Band management device and band management method

Abstract

This band management device (100) comprises: an information collection unit (110) that collects, for a slice group of each base station (20), a radio resource usage rate and information about a UE (10) connected to the base station (20); a data holding unit (120) that holds identification information of the UE (10) belonging to each slice; a setting determination unit (130) that determines, on the basis of the collected radio resource usage rate, information about the UE (10) connected to the base station (20), and identification information of the UE (10) belonging to each slice, whether band limitation application is necessary and a terminal to be applied; and a band setting unit (140) that sets the band limitation of the terminal to be applied, to a GW (42) that accommodates the slice or a UPF (41) via a 5GC C-Plane function group (40).

Description

Bandwidth management device and bandwidth management method

[0001] The present invention relates to a bandwidth management device and a bandwidth management method.

[0002] In the 5G (5th Generation) era, various new services are expected to be created that take advantage of 5G's features, such as high-capacity broadband, large number of session connections, and ultra-low latency and high quality, which terminals (UE: User Equipment) use to access networks (NW: Network). To realize these new services, it will be necessary to provide a variety of networks that meet various communication requirements. A dedicated network for each user that meets various requirements is called a network slice (or simply slice).

[0003] The following are conventional techniques for resource allocation methods that group slices of a wireless section to improve the efficiency of wireless resource utilization.

[0004] In Non-Patent Document 1, a Radio Access Network (RAN) controller connected to a base station manages allocated resources for each slice group. The base station groups slices with similar requirements and allocates radio resources to each group. This technology absorbs the difference in the number of terminals in each slice for each base station and improves resource utilization. For efficient use of radio resources, slices with similar SLA (Service Level Agreement) conditions can be grouped and radio resources can be allocated for each slice group.

[0005] In Non-Patent Document 2, a base station uses a buffer for each user, allocates resources fairly to each user, and transmits packets. This allows resources allocated to a slice group to be distributed evenly. Within a group, radio resources can be allocated evenly to each UE that uses them.

[0006] Fig. 5 illustrates a wireless access system that groups slices in a wireless section to improve the efficiency of wireless resource utilization. The wireless access system 1 shown in Fig. 5 includes a UE 10, a base station 20, a RAN controller 30 connected to the base station 20, and a 5th Generation Core network (5GC) C-Plane function group 40 consisting of an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), and the like. Slice resource groups 51 to 54, each consisting of a user plane function (UPF) 41, a gateway (GW) 42, and application software (APL) 43, are connected to the base station 20. The UPF 41 is a network function (NF) that processes U-Plane communications. A portion of the UPF 41 is connected to the Internet 44 via a gateway (GW) 42.

[0007] The base station 20 is a radio station that communicates with the UE 10. The base station 20 is dedicated hardware (dedicated device) that performs radio signal processing. Alternatively, the base station 20 constitutes a virtual radio access network (vRAN) that performs radio signal processing in a radio access system such as LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 5G using a general-purpose server.

[0008] The base station 20 manages the entire radio resources 60 and also manages the resources allocated to each slice group. The base station 20 groups slices having similar requirements from the entire radio resources 60 and allocates radio resources to each group. In Fig. 5, the base station 20 groups the radio resources into slice group A allocated radio resources 61 and slice group B allocated radio resources 62.

[0009] The base station 20 allocates and manages a resource element (RE) for each UE 10. The UEs 10 allocated with the slice group A allocated radio resources 61 include the UEs 10 in slice A1 (guaranteed 100 Mbps) 71 and the UEs 10 in slice A2 (guaranteed 150 Mbps) 72, which constitute a downlink bandwidth guaranteed slice group (guaranteed 100 Mbps to 150 Mbps). The UEs 10 allocated with the slice group B allocated radio resources 62 include the UEs 10 in slice B1 (guaranteed 500 Mbps) 73 and the UEs 10 in slice B2 (guaranteed 600 Mbps) 74, which constitute a downlink bandwidth guaranteed slice group (guaranteed 500 Mbps to 600 Mbps).

[0010] Furthermore, a UE 10 that does not receive allocation of radio resources for each slice group is a slice non-utilizing terminal.

[0011] The slice A1 resource group 51 is a slice resource group corresponding to the UE 10 of the slice A1 (guaranteed 100 Mbps) 71. The slice A2 resource group 52 is a slice resource group corresponding to the UE 10 of the slice A2 (guaranteed 150 Mbps) 72. The slice B1 resource group 53 is a slice resource group corresponding to the UE 10 of the slice B1 (guaranteed 500 Mbps) 73. The slice B2 resource group 54 is a slice resource group corresponding to the UE 10 of the slice B2 (guaranteed 600 Mbps) 74.

