Communication resource management apparatus, communication resource management method, and computer program

Abstract

The present invention facilitates efficient operation of a mobile body in consideration of restrictions on communication resources in wireless communication. A reception unit receives: a resource reservation request for requesting a reservation for allocation of communication resources in wireless communication to be used by a mobile body having a wireless communication function; and movement plan information for the mobile body to be used for the reservation of allocation of the communication resources. A planning unit performs determination whether or not it is possible to make an allocation reservation for allocating the communication resources to the mobile body in a target communication area and a target date and time for the reservation identified by using information of a scheduled movement date and time and a scheduled movement route included in the movement plan. When it is possible to make an allocation reservation, the planning unit plans the allocation of the communication resources. A notification unit provides, for a transmission source that requests the resource reservation, reply information for replying as to whether or not it is possible to respond to the resource reservation request by using the result of the allocation reservation propriety determination.

Description

Communication Resource Management Device, Communication Resource Management Method, and Computer Program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication resource management device, a communication resource management method, and a computer program for managing communication resources used by a moving object.

[0002] The utilization of moving objects such as drones and flying cars has been under consideration, and it is assumed that the number of moving objects moving in the same area will increase. In order to realize a management system for managing the operation of such moving objects, institutional arrangements and the like are being promoted. In a moving object operation management system, communication is performed with a moving object in motion using wireless communication.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses the following technology related to wireless communication of a flying device such as a drone. That is, the flying device shown in Patent Document 1 performs flight control by a control signal transmitted wirelessly from a server. When the number of connections to a wireless communication base station in the flight area of such a flying device becomes excessive, there is a risk that the communication situation will deteriorate and the control signal will not reach the flying device. To address this problem, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, for each of a plurality of base stations, the wireless resources that can be allocated to the flying device on the scheduled flight date and time of the flying device are estimated, and a flight route of the flying device considering the wireless resources of the base station is set using this estimation result.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-59258

[0005] In the technology of Patent Document 1, the flight route of the flying device is set using the availability of the wireless resources (communication resources) of the base station. Therefore, for example, when using a flying device for the purpose of home delivery of goods, the set flight route is different from the flight route for efficiently home-delivering goods, which causes a problem that the efficiency of home delivery deteriorates.

[0006] The present disclosure has been conceived to solve the above-described problems. That is, the main object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology for achieving efficient operation of a moving object in consideration of constraints on communication resources of wireless communication.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the communication resource management device in this disclosure, in one embodiment, includes: a receiving unit that receives a resource reservation request requesting the reservation of communication resources for wireless communication used by a mobile body equipped with wireless communication functionality, and travel plan information including information on the planned travel date and time and travel route of the mobile body used for the reservation of communication resource allocation; a planning unit that determines whether or not it is possible to reserve communication resources for the mobile body in the designated communication area and on the designated date and time using the travel date and time and travel route information included in the received travel plan information, and if it is possible to reserve communication resources, it plans the allocation of communication resources; and a notification unit that notifies the source of the resource reservation request of a response information, using the result of the allocation reservation feasibility determination, whether or not it is possible to respond to the resource reservation request.

[0008] Furthermore, in one aspect, the communication resource management method in this disclosure includes a computer that receives a resource reservation request requesting the reservation of communication resources for wireless communication used by a mobile body equipped with wireless communication capabilities, and travel plan information including information on the planned date and time of travel and the planned travel route of the mobile body used for the reservation of communication resource allocation. The computer then makes a determination of whether or not it is possible to reserve communication resources for the mobile body in the designated communication area and on the designated date and time of reservation, as specified by the travel plan information included in the received travel plan information. If an allocation reservation is possible, the computer makes a plan for the allocation of communication resources and notifies the source of the resource reservation request of a response information, using the result of the allocation reservation feasibility determination, indicating whether or not it is possible to respond to the resource reservation request.

[0009] Furthermore, in one aspect, the computer program in this disclosure causes the computer to perform the following processes: receiving a resource reservation request that requests the reservation of communication resources for wireless communication used by a mobile body equipped with wireless communication capabilities; receiving travel plan information including information on the planned date and time of travel and the planned travel route of the mobile body used for the reservation of communication resources; performing a determination of whether or not it is possible to reserve communication resources for the mobile body in the designated communication area and on the designated date and time of reservation, using the information on the planned date and time of travel and the planned travel route included in the received travel plan information, and if it is possible to reserve communication resources, a plan for the allocation of communication resources; and notifying the source of the resource reservation request of a response information, using the result of the determination of whether or not it is possible to respond to the resource reservation request.

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to achieve efficient operation of mobile devices while taking into account the constraints of communication resources for wireless communication.

[0011] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of one embodiment of the communication resource management device according to this disclosure. This is a diagram illustrating the communication mode of a mobile device. This is a diagram showing one example of displaying response information. This is a diagram showing another example of displaying response information. This is a diagram showing yet another example of displaying response information. This is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of one embodiment of the communication resource management device. This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of another embodiment of the communication resource management device according to this disclosure. This is a diagram showing yet another example of displaying response information. This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of another embodiment of the communication resource management device according to this disclosure. This is a block diagram illustrating yet another embodiment of the communication resource management device according to this disclosure. This is a diagram illustrating other embodiments. This is a block diagram illustrating another embodiment of the mobile device management device according to this disclosure. This is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of another embodiment of the mobile device management device according to this disclosure.

