Wireless network configuration device, communication system, wireless network configuration method, and recording medium

Abstract

Provided are a wireless network configuration device, a communication system, a wireless network configuration method, and a recording medium with which it is possible to construct, with a simple procedure, a time-synchronized wireless network.　This wireless network configuration device is provided with: a selection means that selects a moving body to be allowed to join a wireless network from among moving bodies that have entered a prescribed area; a distribution means that distributes setting information for joining the wireless network to the moving body that is to be allowed to join the wireless network; and a time adjustment means that transmits delay information based on the location of the moving body and time information to the moving body to cause time synchronization to be performed.

Description

Wireless network configuration device, communication system, wireless network configuration method, and recording medium

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless network configuration device, a communication system, a wireless network configuration method, and a recording medium.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses an example of a method and system for constructing a virtual ad hoc network. According to the document, the system includes a central data processing device that receives second data from a plurality of potential second network participants. The data processing device determines the second network participants in association with the second data and in association with space-time parameters determined in association with the position of the first vehicle. The data processing device then constructs a virtual ad hoc network including the first vehicle and the determined second network participants.

[0003] JP 2024-4485 A

[0004] It is expected that various services can be provided by configuring a network that includes mobile objects such as vehicles located in a certain area and infrastructure such as roadside devices. In this case, there is a need to synchronize the time between entities participating in the same network. Meanwhile, known time synchronization methods include Precision Time Protocol (PTP) and generalized Precision Time Protocol (gPTP). However, these methods require measurement of delay time to maintain accuracy, which makes them difficult to apply to wireless networks where communication partners are constantly moving.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a wireless network configuration device, a communication system, a wireless network configuration method, and a recording medium that can easily configure a time-synchronized wireless network.

[0006] According to a first aspect, a wireless network configuration device is provided, comprising: a selection means for selecting a mobile body to be allowed to join a wireless network from among mobile bodies that have entered a specified area; a distribution means for distributing configuration information for joining the wireless network to the mobile body to be allowed to join the wireless network; and a time adjustment means for transmitting delay information based on the position of the mobile body and time information to the mobile body to perform time synchronization.

[0007] According to a second aspect, there is provided a communication system including the above-mentioned wireless network component device.

[0008] According to a third aspect, a wireless network configuration method is provided, which selects a mobile object to be joined to a wireless network from among mobile objects that have entered a specified area, distributes configuration information for joining the wireless network to the mobile object to be joined to the wireless network, and performs time synchronization by transmitting delay information based on the position of the mobile object and time information to the mobile object.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: a process of selecting a mobile body to join a wireless network from among mobile bodies that have entered a specified area; a process of distributing setting information for joining the wireless network to the mobile body to be joined to the wireless network; and a process of performing time synchronization by transmitting delay information based on the position of the mobile body and time information to the mobile body.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a wireless network configuration device, a communication system, a wireless network configuration method, and a recording medium that can easily configure a time-synchronized wireless network.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle that can join a logical network configured according to the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a logical network configured according to the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating information stored in a delay information database (DB) held by a switch-embedded controller of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating delay information provided by a switch-embedded controller of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating another example of a logical network configured according to the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is another diagram illustrating delay information provided by a switch-embedded controller of the present disclosure. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a computer that constitutes a switch-embedded controller of the present disclosure.

[0012] First, an overview of one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this disclosure, the drawings relate to one or more embodiments. The reference numerals in the drawings attached to this overview are attached to each element for convenience as an example to facilitate understanding, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the illustrated form. Furthermore, connecting lines between blocks in the drawings and the like referred to in the following description include both bidirectional and unidirectional lines. Unidirectional arrows are used to schematically indicate the flow of main signals (data) and do not exclude bidirectionality. A program is executed via a computer device, which includes, for example, a processor, a storage device, an input device, a communication interface, and, if necessary, a display device. Furthermore, this computer device is configured to be able to communicate with internal or external devices (including computers) via the communication interface, whether wired or wireless. Although ports or interfaces are present at the input / output connection points of each block in the drawings, they are not shown.