[0012] The base station 20 groups slices with the same guaranteed bandwidth (e.g., 100M to 150M guaranteed) and allocates radio resources according to the guaranteed bandwidth, thereby preventing a decrease in resource utilization when the variation in the guaranteed bandwidth of the bandwidth-guaranteed slices increases.

[0013] Y. Li, Y. Wang, Y. Jin, X. Cheng, L. Xu and G. Liu, "Research on Wireless Resource Management and Scheduling for 5G Network Slice," 2021 International Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing (IWCMC), Harbin City, China, 2021, pp. 508-513.Hoon Kim, Keunyoung Kim, Youngnam Han and Sangboh Yun, "A proportional fair scheduling for multicarrier transmission systems," IEEE 60th Vehicular Technology Conference, 2004. VTC2004-Fall. 2004, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2004, pp. 409-413 Vol. 1.

[0014] However, with such conventional technology, when UEs are concentrated under a base station and the resources allocated to a slice group become constrained, resources are only managed by group, so resources cannot be allocated based on the guaranteed bandwidth for each slice, and the actual traffic flow rate for some slices falls below the guaranteed bandwidth, which is an issue.

[0015] The problem will be explained in detail with reference to Figure 5. Assume that resources become constrained in some slice groups due to a concentration of terminals (see UE indicated by arrow a in Figure 5). Based on the resource usage status from RAN controller 30 (see arrow b in Figure 5), base station 20 allocates additional resources to the slice group with limited resources, taking into account the resource usage status of other groups. However, there are cases where allocating additional resources becomes difficult due to limited radio resources.

[0016] When it becomes difficult to allocate additional resources, some UEs in a slice group may be allocated resources less than their guaranteed bandwidth. In Fig. 5, resources of 120 Mbps are allocated to each UE 10 (see arrow c in Fig. 5), but the 120 Mbps resources are excessive for the UE 10 in slice A1 (guaranteed 100 Mbps) 71 and are below the guaranteed bandwidth for the UE 10 in slice A2 (guaranteed 150 Mbps) 72.

[0017] The present invention has been made in view of this background, and aims to improve the efficiency of wireless resource utilization by grouping slices while realizing bandwidth guarantee for each slice.

[0018] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a bandwidth management device is provided that groups slices having specified requirements and allocates wireless resources on a slice group basis, and is characterized by comprising: an information collection unit that collects wireless resource usage rates and information on terminals connected to the base station for each slice group of each base station; a data storage unit that stores identification information of terminals belonging to each slice; a setting judgment unit that determines whether or not to apply bandwidth restrictions and the terminals to which they apply based on the collected wireless resource usage rates, information on the terminals connected to the base station, and identification information of the terminals belonging to each slice; and a bandwidth setting unit that sets bandwidth restrictions for terminals to which they apply to a GW that accommodates the slice or a UPF via a 5GC C-Plane function group.

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve bandwidth guarantee for each slice while improving the efficiency of radio resource utilization by grouping slices.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a bandwidth management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram explaining an overview of the operation of the bandwidth management device of the bandwidth management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the bandwidth management process of the bandwidth management device of the bandwidth management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the bandwidth management process of the bandwidth management device of the bandwidth management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a hardware configuration diagram of a server according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining a wireless access system that improves the efficiency of wireless resource utilization by grouping slices of a wireless section.

[0021] A data processing system and the like in an embodiment for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described below with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment) Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a bandwidth management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram explaining an outline of the operation of the bandwidth management device of the bandwidth management system of Fig. 1. Components that are the same as those in Fig. 5 are assigned the same reference numerals.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the bandwidth management system 1000 includes a bandwidth management device 100, a RAN controller 30 and a 5GC C-Plane function group 40 connected to the bandwidth management device 100, a UE 10, a gNB (gNodeB) 45 which is a radio base station 20 in 5G (FIG. 2), a UPF 41, a GW 42, and an APL 43.

[0023] [Band Management Apparatus 100] Band management apparatus 100 groups slices having predetermined requirements and allocates radio resources to each slice group. Band management apparatus 100 includes information collection unit 110, data storage unit 120, setting determination unit 130, and band setting unit 140.

[0024] <Information Collection Unit 110> The information collection unit 110 collects radio resource usage rates for each slice group of each base station 20 (FIG. 2) (in FIG. 1, the base station 20 is represented by gNB 45, and the same applies below), and information on UEs 10 connected to the base station 20. Specifically, the information collection unit 110 collects radio resource allocation for each slice group for each base station 20 from the RAN controller 30. The information collection unit 110 collects identification information of UEs 10 connected to the base station 20 from the 5GC C-Plane function group 40, and notifies the setting determination unit 130 of the collected radio resource usage rates for each slice group for each base station and the UE 10 identification information for each base station.

