Wireless sensing system, wireless sensing method, sensing terminal, and program

Abstract

A wireless sensing system according to the present disclosure comprises: a sensing terminal capable of receiving a radio wave from a base station; and a sensing server capable of communicating with the sensing terminal. The sensing server includes a database of base station candidates and frequency candidates that can be used at each location. The sensing terminal is configured to acquire, from the sensing server, base station candidates and frequency candidates that can be used at the installation location thereof, determine, from the base station candidates and frequency candidates acquired from the sensing server, a sensing use base station and a sensing use frequency according to a predetermined algorithm, and sense an object on the basis of the radio wave of the sensing use frequency transmitted from the sensing use base station.

Description

Wireless sensing system, wireless sensing method, sensing terminal, and program

[0001] This disclosure relates to a wireless sensing system and method for sensing an object using radio waves from a base station, a sensing terminal suitable for use therein, and a program for a sensing terminal.

[0002] For example, as described in Non-Patent Document 1, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®) has begun considering Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) for the secondary use of radio waves used for wireless communication for sensing purposes. Potential use cases being considered include detecting the intrusion of people and animals in outdoor environments, and monitoring the status of automobiles and AGVs.

[0003] Sensing using radio waves is described, for example, in Non-Patent Document 2. Non-Patent Document 2 proposes receiving dedicated sensing radio waves transmitted from a wireless base station with a dedicated terminal and analyzing the data. As for sensing methods, in addition to conventional radar methods, methods using propagation channel information (CSI), as disclosed in Non-Patent Document 3, for example, have been considered in recent years. Furthermore, as disclosed in the same document, by applying machine learning to sensing, it has become possible to perform not only object detection but also gesture detection.

[0004] 3GPP TR 22.837, “Feasibility Study on Integrated Sensing and CommunicationLiu, Fan, et al. "Integrated sensing and communications: Toward dual-functional wireless networks for 6G and beyond." IEEE journal on selected areas in communications 40.6 (2022): 1728-1767.Ma, Yongsen, Gang Zhou, and Shuangquan Wang. "WiFi sensing with channel state information: A survey." ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR) 52.3 (2019): 1-36.

[0005] As described above, radio waves from a base station can be used for sensing. However, in order for a terminal to communicate with a base station, SIM information for each carrier is required. Therefore, with the conventionally proposed methods, only information on radio waves from a base station of a fixed carrier can be obtained. To improve the accuracy of sensing and expand the sensing area, it is conceivable to select the location and frequency of the base station. However, since available base stations and frequencies vary by location, it is difficult to obtain their information, and even if it is obtainable, time for scanning is required.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made paying attention to the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a technology capable of improving the accuracy of sensing and expanding the sensing area by enabling efficient selection of base stations and frequencies used for sensing.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, a wireless sensing system according to one embodiment of this disclosure is configured as follows. This wireless sensing system comprises a sensing terminal capable of receiving radio waves from a base station and a sensing server capable of communicating with the sensing terminal. The sensing server includes a database of available base station candidates and frequency candidates for each location. The sensing terminal is configured to obtain available base station candidates and frequency candidates for its installation location from the sensing server, determine a sensing base station and sensing frequency from the base station candidates and frequency candidates obtained from the sensing server according to a predetermined algorithm, and sense an object based on radio waves of the sensing frequency transmitted from the sensing base station.

[0008] To achieve the above objective, a sensing terminal according to one embodiment of this disclosure is configured as follows. This sensing terminal is a terminal capable of receiving radio waves from a base station and comprises a processor and a memory that stores a plurality of instructions that can be executed by the processor. These plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform the following processes. The first process is to communicate with a sensing server which has a database of available base station candidates and frequency candidates at each location. The second process is to obtain available base station candidates and frequency candidates from the sensing server at the location where the sensing terminal is installed. The third process is to determine a sensing base station and sensing frequency from the base station candidates and frequency candidates obtained from the sensing server according to a predetermined algorithm. The fourth process is to sense an object based on radio waves of the sensing frequency transmitted from the sensing base station.

[0009] To achieve the above objective, a wireless sensing method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a wireless sensing method using a sensing terminal capable of receiving radio waves from a base station, and includes causing the processor of the sensing terminal to perform the following processes. The first process is to communicate with a sensing server having a database of available base station candidates and frequency candidates at each location. The second process is to obtain available base station candidates and frequency candidates from the sensing server at the location where the sensing terminal is installed. The third process is to determine a sensing base station and sensing frequency from the base station candidates and frequency candidates obtained from the sensing server according to a predetermined algorithm. The fourth process is to sense an object based on radio waves of the sensing frequency transmitted from the sensing base station.

