number of simultaneous connections, etc. required for each communication type.

[0048] In options 1-4, in the first network 10A, communication for a first purpose may be permitted, and communication for a second purpose other than the first purpose may be restricted. In the second network 10B, communication for the second purpose may be permitted. In the second network 10B, communication for the first purpose may be restricted, and communication for the first purpose may be permitted. For example, the first purpose may be an emergency call or the like. The first purpose may be predetermined in the wireless communication system 10, may be set in the first network 10A, may be set in the second network 10B, or may be instructed in the first network 10A, or may be instructed in the second network 10B.

[0049] In the first operational example, two or more options selected from option 1-1 to option 1-4 may be combined.

[0050] (4.2) Operation Example 2 In Operation Example 2, a case will be described in which the first network 10A and the second network 10B are operated independently. The UE 200 may establish a connection with both the first network 10A and the second network 10B simultaneously, or the UE 200 may establish a connection with both the first network 10A and the second network 10B asynchronously. In Operation Example 2, a state in which the first network 10A and the UE 200 are communicating (or a state in which the UE 200 is connected to the first network 10A) may be assumed, or a state in which the first network 10A and the UE 200 are not communicating (or a state in which the UE 200 is not connected to the first network 10A) may be assumed.

[0051] In Operation Example 2, the UE 200 or the network device 50 determines to execute communication with the second network 10B when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion state and quality state of the first network 10A is satisfied. Executing communication with the second network 10B may include an operation of establishing a connection with the second network 10B (hereinafter referred to as a connection establishment operation), or an operation of executing, in the second network 10B, a part of the communication that is supposed to be executed with the first network 10A (hereinafter referred to as a CH / signal change operation). The CH / signal change operation may include the operation of Operation Example 1 described above. The following options may be considered as the specific condition:

[0052] In option 2-1, the specific condition may be a condition related to a congestion state of the first network 10A. The congestion state may be represented by the number of UEs 200 connected to the base station 100A of the first network 10A (hereinafter referred to as the number of connected UEs). For example, the specific condition may be that the number of connected UEs exceeds a threshold. The congestion state may be represented by the number of UEs 200 that the base station 100A of the first network 10A can support (hereinafter referred to as the capacity number). For example, the specific condition may be that the ratio of the number of connected UEs to the capacity number exceeds a threshold.

[0053] Here, the above-mentioned specific condition and threshold value may be instructed from the first network 10A or the second network 10B, or may be instructed from the UE 200 to the first network 10A or the second network 10B.

[0054] In Option 2-2, the specific condition may be a condition related to the quality state of the first network 10A. The quality state may be represented by RSRP or RSSI. For example, the specific condition may include a condition in which the quality state deteriorates below a threshold.

[0055] Here, the above-mentioned specific condition and threshold value may be instructed from the first network 10A or the second network 10B, or may be instructed from the UE 200 to the first network 10A or the second network 10B.

[0056] In option 2-3, the specific condition may be a condition in which the time it is expected that a signal will be communicated in the first network 10A (hereinafter, the expected time) exceeds a threshold. The expected time may be counted by a timer. The timer may be a timer dedicated to determining the specific condition, or may be an existing timer used in the first network 10A. The existing timer may be a timer that counts responses (ACK / NACK) to signals transmitted to the first network 10A, or may be a timer that counts responses (ACK / NACK) to signals received from the first network 10A.

[0057] In options 2-4, the specific condition may be a condition in which execution of communication with the second network 10B is instructed by the first network 10A or the second network. The instruction from the first network 10A or the second network may be implicit or explicit. The implicit instruction may be that the communication initiated by the UE 200 is communication expected in the second network. The communication expected in the second network may be predetermined in the wireless communication system 10, may be set in the first network 10A, may be set in the second network 10B, or may be instructed in the first network 10A, or may be instructed in the second network 10B. Although not particularly limited, the communication expected in the second network may be voice communication or data communication.

