Communication device and wireless communication system

Abstract

This communication device controls a transmission-related function among communication-related functions of a first communication device, and comprises a transmission unit and a control unit. The transmission unit transmits, to the first communication device, a second signal including first information that instructs the first communication device to be in either a first state of being able to transmit a first signal or a second state of being unable to transmit the first signal. The control unit controls transmission of the second signal.

Description

Communication device and wireless communication system

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device and a wireless communication system.

[0002] In today's networks, traffic from mobile devices (smartphones and feature phones) accounts for the majority of network resources, and traffic from mobile devices is expected to continue to grow.

[0003] In addition to traffic used by mobile devices, Internet of Things (IoT) services (e.g., communication systems, smart meters, and monitoring systems for devices) are also being developed. Therefore, networks are being required to support services with diverse requirements. To support such diverse services, the communication standards for fifth-generation mobile communications (5G or New Radio (NR)) are being formulated with the expectation of supporting many use cases.

[0004] Currently, the working group of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP, registered trademark) is aiming to introduce Ambient-IoT. Ambient-IoT is a system in which communication devices with sensor and wireless communication functions communicate with base stations to collect and utilize information according to the functions of the communication devices. Communication devices compatible with Ambient-IoT (hereinafter referred to as Ambient-IoT devices) have the function of transmitting, for example, location information and pre-recorded data.

[0005] Ambient-IoT devices are expected to be used, for example, to grasp product location information, manage product inventory, etc. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are a technology that can be used in a similar manner to these Ambient-IoT devices.

[0006] RFID tags are devices that emit radio waves over a certain distance, and transmit and receive information using the signals they emit. RFID tags are currently used in a variety of applications, including inventory management in supply chains, payment at the time of purchase, and access control for public transportation.

[0007] Ambient-IoT devices are expected to replace some of the services currently provided by RFID tags. They are also expected to provide services that could not be provided by RFID tags. However, there are still many unclear points about Ambient-IoT, and active discussions are expected to take place in the 3GPP in the future.

[0008] 3GPP TR 38.848 V0.2.0 (2023-06)

[0009] Incidentally, when communicating using Ambient-IoT devices, it is necessary to consider how to control the Ambient-IoT devices, etc. However, because discussions on Ambient-IoT devices are only just beginning, the reality is that no progress has been made in formulating a control method for Ambient-IoT devices that takes into account the characteristics of the devices.

[0010] For example, currently envisioned characteristics of Ambient-IoT devices include a communication speed of a few kbps and a long or permanent battery life. It is also expected that the number of Ambient-IoT devices will exceed the number of smartphones and wearable devices.

[0011] Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of Ambient-IoT devices and control the transmission-related functions among the communication-related functions of Ambient-IoT devices, but as explained above, there has been no discussion that takes into account the characteristics of Ambient-IoT devices.

[0012] The disclosed technology has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a method for appropriately controlling transmission-related functions among communication-related functions in a wireless communication device such as an Ambient-IoT device.

[0013] In one aspect, the present invention provides a communication device characterized by having a transmitting unit that transmits a second signal to the first communication device, the second signal including information instructing the first communication device to enter either a first state in which the first communication device can transmit a first signal or a second state in which the first communication device cannot transmit the first signal, and a control unit that controls the transmission of the second signal.

[0014] It is possible to appropriately control transmission-related functions among communication-related functions in a communication device such as an Ambient-IoT device.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of a base station. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of a communication device. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional block configuration of a terminal. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence when a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of the communication device according to the first embodiment is controlled. FIG. 6 is an example of a processing flow of a first process in a control unit of the communication device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence when a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of the communication device according to the first embodiment is controlled. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence when a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of the communication device according to the second embodiment is controlled. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a processing flow of a second process in a control unit of the communication device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence when a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of the communication device according to the third embodiment is controlled. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a first example of a processing flow of a third process in a control unit of a base station according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a second example of a processing flow of the third process in a control unit of a base station according to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence when a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of the communication device according to the fourth embodiment is controlled. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence when a terminal in embodiment 4 notifies a server of information related to a communication device. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a base station. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a communication device. Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a terminal.

[0016] The present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The problems and embodiments in this specification are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the rights of the present application. In particular, even if the expressions used are different, the technology of the present application can be applied as long as they are technically equivalent, and do not limit the scope of the rights. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined as appropriate within the scope of not causing any contradiction in the processing content.

[0017] Furthermore, the terms used and the technical contents described in this specification may be those described in specifications and contributions as standards related to communications such as 3GPP, as appropriate.

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of a base station, a communication device, a terminal, and a wireless communication system disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the disclosed technology is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0019] [Problem Description] First, before describing each embodiment, the problem description in the prior art will be explained. Please note that this problem was newly discovered by the inventors as a result of careful consideration of the prior art, and was not previously known.

[0020] Ambient-IoT devices have a characteristic that their battery life is longer (for example, the battery may last forever) than devices such as smartphones and wearable devices. Therefore, if periodic wireless resources are allocated to an Ambient-IoT device, it is conceivable that the Ambient-IoT device will continue to transmit signals for a long period of time that maintains the battery life. Therefore, when there is no need to use an Ambient-IoT device, it is desirable to disable the transmission-related functions of the communication-related functions of the Ambient-IoT device. Specifically, for example, when used in a supply chain, if an Ambient-IoT device whose intended use has been completed continues to transmit signals, the signals may cause interference with other devices or put pressure on wireless resources. Therefore, for Ambient-IoT devices whose intended use has been completed, it is necessary to disable the transmission-related functions of the communication-related functions of the Ambient-IoT device.