[0025] <Data storage unit 120> The data storage unit 120 stores identification information of the UEs 10 belonging to each slice. Specifically, the data storage unit 120 stores each piece of information (described below) and provides the stored information to the setting determination unit 130. The information stored by the data storage unit 120 is as follows: - Slice group to which the slice belongs - Identification information of the UEs 10 belonging to each slice (using each slice) (e.g., MSISDN (Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number)) - Guaranteed bandwidth for each slice - Flag indicating whether bandwidth restriction is being applied for each UE 10 - Combination of slice group and base station 20 determined to be resource constrained

[0026] <Setting determination unit 130> The setting determination unit 130 determines whether or not bandwidth restrictions need to be applied (in the following explanation, "・" represents "and") and to which terminals they should be applied, based on the collected wireless resource usage rate, information on terminals connected to the base station 20, and identification information of terminals belonging to each slice.

[0027] <<Basic Operation>> The setting determination unit 130 determines and extracts a slice group in which resource constraints are occurring when the wireless resource usage rate for each slice group for each base station 20 notified by the information collection unit 110 exceeds a certain threshold. The setting determination unit 130 records in the data storage unit 120 that resource constraints are occurring for the corresponding slice group and base station 20.

[0028] The setting judgment unit 130 determines that a slice group is experiencing resource constraints when the radio resource usage rate for each slice group of each base station 20 exceeds a predetermined threshold, extracts the slices belonging to the slice group experiencing resource constraints and the terminals (UE 10) belonging to those slices as target terminals for application, notifies the band setting unit 140, and instructs it to apply the band restriction.

[0029] The setting determination unit 130 has a first pattern, a second pattern, or a third pattern as variations of the destination of the bandwidth limit for a terminal or slice, and uses at least one of these as the destination pattern for the bandwidth limit. In the first pattern, the bandwidth limit is applied to all terminals in the same slice group. In the second pattern, the bandwidth limit is applied to slices in the same slice group whose guaranteed bandwidth is smaller than a predetermined value, and surplus resources resulting from the application of the bandwidth limit are made available to slices whose guaranteed bandwidth is greater than or equal to the predetermined value. In the third pattern, terminals in a slice with a predetermined number of connected terminals or more are considered to be slices causing resource pressure, and the bandwidth limit is applied to terminals in the slice.

[0030] <<Specific Example of Determination and Extraction>> A specific example of determination and extraction of a slice group in which resource constraints are occurring will be described. The configuration determination unit 130 extracts slices belonging to the slice group in which resource constraints are occurring and the identification information (UE list (A)) of the UEs 10 belonging to the slices based on the slice groups to which the slices belong and the identification information of the UEs 10 belonging to each slice held by the data holding unit 120, from among the UEs 10 connected to the base station 20 in which the slice group in which resource constraints are occurring is set.

[0031] The setting judgment unit 130 compares the identification information (UE list (A)) of UE 10 belonging to a slice in a slice group that is under resource pressure with the identification information (UE list (B)) of UE 10 for which the bandwidth restriction application flag is set in the data holding unit 120, and performs the following.

[0032] Here, the "bandwidth restriction in use" flag is set when a bandwidth restriction is applied to a UE 10 connected to a base station 20 for which a slice group with resource constraints has been set in the previous processing. By checking the "bandwidth restriction in use" flag, it is possible to determine whether the bandwidth restriction continues even when the UE 10 moves from one base station area to an adjacent base station area. That is, it is assumed that the UE 10 performs wireless communication with the base station 20 while moving between base station areas. Therefore, even if the bandwidth restriction is in use at one base station 20, the bandwidth restriction may not be in use at another base station 20 after the move, and vice versa. By comparing UE List (A) with UE List (B), it is possible to determine whether the bandwidth restriction is in use, whether the bandwidth restriction continues to be in use, or whether the bandwidth restriction is removed (in the following description, " / " indicates "or").

[0033] (1) The setting determination unit 130 (FIGS. 1 and 2) performs the following for a UE 10 that is in the UE list (A) but not in the UE list (B): The setting determination unit 130 notifies the bandwidth setting unit 140 of the identification information of the UE 10, the slice to which the UE 10 belongs, and the guaranteed bandwidth of the slice to which the UE 10 belongs, which is held by the data holding unit 120, and instructs the bandwidth setting unit 140 to apply bandwidth limitation.

