Base station, MEC device, wireless power delivery system, and method for controlling base station antenna

Abstract

Provided is a wireless power delivery system capable of achieving a power supply service with which it is possible to supply power to each of a plurality of object devices in real time with low delay. This wireless power delivery system comprises a base station and an MEC device. The MEC device: acquires, via the base station, object-related information including at least one of information relating to an object device and information relating to a user of the object device for each of a plurality of object devices; generates, on the basis of the object-related information, power supply control information for forming a beam at a base station antenna and wirelessly supplying power to the plurality of object devices; and transmits the power supply control information to the base station. The base station receives the power supply control information from the MEC device, forms the beam on the basis of the power supply control information, and transmits a transmission signal for wireless power delivery to the plurality of object devices via the beam.

Description

Base station, MEC device, wireless power transmission system, and base station antenna control method

[0001] The present invention relates to a base station capable of wireless power supply, an MEC device, a wireless power transmission system, and a method for controlling a base station antenna.

[0002] Conventionally, a communication system is known in which communication is performed between a base station (communication relay device) and a terminal device (target device) using at least a part of a plurality of radio resources set in a radio frame (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Also, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses wireless communication between a gNB, which is a base station of a mobile communication system, and a tag, which is an IoT device (target device).

[0003] International Publication No. 2017 / 164220

[0004] 3GPP TSG RAN Meeting #98-e RP-222918, E-meeting, December 12th-16th, 2022, "Views on Ambient IoT"

[0005] In conventional communication systems, terminal devices that connect to base stations and communicate primarily use power supplied from built-in batteries. These terminal devices require the cumbersome task of charging the built-in battery when the remaining battery power is low. Furthermore, terminal devices that use power supplied from a wired power line rather than a built-in battery are limited to use in locations where such a power line is available. Thus, there is a lack of a power supply infrastructure capable of supplying power to the various terminal devices that connect to base stations and communicate.

[0006] In the fifth generation and subsequent next-generation mobile communication systems, a rapid increase in target devices (e.g., user devices, sensors, IoT devices, tags, etc.) that connect to base stations and communicate is expected, and the development of communication infrastructure to handle the huge amount of traffic is underway. However, a power supply infrastructure capable of supplying power to the huge number of target devices that communicate as described above remains underdeveloped.

[0007] Furthermore, in the case of a power supply infrastructure that supplies power to a large number of target devices, challenges include effectively supplying power to each of the multiple target devices, realizing a power supply service that can supply power to each target device in real time with low latency, and providing an autonomous, distributed base station in which multiple base stations that can autonomously supply power to each target device are distributed.

[0008] A wireless power transmission system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a base station capable of communicating with each of a plurality of target devices via a base station antenna, and an MEC device connected to the base station, to a node in a core network of a mobile communication network, or to a node on a path between the core network and the base station. The MEC device acquires, for each of the plurality of target devices, object-related information including at least one of information about the target device and information about a user of the target device, generates power supply control information for forming beams with the base station antenna to wirelessly supply power to the plurality of target devices based on the object-related information, and transmits the power supply control information to the base station. The base station receives the power supply control information from the MEC device, forms the beams based on the power supply control information, and transmits transmission signals for wireless power transmission to the plurality of target devices via the beams.

[0009] In the wireless power transmission system, the target-related information may include at least one of status information for each of the plurality of target devices and status information for each user of the plurality of target devices, and the power supply control information may include beam direction indication information that indicates the direction of the beam.

[0010] In the wireless power transmission system, the beam direction instruction information may include a priority heat map capable of identifying the positions of the plurality of target devices and the priority of wireless power supply to the plurality of target devices, and the MEC device may assign a weight to each of the plurality of target devices or each user of the plurality of target devices based on the target-related information, and create the priority heat map based on position information of each of the plurality of target devices and information on the weight assigned to each of the plurality of target devices or each of the plurality of users.

[0011] In the wireless power transmission system, the target-related information may include information on a plurality of tokens for using a power supply service issued to each of the plurality of target devices or to each user of the plurality of target devices, information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices, and location information of each of the plurality of target devices, and the MEC device may assign the weight based on the information on the plurality of tokens and the information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices.

[0012] In the wireless power transmission system, for each of a plurality of target devices present in the cell of the base station, when the number of tokens issued to the target device or its user is Nt, the total number of tokens for the plurality of target devices present in the cell is N0, the remaining battery charge of the target device is Br, the total remaining battery charge of the plurality of target devices present in the cell is B0, the coefficient for the tokens is C1, the coefficient for the remaining battery charge is C2, and the adjustment value of the weight is α, the weight W may be calculated using the following equation (1).

[0013] In the wireless power transmission system, each of the multiple MEC devices may transfer and record usage history information of wireless power supply from the base station corresponding to the MEC device to the multiple target devices to a distributed ledger constructed in a blockchain network system or a server provided in the core network of a mobile communication network or an external network.

[0014] The wireless power transmission system may include multiple sets of the base station and the MEC device, and may include a blockchain network system to which the multiple MEC devices are connected, and a distributed ledger may be constructed in the blockchain network system using the computing areas of the multiple MEC devices.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an MEC apparatus connected to the base station, to a node in a core network of a mobile communication network, or to a node on a path between the core network and the base station, the MEC apparatus comprising: means for acquiring, for each of the plurality of target devices, object-related information including at least one of information about the target device and information about a user of the target device; means for generating, based on the object-related information, power supply control information for forming a beam with a base station antenna and wirelessly supplying power to the plurality of target devices; and means for transmitting the power supply control information to the base station.