[0013] In one embodiment, the present disclosure can be realized by a wireless network configuration device 10 including a selection unit 11, a distribution unit 12, and a time adjustment unit 13, as shown in FIG. 1 . More specifically, the selection unit 11 selects a mobile object to join a wireless network from among mobile objects that have entered a predetermined area. The distribution unit 12 distributes setting information for joining the wireless network to the mobile object to be joined. The time adjustment unit 13 synchronizes the time of the mobile object by transmitting delay information based on the position of the mobile object and time information to the mobile object.

[0014] The wireless network configuration device 10 configured as described above operates as follows. First, the wireless network configuration device 10 selects a mobile unit to join the wireless network from among the mobile units that have entered a predetermined area (step S01 in FIG. 2). For example, the wireless network configuration device 10 selects mobile units V1 to V3 located in the vicinity of the base station ST from among the mobile units V1 to V4 in FIG. 1. There are various possible methods for selecting this mobile unit. For example, as described above, selection can be based on the location of the mobile unit, as well as the type of mobile unit, the direction of travel of the mobile unit, and the services subscribed to. Of course, it is also possible to select a mobile unit that meets certain conditions by combining these factors.

[0015] Next, the wireless network configuration device 10 distributes setting information for participating in the wireless network to the mobile units V1 to V3 that are to participate in the wireless network (step S02 in FIG. 2, see FIG. 3). By using this setting information, logical paths are established between the mobile units V1 to V3 and the base station ST, and the wireless network is configured, as shown in FIG.

[0016] Furthermore, the wireless network configuration device 10 transmits delay information based on the locations of the mobile units V1 to V3 and time information to the mobile units V1 to V3, thereby synchronizing the time (see step S03 in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5). This delay information is set to a value that takes into account the transmission delay time due to the locations of the mobile units V1 to V3 from the base station ST. Each of the mobile units V1 to V3 synchronizes its clock using the time information received from the wireless network configuration device 10 and this delay information. This synchronizes the time of the mobile units V1 to V3 participating in the wireless network. Note that the distribution of the setting information in step S02 in FIG. 2 and the transmission of the delay information and time information in step S03 may be performed at the same time.

[0017] By using the wireless network configuration device 10 that operates as described above, it is possible to construct a wireless network in which mobile devices selected based on any criteria can participate and in which the time of each participating node is synchronized.

[0018] [First Embodiment] Next, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described, in which an information provision service for vehicles at an intersection is implemented. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing one configuration of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 6, a layout is shown in which a controller with a built-in switch 100 is arranged on a signal pole of a traffic light at an intersection. The controller with a built-in switch 100 establishes a wireless network for delivering driving assistance information, advertisements, and the like to vehicles Va1, Va2, Vb, Vc, and Vd passing through the intersection. When the present disclosure is viewed as a communication system, it can include the controller with a built-in switch 100 and associated base station devices, etc.

[0019] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a vehicle Vn (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "vehicle Vn" unless otherwise specified) that can participate in a logical network configured by the switch-embedded controller 100 of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 7, the vehicle Vn includes a communication unit 201, switches 202a and 202b, a GPS (Global Positioning System) 203, and an in-vehicle terminal 204.

[0020] The communication unit 201 provides a function for communicating with the switch-embedded controller 100 installed on a traffic light pole. In the following description, the communication unit 201 is described as communicating with the switch-embedded controller 100 using a local 5G system that can build a 5G (fifth generation mobile communication system) network in a limited area. Depending on the communication function of the switch-embedded controller 100 (described later), the communication unit 201 may communicate using LTE (Long Term Evolution) or other short-range wireless communication systems. The communication unit 201 also provides a function for communicating with on-board terminals of other vehicles according to information set by the switch-embedded controller 100.

[0021] The in-vehicle terminal 204 transmits necessary information to the switch built-in controller 100 via the communication unit 201. The in-vehicle terminal 204 also receives information from the switch built-in controller 100 or other vehicles via the communication unit 201 and outputs the information as sound, images, etc. The in-vehicle terminal 204 may also be a device having the function of a car navigation system.

[0022] The switches 202a and 202b may be devices known as SDN (Software Defined Networking) switches. The switches 202a and 202b relay communication between the in-vehicle terminal 204 and the switch-embedded controller 100. The switch-embedded controller 100 sends control information to be set in these switches 202a and 202b to the vehicle side. The switch-embedded controller 100 may set this control information directly, but a method of setting the control information by an SDN controller (not shown) on the vehicle side may also be employed.