[0034] Here, the following are variations in which the setting determination unit 130 determines the bandwidth limit and applies it to the bandwidth setting unit 140: - Applying the bandwidth limit to all UEs in the same group (example of FIG. 2) ("first pattern"). - Applying the bandwidth limit to slices with small guaranteed bandwidths in the same group, and making the surplus resources available to slices with large guaranteed bandwidths ("second pattern"). - Applying the bandwidth limit to UEs 10 in a slice with a large number of connected terminals, since that slice is the cause of resource tightness ("third pattern").

[0035] The setting determination unit 130 notifies the data holding unit 120 that a flag indicating that the band restriction is being applied is to be set for the extracted UE 10 .

[0036] (2) The setting determination unit 130 performs the following for a UE 10 that is not in the UE list (A) but is in the UE list (B): The setting determination unit 130 determines that the UE 10 in the UE list (B) has moved to a base station other than the base station that has the slice group where resource constraints are occurring, notifies the band setting unit 140 of the identification information of the UE 10 and the slice to which it belongs, and instructs the band setting unit 140 to release the band restriction.

[0037] (3) The setting determination unit 130 performs the following for UE 10 that is in both UE list (A) and UE list (B): For UE 10 that is in both UE list (A) and UE list (B), the setting determination unit 130 does not apply or cancel the bandwidth restriction because the bandwidth restriction is already being applied and the resource shortage continues ("continue applying bandwidth control": maintain the state of application of the configured bandwidth restriction).

[0038] The setting determination unit 130 determines that the resource shortage has been resolved when the resource usage rate of the base station and slice group notified by the information collection unit 110 is below a certain threshold for the combination of slice group and base station determined to be resource-constrained and recorded in the data storage unit 120. Here, the threshold for determining resource shortage and the threshold for determining resource shortage resolution may be set separately or may be the same value.

[0039] The setting determination unit 130 extracts slices belonging to the determined slice group and UEs 10 belonging to the slices based on the [slice group to which the slice belongs] and [identification information of UEs 10 belonging to each slice] held by the data holding unit 120 (UE list (C)). The information extracted based on the [slice group to which the slice belongs] and [identification information of UEs 10 belonging to each slice] held by the data holding unit 120 is called the UE list (C).

[0040] For UE 10 that is in both UE list (C) and UE list (B), the setting judgment unit 130 notifies the bandwidth setting unit 140 of the identification information of the UE 10 and the slice to which it belongs, and instructs the bandwidth setting unit 140 to remove the bandwidth restriction.

[0041] <Bandwidth setting unit 140> The bandwidth setting unit 140 sets a bandwidth limit for the target terminal for the GW 42 that accommodates the slice or the UPF 41 via the 5GC C-Plane functional group 40. Specifically, the bandwidth setting unit 140 applies a setting to the GW 42 that accommodates the slice included in the bandwidth limit application instruction notified from the setting determination unit 130, which limits the available bandwidth of the UE 10 included in the instruction to the guaranteed bandwidth of the slice included in the instruction.

[0042] The bandwidth setting unit 140 deletes the setting for limiting the available bandwidth of the UE 10, which is included in the bandwidth restriction release instruction notified from the setting determination unit 130, for the GW 42 that accommodates the slice. The bandwidth restriction setting destination may be the GW 42, or may be applied to the UPF via the 5GC C-Plane function group 40.

[0043] The operation of the bandwidth management system 1000 configured as described above will now be described. <Operation Overview> FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation overview of the bandwidth management device 100 of the bandwidth management system 1000. FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which the bandwidth management system 1000 of FIG. 1 is applied to the case of resource congestion in the wireless section of FIG. 5. The information collection unit 110 of the bandwidth management device 100 shown in FIG. 2 acquires the resource usage rate by slice group of each base station from the RAN controller 30 (see symbol d in FIG. 2). The information collection unit 110 also acquires identification information (such as MSISDN) of UEs connected to the base station 20 whose resource usage rate is tight (see symbol e in FIG. 2). The information collection unit 110 then outputs the acquired wireless resource usage rate and information on the UEs connected to the base station to the configuration determination unit 130.

[0044] The setting determination unit 130 determines whether or not bandwidth limitation should be applied and to which UEs the bandwidth limitation should be applied. Specifically, the setting determination unit 130 extracts UEs of slices that belong to a slice group with limited resources, based on a list of UE identifiers for each slice held by the data storage unit (identification information of UEs belonging to each slice).

[0045] The bandwidth setting unit 140 limits the upper limit bandwidth of the UE extracted by the setting determination unit 130 to the guaranteed bandwidth set for each slice. In FIG. 2 , the bandwidth setting unit 140 applies a bandwidth limit of 100 Mbps per UE to the GW 42 of the slice A1 resource group 51, which is a slice resource group corresponding to UE 10 in slice A1 (100 Mbps guaranteed) 71 (see symbol f in FIG. 2 ), and also applies a bandwidth limit of 150 Mbps per UE to the GW 42 of the slice A2 resource group 52, which is a slice resource group corresponding to UE 10 in slice A1 (100 Mbps guaranteed) 72 (see symbol g in FIG. 2 ). Note that in this embodiment, the bandwidth setting unit 140 sets the bandwidth limit for the target UE to the GW 42, but it may also set the bandwidth limit for the target UE to the UPF 41.