[0016] In the MEC device, the target-related information may include at least one of status information for each of the plurality of target devices and status information for each user of the plurality of target devices, and the power supply control information may include beam direction indication information that indicates the direction of the beam.

[0017] In the MEC device, the beam direction instruction information may include a priority heat map capable of identifying the positions of the plurality of target devices and the priority of wireless power supply to the plurality of target devices, and the MEC device may comprise: a means for assigning a weight to each of the plurality of target devices or each user of the plurality of target devices based on the target-related information; and a means for creating the priority heat map based on position information of each of the plurality of target devices and information on the weight assigned to each of the plurality of target devices or each user of the plurality of target devices.

[0018] In the MEC device, the target-related information may include information on a plurality of tokens for using the power supply service issued to each of the plurality of target devices or to each user of the plurality of target devices, information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices, and location information of each of the plurality of target devices, and the MEC device may be provided with a means for assigning the weight based on the information on the plurality of tokens and the information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices.

[0019] In the MEC device, for each of a plurality of target devices present in the cell of the base station, when the number of tokens issued to the target device or its user is Nt, the total number of tokens for the plurality of target devices present in the cell is N0, the remaining battery charge of the target device is Br, the total remaining battery charge of the plurality of target devices present in the cell is B0, the coefficient for the token is C1, the coefficient for the remaining battery charge is C2, and the adjustment value of the weight is α, the weight W may be calculated using the following equation (2).

[0020] The MEC device may be provided with a means for transferring and recording usage history information of wireless power supply from the base station corresponding to the MEC device to the plurality of target devices to a distributed ledger constructed in a blockchain network system or a server provided in the core network of a mobile communication network or an external network.

[0021] In the MEC device, the computing area of ​​the MEC device may be used to build a distributed ledger in a blockchain network system to which multiple MEC devices are connected.

[0022] A base station according to yet another aspect of the present invention is a base station capable of communicating with each of a plurality of target devices via a base station antenna, and includes: means for receiving power supply control information for forming beams with the base station antenna and wirelessly supplying power to the plurality of target devices from an MEC device connected to a node in a core network of a mobile communication network or a node on a path between the core network and the base station; and means for forming the beams based on the power supply control information and transmitting transmission signals for wireless power transmission to the plurality of target devices via the beams.

[0023] In the base station, the power supply control information may include beam direction instruction information that indicates a direction of the beam. Also, the power supply control information may be generated by the MEC device based on object-related information that includes at least one of status information of each of the plurality of target devices and status information of each of users of the plurality of target devices.

[0024] In the base station, the beam direction instruction information may include a priority heat map capable of identifying positions of the plurality of target devices and priorities of wireless power feeding to the plurality of target devices.

[0025] A method for controlling a base station antenna according to yet another aspect of the present invention includes acquiring, via a base station, target-related information for each of a plurality of target devices, the target-related information including at least one of information about the target device and information about a user of the target device; generating power supply control information based on the target-related information for forming beams with the base station antenna to wirelessly supply power to the plurality of target devices; and forming the beams based on the power supply control information.

[0026] In the base station antenna control method, the target-related information may include at least one of status information for each of the plurality of target devices and status information for each user of the plurality of target devices, and the power supply control information may include beam direction instruction information that indicates the direction of the beam.

[0027] In the base station antenna control method, the beam direction instruction information may include a priority heat map capable of identifying the positions of the plurality of target devices and the priority of wireless power supply to the plurality of target devices, and the control method may include assigning a weight to each of the plurality of target devices or each of users of the plurality of target devices based on the target-related information, and creating the priority heat map based on position information of each of the plurality of target devices and information on the weight assigned to each of the plurality of target devices or each of the plurality of users.

[0028] In the base station antenna control method, the target-related information may include information on a plurality of tokens for using a power supply service issued to each of the plurality of target devices or to each user of the plurality of target devices, information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices, and location information of each of the plurality of target devices, and the control method may include assigning the weight based on the information on the plurality of tokens and the information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices.

[0029] In the base station antenna control method, for each of a plurality of target devices present in the cell of a base station, when the number of tokens issued to the target device or its user is Nt, the total number of tokens for the plurality of target devices present in the cell is N0, the remaining battery charge of the target device is Br, the total remaining battery charge of the plurality of target devices present in the cell is B0, the coefficient for the tokens is C1, the coefficient for the remaining battery charge is C2, and the adjustment value of the weight is α, the weight W may be calculated using the following equation (3).

[0030] The program used to generate the power supply control information (beam direction instruction information), assign the weights, and create the priority heat map may be a trained model created by machine learning.

[0031] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to effectively supply power to each of a plurality of target devices. According to another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize a power supply service that can supply power to a plurality of target devices in real time with low latency. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an autonomous distributed base station in which a plurality of base stations that can autonomously supply power to a plurality of target devices are distributed.

[0032] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a schematic overall configuration of a system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of various information transmitted and received in base station antenna control in a system according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a control procedure for a base station antenna in a system according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the amplitude and phase of a signal supplied to each antenna element of a base station antenna in a system according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of information transmitted and received between a blockchain network (BCN) system, an MEC device, and a target device (IoT terminal) in a method for assigning weights and creating a priority heat map in a system according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of wireless power transmission to a target device (IoT terminal) via a blockchain network (BCN) system, an MEC device, and a base station in a system according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a blockchain network (BCN) system and a distributed ledger in a system according to an embodiment.

