Communication device and communication method

Abstract

This communication device performs communication with a first communication network and a second communication network and wireless communication with a terminal, and performs a specific operation as a wireless base station that accommodates a terminal belonging to a mobile communication network including the first communication network and a terminal belonging to another mobile communication network other than the mobile communication network. The communication device transmits a connection signal corresponding to each of the mobile communication networks to the terminal.

Description

Communication device and communication method

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

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

[0003] For example, a white paper on 6G (Non-Patent Document 1) is considering more flexible network function allocation and other aspects of network architecture. For example, 6G plans to introduce Network Controlled Access Points (NCAPs, tentative name) as an access point (communication device) that can be installed under a mobile communication network and controlled independently by a network operator as one form of mobile communication network (Public Land Mobile Network: PLMN) architecture.

[0004] Furthermore, in order to further improve the utilization efficiency of existing frequency bands (which may include newly allocated high frequency bands), network sharing (resource sharing) is being considered, in which multiple telecommunications carriers (network operators) share a radio access network (RAN) and share the investment costs for the network, thereby enabling the installation of a large number of radio base stations (Non-Patent Document 2).

[0005] NTT Docomo, "Docomo 6G White Paper 5.0 Edition," [online], January 2023, Internet <URL:https: / / www.docomo.ne.jp / binary / pdf / corporate / technology / whitepaper_6g / DOCOMO_6G_White_PaperJP_20221116.pdf> 3GPP TR 22.951 V17.0.0, 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Service aspects and requirements for network sharing (Release 17), 3GPP, March 2022

[0006] When the above-described network sharing is applied to a mobile communication network including NCAP (which may also be called an NCAP network), a UE can connect (access) widely without being limited to a specific mobile communication network (PLMN).

[0007] In such cases, it is necessary to clarify the resources to be used, such as the frequency bands. For example, there are cases where the available frequency bands differ between PLMNs, and cases where the same frequency band is shared between PLMNs.

[0008] Therefore, the following disclosure has been made in consideration of this situation, and aims to provide a communication device and a communication method that enable terminals to connect to a wide range of mobile communication networks (PLMNs) via the NCAP network, even when network sharing is applied.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is a communication device (NCAP100) that includes communication units (first communication unit 110, second communication unit 120, third communication unit 130) that perform communication with a first communication network and a second communication network, and wireless communication with a terminal (UE200), and a control unit (control unit 140) that performs specific operations as a radio base station (gNB50) that accommodates terminals that belong to a mobile communication network including the first communication network, and terminals that belong to mobile communication networks other than the mobile communication network, and the communication units transmit connection signals corresponding to each of the mobile communication networks to the terminal.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a wireless communication system 10. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an NCAP 100. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a UE 200. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a gNB 50. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example (part 1) of the arrangement of C-plane functions and U-plane functions of a CN in a mobile communication network configured using an NCAP 100. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example (part 2) of the arrangement of C-plane functions and U-plane functions of a CN in a mobile communication network configured using an NCAP 100. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example (part 1) of the control operation of an NCAP 100 with multiple PLMNs. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example (part 2) of the control operation of an NCAP 100 with multiple PLMNs. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a communication sequence related to the construction of an NCAP network. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an NCAP 100, a UE 200, and a gNB 50. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle 2001.

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

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

[0013] The gNB50 is a 6G-compliant radio base station that performs 6G-compliant radio communication with the UE 200. The NCAP 100 and the UE 200 are capable of supporting Massive MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output), which generates a more directional antenna beam by controlling radio signals transmitted from multiple antenna elements, Carrier Aggregation (CA), which aggregates multiple component carriers (CCs), and Dual Connectivity (DC), which simultaneously communicates between the UE and two or more RAN nodes.

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

[0015] The NCAP 100 may be installed by an operator (which may be called a network operator or a mobile operator) of the wireless communication system 10 (mobile communication system), or may be freely installed by a subscriber of a communication service provided by the wireless communication system 10. The NCAP 100 may be defined as a femto base station or as one type of UE.

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

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

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

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

[0020] The UE 200 may be connected to multiple mobile communication networks (PLMNs: Public Land Mobile Networks). In a broad sense, the PLMN may be interpreted as equivalent to a network operator (operating entity) that provides services using the wireless communication system 10. The PLMN may be interpreted as being composed of various nodes, including a UE, a gNB, a RAN, and a CN, that are used to provide various services related to mobile communication. The UE 200 may belong to (have contracts with) multiple PLMNs, or may be able to connect to multiple PLMNs by roaming.

[0021] In the wireless communication system 10, a control plane (C-plane) function and a user plane (U-plane) function (UPF: User Plane Function) are defined.

[0022] The C-plane may refer to a series of control processes mainly exchanged to establish communication, etc. The U-plane may refer to the process of transmitting and receiving user data.

[0023] In the core network (and some RANs), the concept of CUPS (Control and User Plane Separation) may be introduced, in which the functions of the C-plane and U-plane are clearly separated.

[0024] The C-plane function of the core network may include an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) that provides a management function for access and mobility of the UE 200, a Session Management Function (SMF) that provides a management function for sessions, etc. Note that the AMF and the SMF may be called by different names.

[0025] The NCAP 100 may be connected to the RAN and subjected to various controls from the network operator side via the C-plane function. At least a part of such connection and / or control may be realized using a Self-Organizing Networks (SON) framework. SON may be interpreted as a self-optimization function of a mobile communication network, including automatic configuration and parameter optimization at the time of gNB 50 installation.

[0026] In this way, the NCAP 100 can connect to the gNB 50 via the C-plane function. The connection between the gNB 50 and the NCAP 100 may be via a RAN (RAT) or a wired network. The NCAP 100 can also provide the UE 200 with a communication path to broadband Internet and servers for MEC (Multiaccess Edge Computing) via a local area network (LAN). MEC is a mechanism for deploying servers, storage, and the like closer to users (subscribers) in a mobile communication network. Various cloud services may also be accessible via broadband Internet.

[0027] (2) Functional Block Configuration of Wireless Communication System Next, the functional block configuration of the wireless communication system 10 will be described. Specifically, the functional block configuration of the NCAP 100 and the UE 200 will be described. Fig. 2 is a functional block configuration diagram of the NCAP 100. Fig. 3 is a functional block configuration diagram of the UE 200. Fig. 4 is a functional block configuration diagram of the gNB 50.

[0028] (2.1) NCAP 100 As shown in FIG. 2, the NCAP 100 includes a first communication unit 110, a second communication unit 120, a third communication unit 130, and a control unit 140.