[0046] In this way, when resources in a wireless section are constrained, the bandwidth management system 1000 applies a bandwidth limit that matches the guaranteed bandwidth for each slice before applying a uniform resource limit within the wireless section group. In Fig. 2 , when resources are constrained, the bandwidth originally requested by the APL 43 of the slice A1 resource group 51 (see arrow h in Fig. 2 ) is band-limited to 100 Mbps per UE (see symbol i in Fig. 2 ) by the GW 42 of the slice A1 resource group 51, and then passed to the base station 20. Similarly, when resources are constrained, the bandwidth originally requested by the APL 43 of the slice A2 resource group 52 (see arrow j in Fig. 2 ) is band-limited to 150 Mbps per UE (see symbol k in Fig. 2 ) by the GW 42 of the slice A2 resource group 52, and then passed to the base station 20.

[0047] The base station 20 groups the entire radio resources 60 into slice group A-allocated radio resources 61 and slice group B-allocated radio resources 62 (not shown in FIG. 2 ). The UE 10 assigned to slice A1 (guaranteed 100 Mbps) 71 and the UE 10 assigned to slice A2 (guaranteed 150 Mbps) 72 in the slice group A-allocated radio resources 61 are guaranteed a downlink bandwidth-guaranteed slice group (guaranteed 100 Mbps to 150 Mbps). In this way, the bandwidth management system 1000 can guarantee bandwidth for each slice while improving the efficiency of radio resource utilization by grouping the slices.

[0048] The above-mentioned Figure 2 shows an example in which bandwidth restrictions are applied to all UEs 10 in the same group. Instead of the example in which bandwidth restrictions are applied to all UEs 10 in the same group, the following variations are also possible. Variation 1: Bandwidth restrictions are applied to slices with small guaranteed bandwidths in the same group, and the surplus resources are made available to slices with large guaranteed bandwidths. Variation 2: Bandwidth restrictions are applied to UEs in slices with a large number of connected terminals because the slices are causing resource tightness.

[0049] 3A to 3C are flowcharts showing the bandwidth management process of the bandwidth management device 100 of the bandwidth management system 1000. In step S1 of Fig. 3A, the setting determination unit 130 receives notification of the wireless resource usage rate for each slice group for each base station from the information collection unit 110.

[0050] In step S2, the setting determination unit 130 executes the following process for the radio resource usage rate for each slice group for each base station (start (start point) of loop 1).

[0051] In step S3, the configuration determination unit 130 determines whether the radio resource usage rate exceeds the threshold for determining resource tightness. If the radio resource usage rate exceeds the threshold for determining resource tightness (S3: Yes), in step S4, the configuration determination unit 130 extracts slices belonging to the slice group with resource tightness and identification information (UE list (A)) of the UEs 10 belonging to the slices from among the UEs 10 connected to the base station to which the slice group with resource tightness is configured. When extracting the identification information (UE list (A)) of the UEs 10, the configuration determination unit 130 refers to information in the data storage unit 120. The information stored in the data storage unit 120 includes, for example, the slice group to which the slice belongs, identification information of the UEs 10 belonging to each slice, the guaranteed bandwidth for each slice, a flag indicating whether bandwidth limitation is being applied for each UE 10, and the combination of the slice group and base station determined to be resource tight. If the wireless resource usage rate does not exceed the threshold for determining that resources are tight (S3: No), the process proceeds to step S13 in FIG. 3B.

[0052] In step S5, the setting determination unit 130 compares the UE list (A) with the UEs 10 (UE list (B)) for which the band restriction application flag is set in the data storage unit 120. In step S6, the setting determination unit 130 executes the following process for all UEs 10 in the UE list (A) and the UE list (B) (start (start point) of loop 2).

[0053] In step S7, the setting determination unit 130 determines whether the UE 10 is in both the UE list (A) and the UE list (B). If the UE 10 is in both the UE list (A) and the UE list (B) (S7: Yes), the process ends via loop 2 end (terminal) and then loop 1 end (terminal). If the UE 10 is in the UE list (A) but not in the UE list (B) (S7: No), the process proceeds to step S8 of FIG. 3C. Before the loop 2 end (terminal), the process result of FIG. 3C also flows in. At the loop 2 end (terminal), if there is an unprocessed UE, the process returns to loop 2 start. Before the loop 1 end (terminal), the process result of FIG. 3B also flows in. At the loop 1 end (terminal), if there is an unprocessed radio resource usage rate, the process returns to loop 1 start.

