Delivery of local advisory information to communication device connected to communication station

Abstract

A communication control device 3 comprises at least one processor that executes the following: acquiring, by means of an emergency information acquisition unit 33, emergency information pertaining to emergency information delivery areas EA1, EA2 in which at least one of communication devices 2G, 2H, 2I and a communication station CS capable of communicating with the communication devices 2G, 2H, 2I are present; generating, by means of a local advisory information generation unit 35, local advisory information related to emergency information in a vicinity of at least one of the communication devices 2G, 2H, 2I and the communication station CS, said vicinity being smaller than the emergency information delivery areas EA1, EA2; and delivering, by means of an information delivery unit 36, the local advisory information from the communication station CS to the communication device(s) 2G, 2H, 2I.

Description

Distribution of local warning information to communication devices connected to a communication station

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the distribution of local alert information to communicators connected to a communication station.

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

[0003] US Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 0168643

[0004] In mobile communication systems, emergency information distribution areas are set up where emergency information such as disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis is distributed simultaneously. Here, emergency information distribution areas are generally set up in units of administrative divisions such as cities, wards, towns, and villages, so only summary information common to each administrative division is allowed to be distributed.

[0005] Furthermore, if one communication cell contains only one emergency information distribution area, it is easy to distribute emergency information from that communication cell, but larger communication cells such as satellite communication cells and macrocells, which will be described later, may contain multiple different emergency information distribution areas. There is a risk that emergency information related to an emergency information distribution area different from the emergency information distribution area in which each communication device is located may be distributed to each communication device connected to such a large communication cell, and appropriate emergency information may not be distributed to each communication device.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a communication control device and the like that can distribute information that is highly relevant to communication devices in an emergency.

[0007] A communication control device of one aspect of the present disclosure includes at least one processor that performs the following operations: acquires emergency information regarding an emergency information distribution area in which at least one of a communication station that can communicate with a communication device and the communication device is located, using an emergency information acquisition unit; generates local warning information regarding the emergency information in the vicinity of at least one of a communication station and the communication device that is smaller than the emergency information distribution area, using a local warning information generation unit; and distributes the local warning information from the communication station to the communication device, using an information distribution unit.

[0008] According to this aspect, in an emergency such as when emergency information is distributed simultaneously, local warning information in the vicinity of at least one of a communication station and a communication device is distributed from the communication station to the communication device, and this local warning information has a higher degree of relevance to the communication device than emergency information distributed simultaneously within an emergency information distribution area.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a communication control method, which is executed by at least one processor to acquire emergency information related to an emergency information distribution area in which at least one of a communication station capable of communicating with a communication device and the communication device is located, generate local alert information related to the emergency information in a vicinity of at least one of the communication station and the communication device that is smaller than the emergency information distribution area, and distribute the local alert information from the communication station to the communication device.

[0010] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is a storage medium storing a communication control program that causes at least one processor to acquire emergency information related to an emergency information distribution area in which at least one of a communication station capable of communicating with a communication device and the communication device is located, generate local alert information related to the emergency information in the vicinity of at least one of the communication station and the communication device that is smaller than the emergency information distribution area, and distribute the local alert information from the communication station to the communication device.

[0011] Any combination of the above components, or any conversion of these expressions into methods, devices, systems, recording media, computer programs, etc., are also encompassed within the present disclosure.

[0012] According to the present disclosure, information that is highly relevant to a communication device can be distributed in an emergency.

[0013] The present invention relates to a wireless communication system including a communication control device, a location information acquisition unit, an emergency information distribution area setting unit ...

[0014] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a detailed description will be given of a form for carrying out the present disclosure (hereinafter also referred to as an embodiment). In the description and / or drawings, the same or equivalent components, members, processes, etc. are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. The scale and shape of each part shown in the drawings are set for convenience to simplify the description, and should not be interpreted as limiting unless otherwise specified. The embodiment is an example and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. All features and combinations thereof presented in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the present disclosure.

[0015] For convenience, the embodiments are presented by breaking down the embodiments into components for each function and / or each group of functions that realize the functions. However, one component in the embodiments may actually be realized by a combination of multiple separate components, or multiple components in the embodiments may actually be realized by a single integrated component. Furthermore, in describing the wireless communication system in the present embodiments, terminology in existing wireless communication standards such as 5G is used for convenience. This is not intended to limit the present disclosure to 5G or the like, and does not prevent the present disclosure from being applied when a technology similar to the present disclosure is provided under a different name in future wireless communication systems such as 6G.

[0016] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an overview of a wireless communication system 1 to which a communication control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. The wireless communication system 1 includes a 5G wireless communication system 11, a 4G wireless communication system 12, and a satellite communication system 13. The 5G wireless communication system 11 conforms to a fifth-generation mobile communication system (5G) that uses NR (New Radio) or 5G NR (Fifth Generation New Radio) as a radio access technology (RAT) and 5GC (Fifth Generation Core) as a core network (CN). The 4G wireless communication system 12 conforms to a fourth-generation mobile communication system (4G) that uses LTE (Long Term Evolution) or LTE-Advanced as a radio access technology and EPC (Evolved Packet Core) as a core network. The satellite communication system 13 is responsible for satellite communication via a communication satellite 131. Although not shown, the wireless communication system 1 may include a wireless communication system of a generation earlier than 4G, a wireless communication system of a generation later than 5G (such as 6G), or any wireless communication system that cannot be associated with a generation such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Furthermore, the wireless communication system 1 may not include some or all of the 5G wireless communication system 11, the 4G wireless communication system 12, and the satellite communication system 13.

[0017] The 5G wireless communication system 11 includes communication devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D (hereinafter collectively referred to as communication devices 2) such as smartphones that are installed on the ground and are also referred to as UE (User Equipment) or UT (User Terminal), and multiple 5G base stations 111A, 111B, and 111C (hereinafter collectively referred to as 5G base stations 111) that can communicate via 5G NR. The base station 111 in 5G is also called a gNodeB (gNB). The communication range or support range of each of the 5G base stations 111A, 111B, and 111C is called a cell, and is illustrated as 112A, 112B, and 112C, respectively (hereinafter collectively referred to as 5G cells 112).