[0058] In options 2-5, the specific condition may be a condition under which the UE 200 requests to perform communication with the second network 10B. In such a case, the first network 10A or the second network may notify the UE 200 whether or not to permit the request of the UE 200. The request of the UE 200 may be implicit or explicit. The implicit request may be that the communication initiated by the UE 200 is communication assumed in the second network. The communication assumed in the second network may be predetermined in the wireless communication system 10, set in the first network 10A, set in the second network 10B, or instructed in the first network 10A or instructed in the second network 10B. The communication assumed in the second network may be, but is not limited to, a voice call or a data communication.

[0059] In option 2-6, when the UE 200 has established connections with both the first network 10A and the second network 10B, if it decides to perform communication with the second network 10B, the UE 200 may maintain the connection with the first network 10A.

[0060] In such a case, the number of UEs 200 that maintain a connection to the first network 10A may be equal to or less than the capacity of the base station 100A of the first network 10A. In other words, the number of UEs 200 that is equal to or less than the capacity of the base station 100A of the first network 10A maintains a connection to the first network 10A, and the remaining UEs 200 release their connections to the first network 10A. The UEs 200 may transition their connection states in response to an instruction from the first network 10A, or may transition their connection states autonomously in response to expiration of a timer that the UEs 200 have.

[0061] In option 2-7, the UE 200 may perform an initial access and connection establishment operation (e.g., an RRC connection request) to the second network 10B in the second network 10B when performing a connection establishment operation or a CH / signal change operation.

[0062] In options 2-8, when the UE 200 performs a connection establishment operation or a CH / signal change operation, the first network 10A may perform an initial access and connection establishment operation (e.g., an RRC connection request) to the second network 10B. In such a case, the first network 10A may forward the signal received from the UE 200 to the second network 10B.

[0063] In the second operational example, two or more options selected from option 2-1 to option 2-8 may be combined.

[0064] In operation example 2, the specific condition may be predetermined in the wireless communication system 10, may be set in the first network 10A, may be set in the second network 10B, may be instructed in the first network 10A, or may be instructed in the second network 10B.

[0065] (4.3) Operation Example 3 In Operation Example 3, the interface between the first network 10A and the second network 10B will be described.

[0066] Information about the first network 10A may be transferred to the second network 10B via the interface. The information about the first network 10A may include one or more pieces of information selected from system information broadcast in the first network 10A, measurement results reported from the UE 200 to the first network 10A, assistance information or assistance data required for communication in the second network 10B, signals (PDCCH, PDSCH) transmitted from the first network 10A to the UE 200, and signals (PUCCH, PUSCH) transmitted from the UE 200 to the first network 10A.

[0067] The measurement results reported from the UE 200 to the first network 10A may include the measurement results (RSRP, RSSI, etc.) of the first network 10A, and may also include the measurement results (RSRP, RSSI, etc.) of the second network 10B.

[0068] Information about the second network 10B may be transferred to the first network 10A via the interface. The information about the second network 10B may include one or more pieces of information selected from system information broadcast in the second network 10B, measurement results reported from the UE 200 to the second network 10B, assistance information or assistance data required for communication in the second network 10B, signals (PDCCH, PDSCH) transmitted from the second network 10B to the UE 200, and signals (PUCCH, PUSCH) transmitted from the UE 200 to the second network 10B.

[0069] In addition, the measurement results reported from the UE 200 to the second network 10B may include the measurement results (RSRP, RSSI, etc.) of the first network 10A, or may include the measurement results (RSRP, RSSI, etc.) of the second network 10B.

[0070] In option 3-1, the interface may be an interface between a base station 100A of a first network 10A and a base station 100B of a second network 10B, as shown in FIG.

[0071] In option 3-2, as shown in FIG. 7, the interface may be an interface between a device in a core network 30A of the first network 10A and a device in a core network 30B of the second network 10B.

[0072] In option 3-3, the interface may include an interface between a device in the core network 30A of the first network 10A and a base station 100B of the second network 10B, as shown in Figure 8. The interface may include an interface between a base station 100A of the first network 10A and a device in the core network 30B of the second network 10B.