[0010] To achieve the above objective, a program according to one embodiment of this disclosure is configured to cause the processor of a sensing terminal capable of receiving radio waves from a base station to execute the above-described wireless sensing method. More specifically, this program includes a plurality of instructions for causing the processor of the sensing terminal to execute the first to fourth processes described above. This program may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium or provided via a communication network.

[0011] According to the technology described in this disclosure, by utilizing a sensing server that has a database of available base station candidates and frequency candidates at each location, it is possible to efficiently select the base station and frequency to be used for sensing, thereby improving the accuracy of sensing and expanding the sensing area.

[0012] This is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment. This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment. This is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment. This is a flowchart showing the operation of the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment. This is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the second embodiment. This is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the third embodiment. This is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the fourth embodiment. This is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the fifth embodiment. This is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the fifth embodiment.

[0013] 1. First Embodiment 1-1. Overall Configuration of Wireless Sensing System The overall configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment will be described using Figure 1. The objects 11 and 12 to be sensed by the wireless sensing system are objects located in a sensing area where multiple base stations 21, 22, and 23 are installed nearby. The wireless sensing system detects not only the presence of objects 11 and 12 but also their movement. The wireless sensing system uses radio waves transmitted from any of the base stations 21, 22, and 23 for sensing. Base station 21 transmits radio waves at a first frequency (Freq.1) and a second frequency (Freq.2). Base station 22 transmits radio waves at a first frequency (Freq.1) and a third frequency (Freq.3). Base station 23 transmits radio waves at a first frequency (Freq.1) and a fourth frequency (Freq.4). However, base stations 21, 22, and 23 are existing base stations.

[0014] The wireless sensing system includes a sensing terminal 100 capable of communicating with base stations 21, 22, and 23. The sensing terminal 100 is a shiftware radio that can receive radio waves of various frequencies transmitted from base stations 21, 22, and 23 and analyze the signals transmitted by those radio waves. An example of the sensing terminal 100 is a smartphone. The signals used for sensing may be broadcast signals or dedicated signals for sensing. The results of the data analysis of the signals may be retrieved externally via wireless communication, or they may be temporarily stored in memory and later retrieved externally via wired communication. Furthermore, the sensing terminal 100 does not necessarily need to be a terminal capable of bidirectional signal exchange with base stations 21, 22, and 23; it only needs to be configured to receive radio waves from base stations 21, 22, and 23.

[0015] The wireless sensing system includes a sensing server 200 that can communicate with a sensing terminal 100. The sensing server 200 may reside on the internet or independently on a local network. The sensing terminal 100 may communicate with the sensing server 200 by connecting to the internet via a mobile network or wireless LAN, or it may communicate with the sensing server 200 via a wired connection. The sensing server 200 may be provided for each pre-defined area. Multiple base stations 21, 22, and 23 installed within the corresponding area are associated with the sensing server 200.

[0016] In communication between the sensing terminal 100 and the sensing server 200, the sensing terminal 100 queries the sensing server 200, and in response to the query, the sensing server 200 notifies the sensing terminal 100 of candidate base stations and frequency candidates. The candidate base stations and frequency candidates notified by the sensing server 200 are those that the sensing terminal 100 can use for sensing. The sensing terminal 100 can use radio waves from multiple nearby base stations for sensing, but it is not easy to determine which base stations' radio waves are available at the current installation location. Furthermore, it is not easy to determine which frequency radio waves are available at the current installation location. This is because the combination of available base stations and frequencies differs depending on various factors such as the positional relationship between the sensing area where the target exists and each base station, the positional relationship between each base station and the sensing terminal 100, the frequency of the radio waves transmitted from each base station, the type of target, and the use case. The sensing server 200 has a database of candidate base stations and frequency candidates available at each location prepared in advance. The query from the sensing terminal 100 to the sensing server 200 includes information about the location of the sensing terminal 100. The sensing server 200 is configured to extract base station candidates and frequency candidates from its database using the location information as a search criterion and notify the sensing terminal 100 of this information.

[0017] 1-2. Hardware Configuration of the Wireless Sensing System Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment. First, the hardware configuration of the sensing terminal 100 will be described. According to the hardware configuration shown in Figure 2, the sensing terminal 100 includes a processor 101, memory 102, wireless communication module 105, and input / output interface 106. These elements constituting the sensing terminal 100 are wired together.