[0029] The first communication unit 110 communicates with the network operator side. Specifically, the first communication unit 110 communicates with RAN nodes including the gNB 50. A radio access technology (RAT) may be used for connection with the gNB 50 (and other RAN nodes), or a wired network other than the RAT may be used. A network on the network operator side configured with RAN nodes including the gNB 50 may be referred to as a first communication network. In other words, the first communication unit 110 communicates with the first communication network using the RAT. The network on the network operator side may be interpreted as a concept including SON.

[0030] The second communication unit 120 communicates with a local area network (LAN) side. Specifically, the second communication unit 120 communicates via a communication device such as a router that constitutes the LAN, and via broadband Internet (which may be simply abbreviated as Internet).

[0031] The connection to the LAN may be via a wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or a wired LAN such as Ethernet (registered trademark). The network on the LAN side may be called a second communication network. In other words, the second communication unit 120 communicates with the second communication network using LAN technology.

[0032] The second communication unit 120 may also communicate with a network operator via a LAN (second communication network) and broadband Internet. The communication may include not only U-plane functions but also C-plane functions.

[0033] The third communication unit 130 performs communication with the UE 200. Specifically, the third communication unit 130 performs wireless communication with the UE 200 using a radio access technology (RAT). In this case, the NCAP 100 may provide the UE 200 with a function similar to that of the gNB 50. In this embodiment, the third communication unit 130 configures a communication unit that performs wireless communication with the UE 200.

[0034] The third communication unit 130 may transmit a connection signal corresponding to each mobile communication network (PLMN) to the UE 200. Here, the connection signal may be interpreted as a signal required for the UE 200 to connect to a specific PLMN. For example, the connection signal may include a synchronization signal (SS (Synchronization Signal) / PBCH (Physical Broadcast CHannel)) and a broadcast signal (MIB: Master Information Block, SIB: System Information Block) in the downlink (DL). The connection signal may also include a signal received by the NCAP 100 from the UE 200, for example, an uplink (UL) signal for initial access such as a PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel).

[0035] The third communication unit 130 may transmit or receive an independent connection signal for each PLMN. Specifically, the third communication unit 130 may transmit a separate DL connection signal for each PLMN to the UE 200 and receive a separate UL connection signal for each PLMN from the UE 200. At least one of the frequency resource and the time resource may be different for each PLMN. Furthermore, the connection signal may be targeted at only one of the PLMNs.

[0036] Alternatively, the third communication unit 130 may transmit or receive a connection signal common to a plurality of PLMNs. Specifically, the third communication unit 130 may transmit a DL connection signal common to a plurality of PLMNs to the UE 200, and may receive a UL connection signal common to a plurality of PLMNs from the UE 200.

[0037] The control unit 140 controls each functional block constituting the NCAP 100. In particular, in this embodiment, the control unit 140 can control the behavior of the communication device of the NCAP 100. Specifically, the control unit 140 can perform an operation (hereinafter, a specific operation) in which the NCAP 100 serves as a network device (NW device) that accommodates the UE 200.

[0038] The network device is not particularly limited to a specific type of device, as long as it is a device that accommodates the UE 200 (that is intended to connect to the UE 200 and perform wireless communication). Here, a network device such as a radio base station (gNB50) may be intended, and the control unit 140 may perform a specific operation (which may be referred to as "operation X") as a radio base station that accommodates the UE 200.

[0039] In this embodiment, the control unit 140 can perform a specific operation as a radio base station accommodating the UE 200 under at least one of a mobile communication network (specific mobile communication network) including a network on the network operator side (first communication network) and another mobile communication network other than the specific mobile communication network. Specifically, the NCAP 100 may be allowed to belong to one or more mobile communication networks (PLMNs), that is, to operate as belonging to (being subordinate to) two or more PLMNs simultaneously. Furthermore, the UE 200 may be allowed to connect to the NCAP 100 regardless of the PLMN to which it belongs. Alternatively, the UE 200 may be allowed to connect to the NCAP 100 associated with the PLMN to which it belongs.

[0040] In this state, when the UE 200 is under the control of one or more (including multiple) PLMNs, the control unit 140 can perform specific operations as a radio base station that accommodates all UEs 200 (i.e., regardless of the PLMN to which they belong).

[0041] Alternatively, the control unit 140 may manage the PLMN to which it belongs and perform specific operations as a radio base station that accommodates UEs 200 that belong to the specific mobile communication network and mobile communication networks other than the specific mobile communication network.

[0042] That is, the control unit 140 may accommodate UEs 200 that belong to (i.e., are connectable to) a specific mobile communication network (which may be referred to as a specific PLMN) and UEs 200 that belong to (i.e., are connectable to) a mobile communication network other than the specific PLMN, or may accommodate all UEs 200 regardless of the PLMN to which the UEs 200 belong. "Accommodating UEs 200" may mean that various communication services can be provided to the UEs 200 via the NCAP 100.

[0043] Such an NCAP 100 and a UE 200 may be referred to as an NCAP and a UE under the PLMN, and the UE 200 may be referred to as a UE under the NCAP. Also, as described above, a PLMN may be interpreted as a network operator.

[0044] In this embodiment, the NCAP 100 may belong to at least a specific mobile communication network. Therefore, the NCAP 100 may belong to one PLMN or may belong to multiple PLMNs. Note that the term "belonging" may simply be read as "belonging" or may be read as a synonymous term such as "belonging to."

[0045] The control unit 140 may execute the specific operation based on transmission and reception of information with a specific mobile communication network or another mobile communication network. Typically, the control unit 140 may execute the specific operation based on an exchange with a specific PLMN to which the NCAP 100 belongs. Examples of the exchange include permission for the specific operation, SON function, C-plane function of the CN, U-plane function of the CN, etc. Specific examples will be described later.

[0046] The control unit 140 may execute operations in cooperation with at least one of other NCAPs (communication devices) belonging to a specific mobile communication network and other NCAPs belonging to other mobile communication networks. Specifically, the control unit 140 can cooperate only with NCAPs belonging to the same PLMN (network operator). The control unit 140 may also cooperate with NCAPs belonging to different PLMNs (if belonging to multiple PLMNs, some of the PLMNs may overlap). Specific examples of cooperation methods will be described later.

[0047] The control unit 140 may assume that only UE200 belonging to a specific mobile communication network, or UE200 belonging to a specific mobile communication network and UE200 belonging to other mobile communication networks to which other NCAPs that cooperate with NCAP100 belong, are connected to NCAP100.

[0048] Alternatively, the control unit 140 may assume that all UEs are connected to the NCAP 100 regardless of the PLMN to which they belong.

[0049] The control unit 140 can perform specific operations in at least one of the C-plane of the NCAP 100 or UE 200 related to the CN, and the U-plane of the UE 200 related to the CN. The C-plane function and U-plane function of the CN may include the following processing.