[0073] In option 3-4, as shown in Fig. 9, the interface may be an interface relayed between the first network 10A and the second network 10B by the UE 200. The interface relayed by the UE 200 may use the U-Plane.

[0074] In options 3-5, no particular interface is defined, and depending on the implementation of the UE 200, information relating to the first network 10A and information relating to the second network 10B may be transferred.

[0075] Option 3-6 describes the timing of reporting information about the first network 10A and information about the second network 10B.

[0076] In option 3-6-1, the reporting timing may be the timing requested by the other party. That is, the reporting timing of information regarding the first network 10A may be the timing requested by the second network 10B. The reporting timing of information regarding the second network 10B may be the timing requested by the first network 10A.

[0077] In Option 3-6-2, the reporting timing may be a timing when a condition is satisfied. The condition may be predefined in the wireless communication system 10 or may be set in advance in the wireless communication system 10. The condition may be defined by one or more options. Which of the one or more options to apply may be instructed by the first network 10A, instructed by the second network 10B, or determined by various measurements.

[0078] In option 3-6-3, the reporting timing may be the expiration of a timer. The timer may be a timer that is started by reporting the information about the first network 10A and the information about the second network 10B. That is, the information about the first network 10A and the information about the second network 10B may be reported periodically.

[0079] In option 3-6-4, the reporting timing may be the timing set in operation example 1 or operation example 2.

[0080] In option 3-6-5, the reporting timing may be the timing when the UE 200 reconnects to the first network 10A, or the timing when the UE 200 reconnects to the second network 10B. That is, the reporting timing may be the timing when the connection state of the UE 200 is changed. For example, information about the first network 10A may be reported via the interface when the UE 200 reconnects to the first network 10A. Information about the second network 10B may be reported via the interface when the UE 200 reconnects to the second network 10B.

[0081] In option 3-6-6, the reporting timing may be the timing at which the measurement result is reported by the UE 200. The information about the first network 10A may include the measurement result or may include information other than the measurement result. The information about the second network 10B may include the measurement result or may include information other than the measurement result.

[0082] In option 3-7, the contents of the information about the first network 10A and the information about the second network 10B (hereinafter referred to as report contents) will be explained.

[0083] In option 3-7-1, the report content may include information about the quality status. The information about the quality status may include information about one or more elements selected from the serving cell, the serving AP, the non-serving cell, and the non-serving AP. The information about the one or more elements may include one or more pieces of information selected from received power (RSRP, RSSI, etc.), received quality (RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality)), CSI (Channel State Indicator), and interference amount.

[0084] In option 3-7-2, the report content may include information about transmission and reception timing, which may include TA (Timing Advance).

[0085] In option 3-7-3, the report content may include information indicating a congestion status. The information indicating a congestion status may include the number of connected UEs or the capacity number. That is, the information about the first network 10A may include the congestion status (number of connected UEs, capacity information, etc.) of the base station 100A of the first network 10A. The information about the second network 10B may include information about the base station 100B of the second network 10B (e.g., number of connected UEs, capacity number, etc.).

[0086] In option 3-7-4, the report content may include information for understanding the configuration of the other network. That is, the information about the first network 10A may include configuration information (e.g., identification information, geographical location information) of the base station 100A of the first network 10A. The information about the second network 10B may include information (e.g., identification information, geographical location information) of the base station 100B of the second network 10B.

[0087] In the operation example 3, two or more options selected from option 3-1 to option 3-7 may be combined.

[0088] (4.4) Operation Example 4 In Operation Example 4, a case is described in which the network device 50 is the entity that decides to execute communication to the second network 10B when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of the first network 10A is satisfied.

[0089] In the following, performing communication with the second network 10B may include a connection establishment operation or a CH / signal change operation. In Operation Example 4, Operation Example 1 may be assumed, or Operation Example 2 may be assumed. For Operation Example 4, the following options are considered.