[0033] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The system according to the embodiment described herein is a wireless power transmission system that can effectively supply power to each of multiple target devices (e.g., IoT terminals) by linking a blockchain network (BCN) system or server, a base station of a mobile communication network that can communicate with target devices (e.g., IoT terminals, IoT tags), and an MEC device. Furthermore, in the system of this embodiment, a wireless power transmission beam (hereinafter also referred to as a "WPT beam") is directed toward each of the multiple target devices, thereby effectively supplying power from the base station to each target device. Furthermore, in the system of this embodiment, autonomous distributed control by the MEC device can be used to realize a power supply service that can supply power to multiple target devices in real time with low latency. Furthermore, in the system of this embodiment, autonomous distributed control by the MEC device can be used to provide an autonomous distributed base station in which multiple base stations that can autonomously supply power to multiple target devices are distributed.

[0034] Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a system according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of various information transmitted and received in base station antenna control of the system. The system according to this embodiment includes a cellular base station 10 that forms a communication area (cell) 10A, and an MEC device 20. The system according to this embodiment may further include a target device 30 that is connected to the base station 10 when present in the communication area 10A and is capable of wireless communication with the base station 10.

[0035] 1, 2, and the example systems in the figures described below, six target devices 30(1) to 30(3) and 30(n) to 30(n+2) are located in the communication area (cell) 10A of the base station 10, but the number of target devices 30 may be one to five, or seven or more. When multiple target devices need to be distinguished from one another, they are assigned identification numbers such as target devices 30(1) to 30(3), and when describing a single target device or matters common to multiple target devices, the description will be given without assigning identification numbers.

[0036] The base station 10 is, for example, a base station (e.g., eNodeB, gNodeB) that complies with the standard of a mobile communication system such as the fifth generation currently used in mobile communications or the standard of a mobile communication system of a later generation (e.g., B5G (Beyond 5G) or 6G) . The base station 10 has a function of performing DL (downlink) and UL (uplink) communications with the target device 30, as well as a function as a wireless power transmission device for WPT to the target device 30. Therefore, in the following description of the embodiment, the base station 10 is also referred to as a "WPT mobile communication base station." The wireless medium for communication between the base station 10 and the target device 30 and for WPT from the base station 10 to the target device 30 is, for example, microwave or millimeter wave radio waves.

[0037] The base station 10 includes an array antenna (hereinafter also referred to as a "WPT antenna") 110 as a base station antenna that can be used for wireless power transmission (WPT). The base station antenna (array antenna) 110 is a large-aperture (e.g., several tens of cm x several tens of cm) antenna (rectenna array) having multiple antenna elements arranged two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally. When wireless power transmission (WPT) is performed, the transmission power of each of the multiple antenna elements of the base station antenna (array antenna) 110 is, for example, several hundreds of μW to several tens of mW.

[0038] The base station antenna (array antenna) 110 may also be used as an antenna device for performing communication with a plurality of target devices 30 using a massive MIMO (mMIMO) transmission method via microwave or millimeter wave radio waves.

[0039] All or part of the communication area (cell) 10A of the base station 10 is a wireless power transmission area (hereinafter referred to as a "WPT area") that can supply power via a focused beam 10B formed by beamforming from the base station 10 toward the target device 30. When the radio waves for power supply transmitted from the base station 10 toward the target device 30 located about 10 m away are millimeter waves, the electric field in the WPT area is a near field, not a far field.

[0040] The base station 10 receives object-related information about the target device 30 from the target device 30 through UL communication with the target device 30 and transfers it to the MEC device 20. When a plurality of target devices 30(1) to 30(3) and 30(n) to 30(n+2) are present in a communication area (cell) 10A as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the base station 10 receives object-related information about each target device 30 from the target device 30 through UL communication with each of the plurality of target devices 30(1) to 30(3) and 30(n) to 30(n+2) and transfers it to the MEC device 20.

[0041] The target-related information is, for example, information including at least one of status information of the target device 30 and status information of the user who owns the target device 30 (hereinafter also referred to as "terminal / user status information"). The status information of the target device 30 is information such as location information of the target device 30, information on the remaining battery capacity, and the number of tokens issued to the target device 30. The status information of the user is information such as the number of tokens issued to the user.

[0042] The token is a token for using the WPT power supply service issued to the target device 30 or to each user of the target device 30. The token can be used as a billing element (a billable object) for the usage fee for using the WPT power supply service. The token may be an NFT (non-fungible token), which is non-fungible digital data on a blockchain.

[0043] The base station 10 may acquire location information of the target device 30 by transmitting and receiving signals via short-range communication with the target device 30 located in the vicinity of the base station 10, and by measuring the direction of the target device 30 and the distance between the target device 30 and the base station 10 to identify the location of the target device 30. Examples of wireless communication methods for short-range communication include the BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication method, or a communication method using UWB (ultra-wideband) radio waves as a wireless medium. UWB is a communication technology using weak radio waves in a wide band (e.g., a bandwidth of several hundred megahertz centered on any frequency in the several gigahertz band) and is defined in IEEE 802.15.4. Furthermore, the direction of the target device 30 and the distance between the target device 30 and the base station 10 may be measured using a radio wave reception angle (AoA: Angle of Arrival) detection method, a TDOA (Time Difference Of Arrival) method, or the like.

[0044] The position of the target device 30 may be identified by capturing an image of the periphery of the base station 10 using a single or multiple cameras (imaging means) installed in the base station 10 and analyzing the captured image. For example, the angle of the direction of the target device 30 (angle from a predetermined reference direction) and the distance to the target device 30 may be estimated on the image captured by the base station 10, and the position of the target device 30 may be identified based on the estimation result.

[0045] The base station 10 may acquire location information of the target device 30 via a fixed terminal device (e.g., an IoT device) that is installed at known position coordinates in the vicinity of the target device 30 and is capable of communicating with the base station 10. The fixed terminal device, for example, transmits and receives signals via short-range communication with the target device 30 located in the vicinity of the fixed terminal device, and determines the location of the target device 30 by measuring the direction of the target device 30 and the distance between the target device 30 and the base station 10. The fixed terminal device transmits the location information of the target device 30 to the base station 10.