[0050] - C-plane functions: device (equipment) registration / connection, subscriber management / retention / processing, subscriber (terminal) authentication processing, billing-related control, mobility management, session management - U-plane: connection to IP (Internet Protocol) network, authentication processing, IP packet routing, priority control As described above, the control unit 140 may perform specific operations based on sending and receiving information with a mobile communication network (PLMN) including the network operator's network (first communication network) or other mobile communication networks (PLMN), and can apply settings related to communication on resources or frequency bands common to each PLMN or to multiple PLMNs.

[0051] Specifically, the control unit 140 can set which frequency bands are to be used (or available) for communication with UEs associated with (belonging to) which PLMNs. The control unit 140 can also set methods, procedures, and parameters related to communication in resources and / or frequency bands common between PLMNs, and can set methods, procedures, and parameters related to communication in resources and / or frequency bands specific to each PLMN.

[0052] (2.2) UE 200 As shown in FIG. 3, the UE 200 includes a radio communication unit 210, a connection IF unit 220, and a control unit 230.

[0053] The wireless communication unit 210 transmits and receives wireless signals conforming to 6G with the gNB 50 or the NCAP 100. Specifically, the wireless communication unit 210 transmits UL signals conforming to 6G and receives DL signals conforming to 6G. The wireless communication unit 210 supports Massive MIMO, CA that uses a bundle of multiple CCs, and DC that simultaneously communicates between the UE and two NG-RAN nodes.

[0054] The connection IF unit 220 can provide an interface (IF) function for connecting devices for IIoT or URLLC. The connection IF unit 220 is not essential and may not be provided depending on the specifications of the UE 200. The IF provided by the connection IF unit 220 may be wired or wireless.

[0055] The control unit 230 controls the wireless communication unit 210 and the connection IF unit 220. In particular, in this embodiment, the control unit 230 can connect to the NCAP 100 when the NCAP 100 is performing a specific operation (operation as a network device accommodating the UE 200) without performing communication with a network on the network operator side.

[0056] Specifically, when NCAP100 is performing a specific operation (or before performing the operation, a connection request may be sent), and NCAP100 belongs to the same PLMN as the PLMN to which UE200 belongs, the control unit 230 can connect to NCAP100 and receive various communication services.

[0057] Furthermore, the control unit 230 may be configured to connect to other NCAPs that cooperate with the NCAP 100 and that belong to the same PLMN as the PLMN to which the UE 200 belongs. Alternatively, the control unit 230 may be configured to connect to all NCAPs regardless of the PLMN to which the UE 200 belongs.

[0058] (2.3) gNB 50 As shown in FIG. 4, the gNB 50 includes a wireless communication unit 51, a network IF unit 53, and a control unit 55.

[0059] The wireless communication unit 51 transmits and receives wireless signals conforming to 6G with the UE 200 or the NCAP 100. Specifically, the wireless communication unit 51 transmits DL signals conforming to 6G and receives UL signals conforming to 6G. The wireless communication unit 51 supports Massive MIMO, CA that uses a bundle of multiple CCs, and DC that simultaneously communicates between the UE and two NG-RAN nodes. In this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 51 may constitute a communication unit that performs wireless communication with the NCAP 100.

[0060] Furthermore, the wireless communication unit 51 may constitute a receiving unit that receives network information indicating mobile communication networks (PLMNs) that the NCAP 100 (communication device) can support from the core network (CN). Specifically, the network information may be configured as a list of PLMNs that the NCAP 100 can support. A PLMN that the NCAP 100 can support may refer to a PLMN that the NCAP 100 can support and that can allow connection to the PLMN and / or a PLMN to which the UE belongs and that can allow connection to the UE.

[0061] The network IF unit 53 provides an interface function for connecting to the RAN nodes constituting the RAN and the nodes (functions) constituting the CN. Specifically, the network IF unit 53 can provide an interface for connecting to the AMF / UPF, etc.

[0062] The control unit 55 controls each functional block constituting the gNB 50. In particular, in this embodiment, the control unit 55 executes settings for the PLMN with the NCAP 100 based on the above-described network information for the PLMN received by the wireless communication unit 51.

[0063] Specifically, the control unit 55 can control the UEs that are permitted to connect and / or the PLMNs to which the UEs are to connect, in accordance with the list of PLMNs indicated by the network information.

[0064] (3) Operation of the Wireless Communication System Next, a description will be given of the operation of the wireless communication system 10. Specifically, a description will be given of the operation relating to support for multiple PLMNs in a mobile communication network (NCAP network) including the NCAP 100.

[0065] (3.1) Assumptions In conventional network configurations (e.g., 5G), UEs that can connect to a specific radio base station are basically limited to UEs under the control of the network operator (or UEs that are permitted to roam by the network operator).

[0066] However, the relationship between the NCAP and multiple network operators, and the relationship between UEs connected to the NCAP network and multiple network operators are unclear. For example, the NCAP network is constructed in a location desired by a subscriber (customer) of a communication service, and it is undesirable that UEs that can connect to the NCAP network are limited to UEs under a specific network operator.

[0067] In addition, in the wireless communication system 10, in order to further improve the utilization efficiency of existing frequency bands (which may include newly allocated high frequency bands), network sharing (resource sharing) may be applied, in which multiple communication carriers (network operators) share the RAN and share the investment costs for the network, thereby realizing the installation of a large number of wireless base stations.

[0068] For example, it is expected that multiple operators will share the cost of installing stations by sharing antenna sites (land, towers, etc.). In addition, by sharing DU (Distributed Unit) / CU (Central Unit) (sharing the hardware infrastructure), multiple operators will be able to share the equipment cost (however, confidentiality between operators will be maintained by keeping the software independent), and by sharing frequencies and RU (Radio Unit), it may be possible to improve resource utilization efficiency (for example, resources unused by one operator can be used by another operator).

[0069] When such network sharing is applied and a mechanism is adopted in which UEs can connect to a wide range of networks without being limited to a specific PLMN in the NCAP network described above, it is necessary to clarify how frequencies (frequency bands) will be used, taking into account the following scenarios:

[0070] Scenario 1: When available frequency bands differ between PLMNs Scenario 2: When frequency bands are shared between PLMNs The following describes the relationship between NCAP and multiple network operators, and the relationship between UEs connected to an NCAP network and multiple network operators. For example, this explains a mechanism that allows a wide range of UEs to connect to an NCAP network, regardless of the PLMN to which the UE belongs.