[0021] Furthermore, since the number of Ambient-IoT devices is expected to exceed the number of smartphones and wearable devices, it is desirable to enable reuse. For example, it is desirable to disable a transmission-related function among communication-related functions and then enable a transmission-related function among communication-related functions.

[0022] Incidentally, as a conventional technique for allocating uplink resources to a communication device that transmits an uplink signal, there is a method of pre-allocating uplink resources for transmitting data to a communication device using a signal of a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer (hereinafter referred to as a CG (Configured Grant) allocation method), and a method of pre-allocating periodic uplink resources for a communication device to transmit uplink control information (e.g., a scheduling request, a buffer status report) and, in accordance with the uplink control information transmitted by the resource, a base station uses downlink control information (Downlink Control Information (DCI)) to allocate uplink resources for the communication device to transmit data (hereinafter referred to as a DG (Dynamic Grant) allocation method). It is also possible to apply these methods to Ambient-IoT devices.

[0023] For example, when the above CG allocation method is used for an Ambient-IoT device, the base station allocates uplink resources to the Ambient-IoT device using an RRC message for the Ambient-IoT device to transmit data. In this case, the Ambient-IoT device periodically transmits data using the allocated uplink resources. In such a case, when disabling the transmission-related functions of the communication-related functions of the Ambient-IoT device, the base station can send an RRC Release message to the Ambient-IoT device and release the RRC layer settings of the Ambient-IoT device, thereby preventing uplink communication. However, in this case, for example, when reusing the Ambient-IoT device, it is necessary to send a signal from the base station to the Ambient-IoT device, but since the RRC layer setting is released, the base station does not know which cell the Ambient-IoT device belongs to. Therefore, if the Ambient-IoT device is to be reused, the base station and the Ambient-IoT device must reconnect based on the signal from the Ambient-IoT device. Therefore, it becomes impossible to resume communication with the Ambient-IoT device at the discretion of the network side.

[0024] Furthermore, for example, when the above-mentioned DG allocation method is used for an Ambient-IoT device, resources for transmitting a scheduling request or a buffer status report to request uplink resources are set by a signal in the RRC layer. Then, the base station may allocate uplink resources in accordance with the scheduling request or buffer status report. In this case, for example, in order for the Ambient-IoT device to periodically transmit location information, the Ambient-IoT device periodically transmits resources for the scheduling request or buffer status report to the base station. Therefore, even if the purpose of use is completed, the Ambient-IoT device will continue to transmit the scheduling request or buffer status report.

[0025] As described above, when the existing method for controlling allocation of uplink resources is used, there is a problem that the uplink transmission of an Ambient-IoT device whose purpose of use has been completed cannot be stopped, and there is a problem that the network side cannot determine whether a specific Ambient-IoT device can resume uplink communication. Therefore, it is required to appropriately control the transmission-related functions among the communication functions of the Ambient-IoT device.

[0026] Although the above explanation has been given based on an Ambient-IoT device as an example, the above problem is not necessarily limited to Ambient-IoT devices. It is believed that the above problem may also occur in devices used in a manner similar to an Ambient-IoT device.

[0027] To summarize the above, it is believed that using the uplink resource allocation method used in conventional communication devices and base stations makes it impossible to perform control that takes into account the characteristics of Ambient-IoT devices. Therefore, with regard to the connection between a base station and an Ambient-IoT device, it is necessary for the base station to control the transmission-related functions of the Ambient-IoT device's communication-related functions while taking advantage of the characteristics of the Ambient-IoT device. As mentioned above, this problem was newly discovered by the inventor as a result of a detailed study of conventional technology, and was not previously known. Below, each embodiment of the present application that solves this problem will be described in order. First Embodiment

[0028] A wireless communication system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 . Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the wireless communication system 1 according to the first embodiment. The wireless communication system 1 includes a base station 100, a communication device 200, a terminal 300, a server 400, and a core network 500. The base station 100 forms a cell C10, and the communication device 200 and the terminal 300 are present in the cell C10. The base station 100 can communicate with the communication device 200 and the terminal 300 in the cell C10. The communication device 200 can also communicate with the terminal 300. The base station 100 is connected to the server 400 via the core network 500.

[0029] The base station 100 may be, for example, a small radio base station such as a macro radio base station or a pico radio base station (including a micro radio base station, a femto radio base station, etc.), or may be a radio base station of various scales, and may be referred to as a radio communication device, a communication device, a transmitting device, etc. The communication device 200 is, for example, an Ambient-IoT device. The communication device 200 may be a radio terminal such as various devices or equipment (sensor devices, etc.) having a radio communication function with a base station, and may be referred to as a radio communication device, a receiving device, a transmitting device, etc. The terminal 300 may be a radio terminal such as various devices or equipment (sensor devices, etc.) having a radio communication function, such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer, a vehicle, etc., and may be referred to as a radio communication device, a communication device, a receiving device, a mobile station, etc.

[0030] The base station 100 is connected to a core network 500 and other base stations (not shown) via wired or wireless connections.

[0031] On the other hand, the communication device 200 can perform wireless communication with the base station 100. Note that the communication device 200 can also communicate with the base station 100 via the terminal 300.