[0054] In the above step S7, the setting judgment unit 130 does not apply or cancel the bandwidth restriction to UE 10 that is in both UE list (A) and UE list (B) because the bandwidth restriction is already being applied and the resource shortage continues ("continue applying bandwidth control": maintain the state of applying the configured bandwidth restriction).

[0055] In the above step S3, if the radio resource usage rate does not exceed the threshold for determining that resource shortage is occurring (S3: No), in step S13 of Figure 3B, the setting judgment unit 130 determines whether the resource usage rate of the base station / slice group is below the threshold for determining that resource shortage has been resolved.

[0056] If the resource usage rate of the base station / slice group is below the threshold for determining that resource shortage has been resolved (S13: Yes), in step S14 the setting judgment unit 130 determines whether it matches the combination of slice group and base station that has been determined to be resource-constrained and is recorded in the data storage unit 120.

[0057] If the combination of slice group and base station determined to be resource constrained matches (S14: Yes), in step S15, the setting judgment unit 130 extracts the slices belonging to the determined slice group and the UEs 10 belonging to the slices based on the [slice group to which the slice belongs] and [identification information of the UEs 10 belonging to each slice] held by the data holding unit 120 (UE list (C)).

[0058] In step S16, the setting judgment unit 130 notifies the bandwidth setting unit 140 of the identification information of the UE 10 and the slice to which it belongs for the UE 10 that is in both the UE list (C) and the UE list (B), instructs the bandwidth setting unit 140 to release the bandwidth restriction, and proceeds to the stage before the end (terminal) of loop 1 in Figure 3A.

[0059] In step S7, if the UE 10 is in UE list (A) but not in UE list (B) (S7: No), in step S8 of FIG. 3C, the setting determination unit 130 determines whether the UE is in UE list (A) but not in UE list (B). In step S8, if the UE 10 is in UE list (A) but not in UE list (B) (S8: Yes), in step S9, the setting determination unit 130 notifies the bandwidth setting unit 140 of the identification information of the UE 10, the slice to which the UE 10 belongs, and the guaranteed bandwidth of the slice to which the UE 10 belongs, which is held by the data holding unit 120, and instructs the application of bandwidth limitation. In step S9, the setting determination unit 130 notifies the data holding unit 120 that a flag indicating that bandwidth limitation is being applied is set for the extracted UE 10, and proceeds to the stage before the end (terminal) of loop 2 in FIG. 3A.

[0060] In step S8, if the UE 10 is not one that is in the UE list (A) but not in the UE list (B) (S8: No), in step S11 the setting determination unit 130 determines whether the UE 10 is not in the UE list (A) but is in the UE list (B). If the UE 10 is not in the UE list (A) but is in the UE list (B) (S11: Yes), in step S12 the setting determination unit 130 determines that the UE in the UE list (B) has moved to a base station other than the base station that has the slice group where resource constraints are occurring, notifies the bandwidth setting unit 140 of the identification information of the UE 10 and the slice to which it belongs, issues an instruction to release the bandwidth restriction, and proceeds to the stage before the end (terminal) of loop 2 in FIG. 3A. In this case, the setting judgment unit 130 determines that UE 10 in the UE list (B) has moved to a base station other than the base station that contains the slice group where resource constraints are occurring, and notifies the band setting unit 140 of the identification information of the UE 10 and the slice to which it belongs, and instructs it to remove the band restriction.

[0061] In step S11, if the UE 10 is not on the UE list (A) but is not on the UE list (B) (S11: No), the process proceeds to the step before the end (terminal) of loop 2 in Fig. 3A. If the UE 10 is not on the UE list (A) but is not on the UE list (B), that is, if the UE 10 is on both the UE list (A) and the UE list (B), the setting determination unit 130 does not apply or cancel the bandwidth restriction to the UE 10 that is on the UE list (A) and the UE list (B), because the bandwidth restriction is already being applied and the resource shortage continues ("continue to apply bandwidth control": maintain the state of application of the configured bandwidth restriction). In addition, in the above step S11, logically, the case where the UE is not in the UE list (A) and is not in the UE list (B) is included, but the case where the UE is not in the UE list (A) and is not in the UE list (B) means that even if the UE moves between base station areas, it is not in a slice group with limited resources, and this corresponds to a case where no bandwidth restriction is applied.