[0071] (3.2) Operation Overview In an NCAP network such as that shown in FIG. 1, the C-plane functions and U-plane functions of the core network (CN) may be arranged, for example, as follows:

[0072] - CN's C-plane function: Within the network operator's network - CN's U-plane function: Within NCAP100 (or within the NCAP100's network) As mentioned above, the C-plane function and U-plane function may include the following processing.

[0073] C-plane functions: Device (equipment) registration / connection, subscriber management / retention / processing, subscriber (terminal) authentication processing, billing-related control, mobility management, session management U-plane functions: Connection to IP (Internet Protocol) network, authentication processing, IP packet routing, priority control Figure 5 shows an example (part 1) of the arrangement of the C-plane and U-plane functions of a CN in a mobile communication network configured using NCAP100.

[0074] 5, when NCAP100 connects to a network operator, communication with the network operator's network may be performed via RAN (using RAT). Specifically, exchange of information regarding the execution of connection between NCAP100 and the network operator's network (e.g., gNB50 or AMF / SMF constituting a core network) may be performed by wireless communication with gNB50, or NCAP100 may perform connection operation as a UE.

[0075] 6 shows an example (part 2) of the arrangement of the C-plane function and U-plane function of the CN in a mobile communication network configured using the NCAP 100. Specifically, when the NCAP 100 connects to a network operator, communication with the network operator's network may be performed via broadband Internet.

[0076] Even when the network architecture shown in Figures 5 and 6 is applied, the CN's C-plane function (Function 1 in the figure) may be located within the network operator's network, and the CN's U-plane function (Function I in the figure) may be located within NCAP100.

[0077] (3.3) Operation Example (3.3.1) Basic Operation Example With respect to multiple network operators (PLMNs), the NCAP 100 and the UE 200 may operate as follows. Specifically, the NCAP 100 may operate under one or more network operators, and the UE 200 may be connected to the NCAP 100 operating under one or more network operators. For example, when the NCAP 100 operates (specific operation) as a network device (NW device, as described above, may be interpreted as a radio base station in a narrow sense) that accommodates the UE 200, the NCAP 100 may enable all the UEs 200 to connect to the NCAP 100, regardless of the PLMN (as described above, may be read as the network operator) to which the UE 200 belongs.

[0078] This means that there are no restrictions on the UEs that can connect to the NCAP network, making it possible to build a highly flexible NCAP network.

[0079] Here, it may be assumed that the UE attempts to connect to PLMN #A (network operator A side). Also, "common among operators" may mean that there is no distinction between telecommunications operators, or that the UE can use the PLMN regardless of the telecommunications operator.

[0080] The PLMN may be any identifier related to (indicating) a telecommunications carrier, but is not limited to this. Also, "UE-common signal" may mean a signal common to multiple UEs or a signal based on a common resource configuration, but does not necessarily mean common among telecommunications carriers. When only "PLMN-common / PLMN-dedicated / UE-common / UE-dedicated" is written, it may mean any of the configuration / resource / signal of the PLMN / UE.

[0081] Fig. 7 shows an example (part 1) of the control operation of the NCAP 100 with multiple PLMNs. Fig. 8 shows an example (part 2) of the control operation of the NCAP 100 with multiple PLMNs.

[0082] 9 shows an example of a communication sequence related to the construction of an NCAP network. Note that the sequence shown in FIG. 9 shows a part of the sequence related to the following operation example, and the order of the sequence may be changed as appropriate, or some of the sequence may be omitted.

[0083] (3.3.2) Operation Example 1 With respect to multiple network operators, the NCAP 100 may be under the control of a specific network operator. That is, the NCAP 100 may belong to only one of multiple PLMNs. In this case, the NCAP 100 executes process P1, such as connection and control with network operator A, but does not need to execute process P2, such as connection and control with network operator B (see FIG. 7). This simplifies the control flow and reduces the processing load.

[0084] The NCAP 100 may perform a specific operation (also referred to as operation X) as a radio base station accommodating the UE 200 based on interactions (transmission and reception of information) with any of the network operators.

[0085] The interaction with the network operator may include receiving permission for operation X, transmitting and receiving information about SON functions, transmitting and receiving information about CN C-plane processing of the UE, and configuring the CN U-plane (e.g., session management). In this case, it may not be assumed that the NCAP 100 is under the control of multiple PLMNs. Information indicating that the NCAP 100 is under a specific PLMN may be notified to the UE 200.

[0086] On the other hand, the NCAP 100 does not have to belong to multiple PLMNs. That is, the NCAP 100 can be under the control of multiple PLMNs. In this case, any of the PLMNs may be selectively set. The NCAP 100 may perform operation X based on interactions with at least any of the PLMNs. Specifically, the NCAP 100 may operate in accordance with at least one of the following:

[0087] (a) One of the network operators is designated as a primary, and action X is performed based on an interaction with the primary network operator.

[0088] The primary may be determined based on notification from the network operator, or may be determined by the NCAP and reported to the network operator.

[0089] (b) Perform action X based on all interactions with the network operator.

[0090] (c) Some actions are performed based on interactions with a primary network operator, and other actions are performed based on interactions with all network operators.

[0091] For example, the following settings are possible:

[0092] - Permission for operation X: all (respective) network operators - Sending and receiving information about SON functions: primary network operator - Sending and receiving information about UE's CN C-plane processing: all (respective) network operators - CN U-plane configuration (e.g., session management): all (respective) network operators - Which frequency bands are used (or available) for communication with UEs associated with (belonging to) which PLMNs: all (respective) or primary network operators - Methods, procedures and parameters related to communication in resources / frequency bands common between PLMNs: primary network operator - Methods, procedures and parameters related to communication in PLMN-specific resources / frequency bands: all (respective) or primary network operator - (d) Report information about operation X exchanged with multiple network operators to at least one of the network operators.

[0093] For example, the NCAP 100 may report various parameters to the SON function of the primary network operator, and may receive a notification regarding the action X from the SON function of the primary network operator.

[0094] (e) The NCAP notifies the UE of the PLMN (which may be one or more) that it is subordinate to.

[0095] (f) Obtaining from at least one network operator the PLMNs (which may be one or more) that may be subordinate (for example, a combination of network operators).

[0096] (g) Reporting to at least one network operator the PLMN(s) (which may be one or more) (for example, a combination of network operators) that may be subordinate to it.

[0097] Note that (f) and (g) may be executed during handover of the NCAP 100 (if the NCAP 100 supports the handover function).

[0098] Such operation of the NCAP 100 makes it possible to more reliably achieve overall optimization of the wireless communication system 10 and to flexibly accommodate UEs of multiple network operators.

[0099] (3.3.3) Operation Example 2 When building a network (NCAP network) using multiple NCAPs, the NCAP 100 may assume that cooperation is possible only between NCAPs under the same network operator. This can simplify the process of building the NCAP network.