[0018] The size of the 5G cell 112 of each 5G base station 111 is arbitrary, but typically has a radius of several meters to several tens of kilometers. Although there is no established definition, a cell with a radius of several meters to several tens of meters is called a femtocell, a cell with a radius of tens to several tens of meters is called a picocell, a cell with a radius of several tens to several hundred meters is called a microcell, and a cell with a radius of more than several hundred meters is called a macrocell. 5G often uses high-frequency radio waves such as millimeter waves, and because of their high line-propagation ability, the radio waves are blocked by obstacles, shortening the communication distance. For this reason, 5G tends to use smaller cells than 4G and earlier generations.

[0019] A communication device 2 can perform 5G communication if it is located within at least one of multiple 5G cells 112A, 112B, and 112C. In the illustrated example, a communication device 2B located within 5G cells 112A and 112B can communicate with both 5G base stations 111A and 111B via 5G NR. Furthermore, a communication device 2C located within 5G cell 112C can communicate with 5G base station 111C via 5G NR. Communication devices 2A and 2D are located outside all of the 5G cells 112A, 112B, and 112C and are therefore unable to communicate via 5G NR. 5G communication via 5G NR between each communication device 2 and each 5G base station 111 is managed by the 5GC, which is a core network. For example, the 5GC handles data exchange with each 5G base station 111, data exchange with external networks such as EPC, satellite communication system 13, and the Internet, and mobility management of the communication device 2.

[0020] The 4G wireless communication system 12 includes multiple 4G base stations 121 (only one is shown in FIG. 1 ). The multiple 4G base stations 121 are installed on the ground and are capable of communicating with the communication device 2 via LTE or LTE-Advanced. In 4G, the base station 121 is also called an eNodeB (eNB). Like each 5G base station 111, the communication range or support area of ​​each 4G base station 121 is also called a cell, and is illustrated as 122.

[0021] If the communication device 2 is located inside the 4G cell 122, it can perform 4G communication. In the illustrated example, communication devices 2A and 2B located inside the 4G cell 122 can communicate with the 4G base station 121 via LTE or LTE-Advanced. Communication devices 2C and 2D are located outside the 4G cell 122 and therefore cannot communicate via LTE or LTE-Advanced. 4G communication by LTE or LTE-Advanced between each communication device 2 and each 4G base station 121 is managed by the EPC, which is a core network. For example, the EPC handles the exchange of data with each 4G base station 121, the exchange of data with external networks such as 5GC, the satellite communication system 13, and the Internet, and the mobility management of the communication device 2.

[0022] Focusing on each of the communication devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, in the illustrated example, communication device 2A is capable of 4G communication with 4G base station 121, communication device 2B is capable of 5G communication with 5G base stations 111A and 111B and 4G communication with 4G base station 121, and communication device 2C is capable of 5G communication with 5G base station 111C. When there are multiple base stations (111A, 111B, 121) with which communication is possible, as with communication device 2B, one base station determined to be optimal in terms of communication quality, etc. is selected under the management of the core network 5GC and / or EPC, and communication with communication device 2B is performed. Furthermore, communication device 2D is not capable of communication with any of the 5G base stations 111 and 4G base station 121, and therefore performs communication via satellite communication system 13, which will be described next.

[0023] The satellite communication system 13 is a wireless communication system that uses a communication satellite 131, a low-orbit satellite that flies in space at an altitude of approximately 500 km to 700 km above the Earth's surface, as a non-terrestrial base station. Similar to the 5G base station 111 and the 4G base station 121, the communication coverage or support area of ​​the communication satellite 131 is also called a cell and is illustrated as 132. In this way, the communication satellite 131, as a non-terrestrial base station, provides the satellite communication cell 132, as a non-terrestrial communication cell, to the ground. A terrestrial communication device 2 can perform satellite communication if it is located within the satellite communication cell 132. Similar to the 5G base station 111 in the 5G wireless communication system 11 and the 4G base station 121 in the 4G wireless communication system 12, the communication satellite 131, as a base station in the satellite communication system 13, can wirelessly communicate with the communication device 2 within the satellite communication cell 132 directly or indirectly via an aircraft or the like. The radio access technology that the communication satellite 131 uses for radio communication with the communication device 2 in the satellite communication cell 132 may be 5G NR, the same as the 5G base station 111, or LTE or LTE-Advanced, the same as the 4G base station 121, or any other radio access technology that can be used by the communication device 2. Therefore, the communication device 2 does not need to be provided with special functions or components for satellite communication.

[0024] The satellite communication system 13 includes a gateway 133 as a ground station installed on the ground and capable of communicating with a communication satellite 131. The gateway 133 includes a satellite antenna for communicating with the communication satellite 131, and is connected to a 5G base station 111 and a 4G base station 121 as terrestrial base stations constituting a terrestrial network (TN) via their respective wireless access technologies, such as 5G NR or LTE, or other wired or wireless access technologies or interfaces. In this way, the gateway 133 connects the non-terrestrial network (NTN) constituted by the communication satellite 131 as a non-terrestrial base station or satellite base station and the TN constituted by the terrestrial base stations 111 and 121 so that they can communicate with each other. When the communication satellite 131 performs 5G communication with the communication device 2 in the satellite communication cell 132 using 5G NR, the 5GC connected via the gateway 133 and the 5G base station 111 (or a 5G radio access network) in the TN is used as the core network, and when the communication satellite 131 performs 4G communication with the communication device 2 in the satellite communication cell 132 using LTE or LTE-Advanced, the EPC connected via the gateway 133 and the 4G base station 121 (or a 4G radio access network) in the TN is used as the core network. In this way, appropriate cooperation is achieved between different wireless communication systems such as 5G communication, 4G communication, and satellite communication via the gateway 133.