[0090] In operation example 4-1, a case where a connection establishment operation and a CH / signal change operation are instructed will be described. A node that instructs a connection establishment operation and a CH / signal change operation may be referred to as a primary node. The primary node may be considered to be a node belonging to the first network 10A, or a node belonging to a network other than the first network 10A. The primary node may be referred to as a primary NW, primary TP (Transmission Point), primary RP (Reception Point), primary TRP (Transmission-Reception Point), or primary core. A node to which a connection establishment operation and a CH / signal change operation are instructed may be referred to as a secondary node. The secondary node may be considered to be a node belonging to the second network 10B. The secondary node may be referred to as a secondary NW, secondary TP, secondary RP, secondary TRP, or secondary core.

[0091] In Operation Example 4-1, the combination of the primary NW and the secondary NW may be determined by the priority of the networks that can be combined. The priority may be determined in advance in the wireless communication system 10, or may be determined by information transferred by the interface of Operation Example 3. The combination of the primary NW and the secondary NW may be determined by at least one of the quality status and congestion status of each of the networks that can be combined. The UE 200 may assume that measurements for determining the combination of the primary NW and the secondary NW are instructed. A capability for determining the combination of the primary NW and the secondary NW may be set in the UE 200 and each network.

[0092] In operation example 4-1, the primary NW and the secondary NW may be switched at the following timings: the timing when a timer of the primary NW or the secondary NW expires, the timing when the UE 200 reconnects to the primary NW or the secondary NW (the timing when the connection state of the UE 200 changes), and the timing requested by the UE 200 (for example, the timing when the communication service executed by the UE 200 is switched), and the timing may be one or a combination of two or more timings selected from the following.

[0093] The following options are possible for operation example 4-1.

[0094] In option 4-1-1, as shown in Fig. 10, in step S10, the primary node transmits a connection instruction / transmission / reception instruction for the secondary NW to the secondary node. The connection instruction is a message instructing a connection establishment operation, and the transmission / reception instruction is a message instructing a CH / signal change operation.

[0095] In step S11, the secondary node transmits a connection instruction / transmission / reception instruction to the UE.

[0096] In option 4-1-2, as shown in FIG. 11, in step S10, the primary node sends a connection instruction / transmission / reception instruction to the secondary node.

[0097] In step S12, the primary node transmits a connection instruction / transmission / reception instruction to the UE.

[0098] In operation example 4-2, a case where a connection establishment operation and a CH / signal change operation are requested will be described. A node that requests a connection establishment operation and a CH / signal change operation may be referred to as a primary node, and may be considered to be a node belonging to a network other than the first network 10A. A primary node may be considered to be a node belonging to the first network 10A. A primary node may be referred to as a primary NW, primary TP, primary RP, primary TRP, or primary core. A node that requests a connection establishment operation and a CH / signal change operation may be referred to as a secondary node. A secondary node may be considered to be a node belonging to the second network 10B. A secondary node may be referred to as a secondary NW, secondary TP, secondary RP, secondary TRP, or secondary core.

[0099] In operation example 4-2, UE 200 may be instructed to report information for determining whether to perform a connection establishment operation and a CH / signal change operation. The information for determining whether to perform a connection establishment operation and a CH / signal change operation may include at least a part of the report content described in option 3-7 of operation example 3.

[0100] The following options are possible for operation example 4-2.

[0101] In option 4-2-1, as shown in Fig. 12, in step S20, the primary node transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request for the secondary NW to the secondary node. The connection request is a message requesting a connection establishment operation, and the transmission / reception request is a message requesting a CH / signal change operation.

[0102] In step S21, the secondary node transmits a connection permission / transmission permission for the secondary NW to the primary node. The connection permission is a message that permits a connection establishment operation, and the transmission / reception permission is a message that permits a CH / signal change operation.

[0103] In step S22, the secondary node transmits a connection instruction / transmission / reception instruction to the UE.

[0104] In option 4-2-2, as shown in FIG. 13, in step S30, the primary node sends a connection request / transmission / reception request to the UE.

[0105] In step S31, the UE transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request to the secondary node.

[0106] In step S32, the secondary node transmits a connection permission / transmission / reception permission to the primary node.

[0107] In option 4-2-3, as shown in FIG. 14, in step S30, the primary node sends a connection request / transmission / reception request to the UE.