[0046] The fixed terminal device has a first communication function for wirelessly communicating with a base station 10 using a first wireless communication method for mobile communication, and a second communication function for wirelessly communicating with a target device 30 using a second wireless communication method. The second wireless communication method is a short-range communication method such as the BLE communication method or a communication method using UWB (ultra-wideband) radio waves as the wireless medium. The IoT device serving as the fixed terminal device is, for example, a fixed sensor (e.g., a temperature and humidity sensor, an illuminance sensor, a human presence sensor, etc.). The fixed terminal device may be, for example, a fixed access point device with a wireless connection (e.g., a wireless LAN connection) fixedly disposed within a communication area (cell) 10A or an area nearby, or a terminal device (UE) such as a smartphone serving as a mobile station for mobile communication that functions as a base station for the target device (slave) 30.

[0047] The position of the fixed terminal device may be identified by capturing an image of the periphery of the base station 10 using a single or multiple cameras (imaging means) installed in the base station 10 and analyzing the captured image. For example, the angle of the direction of the fixed terminal device (angle from a predetermined reference direction) and the distance to the fixed terminal device may be estimated on the image captured by the base station 10, and the position of the fixed terminal device may be identified based on the estimation result.

[0048] The MEC device 20 is a server (hereinafter also referred to as "MEC") having MEC (short for "multi-access edge computing" or "mobile edge computing") functions that allocates computer resources in a location close to the base station 10 and processes various services. The MEC device 20 is connected, for example, to a node in a core network 40 of a mobile communication network or to a node on a path between the core network 40 and the base station 10. In the example of FIG. 1, the MEC device 20 is connected to a UPF (User Plane Function) 401 located on the base station side of the core network 40. The UPF 401 is a U-plane node that transfers user data packets.

[0049] The MEC device 20 has a WPT control function for controlling WPT power supply by wireless power transmission from the base station 10 to a target device. The WPT control includes, for example, acquiring and processing target-related information (e.g., terminal / user status information) regarding the target device 30 that is a target of WPT power supply, selecting the target device 30 that is a target of WPT power supply, and determining the scheduling of WPT power supply.

[0050] 1 and 2 , the MEC device 20 acquires object-related information (e.g., terminal / user status information) for each of the plurality of target devices 30(1) to 30(3) and 30(n) to 30(n+2) via the base station 10, and autonomously generates power supply control information for forming beams 10B(1) and 10B(n) with the base station antenna 110 and wirelessly supplying power to the plurality of target devices 30(1) to 30(3) and 30(n) to 30(n+2) based on the object-related information, and transmits the power supply control information to the base station 10. The power supply control information includes, for example, beam direction instruction information (e.g., a priority heat map, described later) that indicates the direction of the beams 10B(1) and 10B(n).

[0051] The base station 10 receives power supply control information from the MEC device 20, performs WPT beamforming to form beams 10B(1) and 10B(n) based on the power supply control information, and transmits transmission signals for wireless power transmission to a plurality of target devices 30(1) to 30(3), 30(n) to 30(n+2) via the beams 10B(1) and 10B(n).

[0052] 1 and 2, based on the location information of multiple target devices 30, multiple groups G(1), G(n) are formed as user groups each including multiple target devices located close to each other, and the base station antenna 110 of the base station 10 is controlled to form a beam 10B for each group G. For example, in FIGS. 1 and 2, a first group G(1) is formed to include multiple target devices 30(1), 30(2), and 30(3) located close to each other, and the base station 10 forms a first beam 10B(1) toward the area of ​​group G(1). Furthermore, an nth group G(n) is formed to include multiple target devices 30(n), 30(n+1), and 30(n+2) located close to each other, and the base station 10 forms an nth beam 10B(n) toward the area of ​​group G(n).

[0053] In addition, the systems of Figures 1 and 2 may be provided with a blockchain network (BCN) system 50 to which multiple MEC devices 20 can be connected, and a distributed ledger may be constructed in the BCN system 50 using the computer areas of the multiple MEC devices 20.

[0054] Here, the distributed ledger is a distributed ledger configured so that multiple nodes constituting a blockchain network (BCN) maintain the same database. In particular, the distributed ledger constructed in the BCN system 50 is a distributed ledger in which the order of any transactions and their collections of blocks is determined according to a predetermined algorithm, and each MEC device, which is a node of the BCN, recognizes the ledger as correct. The distributed ledger of a BCN is tamper-resistant because the blocks are linked by hash and all transaction records remain intact.

[0055] Each of the multiple MEC devices 20 can transfer and record usage history information of wireless power supply from the base station 10 corresponding to the MEC device 20 to the multiple target devices 30 in a distributed ledger constructed in the BCN system 50. The usage history information includes, for example, as shown in Table 1, the username of each user, the number of tokens owned by each user, the location of the IoT terminal 30 owned by each user, and the identification number of the group to which the IoT terminal 30 owned by each user belongs.

[0056] The usage history information of wireless power supply may be transferred to and recorded in an external server provided in the core network 40 of the mobile communication network or an external network. The external server may be a server configured with a single computer device, or may be a cloud server configured with multiple computers that can communicate with each other via a network.

[0057] The target device 30 is, for example, a terminal device (hereinafter also referred to as "UE" (user equipment)) serving as a mobile station in a mobile communication system. The target device 30 may be a combination of a communication device (e.g., a mobile communication module) capable of wireless communication with the base station 10 and various devices such as sensors (e.g., an IoT device, an IoT tag, etc.).