[0025] Satellite communication using a communication satellite 131 is primarily used to cover areas where terrestrial base stations such as the 5G base station 111 and the 4G base station 121 are not installed or are few in number. In the illustrated example, a communication device 2D located outside the communication cells of all terrestrial base stations communicates with the communication satellite 131. Meanwhile, communication devices 2A, 2B, and 2C that can communicate satisfactorily with any terrestrial base station are also within the satellite communication cell 132 and can therefore communicate with the communication satellite 131. However, by communicating with the terrestrial base station rather than the communication satellite 131 as a satellite base station, the limited communication resources (including power) of the communication satellite 131 are conserved for the communication device 2D and the like. The communication satellite 131 improves the quality of communication with the communication device 2D by directing communication radio waves toward the communication device 2D within the satellite communication cell 132 using beamforming.

[0026] The size of the satellite communication cell 132 of the communication satellite 131 serving as a satellite base station can be set arbitrarily depending on the number of beams emitted by the communication satellite 131. For example, a maximum of 2,800 beams can be combined to form a satellite communication cell 132 with a diameter of approximately 24 km. As shown in the figure, the satellite communication cell 132 is typically larger than terrestrial communication cells such as the 5G cell 112 and the 4G cell 122, and may include one or more 5G cells 112 and / or 4G cells 122 therein. Note that, although the above example illustrates a communication satellite 131 flying in low orbit at an altitude of approximately 500 km to 700 km above the Earth's surface as a flying non-terrestrial base station, a communication satellite flying in high orbit such as a geostationary orbit, or an unmanned or manned aircraft or drone flying in the atmosphere at a lower altitude (e.g., approximately 20 km above the Earth's surface) such as the stratosphere, may also be used as a non-terrestrial base station in addition to or instead of the communication satellite 131.

[0027] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the overall configuration of a wireless communication system 1 to which a communication control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the wireless communication system 1 is typically constructed using terrestrial communication cells 112 and 122 (hereinafter also referred to as fixed communication cells) provided by terrestrial base stations 111 and 121 (hereinafter also referred to as fixed base stations) that are fixedly installed on the ground. However, there are problems in that mobile communication is not possible outside the fixed communication cells, and even within the fixed communication cells, the quality of mobile communication degrades depending on the time and location. The wireless communication system 1 may also include a satellite communication system 13 in which a communication satellite 131 is used as a non-terrestrial base station or a mobile base station. However, it is unrealistic to supplement the terrestrial network of the terrestrial base stations 111 and 121 solely with the communication satellite 131.

[0028] To solve this problem, it is preferable to introduce a communication station CS to supplement the fixed communication cells 112, 122 provided by the fixed base stations 111, 121, as shown in FIG. 2. The communication station CS can provide a static communication cell that does not change spatially and / or temporally, or a dynamic communication cell that can change spatially and / or temporally, to the communication device 2. For example, a communication station CS installed at a fixed location on the ground, such as the terrestrial base stations 111, 121, provides at least a static communication cell that does not change spatially. A mobile communication station CS provides a dynamic communication cell that changes spatially (i.e., moves). Furthermore, a communication station that can be switched between an active state that provides a dynamic communication cell and an inactive state that does not provide a dynamic communication cell is an example of a communication station CS that provides a dynamic communication cell that changes temporally (i.e., is switched on and off).

[0029] The communication station CS may be, for example, a communication station whose operating time is limited to a specific time period, or an on-demand communication station that adaptively switches between a stopped state and an operating state according to communication demands of a communication device, etc. Furthermore, the communication station CS may be a small base station that can independently provide a preferably small communication cell, such as a femtocell or a picocell, without relying on other large base stations, such as terrestrial base stations 111, 121 or a communication satellite 131, or may be a relay station that communicates with an existing base station or parent base station 111, 121, 131 (not shown in FIG. 2 ) to expand the existing communication cell or parent communication cell 112, 122, 132 (not shown in FIG. 2 ). The communication station CS in the examples of FIGS. 2 and 3 is an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node or MBSR (Mobile Base Station Relay) that functions as a relay station.

[0030] IAB is a technology developed for 5G that uses wireless backhaul between a base station serving as an IAB donor (parent node) and an IAB node (child node), and / or between parent-child IAB nodes (the IAB node closest to the IAB donor is the parent node, and the IAB node farther from the IAB donor is the child node) to expand the communication cell of the parent node. Here, "expanding the communication cell" not only refers to expanding the area covered by an existing communication cell, but also includes improving the communication quality of at least part of the existing communication cell. Furthermore, "expanding the area covered by a communication cell" not only refers to expanding the horizontal area of ​​the existing communication cell, but also includes expanding the existing communication cell vertically, for example, underground or to the upper and / or lower floors of a building.

[0031] 2 , the communication station CS as an IAB node includes a communication device function unit 41 that functions as a communication device for parent nodes (parent base stations) including the fixed base stations 111 and 121, and a base station function unit 42 that functions as a child base station for the communication device 2 and provides a relay communication cell. In 5G, the communication device function unit 41 is defined as an MT (Mobile Termination) or IAB-MT, and the base station function unit 42 is defined as a DU (Distributed Unit) or IAB-DU. Note that, in other wireless communication systems including generations after 5G, including a CU (Central Unit) described later, it is assumed that functions similar to IAB, MT, DU, and CU are provided under different names, but in this embodiment, such similar functions may be used as IAB, MT, DU, and CU.

[0032] FIG. 2 illustrates two fixed base stations 111 and 121. The first fixed base station 121, which is a 4G base station, provides a first fixed communication cell 122 as a 4G cell, and the second fixed base station 111, which is a 5G base station, provides a second fixed communication cell 112 as a 5G cell. In the example of FIG. 2, the baseband function of each fixed base station 111 and 121 is divided into a centralized unit (CU) on the core network CN side and a distributed unit (DU) on the communication device 2 side. The first distributed unit DU1 of the first fixed base station 121 is provided near radio equipment such as an antenna of the first fixed base station 121, typically in the same base station facility as the radio equipment. The second distributed unit DU2 of the second fixed base station 111 is provided near radio equipment such as an antenna of the second fixed base station 111, typically in the same base station facility as the radio equipment. In the illustrated example, the aggregation unit CU is shared by the first fixed base station 121 (first distributed unit DU1) and the second fixed base station 111 (second distributed unit DU2), but individual aggregation units may be provided for each of the fixed base stations 111 and 121. The aggregation unit CU is connected to the core network CN. The connections between radio devices such as antennas in each of the fixed base stations 111 and 121 and each of the distributed units DU1 and DU2, the connections between each of the distributed units DU1 and DU2 and the aggregation unit CU, and the connections between the aggregation unit CU and the core network CN are typically wired, such as by conductors or optical fibers, but some or all of these connections may also be wireless.