[0108] In step S31, the UE transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request to the secondary node.

[0109] In step S33, the secondary node transmits a connection permission / transmission / reception permission to the UE.

[0110] In step S34, the UE transmits a connection report / transmission / reception report to the primary node. The connection report is a message reporting that a connection establishment operation is permitted, and the transmission / reception report is a message reporting that a CH / signal change operation is permitted.

[0111] In option 4-2-4, as shown in FIG. 15, in step S30, the primary node sends a connection request / transmission / reception request to the UE.

[0112] In step S31, the UE transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request to the secondary node.

[0113] In step S33, the secondary node transmits a connection permission / transmission / reception permission to the UE.

[0114] That is, in option 4-2-4, compared to option 4-2-3, the transmission of the connection report / transmission / reception report (step S34 shown in FIG. 14) may be omitted.

[0115] As described above, in the fourth operation example, the UE 200 executes communication with the second network 10B in response to an instruction from the first network 10A or the second network 10B.

[0116] (4.5) Operation Example 5 In operation example 5, a case is described in which the UE 200 is the entity that decides to execute communication with the second network 10B when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of the first network 10A is satisfied.

[0117] In the following, the execution of communication with the second network 10B may include a connection establishment operation or a CH / signal change operation. In Operation Example 5, Operation Example 1 or Operation Example 2 may be assumed.

[0118] In operation example 5, a case will be described in which a connection establishment operation and a CH / signal change operation are requested from UE 200. A node to which UE 200 requests a connection establishment operation and a CH / signal change operation may be referred to as a primary node. The primary node may be a node belonging to the first network 10A, or may be considered to be a node belonging to a network other than the first network 10A. The primary node may be referred to as a primary NW, primary TP, primary RP, primary TRP, or primary core. A node to which the primary node requests a connection establishment operation and a CH / signal change operation may be referred to as a secondary node. The secondary node may be considered to be a node belonging to the second network 10B. The secondary node may be referred to as a secondary NW, secondary TP, secondary RP, secondary TRP, or secondary core.

[0119] In the fifth operation example, the combination of the primary network and the secondary network may be determined by the priority of the networks that can be combined. The priority may be determined in advance in the wireless communication system 10, or may be determined by information transferred by the interface of the third operation example. The combination of the primary network and the secondary network may be determined by at least one of the quality status and the congestion status of each of the networks that can be combined. The UE 200 may assume that measurements for determining the combination of the primary network and the secondary network are instructed. A capability for determining the combination of the primary network and the secondary network may be set in the UE 200 and each network.

[0120] In the operation example 5, the primary NW and the secondary NW may be switched at the following timings: the timing when a timer of the primary NW or the secondary NW expires, the timing when the UE 200 reconnects to the primary NW or the secondary NW (the timing when the connection state of the UE 200 changes), and the timing requested by the UE 200 (for example, the timing when the communication service executed by the UE 200 is switched), and the timing may be one or a combination of two or more timings selected from the following.

[0121] In the fifth operation example, the UE 200 may be instructed to report information for determining a combination of a primary network or a secondary network. The information for determining a combination of a primary network or a secondary network may include at least a part of the report content described in option 3-7 of the third operation example. The timing at which the UE 200 reports the information may be periodic or aperiodic. The periodic timing may be when a timer expires. The aperiodic timing may be when a measurement result of the first network 10A falls below a threshold, when initial access to the first network 10A or the second network 10B is made, or when the connection state of the UE 200 is changed.

[0122] As operation example 5, the following options are possible.

[0123] In option 5-1, as shown in FIG. 16, in step S40, the UE transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request for the primary NW and secondary NW to the primary node.

[0124] In step S41, the primary node transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request to the secondary NW to the secondary node.

[0125] In step S42, the secondary node transmits a connection permission / transmission / reception permission for the secondary NW to the primary node.

[0126] In option 5-2, as shown in FIG. 17, in step S40, the UE transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request for the primary NW and secondary NW to the primary node.

[0127] In step S41, the primary node transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request to the secondary NW to the secondary node.