[0062] [Hardware Configuration] The bandwidth management device 100 (FIG. 1) according to each of the above embodiments is realized by a computer 900 configured as shown in FIG. 4, for example. FIG. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram showing the computer 900. The computer 900 has a CPU 901, ROM 902, RAM 903, HDD 904, a communication interface 906, an input / output interface 905, and a media interface 907. Note that in FIG. 4, interfaces are abbreviated as "I / F."

[0063] The CPU 901 operates based on programs stored in the ROM 902 or the HDD 904, and embodies each unit of the bandwidth management device 100 (FIG. 1). The ROM 902 stores a boot program executed by the CPU 901 when the computer 900 is started, programs that depend on the hardware of the computer 900, and the like.

[0064] The CPU 901 controls an input device 910 such as a mouse or keyboard, and an output device 911 such as a display, via an input / output interface 905. The CPU 901 acquires data from the input device 910 via the input / output interface 905, and outputs generated data to the output device 911. Note that a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or the like may be used as a processor together with the CPU 901.

[0065] The HDD 904 stores programs executed by the CPU 901 and data used by the programs. The communication interface 906 receives data from other devices via a communication network (e.g., network 922) and outputs the data to the CPU 901, and also transmits data generated by the CPU 901 to other devices via the communication network.

[0066] The media interface 907 reads a program or data stored in the recording medium 912 and outputs it to the CPU 901 via the RAM 903. The CPU 901 loads a program related to a target process from the recording medium 912 onto the RAM 903 via the media interface 907, and executes the loaded program. The recording medium 912 is an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a PD (Phase Change Rewritable Disc), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto Optical Disc), a magnetic recording medium, a conductive memory tape medium, a semiconductor memory, or the like.

[0067] For example, when the computer 900 functions as the bandwidth management device 100 ( FIG. 1 ) configured as one device according to this embodiment, the CPU 901 of the bandwidth management device 100 realizes the functions of the bandwidth management device 100 by executing a program loaded onto the RAM 903. The HDD 904 also stores data in the RAM 903. The CPU 901 reads and executes a program related to a target process from the recording medium 912. Alternatively, the CPU 901 may read a program related to a target process from another device via a communication network (NW 922).

[0068] [Effect] As described above, the bandwidth management device 100 (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the bandwidth management system 1000 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is a bandwidth management device 100 that groups slices having predetermined requirements and allocates wireless resources on a slice group basis, and includes an information collection unit 110 (FIGS. 1 and 2) that collects wireless resource usage rates and information on terminals (UE10) (FIGS. 1 and 2) connected to the base station 20 for each slice group of each base station 20 (FIG. 2), a data storage unit 120 (FIGS. 1 and 2) that stores identification information of terminals belonging to each slice, a setting determination unit 130 (FIGS. 1 and 2) that determines whether or not to apply bandwidth restrictions and the terminals to which they apply based on the collected wireless resource usage rates, information on terminals connected to the base station 20, and identification information of terminals belonging to each slice, and a bandwidth setting unit 140 that sets a bandwidth restriction for the terminal to which it applies to the GW 42 that accommodates the slice or the UPF 41 via the 5GC C-Plane function group 40 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0069] In this way, the bandwidth management device 100 of the bandwidth management system 1000 improves wireless resource utilization by mixing slices with multiple guaranteed bandwidths within the same group. That is, even when managing slices in groups, the bandwidth management device 100 can limit the bandwidth of a particular slice for each UE when resources become constrained in that slice, thereby reducing the impact on other slices. Therefore, it is possible to achieve bandwidth guarantees for each slice while also achieving more efficient wireless resource utilization by grouping slices.

[0070] In the bandwidth management device 100 (Figures 1 and 2), the setting judgment unit 130 determines that a slice group is experiencing resource constraints when the wireless resource usage rate for each slice group of each base station 20 exceeds a predetermined threshold, extracts the slices belonging to the slice group experiencing resource constraints and the terminals (UE10) belonging to those slices as target terminals, notifies the bandwidth setting unit 140, and instructs the application of bandwidth restrictions.

[0071] By doing this, when resources become constrained in some slices, the bandwidth management device 100 can impose bandwidth restrictions on each UE in that slice, thereby achieving bandwidth guarantees for each slice while also achieving more efficient use of radio resources by grouping slices.

[0072] In the bandwidth management device 100 (Figures 1 and 2), the setting judgment unit 130 is characterized by using at least one of the following patterns as the pattern to which the bandwidth restriction is applied: a first pattern in which the bandwidth restriction is applied to all terminals within the same slice group; a second pattern in which the bandwidth restriction is applied to slices within the same slice group whose guaranteed bandwidth is smaller than a predetermined value, and the surplus resources resulting from the application of the bandwidth restriction are made available to slices whose guaranteed bandwidth is greater than a predetermined value; or a third pattern in which the bandwidth restriction is applied to terminals in a slice with a number of connected terminals greater than a predetermined value, by considering the slice to be the cause of resource congestion.