[0033] The communication device function unit 41 (IAB-MT) of the communication station CS can be wirelessly connected to the distributed unit DU of either of the fixed base stations 111 and 121 depending on the location of the communication station CS. In the example of FIG. 2, the communication device function unit 41 is wirelessly connected to the second distributed unit DU2 of the second fixed base station 111. In this case, the communication station CS functions as a child node with the second fixed base station 111 as a parent node (parent base station) or IAB donor, and extends the second fixed communication cell 112 by the second fixed base station 111 as the parent node. Then, the base station function unit 42 (IAB-DU) of the communication station CS provides a relay communication cell (not shown) as an extended communication cell of the second fixed communication cell 112 to the communication device 2. In the example of FIG. 2, two communication devices 2E and 2F connected to the base station function unit 42 of the communication station CS are schematically shown. The first communication device 2E, while being within the first fixed communication cell 122 but outside the second fixed communication cell 112, substantially communicates with the second fixed base station 111 through the communication station CS. The second communication device 2F, while being within the overlapping area of ​​the first fixed communication cell 122 and the second fixed communication cell 112, substantially communicates with the second fixed base station 111 through the communication station CS. Note that the communication station CS as an IAB node may extend a mobile communication cell or a non-terrestrial communication cell, such as a satellite communication cell 132, with a mobile base station or a non-terrestrial base station, such as a communication satellite 131, as a parent base station, as will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0034] A mobile type communication station CS is attached to a mobile body, except when it can move or fly autonomously, such as the communication satellite 131. A mobile body is any mobile object or person, including any vehicle such as a car, train, motorcycle, bicycle, airplane, drone, or ship. The mobile communication station CS may also be a communication device 2 carried by a moving person, such as a communication device 2 having a tethering function or a personal hotspot function. Since such a communication device 2 (communication station CS) generally functions as a wireless LAN access point, the RAT (e.g., 5G NR) used by the expansion source base station (e.g., the second fixed base station 111) and the RAT used by the expansion destination communication station CS may be different.

[0035] In addition to the communication device function unit 41 and the base station function unit 42, the communication station CS may have a positioning unit 43 capable of measuring the position of the communication station CS itself and / or the communication device 2 currently connected.

[0036] The positioning unit 43 may be a satellite positioning device such as a GPS module that acquires position information of the communication station CS itself based on a satellite positioning system such as GPS or GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). For example, the positioning unit 43 such as a GPS module may receive satellite positioning radio waves from multiple positioning satellites (not shown) that constitute the satellite positioning system, and calculate the position information of the communication station CS based on the transmission times of the respective satellites.

[0037] The positioning unit 43 may estimate the position information of the communication device 2 based on communication between the communication station CS (base station function unit 42) and the communication device 2. For example, the time or delay required for communication between the communication station CS and the communication device 2 suggests the distance between the communication station CS and the communication device 2. Furthermore, if the communication station CS has a function such as beamforming, the direction of the antenna of the communication station CS communicating with the communication device 2, and the transmission direction and / or reception direction of the beam suggest the direction in which the communication device 2 is located relative to the communication station CS. The positioning unit 43 can estimate the position information of the communication device 2 based on the relative distance and direction of the communication device 2 relative to the communication station CS.

[0038] The positioning unit 43 may acquire position information of the communication device 2 through positioning electromagnetic waves emitted by one of the communication station CS and the communication device 2 to the other. For example, the communication station CS may emit positioning radio waves or positioning light, preferably having a wavelength or frequency different from that of the communication radio waves, to the communication device 2. The communication device 2 may notify the positioning unit 43 of the time and intensity of the positioning electromagnetic waves received by the positioning unit 43 through communication with the base station function unit 42. The positioning unit 43 can calculate the position information of the communication device 2 based on the time and intensity of the reception of the positioning electromagnetic waves by the communication device 2, as well as the time, intensity, and direction of transmission of the positioning electromagnetic waves by the positioning unit 43. Note that, instead of or in addition to electromagnetic waves, any physical phenomenon capable of non-contact distance measurement, such as sound, vibration, or wave, may be used to acquire relative position information of the communication device 2 with respect to the communication station CS.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a communication control device 3 according to this embodiment. The communication control device 3 includes a location information acquisition unit 31, an emergency information distribution area setting unit 32, an emergency information acquisition unit 33, a communication device status detection unit 34, a local warning information generation unit 35, and an information distribution unit 36. Some of these functional blocks may be omitted as long as the communication control device 3 can achieve at least some of the functions and / or effects described below. These functional blocks are realized by the cooperation of hardware resources, such as a central processing unit (CPU), memory, input devices, output devices, and peripheral devices connected to the computer, and software executed using these resources. Regardless of the type or location of the computer, each of the above functional blocks may be realized by the hardware resources of a single computer or by combining hardware resources distributed across multiple computers. In particular, in this embodiment, some or all of the functional blocks of the communication control device 3 are preferably realized in the core network CN, but may also be realized in a centralized or decentralized manner in a base station (distributed unit DU and / or aggregation unit CU) such as a communication satellite 131, a gateway 133, a communication station CS, or a computer or processor provided in the communication device 2.

[0040] In the example of Fig. 3, communication devices 2G, 2H, and 2I (hereinafter also collectively referred to as communication device 2) can communicate with a communication satellite 131 as a base station via a communication station CS or a relay station as an IAB node. As described above with reference to Fig. 2, the communication station CS provides a relay communication cell RC as an extended communication cell of a satellite communication cell 132 provided by the communication satellite 131 to the communication device 2 through a communication device function unit 41 functioning as a communicator for the communication satellite 131 as a parent base station and a base station function unit 42 functioning as a child base station for the communication device 2. Note that the base station is not limited to the communication satellite 131, and may be a terrestrial base station 111 or 121 capable of providing a preferably large communication cell such as a macrocell.