[0100] Specifically, when each NCAP decides which NCAP to collaborate with, they may notify each other of which network operator they are under (D2D (Device to Device), via the network operator, via broadband Internet, or via LAN). If the network operator is the same, each NCAP performs the operations necessary for collaboration, but if the network operators are different, collaboration is not necessary.

[0101] Furthermore, when a network operator determines an NCAP to cooperate with, the NCAP 100 may assume that it is notified of cooperation with other NCAPs under the same network operator.

[0102] In addition, cooperation may be applied when resources / frequency bands common to PLMNs are not used, that is, when different resources / frequency bands are used for each PLMN.

[0103] Alternatively, the NCAP 100 may be assumed to be capable of cooperation between NCAPs under different network operators (see FIG. 8), which makes it possible to flexibly construct an optimal NCAP network.

[0104] Specifically, when each NCAP decides on an NCAP to collaborate with, each NCAP may report information about the network operator to which the collaborative NCAP belongs and / or various configuration parameters to the network operator to which it belongs (which may be the primary network operator in the cases of (a) and (c) above).

[0105] In addition, when a network operator decides which NCAP to collaborate with, each NCAP may report information and / or various configuration parameters about the network operators to which other NCAPs belong to the network operator to which it belongs (which may be the primary network operator in the cases of (a) and (c) above), or may notify collaboration with NCAPs belonging to other network operators.

[0106] The NCAPs that cooperate with each other may be controlled by a SON function under the network operator to which each NCAP belongs (and may receive various setting parameters). In other words, the SON functions may be cooperated between the network operators.

[0107] Alternatively, all NCAPs may be controlled by a SON function under a given network operator, i.e., a SON function of a given network operator may collectively control all NCAPs (and UEs).

[0108] In addition, each NCAP may notify the UE of the network operator to which the cooperating NCAP belongs. Note that the assumption that cooperation between NCAPs under different network operators is possible may be applied when using resources / frequency bands common between PLMNs.

[0109] (3.3.4) Operation Example 3 The UE 200 (or the NCAP 100) may operate in accordance with any of the following regarding the connection with the NCAP 100.

[0110] (z) NCAP sends signaling for UE connection based on PLMN.

[0111] (z1) The NCAP may transmit synchronization signals, broadcast signals, etc., and receive UL signals for initial access independently for each PLMN.

[0112] In this case, frequency resources may be different for each PLMN, and the UE may be notified of which PLMN the signal corresponds to. Also, time resources may be different for each PLMN, and the UE may be notified of which PLMN the signal corresponds to.

[0113] - (z2) The NCAP may transmit synchronization signals and broadcast signals common to multiple PLMNs, i.e., common between the carriers of cell X, and / or receive UL signals for initial access common to multiple PLMNs.

[0114] In this case, the UE may be notified that the cell is a specific cell (cell X) via any of PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) 0 (CORESET (control resource sets) 0) / SIB1 / SIBX (other SIBs) / Msg2 (RAR: Random Access Response) PDSCH / Msg4 PDCCH / Msg4 (Contention Resolution) PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel).

[0115] The UE may perform an operation related to connection to cell X. Note that the Access category may indicate cell X, and a non-cell X (other than cell X) may be notified of being cell X rather than a PLMN in signaling used for PLMN notification. Furthermore, the UE may receive information related to cell X via the connected non-cell X. When cell X is used as a secondary cell (SCell), at least a part of the UE-common signal of cell X may be assumed to be common between communication operators.

[0116] The NCAP may also notify the UE of the PLMN set. The UE may be notified in SIB1 or SIBX that the RAR includes the PLMN set, or it may be assumed that the RAR includes the PLMN set if the SIB1 or SIBX does not include PLMN information or if the PRACH resources are common between operators.

[0117] An NCAP may include in the PLMN set the PLMNs under which the NCAP itself is subordinate, or may include other PLMNs (for example, cooperating PLMNs) in the PLMN set. Furthermore, an NCAP may include in the PLMN set the PLMNs notified by a NW operator / BS / SON mechanism. Note that this PLMN set may be the same as or different from the above-mentioned PLMN set. Furthermore, a PLMN set may be called a PLMN list.

[0118] In addition, the target signal in this case may be any of PDCCH0 (CORESET0) / SIB1 / SIBX (other SIBs) / Msg2 PDSCH / Msg4 PDCCH / Msg4 PDSCH, PRACH / Msg3 PUSCH / HARQ (Hybrid automatic repeat request)-ACK for Msg4 PDSCH.

[0119] - (a) UE connects only to the NCAP under the network operator to which it belongs.

[0120] - (b) The UE connects to an NCAP under the network operator to which it belongs or an NCAP that cooperates with that NCAP.

[0121] (c) The UE can connect to any NCAP regardless of which network operator the NCAP is under.

[0122] (y) The UE may perform the following operations as operations corresponding to (z2) above.

[0123] The UE receives the inter-operator SSB of cell X and receives the set of PLMNs that can be connected to the cell in the PBCH / MIB, as well as the settings related to communication for each PLMN.

[0124] - The UE receives the SS / PBCH / MIB / SIB1 common to the carriers of cell X, and receives in SIB1 the set of PLMNs that can be connected to the cell and the communication settings for each PLMN.

[0125] - The UE receives the SS / PBCH / MIB / SIB1 / SIBX common to the carriers of cell X, and receives the set of PLMNs that can connect to the cell in the SIBX and the communication settings for each PLMN.

[0126] The UE receives the SS / PBCH / MIB / SIB1 and / or SIBX common to the carriers of cell X and transmits the PRACH using the PRACH resources common to the carriers. In the subsequent RAR, the UE receives the set of PLMNs that can connect to the cell and the communication settings for each PLMN.

[0127] The UE receives SS / PBCH / MIB / SIB1 and / or SIBX common to the carriers of cell X, and transmits PRACH using PRACH resources common to the carriers.

[0128] The UE completes the process up to transmission of Msg3 PUSCH based on the common settings between the carriers.The UE then receives, in Msg4 PDSCH, the set of PLMNs that can connect to the cell and the settings related to communication for each PLMN.

[0129] (d) The NCAP notifies the network operator to which the NCAP itself belongs of the network operator to which the UE belongs.

[0130] In this case, the NCAP and the UE may assume that the processing for the UE is carried out between the network operators.

[0131] - (e) If the UE belongs to a network operator other than the network operator to which the NCAP itself belongs (or the primary network operator), the NCAP notifies other NCAPs under the network operator to which the UE belongs, or the network operator to which the UE belongs, of the UE's information.