[0023] The GPS 203 is a device that receives signals from GPS satellites and determines the current location. The GPS 203 may be a device used in a car navigation system, etc. Furthermore, the GPS 102 may be a device that determines the current location using any positioning system such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0024] 8 is a diagram showing one configuration of the switch built-in controller 100 of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 8, the switch built-in controller 100 includes a selection unit 101, a distribution unit 102, a time adjustment unit 103, a switch function unit 104, a delay information DB 105, a timer 106, and a communication unit 107.

[0025] The communication unit 107 provides a physical communication function with the vehicle Vn passing through the intersection. In this embodiment, the communication unit 107 is described as communicating with the vehicle Vn using a local 5G system. As this communication unit, the communication unit 107 may use a 5G base station that is planned to be installed at a traffic signal. Of course, the communication unit 107 may communicate using a mobile communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) or a fifth-generation mobile communication system, or short-range wireless communication.

[0026] The selection unit 101 acquires vehicle information, such as the requested service (subscribed service), location information, and status (moving, stopped), from a vehicle Vn that has entered an area set around an intersection, via the communication unit 107. Furthermore, the selection unit 101 selects a vehicle to join the logical network based on the information received from the vehicle Vn. Furthermore, the selection unit 101 transmits the information received from the vehicle Vn to the distribution unit 102 and the time adjustment unit 103. As described above, the selection unit 101 selects a mobile unit to join the wireless network from among the mobile units that have entered a predetermined area, and therefore corresponds to the selection means 11 described above.

[0027] The distribution unit 102 creates and distributes setting information for connecting the vehicle Vn to the logical network. This setting information can include control information to be set in the vehicle-side switches 202a and 202b. The distribution unit 102 corresponds to the distribution means 12 described above.

[0028] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the topology of a logical network constructed by the switch-embedded controller 100. Logical network A is a network to which vehicles in the left and right lanes (moving) in FIG. 6 participate. Examples of services provided by logical network A include a service that transmits driving assistance information to notify vehicles of fallen objects on the road or pedestrians crossing crosswalks that are often overlooked. Logical network B is a network to which vehicles in the up and down lanes (stopped at a red light) in FIG. 6 participate. Examples of services provided by logical network B include a service that transmits announcements and advertisements to be output inside stopped vehicles. In this way, the switch-embedded controller 100 constructs logical networks corresponding to services for providing information services for vehicles at intersections. The switch-embedded controller 100 then selects a logical network to which the vehicle will participate based on at least the vehicle's location. From another perspective, the switch-embedded controller 100 can be said to select a logical network to which the vehicle will participate based on whether or not the moving object is moving and the direction of movement. 9, two logical networks, logical network A and logical network B, are configured, but the logical network may be further subdivided to construct three or more logical networks depending on the content of the vehicle-oriented services. For example, a logical network for a vehicle stopped at a red light may be divided into two, and content may be provided according to facilities or stores in the vehicle's direction of travel.

[0029] The distribution unit 102 creates configuration information for realizing the logical network shown in FIG. 9 based on the position of the vehicle Vn. Specifically, the distribution unit 102 constructs the logical network by setting control information (flow entries) that define the processing (e.g., forwarding) to be applied to received packets in the vehicle Vn and its own switch function unit 104. For example, the distribution unit 102 sets control information (flow entries) for receiving information from the switch-embedded controller 100 or other vehicles for the vehicle Va1. The distribution unit 102 also sets control information (flow entries) for transmitting information that satisfies predetermined conditions from the received information to the vehicle Va2 for the vehicle Va1. Furthermore, the distribution unit 102 sets control information (flow entries) for receiving information from the vehicle Va1 and control information (flow entries) for transmitting information about the vehicle Va2 to the vehicle Va1. This realizes inter-vehicle communication between the vehicles Va1 and Va2 shown in FIG. 9. 9 can be configured so that data is directly exchanged between the vehicles Va1 and Va2, or for convenience, the switch-embedded controller 100 can relay data between the vehicles Va1 and Va2. In this case, it is desirable to set control information (flow entry) in the switch of each vehicle Vn to discard information received by the vehicle Va1 or the vehicle Va2 that should not be transferred to other vehicles.