[0041] In the wireless communication system 1, an emergency information distribution area is set where emergency information about disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis and other disasters is distributed simultaneously. A system that distributes emergency information is also called a public warning system (PWS), and in particular, a system that distributes warnings about disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis is also called an earthquake and tsunami warning system (ETWS). Emergency information distribution areas are generally set in units of administrative divisions such as cities, wards, towns, and villages, and the fixed base stations 111 and 121 that are fixedly installed on the ground as shown in Figure 2 belong to the emergency information distribution area set for the administrative division in which they are installed.

[0042] On the other hand, as schematically shown in Fig. 3, a large communication cell such as a satellite communication cell 132 provided by a communication satellite 131 or a macrocell (not shown) may include multiple different emergency information distribution areas. In the example of Fig. 3, the satellite communication cell 132 provided by the communication satellite 131 includes two different emergency information distribution areas EA1 and EA2. A boundary line BD is the boundary line between the emergency information distribution areas EA1 and EA2. In the illustrated state, the communication station CS and communication devices 2H and 2I belong to or are located within the first emergency information distribution area EA1 set in the first administrative division, and the communication device 2G belongs to or is located within the second emergency information distribution area EA2 set in the second administrative division.

[0043] The emergency information distribution system, which may constitute a part of the information distribution unit 36 ​​described below, simultaneously distributes emergency information to all communication devices 2 within an emergency information distribution area where a disaster or the like has occurred. Specifically, when a disaster or the like occurs within a first emergency information distribution area EA1, a communication station CS belonging to the first emergency information distribution area EA1 simultaneously distributes emergency information to at least communication devices 2H and 2I within the first emergency information distribution area EA1. Note that although communication device 2G is outside the first emergency information distribution area EA1, it is connected to a communication station CS belonging to the first emergency information distribution area EA1, and therefore may receive emergency information related to the first emergency information distribution area EA1 in the same way as communication devices 2H and 2I.

[0044] Alternatively, even if the communication device 2G is connected to a communication station CS belonging to the first emergency information distribution area EA1, the communication device 2G may receive emergency information related to the second emergency information distribution area EA2 in which the communication device 2G is actually located. In this case, the fact that the communication device 2G is located in the second emergency information distribution area EA2 is recognized by a core network CN (not shown), which acquires location information from a satellite positioning device such as a GPS module of the communication device 2G itself. The core network CN then causes a communication station CS belonging to the first emergency information distribution area EA1 to distribute the emergency information related to the second emergency information distribution area EA2 to the communication device 2G located in the second emergency information distribution area EA2.

[0045] The location information acquisition unit 31, which is preferably provided in the core network CN, acquires location information of a communication station CS that can communicate with the communication device 2 and / or the communication device 2. As described above, if the positioning unit 43 of the communication station CS is equipped with a satellite positioning device such as a GPS module, the satellite positioning information (i.e., location information of the communication station CS) may be provided to the core network CN via a communication satellite 131. Similarly, if the communication device 2 is equipped with a satellite positioning device such as a GPS module, the satellite positioning information (i.e., location information of the communication device 2) may be provided to the core network CN via the communication satellite 131.

[0046] The emergency information distribution area setting unit 32 sets an emergency information distribution area for the communication station CS and / or the communication device 2 based on the location information of the communication station CS and / or the communication device 2 acquired by the location information acquisition unit 31. In the illustrated example, the emergency information distribution area setting unit 32 may set the first emergency information distribution area EA1 for the communication station CS in response to the location information of the communication station CS acquired by the location information acquisition unit 31 indicating a location within the first emergency information distribution area EA1.

[0047] Alternatively, the emergency information distribution area setting unit 32 may set a first emergency information distribution area EA1 in an area on one side of the boundary line BD (the right side in FIG. 3 ) within the relay communication cell RC, and may set a second emergency information distribution area EA2 in an area on the other side of the boundary line BD (the left side in FIG. 3 ) within the relay communication cell RC, based on the location information of the communication station CS, the arrangement information of the boundary line BD, the range information of the relay communication cell RC, etc., acquired by the location information acquisition unit 31. In this case, an emergency information distribution system that may constitute a part of the information distribution unit 36 ​​described later can distribute emergency information related to the first emergency information distribution area EA1 from the communication station CS to the communication devices 2H and 2I within the first emergency information distribution area EA1, and can distribute emergency information related to the second emergency information distribution area EA2 from the communication station CS to the communication device 2G within the second emergency information distribution area EA2.

[0048] Similarly, the emergency information distribution area setting unit 32 may set a first emergency information distribution area EA1 for the communication devices 2H and 2I when the location information of the communication devices 2H and 2I acquired by the location information acquisition unit 31 indicates a location within the first emergency information distribution area EA1, or may set a second emergency information distribution area EA2 for the communication device 2G when the location information of the communication device 2G acquired by the location information acquisition unit 31 indicates a location within the second emergency information distribution area EA2.

[0049] 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of processing by the location information acquisition unit 31 and the emergency information distribution area setting unit 32. In this diagram, time flows from top to bottom. In this example, various data are sequentially exchanged among an "IAB" such as a communication station CS, a "RAN (Radio Access Network)" such as a communication satellite 131, a "CN / CBS" such as a core network CN and a CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) provided by the core network CN, and an "NWDAF" such as a Network Data Analytics Function (NWDAF) that may be part of the core network CN. In this diagram, "S" represents a step or process.

[0050] In S1, under the control of the location information acquisition unit 31, when a new communication station CS is installed, or when the communication station CS moves as schematically shown by the arrow in Fig. 3, or when the emergency information distribution area changes as a result (in the example of movement in Fig. 3, the first emergency information distribution area EA1 changes to the second emergency information distribution area EA2), the "IAB" transmits location information of the communication station CS to the "RAN". In this way, the communication station CS may be movable across different emergency information distribution areas EA1 and EA2.