[0018] The processor 101 is typically a central processing unit (CPU). The memory 102 stores the program 103 and the data 104. The program 103 is a program for causing the processor 101 to execute the wireless sensing method according to the embodiment of this disclosure, and consists of a plurality of instructions corresponding to each process. The plurality of instructions include an algorithm for determining the sensing base station and sensing frequency, which will be described later. The data 104 includes data used when the processor 101 executes the program 103. Various parameters of the algorithm are an example of such data. The data 104 also includes data obtained by the execution of the program 103 by the processor 101. Report information including sensing results is an example of such data.

[0019] The sensing terminal 100 may be equipped with storage. The storage may be used, for example, to store the program 103 and data 104, or to store reporting information. The program 103 may also be provided to the sensing terminal 100 via a communication network.

[0020] The wireless communication module 105 is provided for wireless communication with base stations 21, 22, and 23. When the connection to the sensing server 200 is made via mobile communication, the wireless communication module 105 is also used for communication with the sensing server 200. When the connection to the sensing server 200 is made via wireless LAN, separate wireless communication modules 105 are provided for mobile communication and for wireless LAN.

[0021] The input / output interface 106 is typically a touch panel. At least part of the queries from the sensing terminal 100 to the sensing server 200 are input by the user into the input / output interface 106. Various information, such as the communication status with base stations 21, 22, and 23, and sensing results, is also displayed on the screen of the input / output interface 106.

[0022] Next, the hardware configuration of the sensing server 200 will be described. According to the hardware configuration shown in Figure 2, the sensing server 200 comprises a processor 201, memory 202, storage 205, and a wired communication module 206. These elements constituting the sensing server 200 are wired together.

[0023] The processor 201 is typically a CPU. Memory 202 stores the program 203 and data 204. The program 203 consists of multiple instructions corresponding to the various processes described later. Data 204 contains data used when the processor 201 executes the program 203.

[0024] Storage 205 stores various types of data. Multiple databases are built into storage 205. These databases include databases of available base station candidates and frequency candidates for each location. Storage 205 also stores report information transmitted from the sensing terminal 100. Storage 205 may also be used to store programs 203 and data 204. Program 203 may also be provided to the sensing server 200 via a communication network.

[0025] The wired communication module 206 is provided for wired communication using an optical fiber line or the like. The wired communication module 206 communicates with the sensing terminal 100 which is connected to the internet via mobile communication or wireless LAN. The wired communication module 206 may also be configured to communicate with base stations 21, 22, and 23 which are connected to the backhaul line.

[0026] The hardware configuration of the wireless sensing system described above can also be applied to wireless sensing systems according to other embodiments described later.

[0027] 1-3. Software Configuration of Wireless Sensing System Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment. First, the software configuration of the sensing terminal 100 will be described. According to the software configuration shown in Figure 3, the sensing terminal 100 includes a communication unit 111, a determination unit 112, a collection unit 113, a judgment unit 114, and a reporting unit 115. The program 103 stored in the memory 102 is executed by the processor 101, and the processor 101 functions as these functional units 111-115.

[0028] The communication unit 111 communicates with the sensing server 200 in cooperation with the wireless communication module 105. When inquiring at the start of sensing, the communication unit 111 notifies the sensing server 200 of information regarding the location of the sensing terminal 100. This information includes, for example, the location of the sensing terminal 100, the sensing use case, and information regarding the target. The communication unit 111 receives a response to the inquiry from the sensing server 200. The response includes notification of available base station candidates and frequency candidates at the location of the sensing terminal 100. After the completion of a series of processes described later, the communication unit 111 notifies the sensing server 200 of report information including the sensing results and information regarding the location.

[0029] The determination unit 112 determines the sensing base station and sensing frequency from the base station candidates and frequency candidates notified by the sensing server 200. The determination of the sensing base station and sensing frequency is performed according to a predetermined algorithm. First, the sensing base station is determined, and then the sensing frequency is determined from among the frequency candidates available to the sensing base station. However, the sensing frequency may be determined first, and then the sensing base station may be determined from among the base station candidates that can use the sensing frequency.