[0058] The target device 30 may be equipped with a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver such as GPS, and may identify the position (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the target device (own device) 30 based on the reception results of the receiver.

[0059] The target device 30 may transmit and receive signals between the base station 10, whose location is known, using a short-range communication method such as the aforementioned BLE communication method or a communication method that uses UWB (ultra-wideband) radio waves as a wireless medium, and measure the direction of the base station 10 and the distance between the target device 30 and the base station 10 to identify the location of the target device (its own device) 30.

[0060] The target device 30 may identify location information of the target device (own device) 30 via a fixed terminal device (e.g., an IoT device) installed at known position coordinates in the vicinity of the target device 30. The target device 30, for example, transmits and receives signals via short-range communication with one or more fixed terminal devices located in the vicinity of the target device 30, and identifies the location of the target device (own device) 30 by measuring the direction of the fixed terminal devices and the distance between the target device 30 and the fixed terminal devices.

[0061] The fixed terminal device may be, for example, an IoT device such as a fixed sensor (e.g., a temperature and humidity sensor, an illuminance sensor, a human presence sensor, etc.), a fixed access point device, or a terminal device (UE) such as a smartphone as a mobile station for mobile communications that functions as a parent device for the target device (child device) 30.

[0062] The position of the target device 30 may be identified by capturing an image of the periphery of the target device 30 using a single or multiple cameras (imaging means) provided on the target device (own device) 30 and analyzing the captured image. For example, the angle of the direction of the base station 10 (angle from a predetermined reference direction) and the distance to the base station 10 may be estimated on the image captured by the target device 30, and the position of the target device (own device) 30 may be identified based on the estimation result. Alternatively, the angle of the direction of the fixed terminal device (angle from a predetermined reference direction) and the distance to the fixed terminal device may be estimated on the image captured by the target device 30, and the position of the target device (own device) 30 may be identified based on the estimation result.

[0063] In the following embodiment, a case will be described in which the target device 30 is an IoT device (hereinafter also referred to as an “IoT terminal”) that is a terminal device that can connect to the Internet via the base station 10 .

[0064] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a control procedure for the base station antenna 110 in the system according to the embodiment. The control procedure S100 for the base station antenna 110 shown in FIG. 3 includes a status information acquisition step S110, a weight assignment step S120, a priority heat map creation step S130, and a WPT beam control step S140.

[0065] In the status information acquisition step S110, the WPT / mobile communication base station 10 divides the multiple IoT terminals 30 present in the target communication area 10A into multiple groups (user groups) G(1), G(m), and G(n), and acquires, for each group, terminal / user status information including location information of the IoT terminal 30. The terminal / user status information includes the remaining battery power of the IoT terminal 30 and the number of tokens held by the user who owns the IoT terminal 30.

[0066] In the example of FIG. 3 , the position information of each IoT terminal 30 is expressed as coordinates (x １ , y １ ), (x ２ , y ２ ), (x ｎ , y ｎ ), (x ｍ , y ｍ ) has been obtained.

[0067] The location information may be information on the latitude, longitude, and altitude of each IoT terminal 30 measured (detected) based on reception results received by a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver such as GPS incorporated in each IoT terminal. The location information of each IoT terminal 30 may also be location information acquired using the aforementioned UWB or BLE short-range communication between the base station 10 and the IoT terminal 30. The location information of each IoT terminal 30 may also be acquired by image recognition based on an image of the surroundings including the base station 10, etc., captured by a camera (imaging means) incorporated in each IoT terminal 30.

[0068] The WPT / mobile communication base station 10 receives location information of each IoT terminal 30 from each IoT terminal 30 through UL communication of mobile communication with each IoT terminal 30 and transfers the information to the MEC device 20.

[0069] Next, in a weight assignment step S120, the MEC device 20 assigns a weight W to each IoT terminal 30 according to status information (such as remaining battery power and the number of tokens owned by the corresponding user), and creates a weight list L indicating the correspondence between the position information of each IoT terminal 30 and the weight W. Here, the weight W is an index value indicating the priority of WPT power supply to the IoT terminal 30, and the larger the value of the weight W, the higher the priority of WPT power supply to the corresponding IoT terminal 30.

[0070] Next, in a priority heat map creation step S130, the MEC device 20 creates (generates) a priority heat map M based on the position information and weight W information of each IoT terminal. The priority heat map M is map data that can identify the positions of multiple IoT terminals (target devices) 30 and the priorities of wireless power supply to the multiple IoT terminals 30. For example, the priority heat map M is a two-dimensional map that shows the positions of the IoT terminals 30 in each of multiple groups G(1), G(m), and G(n) and the distribution of priorities of power supply targets for which each base station 10 forms a WPT beam. In the illustrated example of the priority heat map M, the priority f(x, y) of the power supply target at each position (x, y) is indicated by the level of density. The MEC device 20 transmits the created priority heat map M to the WPT / mobile communication base station 10.

[0071] Next, in the WPT beam control step S140, the WPT / mobile communication base station 10 controls the direction of the WPT beams 10B(1), 10B(m) and 10B(n) by controlling the phase and amplitude of the base station antenna 110 based on the priority heat map M received from the MEC device.

[0072] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a base station antenna (WPT antenna) 110 in a system according to this embodiment. The base station antenna (WPT antenna) 110 has N antenna elements 111(1) to 111(N) arranged in a predetermined direction and at predetermined intervals. In the WPT beam control step S140 described above, the amplitude and phase of the signal supplied to each of the antenna elements 111(1) to 111(N) of the base station antenna 110 are controlled.