[0051] In S2, the "RAN" transmits the location information of the communication station CS transmitted to the "RAN" in S1 in the form of a location report to the "CN / CBS" under the control of the location information acquisition unit 31. The location information of the communication station CS acquired by the "CN / CBS" that may constitute the location information acquisition unit 31 through S1 and S2 may be measured by a positioning unit 43 of the communication station CS such as a GPS module, as described above, or may be estimated or measured through communication radio waves or positioning electromagnetic waves emitted by a communication satellite 131 or the like as the "RAN" to the communication station CS as the "IAB".

[0052] In S3, the "CN / CBS" requests the "NWDAF" to perform a mobility analysis of the communication station CS based on the location information of the communication station CS acquired in S2 under the control of the emergency information distribution area setting unit 32. In S4, under the control of the emergency information distribution area setting unit 32, the "NWDAF" executes a mobility analysis of the communication station CS in response to the request in S3, and provides the "CN / CBS" with an emergency information distribution area (Warning Area) of the communication station CS at the current and / or future time that has been set based on the results of the analysis.

[0053] Here, the "NWDAF" may be an artificial intelligence (AI) / machine learning (ML) function in the core network CN, and may identify the emergency information distribution area in which the communication station CS is located at each current or future time through a comprehensive analysis of the current or past location information and movement information of the communication station CS obtained in S2 and various other available related information (e.g., placement information of the boundary line BD, range information of the relay communication cell RC).

[0054] In this way, the emergency information distribution area setting unit 32 can be configured with various AI / ML functions in the core network CN, such as the NWDAF introduced in 5G. The NWDAF is responsible for collecting and analyzing data on networks such as 5G networks. Specifically, the NWDAF collects and stores activity history information, movement information, measurement information, etc., of the communication stations CS and communication devices 2 connected to the mobile communication network, and utilizes the analysis results for traffic control, etc., on the mobile communication network. The analysis function of the movement information of the communication stations CS and communication devices 2 provided by the NWDAF is also referred to as mobility analytics, as described above. Note that it is expected that functions similar to the NWDAF may be provided under different names in other wireless communication systems, including wireless communication systems of generations after 5G. In this embodiment, such similar functions may be used instead of or in addition to the NWDAF.

[0055] 3 , the emergency information acquisition unit 33 acquires emergency information related to an emergency information distribution area in which the communication station CS and / or the communication device 2 is located. For example, the emergency information acquisition unit 33 may acquire emergency information related to an emergency information distribution area set by the emergency information distribution area setting unit 32 (S3 and S4 in FIG. 4 ) based on the location information of the communication station CS acquired by the location information acquisition unit 31 (S1 and S2 in FIG. 4 ). Furthermore, the emergency information acquisition unit 33 may acquire emergency information related to the emergency information distribution area set by the emergency information distribution area setting unit 32 based on the location information of each communication device 2 acquired by the location information acquisition unit 31.

[0056] 3 , if the emergency information distribution area setting unit 32 sets a first emergency information distribution area EA1 in which the communication station CS is located for the communication station CS, the emergency information acquisition unit 33 may acquire only emergency information related to the first emergency information distribution area EA1. On the other hand, if the emergency information distribution area setting unit 32 sets the first emergency information distribution area EA1 for the communication devices 2H and 2I in the first emergency information distribution area EA1 and sets the second emergency information distribution area EA2 for the communication device 2G in the second emergency information distribution area EA2, the emergency information acquisition unit 33 may acquire emergency information related to both emergency information distribution areas EA1 and EA2. In either case, the emergency information acquired by the emergency information acquisition unit 33 is limited to general information common to emergency information distribution areas, which are generally set by administrative division such as a city, ward, town, or village (e.g., "An earthquake with a seismic intensity of X occurred in City B, Prefecture A at H:00:M").

[0057] In this embodiment, in addition to or instead of emergency information that is limited to summary information for each administrative division, local warning information related to emergency information that is highly relevant to each communication device 2 in the relay communication cell RC is distributed. Here, the local warning information refers to warning information related to a local area substantially centered on the communication station CS or each communication device 2, and that is smaller than each emergency information distribution area EA1, EA2 and / or the satellite communication cell 132 in FIG. 3. As will be described in detail later, when the emergency information acquired by the emergency information acquisition unit 33 is an earthquake notification, the local warning information may be information about a landslide L that has occurred in a specific local area related to the earthquake to a specific communication device 2G in the relay communication cell RC, information about a tsunami T that has occurred in a specific local area related to the earthquake to a specific communication device 2H in the relay communication cell RC, or information about a fire F that has occurred in a specific local area related to the earthquake to a specific communication device 2I in the relay communication cell RC.

[0058] The communication device status detection unit 34 may detect the status of each communication device 2 in the relay communication cell RC in order to provide more relevant local attention information to each communication device 2. The communication device status detection unit 34 may be configured with an AI / ML function such as NWDAF that can access and analyze a large amount of data regarding the current or past status of each communication device 2 in order to enable more accurate status detection.

[0059] In the first example of FIG. 3 , the communication device status detection unit 34 detects that the communication device 2G, which is located in the relay communication cell RC and the second emergency information distribution area EA2, is moving along a travel route RT. This travel route RT may be set by a map application or a route search application of the communication device 2G, or may be set by a navigation device of the vehicle in which the user of the communication device 2G is riding. Alternatively, the travel route RT may be estimated from position information and / or travel information (obtainable from a GPS module, etc.) of the communication device 2G and the vehicle, and known layout information of major roads. Furthermore, the communication device status detection unit 34 detects that a road on the travel route RT has become impassable due to a landslide L caused by the earthquake related to the emergency information. The location of the landslide L may be outside the relay communication cell RC in which the communication device 2G is currently located, outside the satellite communication cell 132, or outside the second emergency information distribution area EA2.