[0032] Next, the base station 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration of the base station 100. The base station 100 has a transmitting unit 110, a receiving unit 120, a control unit 130, and a storage unit 140.

[0033] The transmitting unit 110 transmits signals to the communication device 200 and the terminal 300. Specifically, the transmitting unit 110 can transmit downlink signals such as a random access procedure signal, an RRC layer signal, a downlink data signal, and a downlink control signal. Furthermore, when the communication device 200 performs communication using backscattering communication, the transmitting unit 110 transmits a signal for performing backscattering communication to the communication device 200.

[0034] The receiving unit 120 receives uplink signals, such as a random access procedure signal, an RRC layer signal, an uplink data signal, an uplink control signal, etc., transmitted from the communication device 200 and the terminal 300. The receiving unit 120 can also receive signals transmitted from the communication device 200 by backscatter communication.

[0035] Furthermore, the transmitting unit 110 transmits a signal to the core network 500 via a wired or wireless connection, and the receiving unit 120 receives a signal via a wired or wireless connection from the core network 500. Note that data intended for the communication device 200 and the terminal 300 and received by the receiving unit 120 can be stored in the storage unit 140.

[0036] The control unit 130 controls the base station 100. Specifically, the control unit 130 can control the establishment of an RRC connection with the communication device 200 and the terminal 300, signal processing of signals received by the receiving unit 120, creation of a transmission block (TB), mapping of the transmission block to radio resources, etc. The control unit 130 also controls communication with the core network 500 (e.g., a higher-level device, another base station device) via wired or wireless communication.

[0037] The storage unit 140 can store, for example, data related to downstream communication.

[0038] Next, the communication device 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration of the communication device 200. The communication device 200 has a transmitting unit 210, a receiving unit 220, a control unit 230, and a storage unit 240.

[0039] The transmitter 210 transmits signals to the base station 100 and the terminal 300. Specifically, the transmitter 210 can transmit uplink signals such as random access procedure signals, RRC layer signals, uplink data signals, and uplink control signals to the base station 100. The transmitter 210 can also transmit signals using backscatter communication by utilizing signals received by the receiver 220 from the base station 100 or the terminal 300. The transmitter 210 can also transmit signals to the terminal 300 using short-range communication such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Near Field Communication (NFC). The transmitter 210 also transmits a first signal including information according to the function of the communication device 200 to the base station 100 or the terminal 300.

[0040] The receiving unit 220 can receive downlink signals such as random access procedure signals, RRC layer signals, downlink data signals, and downlink control signals transmitted from the base station 100. The receiving unit 220 can also receive signals used for backscatter communication. The receiving unit 220 can also receive signals transmitted from the terminal 300 using short-range communication such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC.

[0041] The control unit 230 controls the communication device 200. Specifically, the control unit 230 can control the establishment of an RRC connection with the base station 100, signal processing of signals received by the receiving unit 220, creation of transmission blocks (TB), mapping of the transmission blocks to radio resources, modulation related to backscatter communication, etc. Furthermore, the control unit 230 can control short-range communication with the terminal 300 such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, etc., and backscatter communication, etc.

[0042] The storage unit 240 can store, for example, data relating to upstream communication and downstream communication.

[0043] Next, the terminal 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration of the terminal 300. The terminal 300 has a transmitting unit 310, a receiving unit 320, a control unit 330, and a storage unit 340.

[0044] The transmitter 310 transmits signals to the base station 100 and the communication device 200. Specifically, the transmitter 310 can transmit uplink signals such as a random access procedure signal, an RRC layer signal, an uplink data signal, and an uplink control signal to the base station 100. Furthermore, when the communication device 200 performs communication using backscatter communication, the transmitter 110 transmits a signal for performing backscatter communication to the communication device 200. Furthermore, the transmitter 310 can transmit signals to the communication device 200 using short-range communication such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC.

[0045] The receiving unit 320 can receive downlink signals such as random access procedure signals, RRC layer signals, downlink data signals, and downlink control signals transmitted from the base station 100. The receiving unit 320 can also receive signals transmitted by backscattering communication from the communication device 200. The receiving unit 320 can also receive signals transmitted by short-range communication such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC from the communication device 200.

[0046] The control unit 330 controls the terminal 300. Specifically, the control unit 330 can control the establishment of an RRC connection with the base station 100, signal processing of signals received by the receiving unit 320, creation of transmission blocks (TB), mapping of the transmission blocks to radio resources, etc., and can also control short-range communication and backscatter communication with the communication device 200, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC.

[0047] The storage unit 340 can store, for example, an upstream signal.

[0048] An example of a process for controlling a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of communication device 200 in embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence for controlling a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of communication device 200 in embodiment 1. In embodiment 1, a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of communication device 200 is controlled using a second signal including information (hereinafter referred to as first information) that instructs enabling or disabling the transmission-related function among the communication functions of communication device 200.

[0049] The server 400 transmits a third signal to the base station 100 via the core network 500 (step S10). The third signal includes information about the communication device 200 that is to control a transmission-related function among communication-related functions (hereinafter referred to as second information), and the first information.

[0050] For the communication device 200 that is the target of control of the transmission-related functions among the communication functions, the server 400 selects the communication device 200, for example, by receiving a notification of the end of the service and selecting the communication device 200 that is being used for the service.