[0030] In determining the base station to be used for sensing, one or more of the algorithms exemplified below may be used, for example. Example 1. Determination based on the location of the object to be sensed a: Determine the base station so that the object is between the base station and the sensing terminal b: Determine the base station so that the object is not between the base station and the sensing terminal (reflection from the object will occur) Example 2. Use of multiple base stations simultaneously Example 3. Use of multiple base stations assuming compressed sensing Example 4. Use of a base station in a multipath environment Example 5. Use of a base station with a large number of antennas Example 6. Use of a base station with high received power Example 7. Use of a base station with a high transmission frequency Example 8. Use of a base station with small fluctuations Example 9. Use of a base station with an expanded sensing area

[0031] In determining the sensing frequency, one or more of the algorithms exemplified below may be used. Example 1. Judgment based on the size of the object to be sensed. If the object is large, use low to high frequencies. If the object is small, use high frequencies. Example 2. Judgment based on the location of the object to be sensed. If the object is between the base station and the sensing terminal, use low to high frequencies. If the object is between the base station and the sensing terminal, use low frequencies. Example 3. Use multiple frequencies simultaneously. Example 4. Use multiple sparse frequencies assuming compressed sensing. Example 5. Use all frequencies. Example 6. Use frequencies that create a multipath environment. Example 7. Use frequencies with a large number of antennas. Example 8. Use frequencies with high received power. Example 9. Use frequencies with high transmission frequency. Example 10. Use frequencies with small fluctuations. Example 11. Use frequencies that expand the sensing area. Example 12. Use frequencies with a wide bandwidth. Example 13. Use frequencies that frequently use the reference signal for CSI estimation. Example 14. Use frequencies not used by other sensing terminals.

[0032] The sensing terminal 100 senses the target based on the sensing frequency determined by the determination unit 112, from among the radio waves transmitted from the sensing base station determined by the determination unit 112. To this end, the collection unit 113 works in cooperation with the wireless communication module 105 to receive the sensing frequency radio waves from the sensing base station and collects the information necessary for sensing from the signals transmitted by those radio waves. Examples of the information collected include received power, CSI, and other information obtainable from wireless signals.

[0033] The determination unit 114 performs a sensing determination on the information collected by the collection unit 113 according to a predetermined determination algorithm. The determination algorithm is an algorithm for sensing using radio waves, and a known algorithm can be used depending on the sensing method used. Examples of sensing methods that can be used include methods using CSI, methods using received signal strength, methods using arrival time, and methods using multipath profile analysis. In the sensing determination, the presence, position, size, and movement of the object are determined.

[0034] The reporting unit 115 creates report information based on the collection results from the collection unit 113 and the determination results from the determination unit 114. The report information includes information related to the sensing results, such as whether or not the information necessary for sensing was collected, the content of the sensed object, the installation location of the sensing terminal 100, the base station used for sensing, and the frequency used for sensing. The report information created by the reporting unit 115 is notified to the sensing server 200 by the communication unit 111.

[0035] Next, the software configuration of the sensing server 200 will be described. According to the software configuration shown in Figure 3, the sensing server 200 includes a communication unit 211, a candidate extraction unit 212, and a database management unit 213. The database managed by the database management unit 213 is a database of available base station candidates and frequency candidates (hereinafter referred to as the base station & frequency database) DB1. The program 203 stored in memory 202 is executed by the processor 201, and the processor 201 functions as these functional units 211-213.

[0036] The communication unit 211 communicates with the sensing terminal 100 in cooperation with the wired communication module 206. The communication unit 211 is the counterpart of the sensing terminal 100 to the communication unit 111. The communication unit 211 receives inquiries from the sensing terminal 100 and notifies the sensing terminal 100 of base station candidates and frequency candidates as a response to the inquiries. The communication unit 211 also receives report information including sensing results from the sensing terminal 100.

[0037] The candidate extraction unit 212 searches the base station & frequency database DB1 using the location information included in the inquiry from the sensing terminal 100 as a search condition, and extracts available base station candidates and frequency candidates for the location of the sensing terminal 100. The base station candidates and frequency candidates extracted by the candidate extraction unit 212 are notified to the sensing terminal 100 by the communication unit 211.

[0038] The database management unit 213 updates the base station & frequency database DB1 based on the report information notified from the sensing terminal 100. Based on the report information, it is possible to verify whether the notified base station candidate and frequency candidate were appropriate for the installation location of the sensing terminal 100, based on the actual sensing results. The database management unit 213 updates the base station & frequency database DB1 to reflect the verification results and improves the accuracy of the base station & frequency database DB1.

[0039] 1-4. Operation of the Wireless Sensing System Next, the operation of the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment, configured as described above, will be explained with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment.