[0030] The time adjustment unit 103 transmits delay information and time information to the vehicle Vn. This delay information is used to synchronize the time between vehicles participating in the logical network, and is a value corresponding to the amount of transmission delay in communication with the switch-embedded controller 100. This delay information can be obtained by acquiring delay information corresponding to the position of the vehicle Vn from the delay information DB 105. The time information can use the system time managed by the timer 106. Therefore, the time adjustment unit 103 corresponds to the time adjustment means 13 described above.

[0031] The switch function unit 104 functions as an SDN switch and performs processing such as forwarding received packets based on control information (flow entries).

[0032] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of delay information stored in the delay information DB 105 (delay information database). The delay information DB 105 stores delay information for each intersection position shown in the lower part of FIG. 10. In the example of FIG. 10, delay information indicating the amount of delay at intersection positions P1 and P2 is set. Note that the example of FIG. 10 shows a table recording the delay information for each intersection position. However, instead of this type of table, a delay amount map in which the delay information for each intersection position is mapped can also be used. Furthermore, instead of using these tables or maps, a method can also be adopted in which an approximation formula for calculating the amount of delay based on the position of vehicle Vn is prepared and the delay information is calculated each time.

[0033] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the delay information provided by the time adjustment unit 103. The delay information can be generated by summing the delay amount Cm of the time source and the delay amount Dmx from the relay point (switch-embedded controller 100) where the time source is installed to vehicle Vx. Such delay information can be prepared by measuring the delay from the relay point (switch-embedded controller 100) at each intersection in advance. If there is no delay information corresponding to the position of vehicle Vn, the time adjustment unit 103 can obtain delay information for multiple locations close to the position of vehicle Vn and interpolate these delay amounts to calculate delay information closer to the actual measured value. Of course, when using the aforementioned map or approximation formula, the above-described interpolation process can be omitted.

[0034] The timer 106 manages the time that serves as the time source for the logical network. By applying the delay described above to this time, it becomes possible to synchronize the time of a vehicle located at position P1 and a vehicle located at position P2 in FIG. 10, for example.

[0035] The above-mentioned switch-embedded controller 100 has the function of allowing a mobile body that enters a specified area to join the wireless network and the function of performing time synchronization based on its location, and therefore corresponds to the above-mentioned wireless network configuration device 10.

[0036] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 12 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the present disclosure. Referring to Fig. 12, first, the switch built-in controller 100 detects the entry of a vehicle Vn into a predetermined area set near an intersection (step S001). The entry of the vehicle Vn into the predetermined area can be detected, for example, by a registration request from the vehicle Vn to the communication unit 107 of the switch built-in controller 100.

[0037] Next, the switch built-in controller 100 requests vehicle information from the vehicle Vn (step S002). The vehicle information includes the services provided to the vehicle Vn, location information, and status (driving, stopped), etc.

[0038] When the vehicle Vn transmits vehicle information to the switch-embedded controller 100 (step S003), the switch-embedded controller 100 determines the logical network to which the vehicle Vn should join based on the vehicle information (step S004). For example, if the vehicle Vn is traveling in the left or right lane in FIG. 6, the switch-embedded controller 100 causes the vehicle Vn to join logical network A in FIG. 9. Note that if the service provided to the vehicle Vn is not provided in the logical network managed by the switch-embedded controller 100 itself, the switch-embedded controller 100 may determine not to allow the vehicle Vn to join the logical network. For example, if the vehicle Va2 in FIG. 6 is not allowed to join logical network A, the logical network will be as shown in FIG. 13.

[0039] When it is determined that the vehicle Vn should participate in any logical network, the switch built-in controller 100 transmits setting information (network setting information) and delay information to the vehicle Vn (step S005).

[0040] The vehicle Vn that has received the setting information sets the NW setting information in its own switches 202a and 202b (step S006).

[0041] Furthermore, the switch built-in controller 100 transmits time information to the vehicle Vn (step S007). This time information is common to all vehicles belonging to the logical network, so it may be transmitted by broadcast.

[0042] The vehicle Vn that has received the time information performs time synchronization using the delay information and the time information received in step S005 (step S008).

[0043] As described above, this embodiment makes it possible to provide an information service for vehicles at intersections. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the time of each vehicle is synchronized under the initiative of the switch-embedded controller 100, so that time inconsistencies do not occur even in communications between completely unknown vehicles.