[0051] As another method, server 400 can target all communication devices, including communication device 200, that are present within cell C10 of base station 100 as the targets for control of transmission-related functions among communication-related functions. Alternatively, server 400 can target transmission-related functions among communication-related functions according to the function of the communication device (e.g., a function to detect and report location information of the device itself, a function to detect and report the speed of the device itself, etc.) among communication devices, including communication device 200, that are present within cell C10 of base station 100. Note that these are merely examples, and other methods may be used as long as they allow selection of the target communication device 200.

[0052] The receiving unit 120 of the base station 100 receives the third signal (step S10). The transmitting unit 110 of the base station 100 transmits the second signal to the communication device 200 (step S20).

[0053] The second signal is, for example, downlink control information, and may be a signal in any layer of the RRC layer, PDCP layer, MAC layer, RLC layer, or physical layer.

[0054] Furthermore, the transmitter 110 of the base station 100 can collectively control the transmission-related functions among the communication-related functions of the plurality of communication devices by transmitting a second signal to the plurality of communication devices including the communication device 200 in response to the received third signal. Note that the second signal may be a signal common to the plurality of communication devices.

[0055] In response to the second signal, the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 performs a first process including control to enable or disable a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of the communication device 200 (step S30).

[0056] Here, the first process in the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows an example of a processing flow of the first process in the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 according to the first embodiment. Note that the same contents as those in Fig. 5 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Also, steps S31, S32-1, and S32-2 in Fig. 6 are processes included in step S30 in Fig. 5.

[0057] When the receiver 220 of the communication device 200 receives a second signal transmitted from the base station 100 (step S20), the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 determines whether the second signal includes information instructing the activation of a transmission-related function (step S31). If the second signal includes information instructing the activation of a transmission-related function (step S31: YES), the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 activates the transmission-related function among the communication-related functions (step S32-1). The state in which the transmission-related function among the communication-related functions is activated is an example of a first state. If the second signal does not include information instructing the activation of a transmission-related function (in other words, if the second signal includes information instructing the deactivation of a transmission-related function) (step S31: NO), the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 disables the transmission-related function among the communication-related functions (step S32-2). The state in which the transmission-related function among the communication-related functions is disabled is an example of a second state.

[0058] Furthermore, in the wireless communication system 1, a repeater or a terminal 300 may be interposed between the base station 100 and the communication device 200. Therefore, an example in which another communication device is interposed between the base station 100 and the communication device 200 will be described using FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence for controlling a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of the communication device 200 in the first embodiment. Note that FIG. 7 differs from FIG. 5 in that the second signal is transmitted to the communication device 200 via the terminal 300. Note that the same steps as those in FIG. 5 are assigned the same numbers, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0059] The transmitter 110 of the base station 100 transmits a third signal including the second information and the first information to the terminal 300 (step S21). The transmitter 310 of the terminal 300 transmits a second signal including the first information to the communication device 200 in response to the third signal (step S22).

[0060] The receiver 220 of the communication device 200 receives the second signal (step S22). The controller 230 of the communication device 200 enables or disables a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of the communication device 200 in response to the second signal (step S30).

[0061] Furthermore, the information included in the second signal may be information related to scheduling. The base station 100 disables the uplink communication function of the communication device 200 by not allocating uplink resources that can be used periodically to the communication device 200. Furthermore, when the base station 100 determines that information from the communication device 200 is necessary, the base station 100 enables the communication device 200 to perform uplink communication by transmitting a signal allocating uplink resources. By including information related to resource allocation in the second signal, it is also possible to instruct the communication device 200 to enable or disable the uplink communication function.

[0062] In the first embodiment, the base station 100 and the terminal 300 may be collectively referred to as a communication device.

[0063] As described above, in the first embodiment, after the base station 100 or the terminal 300 transmits the second signal, the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 enables or disables the transmission-related functions among the communication functions of the communication device 200 in response to the second signal. By controlling in this manner, the transmission-related functions among the communication functions of the communication device 200 can be appropriately controlled. For example, when the intended use of the communication device 200 is completed, the transmission-related functions among the communication functions of the communication device 200 can be disabled. Furthermore, because the reception-related functions among the communication functions of the communication device 200 can be maintained in an enabled state, the transmission-related functions among the communication functions of the communication device 200 can be enabled from a device other than the communication device 200 (e.g., the base station 100). Embodiment 2

[0064] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 controls a transmission-related function among the communication functions of the communication device 200, depending on whether or not information instructing activation is included in information included in the second signal received by the receiving unit 220 of the communication device 200. In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 controls transmission of a feedback signal when the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 controls a transmission-related function among the communication functions of the communication device 200. Note that in the second embodiment, the wireless communication system 1, the base station 100, the communication device 200, and the terminal 300 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0065] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence for controlling a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of communication device 200 according to embodiment 2. Note that in Fig. 8, the same steps as in Fig. 5 are given the same numbers, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0066] The control unit 230 of the communication device 200 performs a second process including a process for enabling or disabling a transmission-related function among the communication functions of the communication device 200 in response to the second signal received by the receiving unit 220 of the communication device 200 (step S40). Furthermore, the transmitting unit 210 of the communication device 200 transmits a fourth signal to the base station 100 in response to the status of the process in step S40 (step S44). Note that step S44 is part of the process of step S40. Also, the fourth signal transmitted in step S44 may not be transmitted. Note that the fourth signal is, for example, a feedback signal, and includes ACK (acknowledgement) information or NACK (negative ACKnowledgement) information.