[0060] In the second example of Fig. 3, the communication device status detection unit 34 detects that a communication device 2H in the relay communication cell RC and the first emergency information distribution area EA1 is near the sea where a tsunami T has occurred due to an earthquake related to the emergency information. In the third example of Fig. 3, the communication device status detection unit 34 detects that a communication device 2I in the relay communication cell RC and the first emergency information distribution area EA1 is near a building where a fire F has occurred due to an earthquake related to the emergency information.

[0061] The local warning information generation unit 35 generates local warning information related to emergency information acquired by the emergency information acquisition unit 33 in the vicinity of the communication stations CS and / or communication devices 2 that are smaller than each of the emergency information distribution areas EA1 and EA2. The local warning information generation unit 35 may be configured with an AI / ML function such as NWDAF that can access and analyze a huge amount of data related to the current or past situations of each communication device 2 and / or communication station CS, in order to enable the generation of local warning information that is highly relevant to each communication device 2.

[0062] The "vicinity" of the communication station CS and / or the communication device 2 for which the local warning information generation unit 35 generates local warning information is substantially synonymous with the "local area" described above, and is an area substantially centered on the communication station CS or each communication device 2, and is an area smaller than each emergency information distribution area EA1, EA2 and / or the satellite communication cell 132 in Fig. 3. For example, the vicinity of the communication station CS may be the same range as the relay communication cell RC or may be a range smaller than the relay communication cell RC, but is preferably a range larger than the relay communication cell RC so that local warning information regarding a landslide L outside the relay communication cell RC can be distributed to the communication device 2G.

[0063] Similarly, the vicinity of each communication device 2 does not necessarily have to be within the relay communication cell RC, and may be set to extend beyond the relay communication cell RC. In particular, the vicinity of a communication device 2G that requires a warning about a landslide L outside the relay communication cell RC is preferably set to extend beyond the relay communication cell RC and include the site of the landslide L or the destination D set for the communication device 2G. In this way, the local warning information generation unit 35, which may be configured with an AI / ML function such as NWDAF, can set an optimally sized "neighborhood" and / or "local area" for each communication device 2 and / or communication station CS, taking into consideration the status of each communication device 2 and / or communication station CS and the occurrence of a secondary disaster that requires a warning (landslide L, tsunami T, fire F in FIG. 3 ).

[0064] The local warning information generation unit 35 may generate local warning information for each communication device 2 based on the status of the communication device 2 detected by the communication device status detection unit 34. In the first example of Fig. 3, the local warning information generation unit 35 generates local warning information to alert a communication device 2G traveling along a travel route RT toward a destination D that a landslide L has occurred on the travel route RT or that a road is impassable. This local warning information may suggest a recommended detour route to the communication device 2G.

[0065] In a second example of Fig. 3 , the local warning information generation unit 35 generates local warning information for a communication device 2H located near the sea, alerting the user of the communication device 2H that a tsunami T is occurring. This local warning information may urge the user of the communication device 2H to immediately move away from the sea, or may suggest a recommended evacuation route to the communication device 2H. In a third example of Fig. 3 , the local warning information generation unit 35 generates local warning information for a communication device 2I located near a building, alerting the user of the communication device 2I that a fire F has occurred. This local warning information may urge the user of the communication device 2I to immediately move away from the building, or may suggest a recommended evacuation route to the communication device 2I.

[0066] In the above three examples, the local warning information generation unit 35 generates individual local warning information for each communication device 2. However, common local warning information may also be generated for multiple or all of the communication devices 2G, 2H, and 2I in the relay communication cell RC. Even in such cases, the generated local warning information is more relevant to each communication device 2 than the emergency information acquired by the emergency information acquisition unit 33, which is limited to summary information at the administrative division level. In other words, while the emergency information acquired by the emergency information acquisition unit 33 targets a large number of communication devices 2 (not shown) included in each emergency information distribution area EA1, EA2, the local warning information generated by the local warning information generation unit 35 is specific and targets a small number of communication devices 2 included in a relay communication cell RC that is smaller or narrower than each of the emergency information distribution areas EA1, EA2.

[0067] The information distribution unit 36 ​​distributes the local warning information generated by the local warning information generation unit 35 from the communication station CS to each communication device 2 in the relay communication cell RC. In addition to the local warning information, the information distribution unit 36 ​​may distribute the emergency information acquired by the emergency information acquisition unit 33 from the communication station CS to each communication device 2 in the relay communication cell RC.

[0068] In a first example of Fig. 3, the information distribution unit 36 ​​may distribute, from the communication station CS, to a communication device 2G traveling along a travel route RT toward a destination D, local warning information regarding a landslide L that has occurred on the travel route RT, along with emergency information regarding a second emergency information distribution area EA2 in which the communication device 2G is currently located. In a second example of Fig. 3, the information distribution unit 36 ​​may distribute, from the communication station CS, to a communication device 2H located near the sea, local warning information regarding a tsunami T that has occurred at sea, along with emergency information regarding a first emergency information distribution area EA1 in which the communication device 2H is currently located. In a third example of Fig. 3, the information distribution unit 36 ​​may distribute, from the communication station CS, to a communication device 2I located near a building, local warning information regarding a fire F that has occurred in the building, along with emergency information regarding the first emergency information distribution area EA1 in which the communication device 2I is currently located. In this way, the information distribution unit 36 ​​may distribute different local warning information and / or emergency information from the communication station CS to multiple communication devices 2G, 2H, 2I that are in different situations detected by the communication device situation detection unit 34.

[0069] According to this embodiment, in an emergency such as when emergency information is distributed simultaneously, local warning information in the vicinity of at least one of the communication station CS and the communication device 2 is distributed from the communication station CS to the communication device 2. This local warning information is more relevant to the communication device 2 than emergency information distributed simultaneously within each of the emergency information distribution areas EA1 and EA2.

[0070] The present disclosure has been described above based on the embodiments. Various modifications are possible to the combinations of the components and processes in the exemplary embodiments, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such modifications are included within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0071] The configuration, operation, and function of each device and method described in the embodiments can be realized by hardware resources, software resources, or a combination of hardware and software resources. Examples of hardware resources include processors, ROM, RAM, and various integrated circuits. Examples of software resources include operating systems, applications, and other programs.