[0073] The base station antenna (WPT antenna) 110 is constructed using a phased array antenna or a distributed cooperative antenna. A phased array antenna is an antenna that steers beams in any direction by adjusting the amplitude and phase of signals input to each antenna element 111(1) to 111(N). A distributed cooperative antenna is an antenna that generates a hot spot in any area by adjusting the amplitude and phase of signals input to each antenna element 111(1) to 111(N).

[0074] 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of information transmitted and received between a blockchain network (BCN) system 50, an MEC device 20, and a target device (IoT device) 30 in a method for assigning weights and creating a priority heat map of a system according to an embodiment. The method for assigning weights and creating a priority heat map of FIG. 5 includes a token assignment step S210, a status information transfer step S220, a weight list / priority heat map generation step S230, and a usage history information (transaction history information) transfer / recording step S240.

[0075] In a token granting step S210, the blockchain network (BCN) system 50 issues a token (e.g., NFT) to each user and distributes it to each user's IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), 30(n) via the UPF 401 of the core network 40. The token (e.g., NFT) is distributed, for example, according to the contribution of the user, the IoT terminal, or both to the blockchain network (BCN) system.

[0076] Next, in a status information transfer step S220, the MEC device 20 acquires terminal / user status information from the IoT terminals 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n) of each user present in the communication area (cell) 10A of the WPT / mobile communication base station 10. The terminal / user status information includes the token ownership status (e.g., number of tokens) of each user's IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n), and the remaining battery capacity and location information of each user's IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n).

[0077] Next, in a weight list / priority heat map generation step S230, the MEC device 20 calculates the weight W to be assigned to each IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n). For example, the MEC device 20 calculates the weight W to be assigned to each IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n) using the following formula (4) based on the terminal / user status information acquired from each user's IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n). The MEC device 20 also generates a weight list L in which the weight W is associated with the location information of each user's IoT terminal 30(1), 30(m), and 30(n).

[0078] Here, Nt is the number of tokens distributed to the IoT terminal of the target user, and N0 is the total number of tokens distributed to all IoT terminals 30 present in the communication area (cell) 10A. Also, Br is the remaining battery charge of the target IoT terminal 30, and B0 is the total remaining battery charge of all IoT terminals 30 present in the communication area (cell) 10A. Also, C1 is a coefficient for tokens, C2 is a coefficient for the remaining battery charge, and α is an adjustment value for the weight W.

[0079] The MEC device 20 generates a priority heat map based on the wait list L.

[0080] Next, in step S240 of transferring and recording usage history information (transaction history information), the MEC device 20 transfers and records the usage history information of the WPT power supply service as transaction history information in the distributed ledger of the blockchain network (BCN) system.

[0081] 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of wireless power transmission to a target device (IoT terminal) 30 via a blockchain network (BCN) system 50, an MEC device 20, and a base station 10 in a system according to an embodiment. In the example of FIG. 6, the MEC device 20 transmits usage history information (transaction history information) to the BCN system 50, but the usage history information (transaction history information) may also be transmitted to the external server described above.

[0082] 6 , first, before starting a WPT power supply service to a user's IoT terminal 30, the MEC device 20 transmits a ledger information request and an update request to the BCN system 50 along with the latest usage history information (transaction history information) held by the MEC device (own device) 20 (S301). The BCN system 50 then updates the distributed ledger based on the usage history information (transaction history information) received from the MEC device 20 (S302) and transmits the updated ledger information to the MEC device 20 (S303). The MEC device 20 stores the ledger information received from the BCN system 50 in the MEC device (own device) 20.

[0083] Next, a loop is executed to use the WPT power supply service for the user's IoT terminal 30. In this loop, first, the MEC device 20 acquires terminal / user status information for multiple IoT terminals 30 located in the target communication area via the WPT / mobile communication base station 10 (S304 to S307). The MEC device 20 refers to a ledger stored in the MEC device (its own device) 20 and updates the ledger based on the terminal / user status information acquired from each IoT terminal 30 (S308).

[0084] Next, the MEC device 20 calculates a weight W for each IoT terminal 30 based on the terminal / user status information acquired from each IoT terminal 30 and assigns the weight W to each IoT terminal 30 (S309). Then, based on the weight W assigned to each IoT terminal 30 and the location information of each IoT terminal 30, the MEC device 20 creates and generates a priority heat map M for the target communication area (S310). Based on the priority heat map M, the MEC device 20 generates an antenna element phase amplitude list, which is a list of phases and amplitudes to be applied to each antenna element of the base station antenna 110 (S311). At a timing specified by a predetermined schedule, the MEC device 20 transmits a WPT beam direction instruction and a power transmission instruction, including the antenna element phase amplitude list, as power supply control information to the WPT / mobile communication base station 10 (S312).

[0085] Next, the WPT / mobile communication base station 10 sets the phase and amplitude of the signal to be input to each antenna element of the base station antenna (WPT antenna) 110 during WPT power supply based on the WPT beam direction instruction including the antenna element phase amplitude list received from the MEC device 20 (S313), and irradiates WPT radio waves to supply power to each IoT terminal via multiple beams (S314).

[0086] The MEC device 20 transmits a WPT beam direction instruction and a power transmission instruction including an antenna element phase amplitude list to the WPT / mobile communication base station 10, and then transmits a ledger information request and an update request together with the latest usage history information (transaction history information) to the BCN system 50 (S315). The BCN system 50 updates the distributed ledger based on the usage history information (transaction history information) received from the MEC device 20 (S316) and transmits the updated ledger information to the MEC device 20 (S317). Meanwhile, each IoT terminal 30 irradiated with the WPT radio waves updates the terminal / user status information stored in the IoT terminal 30 (S318).