[0040] At the start of sensing, the sensing terminal 100 sends an inquiry to the sensing server 200. The inquiry includes information about the location of the sensing terminal 100. In response to the inquiry from the sensing terminal 100, the sensing server 200 notifies the sensing terminal 100 of candidate base stations and frequencies that can be received at the location of the sensing terminal 100.

[0041] The sensing terminal 100 determines the base station and frequency to be used for sensing from the base station candidate and frequency candidate obtained from the sensing server 200 according to a predetermined algorithm, and collects information necessary for sensing from the signal (e.g., broadcast signal) transmitted by the sensing base station on the sensing frequency. The sensing terminal 100 performs a sensing determination on the collected information according to a predetermined determination algorithm and notifies the sensing server 200 of the report information including the sensing result.

[0042] With a wireless sensing system operating as described above, by utilizing a sensing server 200 that has a database of available base station candidates and frequency candidates at each location, it is possible to efficiently select the base station and frequency to be used for sensing, thereby improving the accuracy of sensing by the sensing terminal 100 and expanding the sensing area.

[0043] 2. Second Embodiment The wireless sensing system according to the second embodiment shares the same overall configuration and hardware configuration as the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment, but differs from the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment in its software configuration. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the second embodiment. According to the software configuration shown in Figure 5, the sensing terminal 100 includes a communication unit 121, a determination unit 122, a collection unit 123, a judgment unit 124, and a reporting unit 125. In the second embodiment, the program 103 stored in the memory 102 is executed by the processor 101, so the processor 101 functions as these functional units 121-125. The sensing server 200 also includes a communication unit 221, a candidate extraction unit 222, and a database management unit 223. In the second embodiment, the program 203 stored in the memory 202 is executed by the processor 201, so the processor 201 functions as these functional units 221-223.

[0044] In addition to the base station & frequency database DB1, the database management unit 223 according to the second embodiment manages a database of determination algorithms (hereinafter referred to as the determination algorithm database) DB2 corresponding to each sensing method. Various algorithms can be considered as determination algorithms, including known ones, and there is a suitable algorithm for each sensing method. In the determination algorithm database DB2, determination algorithms are registered for each sensing method that can be used by the sensing terminal 100. Also, in the determination algorithm database DB2, various parameters used in the determination algorithm are registered in association with the determination algorithm.

[0045] The inquiry from the sensing terminal 100 received by the communication unit 221 includes information regarding the installation location of the sensing terminal 100 in addition to information regarding the sensing method used by the sensing terminal 100. The candidate extraction unit 222 searches the base station & frequency database DB1 using the information regarding the installation location as a search condition, and extracts base station candidates and frequency candidates available at the installation location of the sensing terminal 100. Also, the candidate extraction unit 222 searches the determination algorithm database DB2 using the information regarding the sensing method as a search condition, and extracts the determination algorithm corresponding to the sensing method used by the sensing terminal 100 and various parameters related thereto. The communication unit 221 notifies the sensing terminal 100 of the base station candidates and frequency candidates as a response to the inquiry, and also notifies the sensing terminal 100 of the determination algorithm together with various parameters.

[0046] The database management unit 223 updates the base station & frequency database DB1 based on the report information notified from the sensing terminal 100. The update of the determination algorithm database DB2 is performed, for example, when the determination algorithm itself is updated, when the parameters used in the determination algorithm are updated, when a new determination algorithm is created, and the like.

[0047] When making an inquiry at the start of sensing, the communication unit 121 of the sensing terminal 100 notifies the sensing server 200 of information regarding the installation location of the sensing terminal 100 and information regarding the sensing method used by the sensing terminal 100. As a response to the inquiry, the communication unit 121 receives candidate base stations and candidate frequencies from the sensing server 200, and also receives a determination algorithm and various parameters related thereto from the sensing server 200. Note that the determination algorithm and various parameters notified from the sensing server 200 can be continuously used as long as the sensing method remains unchanged. In that case, the determination algorithm is stored in the memory 102 as instructions constituting the program 103, and the parameters are stored as data 104, respectively.

[0048] The function of the determination unit 122 is the same as the function of the determination unit 112 according to the first embodiment. Also, the function of the collection unit 123 is the same as the function of the collection unit 113 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, descriptions of the functions of the determination unit 122 and the collection unit 123 are omitted.

[0049] The determination unit 124 performs a sensing determination on the information collected by the collection unit 123 based on the determination algorithm and parameters notified from the sensing server 200. The determination result by the determination unit 124 is reflected in the report information created by the reporting unit 125 together with the collection result by the collection unit 123.