[0128] In step S43, the secondary node transmits a connection permission / transmission / reception permission for the secondary NW to the UE.

[0129] In step S44, the UE transmits a connection report / transmission / reception report indicating that it has received connection permission / transmission / reception permission from the secondary NW to the primary node.

[0130] In option 5-3, as shown in FIG. 18, in step S40, the UE transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request for the primary NW and secondary NW to the primary node.

[0131] In step S41, the primary node transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request to the secondary NW to the secondary node.

[0132] In step S43, the secondary node transmits a connection permission / transmission / reception permission for the secondary NW to the UE.

[0133] That is, in option 5-3, compared to option 5-2, the transmission of the connection report / transmission / reception report (step S44 shown in FIG. 17) may be omitted.

[0134] In option 5-4, as shown in FIG. 19, in step S50, the UE transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request for the primary network to the primary node, and transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request for the secondary network to the secondary node.

[0135] In step S51, the secondary node transmits a connection permission / transmission / reception permission for the secondary NW to the UE.

[0136] In step S52, the primary node transmits a connection permission / transmission / reception permission for the primary NW to the UE.

[0137] In option 5-5, as shown in FIG. 20, in step S50, the UE transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request for the primary network to the primary node, and transmits a connection request / transmission / reception request for the secondary network to the secondary node.

[0138] In step S53, the secondary node transmits a connection permission / transmission / reception permission for the secondary NW to the primary node.

[0139] In step S54, the primary node transmits connection permission / transmission / reception permission for the primary NW and the secondary NW to the UE.

[0140] As described above, in the fifth operation example, the UE 200 autonomously requests communication with the second network 10B without following instructions from the first network 10A or the second network 10B.

[0141] (5) Actions and Effects In the embodiment, in order to guarantee a minimum communication quality (e.g., throughput, delay, number of simultaneous connections, etc.) in the first network 10A, at least a part of the communication expected in the first network 10A is offloaded to the second network 10B. With this configuration, it is possible to improve the guarantee of the minimum communication quality in the first network 10A.

[0142] In the first operational example, communication executable in the first network 10A and communication executable in the second network 10B are selectively used. This configuration clarifies a mechanism for offloading at least a part of the communication expected in the first network 10A to the second network 10B, and makes it possible to appropriately improve the guarantee of the minimum communication quality in the first network 10A.

[0143] In the second operation example, the UE 200 or the network device 50 determines to execute communication with the second network 10B when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion state and the quality state of the first network 10A is satisfied. According to this configuration, by executing the operation of offloading at least a part of the communication expected in the first network 10A to the second network 10B only when necessary, it is possible to appropriately improve the guarantee of the minimum communication quality in the first network 10A while avoiding the complexity of the operation of the UE 200.

[0144] In Operation Example 3, the interface between the first network 10A and the second network 10B is clarified. With this configuration, it is possible to transfer information required in Operation Example 1 or Operation Example 2, and the operations of Operation Example 1 or Operation Example 2 can be executed appropriately.

[0145] In the fourth operational example, the network side takes the initiative in offloading at least a part of the communications expected in the first network 10A to the second network 10B. This configuration makes it possible to improve the guarantee of the minimum communication quality in the first network 10A depending on the situation on the network side.

[0146] In the fifth operation example, the UE 200 takes the initiative in offloading at least a part of the communication assumed in the first network 10A to the second network 10B. With this configuration, it is possible to improve the guarantee of the minimum communication quality in the first network 10A depending on the status of the communication service executed by the UE 200.

[0147] (6) Other Embodiments The contents of the present invention have been described above in accordance with the embodiments, but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to these descriptions and that various modifications and improvements are possible.

[0148] In the above disclosure, the first network 10A is mainly a cellular network. However, the above disclosure is not limited to this. The first network 10A may be a network using a wireless access method other than a cellular network (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NPN, NFC, WiMAX, UWB, RFID).