[0044] Furthermore, compared to PTP and other known time synchronization methods, this method has the advantage that it does not require measuring delays each time.

[0045] [Second Embodiment] In the first embodiment described above, the logical network to which the vehicle Vn will join and delay information are determined based on the current location of the vehicle Vn. However, if the vehicle Vn is moving, the delay may be calculated using the future location of the vehicle Vn. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the present disclosure. The first difference in configuration and operation from the switch-embedded controller 100 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is that the selector 101b of the switch-embedded controller 100b acquires information for determining the vehicle's future location from the vehicle Vn. The second difference from the first embodiment is that the time adjuster 103b of the switch-embedded controller 100b transmits delay information based on the vehicle's future location. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the following description will focus on these differences.

[0046] The selection unit 101b of the switch-embedded controller 100b acquires from the vehicle Vn the service to be provided, location information, and status (moving, stopped), as well as the direction of movement and speed. The direction of movement and speed of the vehicle Vn may be obtained from a camera image of the vehicle Vn, or from data measured by an arbitrary sensor. Therefore, the selection unit 101b corresponds to an acquisition unit that acquires the direction of movement and speed of the moving object.

[0047] The time adjustment unit 103b of the switch built-in controller 100b uses the acquired direction and speed of movement of the vehicle Vn to determine the position of the vehicle Vn after a predetermined time. Furthermore, the time adjustment unit 103b acquires delay information corresponding to the future position of the vehicle Vn from the delay information DB 105.

[0048] 15 is a diagram illustrating delay information provided by the time adjustment unit 103b. In this embodiment, delay information for vehicle Va1 is not the current position, but rather delay information for a future position P1' estimated from the speed of vehicle Va1. If there is no delay information corresponding to vehicle Va1's position P1', the time adjustment unit 103b, as in the first embodiment, obtains multiple pieces of delay information for positions close to position P1' and interpolates this delay information to calculate the delay information.

[0049] Furthermore, as described above, when determining the position of vehicle Vn after a predetermined time, in addition to the direction of movement and speed of vehicle Vn, the state of traffic lights and the state of the road on which vehicle Vn is traveling may also be used. For example, if it is known that the state of traffic lights will change, it is conceivable to determine the position of vehicle Vn after a predetermined time by taking into account not only the direction of movement and speed of vehicle Vn but also the behavior of the vehicle due to the change in the state of traffic lights. Furthermore, possible road conditions include whether or not there are other vehicles and the direction of travel of the lane on which vehicle Vn is traveling. For example, if there is another vehicle in the lane in the direction of travel of vehicle Vn, it is conceivable to determine the position of vehicle Vn after a predetermined time by taking into account the behavior of the vehicle due to the presence of the other vehicle in addition to the direction of movement and speed of vehicle Vn.

[0050] As described above, according to the present embodiment, delay information can be set at a position that takes into account vehicle movement. This makes it possible to apply the present disclosure to services that require higher time accuracy.

[0051] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and further modifications, substitutions, and adjustments can be made without departing from the basic technical concept of the present disclosure. For example, the network configurations, element configurations, and data representation formats shown in the drawings are examples intended to aid in understanding the present disclosure, and are not limited to the configurations shown in these drawings.

[0052] For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, the moving body is described as a vehicle (automobile), but the moving body may also be an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone), a transport robot, a mobile terminal carried by a passerby, or the like, other than a vehicle (automobile).

[0053] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, a mobile object (vehicle) to be included in the logical network is selected based on the lane in which the mobile object (vehicle) is located or the service, but a mobile object (vehicle) to be included in the logical network may be selected based on other criteria. For example, the logical network may be changed based on the distance from the base station or the switch-embedded controller 100, the distance from an intersection, the distance from roadside facilities, etc. For example, if there is a commercial facility along the road, a logical network may be configured that can receive information from the facility.