[0067] An example of the second process in the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 according to the second embodiment will now be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow of the second process in the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 according to the second embodiment. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the same content as in Fig. 8. Also, steps S41, S42-1, S42-2, S43-1, S43-2, S44-1, S44-2, S44-3, S44-4, S45-1, and S45-2 in Fig. 9 are processes included in step S40 in Fig. 8.

[0068] The receiver 220 of the communication device 200 receives the second signal transmitted from the base station 100 (step S20). The controller 230 of the communication device 200 determines whether the transmission function of the communication device 200 is currently enabled (step S41).

[0069] If the transmission function of the communication device 200 is enabled (step S41: YES), the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 determines whether the second signal transmitted from the base station 100 was correctly received (step S42-1).

[0070] If the second signal is received correctly (step S42-1: YES), the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 determines whether the second signal includes information instructing activation of the transmission function (step S43-1). If the second signal includes information instructing activation of the transmission function (step S43-1: YES), the transmission unit 210 of the communication device 200 transmits a fourth signal including ACK information (step S44-1).

[0071] Furthermore, if the second signal does not include information instructing the activation of the transmission function (step S43-1: NO), the transmitter 210 of the communication device 200 transmits a fourth signal including ACK information (step S44-2). Then, the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 disables the transmission function after the processing of step S44-2 (step S45-1). Note that the case where the second signal does not include information instructing the activation of the transmission function may be rephrased as the case where the second signal includes information instructing the deactivation of the transmission function.

[0072] If the second signal has not been received correctly (step S42-1: NO), the transmitting section 210 of the communication device 200 transmits a fourth signal including NACK information (step S44-3).

[0073] On the other hand, if the transmission function of communication device 200 is not currently enabled (step S41: NO), control unit 230 of communication device 200 determines whether or not the second signal transmitted from base station 100 has been correctly received (step S42-2). Note that when the transmission function of communication device 200 is not enabled, this can also be rephrased as when the transmission function of communication device 200 is disabled.

[0074] If the second signal is received correctly (step S42-2: YES), the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 determines whether the second signal includes information instructing activation (of the transmission function) (step S43-2). If the second signal includes information instructing activation of the transmission function (step S43-2: YES), the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 activates the transmission function of the communication device 200 (step S45-2). After activating the transmission function of the communication device 200, the transmitting unit 210 of the communication device 200 transmits a fourth signal including ACK information (step S44-4).

[0075] Furthermore, if the second signal does not include information instructing activation of the transmission function (step S43-2: NO), the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 ends the process. In other words, the transmission unit 210 of the communication device 200 does not transmit the fourth signal.

[0076] If the second signal is not received correctly (step S42-2: NO), the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 ends the process. In other words, the transmission unit 210 of the communication device 200 does not transmit the fourth signal.

[0077] In Fig. 9, steps S42-1 and S42-2 are similar processes. Also, steps S43-1 and S43-2 in Fig. 9 are similar processes to step S31 in Fig. 6. Also, steps S45-1 and S45-2 in Fig. 9 are similar processes to step S32 in Fig. 6. Also, steps S44-1, S44-2, S44-3, and S44-4 in Fig. 9 correspond to step S44 in Fig. 8.

[0078] Note that, when the control unit 130 of the base station 100 receives a fourth signal including NACK information, it controls retransmission of the second signal. Similarly, when the control unit 130 of the base station 100 transmits the second signal including information indicating the enablement of the transmission function in step S20, if the control unit 130 does not receive the fourth signal, it controls retransmission of the second signal. By controlling in this manner, it is possible to appropriately control the transmission-related functions of the communication device 200.

[0079] As described above, in the second embodiment, after the receiving unit 220 of the communication device 200 receives the second signal, the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 controls the transmission of the fourth signal in accordance with the information included in the second signal and the state of the communication device 200. This allows the base station 100 to determine whether the transmission-related functions of the communication device 200 are being correctly controlled, and to appropriately control the transmission-related functions among the communication functions of the communication device 200. For example, when the intended use of the communication device 200 is completed, the transmission-related functions among the communication functions of the communication device 200 can be disabled. Furthermore, because the reception-related functions among the communication functions of the communication device 200 can be maintained in an enabled state, the transmission-related functions among the communication functions of the communication device 200 can be enabled from a device other than the communication device 200 (e.g., the base station 100). Embodiment 3

[0080] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 controls a transmission-related function among the communication functions of the communication device 200, depending on whether or not information included in the second signal received by the receiving unit 220 of the communication device 200 includes information instructing activation. Also, in the second embodiment, an example has been described in which the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 controls transmission of a feedback signal when controlling the transmission-related function among the communication functions of the communication device 200. In the third embodiment, an example will be described in which the control unit 130 of the base station 100 controls retransmission of a second signal to the communication device 200, depending on whether or not the receiving unit 120 of the base station 100 receives a signal from the communication device 200 within a predetermined period after transmitting the second signal. In the third embodiment, the wireless communication system 1, the base station 100, the communication device 200, and the terminal 300 are similar to those in the first and second embodiments, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0081] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence for controlling a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of communication device 200 according to embodiment 3. In Fig. 10, the same steps as those in Fig. 5 are given the same numbers, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0082] When the receiver 120 of the base station 100 receives a third signal transmitted from the server 400 via the core network 500 (step S10), the controller 130 of the base station 100 executes a third process (step S50). Details of the third process will be described later. After the controller 230 of the communication device 200 performs the first process (step S30), if a transmission function among the communication functions is enabled, the transmitter 210 of the communication device 200 transmits a signal to the base station 100 (step S60). Then, if the controller 130 of the base station 100 receives a signal within a predetermined period, it controls retransmission of the second signal according to information included in the second signal. In FIG. 10, the second signal is retransmitted (step S53).