[0149] In the above disclosure, the UE 200 or the network device 50 determines to execute communication with the second network 10B when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of the first network 10A is satisfied. However, the above disclosure is not limited to this. The UE 200 or the network device 50 may determine to execute communication with the second network 10B when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of the first network 10A (hereinafter referred to as the first specific condition) is satisfied and a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of the second network 10B (hereinafter referred to as the second specific condition) is satisfied. The second specific condition may include a condition that the congestion status of the second network 10B is better than a reference status, or may include a condition that the quality status of the second network 10B is better than a reference status.

[0150] The block diagrams (FIGS. 4 and 5) used to explain 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 directly or indirectly connected (e.g., wired, wireless, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may be realized by combining software with the single device or multiple devices.

[0151] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, judgment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, election, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, regard, 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.

[0152] Furthermore, the above-described network device 50 and UE 200 (the device) may function as a computer that performs processing of the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Fig. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the device. As shown in Fig. 21, the device may be configured as a computer 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.

[0153] 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.

[0154] Each functional block of the device (see FIG. 4) is realized by any hardware element of the computer device or a combination of the hardware elements.

[0155] In addition, each function of the device is realized by loading specified software (programs) onto hardware such as processor 1001 and memory 1002, causing processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication via communication device 1004, and control at least one of reading and writing data in memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0156] 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.

[0157] 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.

[0158] 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.

[0159] 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.

[0160] 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.

[0161] 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).

[0162] 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).

[0163] 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.

[0164] 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.

[0165] 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.

[0166] 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), 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 enhanced based on these. Furthermore, a combination of multiple systems (e.g., a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A and 5G) may also be applied.

[0167] 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.

[0168] In the present disclosure, a specific operation described as being performed by a base station may 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 (for example, an MME or an 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 (for example, an MME and an S-GW) may also be used.

[0169] 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 / output via multiple network nodes.

[0170] 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. The output information may be deleted. The input information may be transmitted to another device.

[0171] 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).

[0172] 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).

[0173] 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.

[0174] 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.

[0175] 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.

[0176] 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.

[0177] As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0178] 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.

[0179] 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.

[0180] 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.

[0181] 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)).

[0182] 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.

[0183] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," "terminal," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0184] 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.

[0185] 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.

[0186] 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.

[0187] 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.

[0188] A radio frame may be made up of one or more frames in the time domain, each of which may be called a subframe.

[0189] A subframe may further be composed of one or more slots in the time domain, and may have a fixed time length (e.g., 1 ms) that is independent of numerology.

[0190] 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.

[0191] A slot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain (such as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbols, etc.) A slot may be a time unit based on numerology.

[0192] A slot may include multiple minislots. Each minislot may consist of one or multiple 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.

[0193] 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.

[0194] 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 referred to as a slot, minislot, etc. instead of a subframe.

[0195] 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.

[0196] 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.

[0197] 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. Furthermore, the number of slots (minislots) constituting the minimum time unit for scheduling may be controlled.

[0198] A TTI having a time length of 1 ms may be called 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 called a shortened TTI, short TTI, partial or fractional TTI, shortened subframe, short subframe, minislot, subslot, slot, etc.

[0199] 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.

[0200] 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.

[0201] 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. One TTI, one subframe, etc. may each be composed of one or more resource blocks.

[0202] 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.

[0203] 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.

[0204] 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.

[0205] 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.

[0206] At least one of the configured BWPs may be active, and the UE may not expect to transmit or receive a predetermined signal / channel outside the active BWP. Note that the terms "cell," "carrier," etc. in this disclosure may be read as "BWP."

[0207] The above-described structures of radio frames, subframes, slots, minislots, symbols, etc. 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, etc. may be variously changed.

[0208] 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.

[0209] The reference signal may also be abbreviated as Reference Signal (RS) and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0210] 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."

[0211] The "means" in the configuration of each of the above devices may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0212] 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.

[0213] 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.

[0214] 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.

[0215] 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.

[0216] 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."

[0217] Fig. 22 shows an example of the configuration of a vehicle 2001. As shown in Fig. 22, 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.

[0218] The drive unit 2002 is composed of, for example, an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor.