[0073] By doing so, when the bandwidth management device 100 corresponds to the application destination of the first pattern of restrictions, it applies all terminals in the same slice group, eliminating the need to determine the application destination of the terminals in the slice, which is expected to result in faster processing and improved control stability. Furthermore, when the bandwidth management device 100 corresponds to the application destination of the second pattern of restrictions, it makes surplus resources resulting from the application of bandwidth restrictions available to slices with a large guaranteed bandwidth equal to or greater than a predetermined value, thereby enabling effective use of wireless resources. When the bandwidth management device 100 corresponds to the application destination of the third pattern of restrictions, it is possible to determine the application destination of the terminals using the number of connected terminals, which is easy to grasp, thereby enabling effective use of wireless resources while speeding up processing.

[0074] Note that, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically using known methods. Furthermore, the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, and information including various data and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed as desired unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the components of each device shown in the drawings are functionally conceptual and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the drawings, and all or part of the devices can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

[0075] Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partially or entirely implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits. The above-described configurations, functions, etc. may also be implemented by software that causes a processor to interpret and execute programs that implement the respective functions. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement the respective functions may be stored in a memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or a solid-state drive (SSD), or a recording medium such as an integrated circuit (IC) card, a secure digital (SD) card, or an optical disk.

[0076] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 UE (terminal) 20 Base station 30 RAN controller 40 5GC C-Plane function group 41 UPF 42 GW 43 APL 45 gNB (base station) 51 Resource group for slice A1 (resource group for slice) 52 Resource group for slice A2 (resource group for slice) 53 Resource group for slice B1 (resource group for slice) 54 Resource group for slice B2 (resource group for slice) 60 Entire radio resource 61 Radio resource allocated to slice group A 62 Radio resource allocated to slice group B 71 Slice A1 (100 Mbps guaranteed) 72 Slice A2 (150 Mbps guaranteed) 73 Slice B1 (500 Mbps guaranteed) 74 Slice B2 (600 Mbps guaranteed) 100 Bandwidth management device 110 Information collection unit 120 Data storage unit 130 Setting determination unit 140 Bandwidth setting unit 1000 Bandwidth management system

Claims

1. A bandwidth management device that groups slices having specified requirements and allocates wireless resources on a slice group basis, comprising: an information collection unit that collects wireless resource usage rates and information on terminals connected to the base station for each slice group of each base station; a data storage unit that stores identification information of terminals belonging to each slice; a setting judgment unit that determines whether or not to apply bandwidth restrictions and the terminals to which they apply based on the collected wireless resource usage rates, information on the terminals connected to the base station, and identification information of the terminals belonging to each slice; and a bandwidth setting unit that sets bandwidth restrictions for terminals to which they apply to a GW (Gateway) that accommodates the slice or a UPF (User Plane Function) via a 5GC C-Plane function group.

2. The bandwidth management device described in claim 1, characterized in that the setting judgment unit determines that a slice group is experiencing resource constraints when the wireless resource usage rate for each slice group of each base station exceeds a predetermined threshold, extracts slices belonging to the slice group experiencing resource constraints and the terminals belonging to those slices as target terminals, notifies the bandwidth setting unit of this, and instructs the application of bandwidth restrictions.

3. The bandwidth management device of claim 1, characterized in that the setting judgment unit uses at least one of the following patterns as the pattern to which the bandwidth restriction is applied: a first pattern in which the bandwidth restriction is applied to all terminals within the same slice group; a second pattern in which the bandwidth restriction is applied to slices within the same slice group whose guaranteed bandwidth is smaller than a predetermined value, and surplus resources resulting from the application of the bandwidth restriction are made available to slices whose guaranteed bandwidth is greater than or equal to the predetermined value; or a third pattern in which the bandwidth restriction is applied to terminals in a slice with a predetermined number of connected terminals or more, which is considered to be the slice causing resource pressure.

4. A bandwidth management method of a bandwidth management device that groups slices having specified requirements and allocates wireless resources on a slice group basis, wherein the bandwidth management device executes the following steps: collecting wireless resource usage rates and information on terminals connected to the base station for each slice group of each base station; retaining identification information of terminals belonging to each slice; determining whether or not bandwidth restrictions need to be applied and to which terminals the restrictions apply, based on the collected wireless resource usage rates, information on the terminals connected to the base station, and identification information of the terminals belonging to each slice; and setting bandwidth restrictions for terminals to which the restrictions apply to a GW (Gateway) that accommodates the slice or a UPF (User Plane Function) via a 5GC C-Plane function group.

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