[0083] Here, an example of the third process in the control unit 130 of the base station 100 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a first example of a processing flow of the third process in the control unit 130 of the base station 100 according to the third embodiment. Note that the same processes as those in Fig. 10 are given the same reference numerals. Also, steps S20, S51, S52-1, S52-2, and S53 in Fig. 10 are processes included in step S50 in Fig. 10.

[0084] The transmitter 110 of the base station 100 transmits a second signal to the communication device 200 (step S20). Thereafter, the control unit 130 of the base station 100 determines whether the second signal includes information instructing activation (of a transmission-related function) (step S51). If the second signal includes information instructing activation (step S51: YES), the control unit 130 of the base station 100 determines whether a signal has been received from the communication device 200 within a predetermined period (step S52-1). The predetermined period is, for example, a fixed time interval from when the transmitter 110 of the base station 100 transmits the second signal. If periodic resources are allocated to the communication device 200, the time interval is preferably equal to or longer than the interval of the resources allocated to the communication device 200. The predetermined period may be a predetermined interval, or may be notified from base station 100 using an RRC layer signal such as an MIB (Master Information Block) or an SIB (System Information Block).

[0085] If the receiving unit 120 of the base station 100 receives a signal from the communication device 200 within a predetermined period (S52-1: YES), the control unit 130 of the base station 100 determines that the transmission function of the communication device 200 has been enabled and does not control retransmission.

[0086] Furthermore, if the receiving unit 120 of the base station 100 does not receive a signal from the communication device 200 within a specified period (S52-1: NO), the control unit 130 of the base station 100 determines that the transmission function of the communication device 200 has not been enabled, and again transmits a second signal to the communication device 200 (step S53).

[0087] If the second signal does not include information instructing activation (step S51: NO), the control unit 130 of the base station 100 determines whether or not a signal has been received from the communication device 200 within a predetermined period (step S52-2). If the receiving unit 120 of the base station 100 receives a signal from the communication device 200 within the predetermined period (step S52-2: YES), the control unit 130 of the base station 100 determines that the transmission-related function of the communication device 200 has not been disabled, and transmits the second signal to the communication device 200 again (step S53).

[0088] If the receiving unit 120 of the base station 100 does not receive a signal from the communication device 200 within a specified period of time (S52-2: NO), the control unit 130 of the base station 100 determines that the transmission functions of the communication device 200 have been disabled and terminates the processing.

[0089] The third process may be repeated after the second signal is retransmitted (after step S53). In other words, in FIG. 11, step S51 or step S52 may be performed after step S53.

[0090] As described above, after the transmitter 110 of the base station 100 transmits the second signal including the first information to the communication device 200, the control unit 130 of the base station 100 controls the retransmission of the second signal depending on whether the receiver 120 of the base station 100 receives a signal from the communication device 200. By performing such control, for example, if the communication device 200 fails to receive a second signal including information instructing the enablement of a transmission function when the second signal is transmitted to the communication device 200, the receiver 120 of the base station 100 does not receive the signal from the communication device 200, and the control unit 130 of the base station 100 can determine that the communication device 200 failed to receive the second signal. Therefore, the control unit 130 of the base station 100 can retransmit the second signal. Furthermore, for example, when a second signal including information instructing disabling of transmission functions is transmitted to communication device 200, if communication device 200 fails to receive the second signal, receiver 120 of base station 100 receives the signal from communication device 200, and control unit 130 of base station 100 can determine that communication device 200 failed to receive the second signal. Therefore, control unit 130 of base station 100 can retransmit the second signal. In this way, transmission-related functions among the communication-related functions of communication device 200 can be controlled.

[0091] Another example of the third process of the base station 100 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a second example of the processing flow of the third process of the control unit 130 of the base station 100 according to the third embodiment. In Fig. 12, the communication device 200 performs the second process described in the second embodiment. In short, this is processing in a state where step S30 in Fig. 10 has been changed to step S40 described in Fig. 8 or 9. In Fig. 12, the same steps as those in Fig. 11 are assigned the same step numbers, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0092] If the second signal does not contain information instructing activation (step S51: NO) and if a signal is received from the communication device 200 within a predetermined period (step S52-2: YES), the control unit 130 of the base station 100 determines whether the received signal is a signal containing ACK information (e.g., a fourth signal containing ACK information) (step S54).

[0093] If the received signal is a signal including ACK information (step S54: YES), the control unit 130 of the base station 100 determines that the transmission-related functions of the communication device 200 have been disabled, and does not control the retransmission of the second signal.

[0094] On the other hand, if the received signal does not contain ACK information (e.g., a data signal, a fourth signal containing NACK information) (step S54: NO), the control unit 130 of the base station 100 determines that the transmission function of the communication device 200 has not been disabled, and transmits the second signal to the communication device 200 again (step S53).