[0132] The other NCAP may report the information about the UE to the network operator to which the NCAP itself belongs.

[0133] - (f) After performing the operation of (d) or (e), the NCAP may receive a notification regarding the connection of the UE from the network operator to which the NCAP itself belongs, an NCAP under the network operator to which the UE belongs, or the network operator to which the UE belongs.

[0134] - (g) After the UE is connected by (f), the NCAP may perform the operation (d) or (e) on information related to the UE's communications.

[0135] (h) Which action to perform may be preset in the NCAP or may be instructed by the network operator.

[0136] By having UE200 perform such operations, NCAP100 can operate based on the control (instructions) of the network operator to which UE200 belongs, thereby simplifying the processing when building an NCAP network and enabling flexible UE connection configurations.

[0137] (3.3.5) Operation Example 4 With respect to multiple network operators, the core network (CN) of any of the network operators may send a list of PLMNs supported by NCAP100 to gNB50.

[0138] That is, the authentication and authorization process related to the above-mentioned measurement or reporting may be executed on the CN side. Specifically, the CN may be an AMF or another CN function that executes authentication processing, etc., but is not limited to these, and may also be another function on the network operator side.

[0139] Furthermore, the list may be transmitted via an existing NG interface or via an interface other than the NG interface.

[0140] The CN may also transmit methods, procedures, parameters, etc. related to communications in resources / frequency bands common to PLMNs, as well as methods, procedures, parameters, etc. related to communications in resources / frequency bands specific to PLMNs.

[0141] (4) Actions and Effects According to the above-described embodiment, the NCAP 100 can build an NCAP network according to the situation, regardless of the network operator (PLMN) to which the NCAP itself and / or the UE itself belongs, and therefore can accommodate a wide variety of UEs in the NCAP network. This makes it possible to reliably build a highly flexible NCAP network.

[0142] (5) Other Embodiments Although the embodiments have been described above, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the description of the embodiments, and that various modifications and improvements are possible.

[0143] For example, in the above-described embodiment, it was described that it is possible to connect to a server for MEC and broadband Internet via a LAN, but the LAN may be set up on the same segment, or may be a different LAN that is physically or logically separated.

[0144] In the above-described embodiment, the NCAP 100 is connected to both the network (first communication network) on the network operator side and the LAN (second communication network), but may be connected to only one of the networks. Furthermore, the UE 200 connected to the network configured by the NCAP 100 may or may not be separately connected to a radio base station on the network operator side. The operation of the NCAP 100 and / or the UE 200 may differ depending on whether or not the connection is established. The network configured by the NCAP 100 may use a licensed band or an unlicensed band.

[0145] Furthermore, the block diagrams (FIGS. 2 to 4) used in the description of the above-described embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (e.g., using wires, wirelessly, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may also be realized by combining software with the single device or multiple devices.

[0146] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, judgment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, consideration, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating, mapping, and assignment. For example, a functional block (component) that performs transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on how each is implemented.

[0147] Furthermore, the above-described NCAP 100, UE 200, and gNB 50 may function as a computer that performs processing of the wireless communication method of the present disclosure. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the NCAP 100, UE 200, and gNB 50. As shown in Figure 10, the NCAP 100, UE 200, and gNB 50 may be configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, etc.

[0148] In the following description, the term "apparatus" can be interpreted as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the apparatus may be configured to include one or more of the apparatuses shown in the drawings, or may be configured to exclude some of the apparatuses.

[0149] Each functional block of the NCAP 100, the UE 200, and the gNB 50 (see Figures 2 to 4) is realized by any hardware element of the computer device, or a combination of such hardware elements.

[0150] In addition, each function in NCAP100, UE200 and gNB50 is realized by loading specified software (programs) onto hardware such as processor 1001 and memory 1002, causing processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication by communication device 1004, and control at least one of reading and writing data in memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0151] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system, and may be configured as a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control unit, an arithmetic unit, and registers.

[0152] The processor 1001 also reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executes various processes in accordance with these. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the various processes described above may be executed by a single processor 1001, or may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The programs may be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0153] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured by at least one of, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The memory 1002 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 may store a program (program code), a software module, etc., capable of executing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0154] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be, for example, at least one of an optical disk such as a Compact Disc ROM (CD-ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray disc), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned recording medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other suitable medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0155] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also called, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module.

[0156] The communication device 1004 may be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. to realize, for example, at least one of Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD).

[0157] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. Note that the input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (e.g., a touch panel).

[0158] Furthermore, each device such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002 is connected to a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0159] Furthermore, the device may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0160] Furthermore, the notification of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in the present disclosure, and may be performed using other methods. For example, the notification of information may be performed by physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI), Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB))), other signals, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the RRC signaling may be referred to as an RRC message, and may be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, or the like.

[0161] Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be applied to at least one of a system using Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, a 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), a 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), a 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), an xth generation mobile communication system (xG) (where x is, for example, an integer or a decimal), Future Radio Access (FRA), New Radio (NR), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or other suitable system, and a next-generation system extended based on these. Furthermore, a combination of multiple systems (e.g., a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G) may also be applied.

[0162] The order of the procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be changed unless it is consistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0163] In the present disclosure, a specific operation described as being performed by a base station may also be performed by its upper node in some cases. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with a terminal may be performed by at least one of the base station and another network node other than the base station (e.g., MME or S-GW, etc., but are not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates a case where there is one other network node other than the base station, a combination of multiple other network nodes (e.g., MME and S-GW) may also be used.

[0164] Information, signals (information, etc.) may be output from a higher layer (or a lower layer) to a lower layer (or a higher layer), or may be input and output via multiple network nodes.

[0165] The input and output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, a memory) or may be managed using a management table. The input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added. The output information may be deleted. The input information may be transmitted to another device.

[0166] The determination may be made based on a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), a Boolean value (true or false), or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0167] The aspects / embodiments described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to explicit notification, but may be implicit (e.g., not notifying the predetermined information).

[0168] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0169] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0170] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0171] Note that terms described in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of a channel and a symbol may be a signal (signaling). Furthermore, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, a cell, a frequency carrier, etc.

[0172] As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0173] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc. described in the present disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or other corresponding information. For example, a radio resource may be indicated by an index.

[0174] The names used for the above-described parameters are not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, the mathematical expressions using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure. The various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements may be identified by any suitable names, and therefore the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0175] In this disclosure, terms such as "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "NodeB," "eNodeB (eNB)," "gNodeB (gNB)," "access point," "transmission point," "reception point," "transmission / reception point," "cell," "sector," "cell group," "carrier," and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. Base stations may also be referred to by terms such as macrocell, small cell, femtocell, and picocell.