[0050] 3. Third Embodiment The wireless sensing system according to the third embodiment shares the same overall configuration and hardware configuration as the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment, but differs from the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment in its software configuration. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the third embodiment. According to the software configuration shown in Figure 6, the sensing terminal 100 includes a communication unit 131, a determination unit 132, a collection unit 133, a judgment unit 134, a reporting unit 135, and a local unit 136. In the third embodiment, the program 103 stored in the memory 102 is executed by the processor 101, so the processor 101 functions as these functional units 131-136. The sensing server 200 also includes a communication unit 231, a candidate extraction unit 232, and a database management unit 233. In the third embodiment, the program 203 stored in the memory 202 is executed by the processor 201, so the processor 201 functions as these functional units 231-233.

[0051] The local location unit 136 of the sensing terminal 100 has a function to determine the installation location of the sensing terminal 100. The sensing results by the sensing terminal 100 also depend on the installation location of the sensing terminal 100. Therefore, by presenting a preferred installation location to the user, it is possible to improve the accuracy of sensing by the sensing terminal 100 and expand the sensing area. Specifically, the local location unit 136 determines the installation location of the sensing terminal 100 using at least one, preferably more, of the following as indicators: received power, CSI fluctuation rate, multipath environment, number of antennas, environmental fluctuation rate, and sensing area. The recommended installation location determined by the local location unit 136 is displayed on the screen of the input / output interface 106 of the sensing terminal 100.

[0052] The functions of the other functional units 131-135 of the sensing terminal 100 are the same as those of the functional units 111-115 according to the first embodiment. Similarly, the functions of the functional units 231-233 of the sensing server 200 are the same as those of the functional units 211-213 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, a description of these functions will be omitted.

[0053] The functions of the functional units 131-135 of the sensing terminal 100 may be the same as those of the functional units 121-125 according to the second embodiment. Also, the functions of the functional units 231-233 of the sensing server 200 may be the same as those of the functional units 221-223 according to the second embodiment. In that case, the database management unit 233 will manage not only the base station & frequency database DB1 but also the determination algorithm database DB2.

[0054] 4. Fourth Embodiment The wireless sensing system according to the fourth embodiment shares the same overall configuration and hardware configuration as the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment, but differs from the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment in its software configuration. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the fourth embodiment. According to the software configuration shown in Figure 7, the sensing terminal 100 includes a communication unit 141, a determination unit 142, a collection unit 143, a judgment unit 144, and a reporting unit 145. In the fourth embodiment, the program 103 stored in the memory 102 is executed by the processor 101, so the processor 101 functions as these functional units 141-145. The sensing server 200 also includes a communication unit 241, a candidate extraction unit 242, and a database management unit 243. In the fourth embodiment, the program 203 stored in the memory 202 is executed by the processor 201, so the processor 201 functions as these functional units 241-243.

[0055] In the fourth embodiment, the database management unit 243 manages a database of candidate installation locations for each sensing area (hereinafter referred to as the installation location database) DB3, in addition to the base station & frequency database DB1. The sensing results from the sensing terminal 100 depend on the installation location of the sensing terminal 100. The installation location database DB3 registers installation locations near each sensing area where improved sensing accuracy and expansion of the sensing area can be expected.

[0056] The first query received by the communication unit 241 from the sensing terminal 100 includes information about the sensing area provided by the sensing terminal 100. The candidate extraction unit 242 searches the installation location database DB3 using the sensing area information as a search criterion and extracts candidate installation locations for the sensing terminal 100 that are suitable for the sensing area. The next query received by the communication unit 241 from the sensing terminal 100 includes information about the installation location determined from the candidate installation locations. The candidate extraction unit 242 searches the base station & frequency database DB1 using the installation location information as a search criterion and extracts candidate base stations and frequencies that are available at the installation location of the sensing terminal 100. The communication unit 241 notifies the sensing terminal 100 of the candidate installation location as a response to the first query, and notifies the sensing terminal 100 of the candidate base stations and frequencies as a response to the next query.

[0057] The database management unit 243 updates the base station & frequency database DB1 and the installation location database DB3 based on the report information notified from the sensing terminal 100. Based on the report information, it is possible to verify whether the notified installation location candidate was appropriate for the sensing area, and whether the notified base station candidate and frequency candidate were appropriate for the installation location of the sensing terminal 100, based on the actual sensing results. The database management unit 243 improves the accuracy of the base station & frequency database DB1 and the installation location database DB3 by updating them to reflect these verification results.