[0095] As described above, in the third embodiment, after the transmitting unit 110 of the base station 100 transmits the second signal, the control unit 130 of the base station 100 controls the communication device 200 to retransmit the second signal depending on whether the receiving unit 120 of the base station 100 receives a signal from the communication device 200. By controlling in this manner, it is possible to appropriately control the transmission-related functions among the communication functions of the communication device 200. For example, when the intended use of the communication device 200 is completed, it is possible to disable the transmission-related functions of the communication device 200. Furthermore, since the reception-related functions among the communication-related functions of the communication device 200 can be maintained in an enabled state, it is possible to enable the transmission-related functions among the communication-related functions of the communication device 200 from a device other than the communication device 200 (e.g., the base station 100). Embodiment 4

[0096] In the first embodiment, an example was described in which the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 controls the transmission-related functions of the communication functions of the communication device 200 depending on whether or not information included in the second signal received by the receiving unit 220 of the communication device 200 includes information instructing activation. Also, in the second embodiment, an example was described in which the control unit 230 of the communication device 200 controls the transmission of a feedback signal when controlling the transmission-related functions of the communication functions of the communication device 200. Also, in the third embodiment, an example was described in which the control unit 130 of the base station 100 controls the retransmission of the second signal to the communication device 200 depending on whether or not the receiving unit 120 of the base station 100 receives a signal from the communication device 200 within a predetermined period after transmitting the second signal. In the fourth embodiment, an example is described in which the control unit 330 of the terminal 300 controls the transmission-related functions of the communication functions of the communication device 200 without receiving a signal from the server 400 or the base station 100. In the fourth embodiment, the wireless communication system 1, the base station 100, the communication device 200, and the terminal 300 are similar to those in the first, second, and third embodiments, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0097] An example of a process for controlling a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of communication device 200 in embodiment 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence for controlling a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of communication device 200 in embodiment 4. Note that in Fig. 13, the same processes as in Fig. 5 are assigned the same step numbers, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0098] The transmitter 310 of the terminal 300 transmits a second signal to the communication device 200 (step S20). The controller 230 of the communication device 200 performs a first process in response to the second signal, which includes control to enable or disable a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of the communication device 200 (step S30).

[0099] As described above, in the fourth embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the terminal 300 does not receive the third signal from the server 400 or the base station 100 before transmitting the second signal to the communication device 200 .

[0100] Note that, because server 400 has not issued an instruction to control the transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of communication device 200, server 400 does not know which device's transmission-related function among the communication-related functions has been controlled by terminal 300. Therefore, when terminal 300 controls the transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of communication device 200, server 400 needs to know whether the transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of communication device 200 is valid.

[0101] Methods for notifying server 400 of communication device 200 that is the target of control of the transmission-related functions among the communication-related functions include, for example, a method in which terminal 300 notifies server 400, and a method in which server 400 determines whether the transmission-related functions among the communication-related functions of communication device 200 are enabled or disabled when server 400 receives or does not receive a signal from communication device 200 within a predetermined period. Note that these are merely examples, and other methods may be used as long as server 400 can determine the status of the transmission-related functions among the communication-related functions of communication device 200.

[0102] 14 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence when terminal 300 notifies server 400 of information related to communication device 200 in embodiment 4. Transmitter 310 of terminal 300 transmits a second signal to communication device 200 (step S70), and transmits a fifth signal to the base station (step S71), the fifth signal including information related to communication device 200 to which the second signal is to be transmitted and information indicating that communication device 200 has been enabled or disabled. Base station 100 transmits the fifth signal to server 400 via core network 500 (step S72). Server 400 recognizes through the fifth signal that a transmission-related function among the communication-related functions of communication device 200 has been enabled or disabled.

[0103] 14 illustrates an example in which the terminal 300 notifies the base station 100, but the determination may be made using, for example, a signal transmitted from the communication device 200 to the base station 100. For example, if the base station 100 does not receive a signal for a predetermined period of time, the base station 100 determines that the transmission-related functions of the communication device 200 have been disabled. Also, for example, if the base station 100 receives a signal, the base station 100 determines that the transmission-related functions of the communication device 200 have been enabled.

[0104] As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the terminal 300 transmits a second signal to the communication device 200 without receiving a signal from the server 400 or the base station 100, and controls the transmission-related functions among the communication functions of the communication device 200. By controlling in this manner, the transmission-related functions among the communication functions of the communication device 200 can be appropriately controlled. For example, when the intended use of the communication device 200 has been completed, a person, rather than the server 400, can identify the communication device 200 whose intended use has been completed and disable the transmission-related functions of the communication device 200. Furthermore, because the reception-related functions among the communication-related functions of the communication device 200 can remain enabled, the transmission-related functions among the communication-related functions of the communication device 200 can be enabled from a device other than the communication device 200 (e.g., the terminal 300). Hardware configuration of each device in each embodiment

[0105] The hardware configuration of each device in the wireless communication system of each embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0106] Fig. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the base station 100. As shown in Fig. 15, the base station 100 has, as hardware components, for example, a radio frequency (RF) circuit 420 including an antenna 410, a central processing unit (CPU) 430, a memory 440, a digital signal processor (DSP) 450, and a network interface (IF) 460. The antenna 410 transmits and receives signals when communicating with the communication device 200 or the terminal 300. The RF circuit 420 performs processing such as signal conversion between the antenna 410 and the CPU 430. The CPU 430 processes data and controls other components. The memory 440 includes at least one of a RAM (Random Access Memory) such as an SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a flash memory, and stores programs, control information, and data signals. The DSP 450 performs arithmetic operations on data for filtering, analysis, and transmission. The network IF 460 is connected when communicating with the communication device 200, the terminal 300, other base stations, and a core network.