[0087] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a blockchain network (BCN) system 50 and a distributed ledger 60 in a system according to an embodiment. In the example of FIG. 7 , an inter-MEC distributed network is constructed in which multiple MEC devices 20 corresponding to multiple base stations 10 can communicate with each other via the BCN system 50. The distributed ledger 60 constructed in the BCN system 50 is managed using blockchain technology such as proof of work / proof of stake. The distributed ledger 60 records terminal / user status information, such as the location information and remaining battery level of an IoT device owned by a user, and the number of tokens distributed to the user (or the IoT device owned by the user). The blockchain network (BCN) system 50 and the distributed ledger 60 are maintained using the computing space of each MEC device 20. Each MEC device 20 autonomously generates a WPT priority heat map based on the distributed ledger 60. For each of the multiple MEC devices 20, control of the WPT antenna of the base station 10 corresponding to the MEC device 20 is executed based on the WPT priority heat map generated by the MEC device 20.

[0088] As described above, according to this embodiment, a beam 10B directed toward the target device 30 is formed based on target-related information including the location information of the target device 30, and WPT radio waves are irradiated via the beam 10B to supply power to the target device 30, thereby effectively supplying power to each of the multiple target devices 30.

[0089] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the control of the base station antenna (WPT antenna) 110 that forms a beam that irradiates WPT radio waves to supply power to the target device 30 and the control of power supply from the base station 10 to the target device 30 can be performed autonomously by the MEC device 20 corresponding to the base station 10 without going through the core network 40, thereby realizing a power supply service that can supply power to multiple target devices 30 in real time with low latency.

[0090] According to this embodiment, an autonomous distributed base station 10 can be provided in which multiple base stations 10 that can autonomously supply power to multiple target devices 30 are distributed using a blockchain network (BCN) system 50 in which a distributed ledger is constructed that can record usage history information of WPT power supply for each target device from multiple MEC devices 20.

[0091] Furthermore, the present invention can effectively supply power to each of a large number of target devices in a power supply infrastructure that supplies power to these devices, thereby contributing to the achievement of Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is to "build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and build resilient technological infrastructure."

[0092] It should be noted that the process steps and components of the blockchain network system, MEC device, base station, relay device, target device, communication system, and wireless power transmission system described herein can be implemented by various means. For example, these steps and components may be implemented by hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

[0093] Regarding hardware implementation, means such as processing units used to realize the above steps and components in an entity (e.g., various wireless communication devices, base station devices (Node B, Node G), terminal devices, hard disk drive devices, or optical disk drive devices) may be implemented in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, computers, or combinations thereof.

[0094] Furthermore, with regard to firmware and / or software implementations, the means, such as a processing unit, used to realize the above components may be implemented with a program (e.g., code, such as procedures, functions, modules, instructions, etc.) that performs the functions described herein. In general, any computer / processor-readable medium tangibly embodying firmware and / or software code may be used to implement the means, such as a processing unit, used to realize the above steps and components described herein. For example, the firmware and / or software code may be stored in a memory and executed by a computer or processor, such as in a control device. The memory may be implemented within the computer or processor, or external to the processor. The firmware and / or software code may also be stored on a computer or processor readable medium such as, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, floppy disk, compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD), magnetic or optical data storage device, etc. The code may be executed by one or more computers or processors and may cause the computers or processors to perform certain aspects of the functionality described herein.

[0095] The medium may be a non-transitory recording medium. The program code may be in any format as long as it can be read and executed by a computer, processor, or other device or machine. For example, the program code may be in any of source code, object code, and binary code, or may be a mixture of two or more of these codes.

[0096] Moreover, the description of the embodiments disclosed herein is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0097] 10: Base station 10A: Communication area 10B: Beam 20: MEC device 30: Target device (IoT terminal) 40: Core network 50: Blockchain network system 110: Base station antenna (array antenna)

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission system comprising: a base station capable of communicating with each of a plurality of target devices via a base station antenna; and an MEC device connected to the base station, to a node in a core network of a mobile communications network, or to a node on a path between the core network and the base station; wherein the MEC device acquires target-related information for each of the plurality of target devices, the target-related information including at least one of information about the target device and information about a user of the target device; and based on the target-related information, generates power supply control information for forming a beam at the base station antenna and wirelessly supplying power to the plurality of target devices, and transmits the power supply control information to the base station; and the base station receives the power supply control information from the MEC device, forms the beam based on the power supply control information, and transmits a transmission signal for wireless power transmission to the plurality of target devices via the beam.

2. A wireless power transmission system according to claim 1, characterized in that the target-related information includes at least one of status information for each of the plurality of target devices and status information for each user of the plurality of target devices, and the power supply control information includes beam direction indication information indicating the direction of the beam.

3. A wireless power transmission system according to claim 2, wherein the beam direction instruction information includes a priority heat map capable of identifying the positions of the plurality of target devices and the priority of wireless power supply to the plurality of target devices, and the MEC device assigns a weight to each of the plurality of target devices or each user of the plurality of target devices based on the target-related information, and creates the priority heat map based on position information of each of the plurality of target devices and information on the weight assigned to each of the plurality of target devices or each of the plurality of users.

4. A wireless power transmission system according to claim 3, wherein the target-related information includes information on a plurality of tokens for use in a power supply service issued to each of the plurality of target devices or to each of users of the plurality of target devices, information on the remaining battery charge of each of the plurality of target devices, and location information of each of the plurality of target devices, and the MEC device assigns the weight based on the information on the plurality of tokens and the information on the remaining battery charge of each of the plurality of target devices.