[0058] The communication unit 141 of the sensing terminal 100 notifies the sensing server 200 of information regarding the sensing area in the first query at the start of sensing. In response to the first query, the communication unit 141 receives candidate locations for the sensing terminal 100 from the sensing server 200. In the next query, the communication unit 141 notifies the sensing server 200 of information regarding the location determined from the candidate locations. In response to the next query, the communication unit 141 receives candidate base stations and frequency candidates from the sensing server 200.

[0059] The determination unit 142 determines the installation location for the sensing terminal 100 from the installation location candidates notified by the sensing server 200. If there is only one installation location candidate notified, the determination unit may decide on that location after obtaining user approval. If there are multiple installation location candidates notified, the determination unit may decide on the installation location candidate selected by the user. After the installation location is determined, the base station candidate and frequency candidate notified by the sensing server 200 are sent to the determination unit 142 via the communication unit 141. The determination unit 142 determines the sensing base station and sensing frequency to be used from the base station candidate and frequency candidate notified by the sensing server 200 according to a predetermined algorithm.

[0060] The function of the collection unit 143 is the same as that of the collection unit 143 according to the first embodiment. The function of the determination unit 144 is the same as that of the determination unit 114 according to the first embodiment. Also, the function of the reporting unit 145 is the same as that of the reporting unit 115 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, a description of the functions of the collection unit 143, determination unit 144, and reporting unit 145 will be omitted.

[0061] 5. Figure 8 of the fifth embodiment shows the overall configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the fifth embodiment. The wireless sensing system according to the fifth embodiment differs from the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment in that, in addition to the signals transmitted from base stations 21 and 22, it also utilizes signals transmitted from the wireless LAN access point (AP) 30 for sensing the target 11.

[0062] The wireless sensing system according to the fifth embodiment has the same hardware configuration as the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment. However, the sensing terminal 100 according to the fifth embodiment is equipped with a wireless communication module 105 for mobile communication for communication with base stations 21 and 22, and a wireless communication module 105 for wireless LAN for communication with AP 30.

[0063] The wireless sensing system according to the fifth embodiment differs from the wireless sensing system according to the first embodiment in its software configuration. Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the wireless sensing system according to the fifth embodiment. According to the software configuration shown in Figure 9, the sensing terminal 100 includes a communication unit 151, a determination unit 152, a collection unit 153, a judgment unit 154, and a reporting unit 155. In the fifth embodiment, the program 103 stored in the memory 102 is executed by the processor 101, so the processor 101 functions as these functional units 151-155. The sensing server 200 also includes a communication unit 251, a candidate extraction unit 252, and a database management unit 253. In the fifth embodiment, the program 203 stored in the memory 202 is executed by the processor 201, so the processor 201 functions as these functional units 251-253.

[0064] In the fifth embodiment, the database management unit 253 of the sensing server 200 manages a database of APs 30 available at each location (hereinafter referred to as the wireless LAN AP database) DB4, in addition to the base station & frequency database DB1. The wireless LAN AP database DB4 registers APs 30 that can be used near the installation location of the sensing terminal 100 and that are expected to improve sensing accuracy and expand the sensing area.

[0065] The communications unit 251 receives inquiries from the sensing terminal 100, which include information about the location of the sensing terminal 100. The candidate extraction unit 252 searches the base station & frequency database DB1 using the location information as a search criterion, and extracts candidate base stations and frequencies that can be used at the location of the sensing terminal 100. The candidate extraction unit 252 also searches the wireless LAN AP database DB4 using the location information as a search criterion, and extracts APs 30 that can be used at the location of the sensing terminal 100.

[0066] The database management unit 253 updates the base station & frequency database DB1 based on the report information notified from the sensing terminal 100. The wireless LAN AP database DB4 is updated, for example, when AP30 is newly installed or removed, when the installation location of AP30 is changed, or when the specifications of AP30 are changed.

[0067] The communication unit 151 of the sensing terminal 100 notifies the sensing server 200 of information regarding the location of the sensing terminal 100 in response to an inquiry at the start of sensing. In response to the inquiry, the communication unit 151 receives candidate base stations, candidate frequencies, and available APs 30 from the sensing server 200.

[0068] The decision unit 152 determines the base station and frequency to be used for sensing from the base station candidates and frequency candidates notified by the sensing server 200, according to a predetermined algorithm. The decision unit 152 also decides whether to use the AP 30 notified by the sensing server 200 for sensing. However, the decision on whether to use the notified AP 30 may be made after obtaining user approval.