[0054] (Hardware Configuration) In each embodiment of the present disclosure, each component of each device represents a functional unit block. Some or all of the components of each device are realized by an arbitrary combination of an information processing device 900 and a program, for example, as shown in FIG. 16 . FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900 that realizes each component of each device. The information processing device 900 includes, as an example, the following configuration: - CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901 - ROM (Read Only Memory) 902 - RAM (Random Access Memory) 903 - Program 904 loaded into RAM 903 - Storage device 905 that stores the program 904 - Drive device 907 that reads and writes to a recording medium 906 - Communication interface 908 that connects to a communication network 909 - Input / output interface 910 that inputs and outputs data - Bus 911 that connects each component

[0055] Each component of each device in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 901 acquiring and executing a program 904 that realizes the function. That is, the CPU 901 in FIG. 16 executes a network configuration program and a time synchronization program to perform an update process for each calculation parameter stored in the RAM 903, the storage device 905, etc. The program 904 that realizes the function of each component of each device is stored in the storage device 905 or the ROM 902 in advance, for example, and is read by the CPU 901 as needed. The program 904 may be supplied to the CPU 901 via the communication network 909, or may be stored in advance on the recording medium 906, and the drive device 907 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 901.

[0056] There are various variations in the implementation of each device. For example, each device may be implemented by any combination of a separate information processing device 900 and a program for each component. Furthermore, the multiple components of each device may be implemented by any combination of a single information processing device 900 and a program. In other words, each unit (processing means, function) of the switch-embedded controller shown in the first and second embodiments can be implemented by a computer program that causes a processor installed in the device to execute the above-mentioned processes using its hardware.

[0057] In addition, some or all of the components of each device may be realized by other general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or by multiple chips connected via a bus.

[0058] Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits and programs.

[0059] When some or all of the components of each device are realized by multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc., the multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally or decentralized. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, or the like, in a form in which each device is connected via a communication network.

[0060] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to only the above-described embodiments. In other words, those skilled in the art can modify or substitute the above-described embodiments to construct various modified forms without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0061] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0062] [Supplementary Note 1] A wireless network configuring device comprising: a selection means for selecting a mobile unit to join a wireless network from among mobile units that have entered a predetermined area; a distribution means for distributing configuration information for joining the wireless network to the mobile unit to be joined; and a time adjustment means for transmitting delay information and time information based on the position of the mobile unit to the mobile unit, thereby synchronizing time with the mobile unit. [Supplementary Note 2] In the wireless network configuring device described above, the wireless network is divided into logical networks according to services to be provided, and the selection means can be configured to select a logical network for the mobile unit to join based on the position of the mobile unit. [Supplementary Note 3] The selection means of the wireless network configuring device described above can further be configured to select a logical network for the mobile unit to join based on whether or not the mobile unit is moving or the direction of movement. [Supplementary Note 4] The selection means of the wireless network configuring device described above can be configured to determine whether or not to allow the mobile unit to join a logical network based on a service requested to be provided, received from the mobile unit. [Supplementary Note 5] The mobile body provided with services by the wireless network configuration device described above may be a vehicle equipped with a communication function, and the selection means may be configured to allow vehicles located in the same lane and the opposite lane at an intersection to join the logical network. [Supplementary Note 6] In the wireless network configuration device described above, at least one of the logical networks may be configured to provide services for vehicles stopped at an intersection due to a stop light. [Supplementary Note 7] The time adjustment means of the wireless network configuration device described above may be configured to calculate the amount of delay between the relay point of the wireless network and the mobile body using a map or table indicating the amount of transmission delay from the relay point of the wireless network obtained by pre-measurement for a plurality of points within the specified area, and transmit the amount of delay as the delay information.[Supplementary Note 8] The wireless network configuring device as described above may further include an acquisition means for acquiring a moving direction and a moving speed of the mobile object, and the time adjustment means may be configured to calculate a position of the mobile object after a predetermined time based on the moving direction and the moving speed of the mobile object, and to obtain a delay amount at that position. [Supplementary Note 9] The distribution means of the wireless network configuring device as described above may be configured to distribute setting information for performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication between vehicles located in the same lane. [Supplementary Note 10] A communication system including the wireless network configuring device as described above. [Supplementary Note 11] A wireless network configuring method comprising the steps of: selecting a mobile object to join a wireless network from among mobile objects that have entered a predetermined area; distributing setting information for joining the wireless network to the mobile object to be selected to join the wireless network; and transmitting delay information based on the position of the mobile object and time information to the mobile object, thereby performing time synchronization. [Supplementary Note 12] A recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: a process of selecting a mobile object to join a wireless network from among mobile objects that have entered a predetermined area, a process of distributing setting information for joining the wireless network to the mobile object to be joined to the wireless network, and a process of transmitting delay information based on the position of the mobile object and time information to the mobile object to perform time synchronization. Also, the forms of Supplementary Note 11 to Supplementary Note 12 can be expanded into the forms of Supplementary Note 2 to Supplementary Note 9, similar to Supplementary Note 1.