[0219] 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.

[0220] The electronic control unit 2010 is composed of a microprocessor 2031, a memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and a communication port (IO port) 2033. Signals are input to the electronic control unit 2010 from various sensors 2021 to 2027 provided in the vehicle. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0221] 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.

[0222] 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 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 obtained 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.

[0223] 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.

[0224] 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.

[0225] 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.

[0226] The communication module 2013 transmits, via wireless communication to an external device, a current signal from the current sensor that is input to the electronic control unit 2010. The communication module 2013 also transmits, via wireless communication to an external device, the rotation speed signals of the front and rear wheels acquired by a rotation speed sensor 2022, the air pressure signals of the front and rear wheels acquired by an air pressure sensor 2023, the vehicle speed signal acquired by a vehicle speed sensor 2024, the acceleration signal acquired by an acceleration sensor 2025, the accelerator pedal depression amount signal acquired by an accelerator pedal sensor 2029, the brake pedal depression amount signal acquired by a brake pedal sensor 2026, the shift lever operation signal acquired by a shift lever sensor 2027, and the detection signals for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc. acquired by an object detection sensor 2028, all of which are input to the electronic control unit 2010.

[0227] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, traffic signal information, vehicle distance information, etc.) transmitted from external devices and displays it on an information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle. The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from the 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, axle 2009, sensors 2021 to 2028, and the like provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0228] 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.

[0229] (Additional Note) The above disclosure may be expressed as follows.

[0230] The first feature is a terminal including a communication unit that performs communication with a first network and a second network, and a control unit that decides to perform communication with the second network when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of the first network is satisfied.

[0231] A second feature is the terminal based on the first feature, wherein the control unit executes communication with the second network in response to an instruction from the first network or the second network.

[0232] A third feature is the terminal based on the first feature, wherein the control unit autonomously requests communication with the second network without following an instruction from the first network or the second network.

[0233] A fourth feature is a network device comprising: a control unit that determines to execute communication between a second network and a terminal when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of a first network is satisfied; and a transmission unit that transmits an instruction or request to the second network or the terminal to execute communication between the second network and the terminal.

[0234] A fifth feature is a wireless communication system comprising a terminal that communicates with a first network and a second network, and a network device that communicates with the terminal or the second network, wherein at least one of the terminal and the network device comprises a control unit that determines to execute communication between the second network and the terminal when a specific condition related to at least one of a congestion state and a quality state of the first network is satisfied.

[0235] A sixth feature is a wireless communication method comprising the steps of: performing communication with a first network and a second network; and determining to perform communication with the second network when a specific condition related to at least one of a congestion state and a quality state of the first network is satisfied.

[0236] 10 Wireless communication system 10A First network 10B Second network 20A, 20B Wireless access network 30A, 30B Core network 50 Network device 51 Receiving unit 52 Transmitting unit 53 Control unit 100A, 100B Base station 200 UE 210 First communication unit 220 Second communication 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 section 2013 Communication module 2021 Current sensor 2022 RPM 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 terminal comprising: a communication unit that performs communication with a first network and a second network; and a control unit that decides to perform communication with the second network when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of the first network is satisfied.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes communication with the second network in response to an instruction from the first network or the second network.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control unit autonomously requests communication with the second network without being instructed by the first network or the second network.

4. A network device comprising: a control unit that decides to execute communication between a second network and a terminal when a specific condition related to at least one of the congestion status and quality status of a first network is satisfied; and a transmission unit that transmits an instruction or request to the second network or the terminal to execute communication between the second network and the terminal.

5. A wireless communication system comprising: a terminal that communicates with a first network and a second network; and a network device that communicates with the terminal or the second network, wherein at least one of the terminal and the network device comprises a control unit that determines to execute communication between the second network and the terminal when a specific condition relating to at least one of a congestion status and a quality status of the first network is satisfied.

6. A wireless communication method comprising: a step of performing communication with a first network and a second network; and a step of deciding to perform communication with the second network when a specific condition related to at least one of a congestion status and a quality status of the first network is satisfied.

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