[0176] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells (also called sectors). When a base station accommodates multiple cells, the overall coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, and each smaller area can be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a small indoor base station (Remote Radio Head: RRH)).

[0177] The terms "cell" or "sector" refer to part or all of the coverage area of ​​a base station and / or base station subsystem that provides communication services within that coverage area.

[0178] In the present disclosure, the base station transmitting information to a terminal may be interpreted as the base station instructing the terminal to control or operate based on the information.

[0179] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," "terminal," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0180] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0181] At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be referred to as a transmitting device, a receiving device, a communication device, etc. At least one of the base station and the mobile station may be a device mounted on a mobile object, the mobile object itself, etc. The mobile object may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane, etc.), an unmanned mobile object (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle, etc.), or a robot (manned or unmanned). At least one of the base station and the mobile station may also include devices that do not necessarily move during communication operations. For example, at least one of the base station and the mobile station may be an Internet of Things (IoT) device such as a sensor.

[0182] Furthermore, a base station in the present disclosure may be read as a mobile station (user terminal, the same applies hereinafter). For example, the aspects / embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a mobile station is replaced with communication between multiple mobile stations (which may be called, for example, Device-to-Device (D2D) or Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X)). In this case, the mobile station may be configured to have the functions of a base station. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be read as terms corresponding to terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "side"). For example, terms such as an uplink channel and a downlink channel may be read as a side channel (or sidelink).

[0183] Similarly, a mobile station in the present disclosure may be interpreted as a base station, in which case the base station may have the functions of a mobile station.

[0184] A radio frame may be composed of one or more frames in the time domain. Each of the one or more frames in the time domain may be called a subframe. A subframe may further be composed of one or more slots in the time domain. A subframe may have a fixed time length (e.g., 1 ms) that is independent of numerology.

[0185] Numerology may be communication parameters that apply to the transmission and / or reception of a signal or channel, such as subcarrier spacing (SCS), bandwidth, symbol length, cyclic prefix length, transmission time interval (TTI), number of symbols per TTI, radio frame structure, specific filtering operations performed by the transceiver in the frequency domain, and specific windowing operations performed by the transceiver in the time domain.

[0186] A slot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain (such as an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbol, etc.) A slot may be a numerology-based time unit.

[0187] A slot may include multiple minislots. Each minislot may consist of one or more symbols in the time domain. A minislot may also be called a subslot. A minislot may consist of fewer symbols than a slot. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted in a time unit larger than a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type A. A PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted using a minislot may be called PDSCH (or PUSCH) mapping type B.

[0188] The radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol all represent time units for transmitting signals, and may be referred to by other names corresponding to the radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol.

[0189] For example, one subframe may be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI), multiple consecutive subframes may be referred to as a TTI, or one slot or one minislot may be referred to as a TTI. That is, at least one of the subframe and the TTI may be a subframe (1 ms) in existing LTE, a period shorter than 1 ms (e.g., 1-13 symbols), or a period longer than 1 ms. Note that the unit representing the TTI may be called a slot, minislot, etc., instead of a subframe.

[0190] Here, TTI refers to, for example, the smallest time unit for scheduling in wireless communication. For example, in an LTE system, a base station schedules each user terminal to allocate radio resources (such as frequency bandwidth and transmission power that can be used by each user terminal) in TTI units. Note that the definition of TTI is not limited to this.

[0191] The TTI may be a transmission time unit for a channel-encoded data packet (transport block), a code block, a code word, etc., or may be a processing unit for scheduling, link adaptation, etc. When a TTI is given, the time interval (e.g., the number of symbols) to which a transport block, a code block, a code word, etc. is actually mapped may be shorter than the TTI.

[0192] In addition, when one slot or one minislot is called a TTI, one or more TTIs (i.e., one or more slots or one or more minislots) may be the minimum time unit for scheduling, and the number of slots (minislots) constituting the minimum time unit for scheduling may be controlled.

[0193] A TTI having a time length of 1 ms may be referred to as a regular TTI (TTI in LTE Rel. 8-12), normal TTI, long TTI, regular subframe, normal subframe, long subframe, slot, etc. A TTI shorter than a regular TTI may be referred to as a shortened TTI, short TTI, partial or fractional TTI, shortened subframe, short subframe, minislot, subslot, slot, etc.

[0194] In addition, a long TTI (e.g., a normal TTI, a subframe, etc.) may be interpreted as a TTI having a time length of more than 1 ms, and a short TTI (e.g., a shortened TTI, etc.) may be interpreted as a TTI having a TTI length shorter than the TTI length of a long TTI and equal to or greater than 1 ms.

[0195] A resource block (RB) is a resource allocation unit in the time domain and the frequency domain, and may include one or more consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. The number of subcarriers included in an RB may be the same regardless of numerology, for example, 12. The number of subcarriers included in an RB may be determined based on numerology.

[0196] The time domain of an RB may include one or more symbols and may have a length of one slot, one minislot, one subframe, or one TTI, each of which may consist of one or more resource blocks.

[0197] Note that one or more RBs may also be called a physical resource block (PRB), a sub-carrier group (SCG), a resource element group (REG), a PRB pair, an RB pair, etc.

[0198] Furthermore, a resource block may be composed of one or more resource elements (REs). For example, one RE may be a radio resource region of one subcarrier and one symbol.

[0199] A Bandwidth Part (BWP) (which may also be referred to as a fractional bandwidth) may represent a subset of contiguous common resource blocks (RBs) for a given numerology on a given carrier, where the common RBs may be identified by their index relative to a common reference point of the carrier. PRBs may be defined in a given BWP and numbered within that BWP.

[0200] The BWP may include a BWP for UL (UL BWP) and a BWP for DL ​​(DL BWP). One or more BWPs may be configured for a UE within one carrier.

[0201] At least one of the configured BWPs may be active, and the UE may not expect to transmit or receive a given signal / channel outside the active BWP. Note that the terms "cell," "carrier," etc. in this disclosure may be read as "BWP."

[0202] The above-described structures of the radio frame, subframe, slot, minislot, and symbol are merely examples. For example, the number of subframes included in a radio frame, the number of slots per subframe or radio frame, the number of minislots included in a slot, the number of symbols and RBs included in a slot or minislot, the number of subcarriers included in an RB, the number of symbols in a TTI, the symbol length, the cyclic prefix (CP) length, and other configurations may be changed in various ways.