[0069] The data collection unit 153 works in cooperation with the wireless communication module 105 for mobile communication to receive radio waves at the sensing frequency from the sensing base station and collects the information necessary for sensing from the signals transmitted by those radio waves. In addition, the data collection unit 153 works in cooperation with the wireless communication module 105 for wireless LAN to receive radio waves from AP30 and collects the information necessary for sensing from the signals transmitted by those radio waves.

[0070] The determination unit 154 performs a sensing determination on the information collected by the collection unit 153 according to a predetermined determination algorithm. The determination algorithm is an algorithm for sensing using radio waves, and a known algorithm corresponding to the sensing method used can be used.

[0071] The reporting unit 155 creates report information based on the collection results from the collection unit 153 and the determination results from the determination unit 154. The report information includes information about the sensing results, such as whether or not the information necessary for sensing was collected, the content of the sensed target 10, the installation location of the sensing terminal 100, the base station used for sensing, the frequency used for sensing, and the AP 30 used. The report information created by the reporting unit 155 is notified to the sensing server 200 by the communication unit 151.

[0072] 5. The above embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of this disclosure. That is, where the number of elements, quantities, amounts, ranges, etc., are referred to in the above embodiments, the technology of this disclosure is not limited to the number referred to, unless otherwise explicitly stated or clearly defined in principle. Also, the structures, etc., described in the above embodiments are not necessarily essential to the technology of this disclosure, unless otherwise explicitly stated or clearly defined in principle.

[0073] 11-12 Target, 21-23 Base station, 30 AP, 100 Sensing terminal, 101 Processor, 102 Memory, 103 Program, 200 Sensing server, 201 Processor, 202 Memory, 203 Program, DB1 Frequency database, DB2 Judgment algorithm database, DB3 Installation location database, DB4 Wireless LAN AP database

Claims

1. A wireless sensing system comprising: a sensing terminal capable of receiving radio waves from a base station; and a sensing server capable of communicating with the sensing terminal, wherein the sensing server includes a database of available base station candidates and frequency candidates at each location; the sensing terminal is configured to obtain available base station candidates and frequency candidates at the location where the sensing terminal is installed from the sensing server; determine a sensing base station and sensing frequency from the base station candidates and frequency candidates obtained from the sensing server according to a predetermined algorithm; and sense an object based on radio waves of the sensing frequency transmitted from the sensing base station.

2. A wireless sensing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensing terminal reports the sensing result based on the radio waves to the sensing server, and the sensing server updates the database based on the sensing result.

3. A wireless sensing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensing server includes a database of determination algorithms corresponding to each sensing method, and the sensing terminal is configured to obtain a determination algorithm corresponding to the sensing method to be used from the sensing server, and to perform a sensing determination on the information obtained from the radio waves in accordance with the determination algorithm obtained from the sensing server.

4. A wireless sensing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sensing terminal is configured to determine the installation location using at least one of the following as an indicator: received power, CSI fluctuation rate, multipath environment, number of antennas, environmental fluctuation rate, and sensing area.

5. A wireless sensing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensing server includes a database of candidate installation locations for each sensing area, and the sensing terminal is configured to obtain a candidate installation location suitable for the sensing area including the target from the sensing server, and to determine the candidate installation location obtained from the sensing server as the installation location.

6. A sensing terminal capable of receiving radio waves from a base station, comprising: a processor; and a memory storing a plurality of instructions that can be executed by the processor, wherein the plurality of instructions are configured to cause the processor to perform the following: communicate with a sensing server having a database of available base station candidates and frequency candidates at each location; obtain available base station candidates and frequency candidates from the sensing server at the location where the sensing terminal is installed; determine a sensing base station and a sensing frequency in accordance with a predetermined algorithm from the base station candidates and frequency candidates obtained from the sensing server; and sense a target based on radio waves of the sensing frequency transmitted from the sensing base station.

7. A wireless sensing method using a sensing terminal capable of receiving radio waves from a base station, characterized in that the sensing terminal's processor performs the following: communicating with a sensing server having a database of available base station candidates and frequency candidates at each location; obtaining available base station candidates and frequency candidates at the location where the sensing terminal is installed from the sensing server; determining a sensing base station and sensing frequency from the base station candidates and frequency candidates obtained from the sensing server according to a predetermined algorithm; and sensing an object based on radio waves of the sensing frequency transmitted from the sensing base station.

8. A program characterized by including a plurality of instructions for causing a processor of a sensing terminal capable of receiving radio waves from a base station to execute the wireless sensing method described in claim 7.

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