[0072] The present disclosure may be expressed as follows:

[0073] Item 1: A communication control device comprising at least one processor that executes the following: acquiring, by an emergency information acquisition unit, emergency information related to an emergency information distribution area in which a communication station that can communicate with a communication device is located; generating, by a local warning information generation unit, local warning information related to the emergency information in a vicinity of the communication station that is smaller than the emergency information distribution area; and distributing, by an information distribution unit, the local warning information from the communication station to the communication device. Item 2: The communication control device according to Item 1, wherein the information distribution unit distributes the emergency information and the local warning information from the communication station to the communication device. Item 3: The communication control device according to Item 1 or 2, wherein the at least one processor executes, by a communication device status detection unit, detecting a status of the communication device, and the local warning information generation unit generates the local warning information based on the status of the communication device. Item 4: The communication control device according to Item 3, wherein the information distribution unit distributes different local warning information from the communication station to a plurality of the communication devices in different statuses. Item 5: The communication control device according to any one of items 1 to 4, wherein the local attention information generation unit is configured by an NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function). Item 6: The communication control device according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the communication station is mobile. Item 7: The communication control device according to item 6, wherein the communication station is mobile across different emergency information distribution areas. Item 8: The communication control device according to any one of items 1 to 7, wherein the at least one processor executes acquiring location information of the communication station by a location information acquisition unit, and the emergency information acquisition unit identifies the emergency information distribution area in which the communication station is located based on the location information. Item 9: The communication control device according to item 8, wherein the location information acquisition unit acquires location information of the communication station through a satellite positioning device included in the communication station. Item 10: The communication control device according to any one of items 1 to 9, wherein the communication station is a relay station that relays communication between a base station and the communication device.Item 11: The communication control device according to item 10, wherein the relay station is an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node having an MT (Mobile Termination) functioning as a communicator for the base station and a DU (Distributed Unit) functioning as a base station for the communicator. Item 12: The communication control device according to item 10 or 11, wherein the base station is an airborne non-terrestrial base station. Item 13: The communication control device according to item 12, wherein the non-terrestrial base station is a communication satellite flying in outer space. Item 14: A communication control method, executed by at least one processor, comprising: acquiring emergency information relating to an emergency information distribution area in which a communication station capable of communicating with a communication device is located; generating local alert information relating to the emergency information in the vicinity of the communication station which is smaller than the emergency information distribution area; and distributing the local alert information from the communication station to the communication device. Item 15: A storage medium storing a communication control program that causes at least one processor to execute the following: acquiring emergency information related to an emergency information distribution area in which a communication station capable of communicating with a communication device is located; generating local warning information related to the emergency information in the vicinity of the communication station that is smaller than the emergency information distribution area; and distributing the local warning information from the communication station to the communication device.

[0074] The present disclosure relates to the distribution of local alert information to communicators connected to a communication station.

[0075] 1 Wireless communication system, 2 Communication device, 3 Communication control device, 11 5G wireless communication system, 12 4G wireless communication system, 13 Satellite communication system, 31 Location information acquisition unit, 32 Emergency information distribution area setting unit, 33 Emergency information acquisition unit, 34 Communication device status detection unit, 35 Local attention information generation unit, 36 Information distribution unit, 41 Communication device function unit, 42 Base station function unit, 43 Positioning unit, 111 5G base station, 112 5G cell, 121 4G base station, 122 4G cell, 131 Communication satellite, 132 Satellite communication cell, 133 Gateway.

Claims

1. A communication control device having at least one processor that executes the following: acquiring emergency information related to an emergency information distribution area in which at least one of a communication station capable of communicating with a communication device and the communication device is located, using an emergency information acquisition unit; generating local warning information related to the emergency information in a vicinity of at least one of the communication station and the communication device that is smaller than the emergency information distribution area, using a local warning information generation unit; and distributing the local warning information from the communication station to the communication device, using an information distribution unit.

2. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein said information distribution unit distributes said emergency information and said local attention information from said communication station to said communication device.

3. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor executes detection of the status of the communication device by a communication device status detection unit, and the local attention information generation unit generates the local attention information based on the status of the communication device.

4. The communication control device according to claim 3, wherein said information distribution unit distributes different pieces of local attention information from said communication station to a plurality of said communication devices in different situations.

5. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the local attention information generation unit is configured by an NWDAF (Network Data Analytics Function).

6. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein said communication station is movable.

7. The communication control device according to claim 6, wherein the communication station is movable across different emergency information distribution areas.

8. The communication control device described in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor executes acquiring location information of at least one of the communication station and the communication device using a location information acquisition unit, and the emergency information acquisition unit identifies the emergency information distribution area in which at least one of the communication station and the communication device is located based on the location information.

9. A communication control device according to claim 8, wherein the location information acquisition unit acquires location information of at least one of the communication station and the communication device via a satellite positioning device possessed by at least one of the communication station and the communication device.

10. The communication control device according to claim 1, wherein said communication station is a relay station that relays communication between a base station and said communication device.

11. The communication control device according to claim 10, wherein the relay station is an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node having an MT (Mobile Termination) functioning as a communication device for the base station and a DU (Distributed Unit) functioning as a base station for the communication device.

12. The communications control device of claim 10, wherein the base station is an airborne non-terrestrial base station.

13. The communication control device according to claim 12, wherein the non-terrestrial base station is a communication satellite flying in outer space.

14. A communication control method, which is executed by at least one processor, includes: acquiring emergency information relating to an emergency information distribution area in which at least one of a communication station capable of communicating with a communication device and the communication device is located; generating local warning information relating to the emergency information in the vicinity of at least one of the communication station and the communication device which is smaller than the emergency information distribution area; and distributing the local warning information from the communication station to the communication device.

15. A storage medium storing a communication control program that causes at least one processor to execute the following: acquiring emergency information related to an emergency information distribution area in which at least one of a communication station capable of communicating with a communication device and the communication device is located; generating local warning information related to the emergency information in the vicinity of at least one of the communication station and the communication device that is smaller than the emergency information distribution area; and distributing the local warning information from the communication station to the communication device.

Images