5. A wireless power transmission system as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that, for each of a number of target devices present in the cell of the base station, the number of tokens issued to the target device or its user is Nt, the total number of tokens for the multiple target devices present in the cell is N0, the remaining battery charge of the target device is Br, the total remaining battery charge of the multiple target devices present in the cell is B0, the coefficient for the tokens is C1, the coefficient for the remaining battery charge is C2, and the adjustment value of the weight is α, the weight W is calculated using the following formula (1).

6. A wireless power transmission system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each of the multiple MEC devices transfers and records usage history information of wireless power supply from the base station corresponding to the MEC device to the multiple target devices in a distributed ledger constructed in a blockchain network system or in a server provided in a core network of a mobile communication network or an external network.

7. The wireless power transmission system of claim 6, further comprising: a plurality of sets of the base station and the MEC device; a blockchain network system is constructed in which the plurality of MEC devices are connected; and a distributed ledger is constructed in the blockchain network system using the computing areas of the plurality of MEC devices.

8. An MEC device connected to a base station, to a node in a core network of a mobile communication network, or to a node on a path between the core network and the base station, comprising: means for acquiring object-related information for each of a plurality of target devices, the object-related information including at least one of information about the target device and information about a user of the target device; means for generating power supply control information for forming a beam with a base station antenna and wirelessly supplying power to the plurality of target devices based on the object-related information; and means for transmitting the power supply control information to the base station.

9. In the MEC device of claim 8, the target-related information includes at least one of status information for each of the plurality of target devices and status information for each user of the plurality of target devices, and the power supply control information includes beam direction indication information that indicates the direction of the beam.

10. An MEC device according to claim 9, wherein the beam direction instruction information includes a priority heat map capable of identifying the positions of the plurality of target devices and the priority of wireless power supply to the plurality of target devices, and the MEC device further comprises: a means for assigning a weight to each of the plurality of target devices or each user of the plurality of target devices based on the target-related information; and a means for creating the priority heat map based on position information of each of the plurality of target devices and information on the weight assigned to each of the plurality of target devices or each of the plurality of users.

11. In the MEC device of claim 10, the target-related information includes information on a plurality of tokens for use in a power supply service issued to each of the plurality of target devices or to each user of the plurality of target devices, information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices, and location information of each of the plurality of target devices, and the MEC device is characterized in that it is equipped with a means for assigning the weight based on the information on the plurality of tokens and the information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices.

12. In the MEC device of claim 11, when the number of tokens issued to each of a plurality of target devices present in the cell of the base station is Nt, the total number of tokens for the plurality of target devices present in the cell is N0, the remaining battery charge of the target device is Br, the total remaining battery charge of the plurality of target devices present in the cell is B0, the coefficient for the tokens is C1, the coefficient for the remaining battery charge is C2, and the adjustment value of the weight is α, the weight W is calculated using the following equation (2).

13. An MEC device according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that it comprises a means for transferring and recording usage history information of wireless power supply from the base station corresponding to the MEC device to the multiple target devices in a distributed ledger constructed in a blockchain network system or in a server provided in a core network of a mobile communication network or an external network.

14. The MEC device of claim 13, wherein the computing area of ​​the MEC device is used to build a distributed ledger in a blockchain network system to which multiple MEC devices are connected.

15. A base station capable of communicating with each of a plurality of target devices via a base station antenna, comprising: a means for receiving power supply control information for forming a beam with the base station antenna and wirelessly supplying power to the plurality of target devices from an MEC device connected to a node in a core network of a mobile communication network or to a node on a path between the core network and the base station; and a means for forming the beam based on the power supply control information and transmitting a transmission signal for wireless power transmission to the plurality of target devices via the beam.

16. A base station according to claim 15, wherein said power supply control information includes beam direction instruction information for instructing the direction of said beam.

17. A base station according to claim 16, wherein the beam direction instruction information includes a priority heat map capable of identifying the positions of the plurality of target devices and the priority of wireless power supply to the plurality of target devices.

18. A method for controlling a base station antenna, comprising: acquiring, for each of a plurality of target devices, target-related information including at least one of information about the target device and information about a user of the target device; generating power supply control information for forming a beam in the base station antenna and wirelessly supplying power to the plurality of target devices based on the target-related information; and forming the beam based on the power supply control information.

19. A method for controlling a base station antenna as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the target-related information includes at least one of status information for each of the plurality of target devices and status information for each user of the plurality of target devices, and the power supply control information includes beam direction indication information for indicating the direction of the beam.

20. A method for controlling a base station antenna as claimed in claim 19, wherein the beam direction instruction information includes a priority heat map capable of identifying the positions of the plurality of target devices and the priority of wireless power supply to the plurality of target devices, and the control method comprises: assigning a weight to each of the plurality of target devices or each user of the plurality of target devices based on the target-related information; and creating the priority heat map based on position information of each of the plurality of target devices and information on the weight assigned to each of the plurality of target devices or each of the plurality of users.

21. A method for controlling a base station antenna as claimed in claim 20, wherein the target-related information includes information on a plurality of tokens for use in a power supply service issued to each of the plurality of target devices or to each of users of the plurality of target devices, information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices, and location information of each of the plurality of target devices, and the control method includes assigning the weight based on the information on the plurality of tokens and the information on the remaining battery capacity of each of the plurality of target devices.

22. A method for controlling a base station antenna as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that, for each of a number of target devices present in the cell of a base station, the number of tokens issued to the target device or its user is Nt, the total number of tokens for a number of target devices present in the cell is N0, the remaining battery charge of the target device is Br, the total remaining battery charge of a number of target devices present in the cell is B0, the coefficient for the tokens is C1, the coefficient for the remaining battery charge is C2, and the adjustment value of the weight is α, the weight W is calculated using the following equation (3).

Images