[0107] The correspondence between the functional block configuration of base station 100 shown in Fig. 2 and the hardware configuration of base station 100 shown in Fig. 15 will be described. The transmitter 110 and receiver 120 are realized by an antenna 410, an RF circuit 420, and a network IF 460. The controller 130 is realized by a CPU 430 and a DSP 450. The storage unit 140 is realized by a memory 440.

[0108] Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the communication device 200. As shown in Fig. 16, the communication device 200 has, as hardware components, for example, an RF circuit 520 equipped with an antenna 510, a CPU 530, and a memory 540. The antenna 510 transmits and receives signals when communicating with the base station 100 or the terminal 300. The RF circuit 520 performs processing such as signal conversion between the antenna 510 and the CPU 530. The CPU 530 processes data and controls other components. The memory 540 stores programs, control information, and data signals.

[0109] The correspondence between the functional block configuration of communication device 200 shown in Fig. 3 and the hardware configuration of communication device 200 shown in Fig. 16 will be described. The transmitter 210 and receiver 220 are realized by an antenna 510 and an RF circuit 520. The controller 230 is realized by a CPU 530. The storage unit 240 is realized by a memory 540.

[0110] Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the terminal 300. As shown in Fig. 17, the terminal 300 has, as hardware components, for example, an RF circuit 620 equipped with an antenna 610, a CPU 630, and a memory 640. The antenna 610 transmits and receives signals when communicating with the base station 100 or the communication device 200. The RF circuit 620 performs processing such as signal conversion between the antenna 610 and the CPU 630. The CPU 630 processes data and controls other components. The memory 640 stores programs, control information, and data signals.

[0111] The correspondence between the functional block configuration of terminal 300 shown in Fig. 4 and the hardware configuration of terminal 300 shown in Fig. 17 will be described. The transmitter 310 and receiver 320 are realized by an antenna 610 and an RF circuit 620. The controller 330 is realized by a CPU 630. The storage unit 340 is realized by a memory 640.

[0112] In each embodiment, examples of a base station, a communication device, and a terminal are described, but the disclosed technology is not limited to these, and can be applied to various devices, such as electronic devices mounted on automobiles, trains, airplanes, and artificial satellites, electronic devices transported by drones, etc., robots, AV equipment, home appliances, office equipment, vending machines, and other household equipment.

[0113] Furthermore, although the embodiments have been described using fifth-generation mobile communications as an example, the application of the disclosed technology is not limited to this. For example, the disclosed technology may be applied to mobile communications of different generations, such as sixth and seventh generations.

[0114] 1 Wireless communication system 100 Base station C10 Cell 200 Communication device 300 Terminal 400 Server 500 Core network 110 Transmitter 120 Receiver 130 Control unit 140 Memory unit 210 Transmitter 220 Receiver 230 Control unit 240 Memory unit 310 Transmitter 320 Receiver 330 Control unit 340 Memory unit 410 Antenna 420 RF circuit 430 CPU 440 Memory 450 DSP 460 Network IF 510 Antenna 520 RF circuit 530 CPU 540 Memory 610 Antenna 620 RF circuit 630 CPU 640 Memory

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising: a transmitting unit that transmits a second signal including first information instructing to set the communication device to either a first state capable of transmitting a first signal or a second state incapable of transmitting the first signal; and a control unit that controls the transmission of the second signal.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first information is information for controlling a transmission-related function among the communication functions of the first communication device.

3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first information is information related to the allocation of uplink radio resources.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving unit that receives a third signal from a second communication device, the third signal including information about the first communication device that is the target of transmitting the second signal and information instructing to transmit the second signal, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the second signal to the first communication device in response to the third signal.

5. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first information is information in any one of a physical layer, a MAC layer, an RLC layer, and an RRC layer.

6. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving unit that receives a fourth signal from the first communication device, the fourth signal including information related to the reception of the second signal, wherein the control unit controls to transmit the second signal when the fourth signal includes information indicating that the first communication device has failed to receive the second signal.

7. The communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving unit that receives the first signal from the first communication device, wherein when the first information indicates the first state, the control unit controls to transmit the second signal when the receiving unit does not receive the first signal from the first communication device during a predetermined period after transmitting the second signal; and when the first information indicates the second state, the control unit controls to transmit the second signal when the receiving unit receives the first signal from the first communication device during the predetermined period after transmitting the second signal.

8. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the second signal to a plurality of first communication devices including the first communication device.

9. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects, according to the functions of a plurality of first communication devices including the first communication device, the first communication device that transmits the second signal from the plurality of first communication devices including the first communication device.

10. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the first information indicates either the first state or the second state according to the function of the first communication device.

11. A communication device comprising: a receiving unit that receives, from a first communication device, a second signal including information for instructing to set the device to either a first state in which a first signal can be transmitted or a second state in which the first signal cannot be transmitted; and a control unit that controls a transmission-related function among communication functions according to the second signal.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein when the first information instructs to set the second state, the control unit controls a transmission-related function among the communication functions after transmitting a third signal including information regarding reception of the second signal.

13. A first communication device transmits a second signal including information for instructing to set the device to either a first state in which a first signal can be transmitted or a second state in which the first signal cannot be transmitted to a second communication device, and the second communication device controls a transmission-related function among communication functions of the second communication device according to the second signal.

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