[0063] The disclosures of the above-cited patent documents are incorporated herein by reference and may be used as the basis or part of this disclosure, as necessary. Modifications and adjustments of the embodiments and examples are possible within the scope of this disclosure (including the claims), and further based on its basic technical concept. Furthermore, various combinations and selections (including partial deletions) of various disclosed elements (including elements of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible within the scope of this disclosure. In other words, this disclosure naturally includes various modifications and alterations that would be possible by a person skilled in the art in accordance with the entire disclosure, including the claims, and the technical concept. In particular, with regard to the numerical ranges described herein, any numerical value or subrange within that range should be construed as specifically described, even if not otherwise specified. Furthermore, the disclosures of the above-cited documents, when used in part or in whole in combination with the disclosures herein as part of this disclosure, in accordance with the spirit of this disclosure, are also deemed to be included in the disclosures of this application.

[0064] 10 Wireless network configuration device 11 Selection means 12 Distribution means 13 Time adjustment means 100, 100b Switch built-in controller 101, 101b Selection unit 102 Distribution unit 103, 103b Time adjustment unit 104 Switch function unit 105 Delay information DB 106 Timer 107 Communication unit 201 Communication unit 202a, 202b Switch 203 GPS 204 In-vehicle terminal 900 Information processing device 901 CPU (Central Processing Unit) 902 ROM (Read Only Memory) 903 RAM (Random Access Memory) 904 Program 905 Storage device 906 Recording medium 907 Drive device 908 Communication interface 909 Communication network 910 Input / output interface 911 Bus V1 to V4 Mobile units Va1 to Vd, vehicles Vehicle ST Base station

Claims

1. A wireless network configuration device comprising: a selection means for selecting a mobile unit to join a wireless network from among mobile units that have entered a specified area; a distribution means for distributing setting information for joining the wireless network to the mobile units to be joined to the wireless network; and a time adjustment means for transmitting delay information based on the position of the mobile unit and time information to the mobile units to synchronize time.

2. A wireless network configuration device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless network is divided into logical networks according to the services provided, and the selection means selects a logical network for the mobile unit to join based on the location of the mobile unit.

3. The wireless network configuration device according to claim 2, wherein said selection means further selects a logical network for said mobile unit to join based on whether said mobile unit is moving or not and the direction of movement.

4. The wireless network configuration device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said selection means determines whether or not to allow said mobile unit to participate in the logical network based on the requested service received from said mobile unit.

5. A wireless network configuration device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the mobile body is a vehicle equipped with a communication function, and the selection means allows vehicles located in the same lane and the opposite lane at an intersection to join the logical network.

6. A wireless network configuration device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein at least one of the logical networks is a logical network that provides services to vehicles stopped at a stop light at an intersection.

7. A wireless network configuration device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the time adjustment means uses a map or table indicating the amount of transmission delay from the relay point of the wireless network obtained by pre-measurement for a plurality of points within the specified area to determine the amount of delay between the relay point of the wireless network and the mobile body, and transmits this as the delay information.

8. A wireless network configuration device according to claim 7, further comprising an acquisition means for acquiring the direction of movement and speed of movement of said mobile body, wherein said time adjustment means calculates the position of said mobile body after a predetermined time based on the direction of movement and speed of movement of said mobile body, and determines the amount of delay at said position.

9. A wireless network configuration device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said distribution means distributes setting information for enabling inter-vehicle communication between vehicles located in the same lane.

10. A communication system including a wireless network component device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A wireless network configuration method comprising: selecting a mobile unit to join a wireless network from among mobile units that have entered a specified area; distributing setting information for joining the wireless network to the mobile unit to be joined; and transmitting delay information based on the position of the mobile unit and time information to the mobile unit to perform time synchronization.

12. A recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: a process of selecting a mobile object to join a wireless network from among mobile objects that have entered a specified area; a process of distributing setting information for joining the wireless network to the mobile object to be joined; and a process of transmitting delay information based on the position of the mobile object and time information to the mobile object to perform time synchronization.

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