[0203] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0204] The reference signal may also be abbreviated as Reference Signal (RS) and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0205] As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0206] The "means" in the configuration of each of the above devices may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0207] As used in this disclosure, any reference to an element using a designation such as "first," "second," etc. does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed therein or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

[0208] When the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when the term "or" is used in this disclosure, it is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0209] In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0210] As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as having been "judged" or "decided." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "decided." Furthermore, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0211] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0212] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

[0213] 11 shows an example of the configuration of a vehicle 2001. As shown in Fig. 11, the vehicle 2001 includes a drive unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, left and right front wheels 2007, left and right rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013.

[0214] The drive unit 2002 is composed of, for example, an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor. The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a handle) and is configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel operated by the user. The electronic control unit 2010 is composed of a microprocessor 2031, memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and a communication port (IO port) 2033. Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2027 provided in the vehicle are input to the electronic control unit 2010. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0215] The signals from the various sensors 2021 to 2028 include a current signal from a current sensor 2021 that senses the current of the motor, a rotation speed signal of the front and rear wheels obtained by a rotation speed sensor 2022, an air pressure signal of the front and rear wheels obtained by an air pressure sensor 2023, a vehicle speed signal obtained by a vehicle speed sensor 2024, an acceleration signal obtained by an acceleration sensor 2025, an accelerator pedal depression amount signal obtained by an accelerator pedal sensor 2029, a brake pedal depression amount signal obtained by a brake pedal sensor 2026, a shift lever operation signal obtained by a shift lever sensor 2027, and a detection signal for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc. obtained by an object detection sensor 2028.

[0216] The information service unit 2012 is composed of various devices, such as a car navigation system, an audio system, speakers, a television, and a radio, for providing (outputting) various types of information, such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, and one or more ECUs for controlling these devices. The information service unit 2012 uses information acquired from external devices via the communication module 2013, etc., to provide various types of multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 1.

[0217] The information service unit 2012 may include input devices (e.g., keyboards, mice, microphones, switches, buttons, sensors, touch panels, etc.) that accept input from the outside, and may also include output devices (e.g., displays, speakers, LED lamps, touch panels, etc.) that output to the outside.

[0218] The driving assistance system unit 2030 is composed of various devices that provide functions for preventing accidents and reducing the driver's driving burden, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS, etc.), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps, etc.), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System), etc.), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. The driving assistance system unit 2030 also transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize driving assistance functions or autonomous driving functions.

[0219] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 1 via the communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 transmits and receives data via the communication port 2033 to and from a driving unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, left and right front wheels 2007, left and right rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, a microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021 to 2028, which are provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0220] The communication module 2013 is a communication device that can be controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010 and can communicate with an external device. For example, it transmits and receives various information to and from the external device via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 may be located either inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. The external device may be, for example, a base station, a mobile station, or the like.

[0221] The communication module 2013 may transmit at least one of signals from the above-mentioned various sensors 2021 to 2028 input to the electronic control unit 2010, information obtained based on the signals, and information based on input from the outside (user) obtained via the information service unit 2012 to an external device via wireless communication. The electronic control unit 2010, the various sensors 2021 to 2028, the information service unit 2012, etc. may be referred to as input units that accept input. For example, the PUSCH transmitted by the communication module 2013 may include information based on the above-mentioned input.

[0222] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, traffic signal information, vehicle-to-vehicle information, etc.) transmitted from external devices and displays it on an information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle. The information service unit 2012 may also be called an output unit that outputs information (for example, outputs information to a device such as a display or speaker based on the PDSCH (or data / information decoded from the PDSCH) received by the communication module 2013). The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from external devices in a memory 2032 that can be used by the microprocessor 2031. Based on the information stored in the memory 2032, the microprocessor 2031 may control the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, left and right front wheels 2007, left and right rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, sensors 2021 to 2028, and the like provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0223] (Additional Note) The above disclosure may be expressed as follows: A first feature is a communication device including a communication unit that performs communication with a first communication network and a second communication network and wireless communication with a terminal, and a control unit that performs a specific operation as a wireless base station that accommodates the terminal belonging to a mobile communication network including the first communication network and the terminal belonging to a mobile communication network other than the mobile communication network, wherein the communication unit transmits a connection signal corresponding to each of the mobile communication networks to the terminal.

[0224] In a second feature based on the first feature, the communication unit transmits or receives the connection signal independently for each of the mobile communication networks.

[0225] A third feature based on the first or second feature is that the communication unit transmits or receives the connection signal common to a plurality of the mobile communication networks.

[0226] A fourth feature is that, in the first to third features, the control unit executes the specific operation based on transmission and reception of information with the mobile communication network or the other mobile communication network, and applies settings related to communication in resources or frequency bands common to each of the mobile communication networks or to multiple of the mobile communication networks.

[0227] 10 Wireless communication system 50 gNB 51 Wireless communication unit 53 Network IF unit 55 Control unit 100 NCAP 110 First communication unit 120 Second communication unit 130 Third communication unit 140 Control unit 200 UE C1 Cell 1001 Processor 1002 Memory 1003 Storage 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device 1007 Bus 2001 Vehicle 2002 Drive unit 2003 Steering unit 2004 Accelerator pedal 2005 Brake pedal 2006 Shift lever 2007 Left and right front wheels 2008 Left and right rear wheels 2009 Axle 2010 Electronic control unit 2012 Information service unit 2013 Communication module 2021 Current sensor 2022 Rotation speed sensor 2023 Air pressure sensor 2024 Vehicle speed sensor 2025 Acceleration sensor 2026 Brake pedal sensor 2027 Shift lever sensor 2028 Object detection sensor 2029 Accelerator pedal sensor 2030 Driving assistance system section 2031 Microprocessor 2032 Memory (ROM, RAM) 2033 Communication port

Claims

1. A communication unit that performs communication with a first communication network and a second communication network and wireless communication with a terminal, and a control unit that performs a specific operation as a radio base station that accommodates the terminal belonging to the mobile communication network including the first communication network and the terminal belonging to another mobile communication network other than the mobile communication network. The communication unit is a communication device that transmits a connection signal corresponding to each of the mobile communication networks to the terminal.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit transmits or receives the connection signal independent for each of the mobile communication networks.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit transmits or receives the connection signal common to a plurality of the mobile communication networks.

4. The control unit executes the specific operation based on transmission and reception of information with the mobile communication network or the other mobile communication network, and applies settings related to communication in a resource or frequency band common to each of the mobile communication networks or a plurality of the mobile communication networks. The communication device according to claim 1.

5. A communication method including steps of performing communication with a first communication network and a second communication network and wireless communication with a terminal, performing a specific operation as a radio base station that accommodates the terminal belonging to the mobile communication network including the first communication network and the terminal belonging to another mobile communication network other than the mobile communication network, and transmitting a connection signal corresponding to each of the mobile communication networks to the terminal.

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