[0012] Embodiments relating to this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] <First Embodiment> The communication resource management device (hereinafter also referred to as the communication management device) of the first embodiment of the present disclosure is a computer device that has the function of managing communication resources for wireless communication allocated to a mobile body. The mobile body to be managed by this communication management device is a mobile body that can move by autonomous driving and is equipped with a wireless communication device that enables wireless communication. Examples of such mobile bodies include flying vehicles such as unmanned aerial vehicles and flying cars, and ground-based mobile vehicles other than flying vehicles such as autonomous buses. Unmanned aerial vehicles are also called drones or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). Flying cars are also called eVTOLs (Electric Vertical Take-Off And Landing), AAMs (Advanced Air Mobility), UAMs (Urban Air Mobility), etc.

[0014] As mentioned above, the mobile entities targeted by the communication management device may include not only aircraft but also non-aircraft mobile entities, or it may include only non-aircraft mobile entities. However, for convenience, in the following explanation, the mobile entities targeted by the communication management device will be defined as aircraft such as unmanned aerial vehicles and flying cars. In the following explanation, "mobile entities targeted by the communication management device" will also be referred to as "managed mobile entities." Furthermore, managed mobile entities are not limited to one type, but may include multiple types of mobile entities that differ in performance such as size and speed, as well as their intended use. Examples of uses for managed mobile entities include the transport of goods, infrastructure inspection, and monitoring of critical facilities.

[0015] When a managed mobile object moves (flies), a movement plan (flight plan) is generated in advance before the movement begins. The movement plan includes the scheduled date and time of movement (scheduled flight date and time) and the scheduled route (scheduled flight route) of the target mobile object. The movement of the managed mobile object in accordance with such a movement plan is managed, for example, by the flight management system of the operator operating the managed mobile object. In other words, as shown in Figure 2, the flight management system 2 is connected to the managed mobile object 3 via an information and communication network including a wireless communication network. The flight management system 2 acquires location information and information on the status of the aircraft from the managed mobile object 3 while it is moving, and uses the acquired information to understand the status of the managed mobile object 3. The flight management system 2 also transmits commands to the managed mobile object 3 according to the status of the managed mobile object 3 so that the operation is carried out in accordance with the movement plan. In this way, the flight management system 2 manages the movement of the managed mobile object 3.

[0016] As described above, the managed mobile object 3 connects to a base station 9 of the wireless communication network in order to communicate with the operation management device 2 and the like. The communication resources managed by the communication management device 1 in the first embodiment refer to the logical wireless communication path (hereinafter also referred to as a channel) established between the managed mobile object 3 and the base station 9 of the wireless communication network. Information and commands transmitted from the control device (computer device) 4 of the communication carrier managing the base station 9 are used for control operations related to communication at the base station 9. For example, information on the number of channels that can be established at the base station 9 is provided to the base station 9 from the control device 4.

[0017] In other words, the communication resources available to base station 9 are limited. Therefore, there are concerns that the following problem may occur regarding wireless communication between the managed mobile object 3 and base station 9. The problem is that even if the managed mobile object 3 tries to connect to base station 9, base station 9 cannot allocate communication resources to the managed mobile object 3 because there are no unused channels (i.e., free channels) available, and the managed mobile object 3 cannot connect to base station 9. If this problem occurs, the managed mobile object 3 cannot communicate with the flight management device 2, which leads to a situation where the flight management device 2 cannot manage the movement of the managed mobile object 3, and there are concerns that the safe movement of the managed mobile object 3 cannot be guaranteed. For this reason, if such a situation occurs, it is preferable not to move the managed mobile object 3. In other words, if the managed mobile object 3 cannot start moving, or if the managed mobile object 3 is in the process of moving, measures such as interrupting the movement of the managed mobile object 3 (i.e., landing) will be taken, which will hinder the smooth operation of the managed mobile object 3.

[0018] In the first embodiment, in order to avoid problems caused by such communication resource constraints, communication resources to be allocated to the managed mobile device 3 are reserved in advance as mobile communication resources. The communication management device 1 manages these mobile communication resources. That is, in the first embodiment, some of the channels that can be established at each of the base stations 9 to which the managed mobile device 3 is expected to be connected are reserved in advance as mobile communication resources. The number of channels reserved as mobile communication resources is set as the number of channels that can be allocated to mobile devices, for example, by the cooperation of the communication carrier's control device 4 and the communication management device 1.

[0019] The number of mobile units that can be allocated may be the same for all base stations 9, or it may differ depending on the surrounding environment of the location where the base station 9 is installed. For example, suppose a base station 9 is located near a landing and takeoff point for managed mobile units 3, and therefore the number of managed mobile units 3 moving within the base station 9's communication area is expected to be higher than the standard value for managed mobile units 3 within a standard communication area. In this case, the number of mobile units that can be allocated at that base station 9 is set to be higher than the predetermined standard value for the number of mobile units that can be allocated. The amount added to this standard value (increase) may be set according to the difference (increase) between the standard value for managed mobile units 3 within a standard communication area and the expected number of managed mobile units 3 within the communication area that is expected to be higher than the standard value, or it may be a predetermined fixed value. Furthermore, the number of mobile units that can be allocated may be set variably depending on the time of day. For example, there may be a trend in the number of mobile units 3 moving within the communication area depending on the time of day, such as the number of mobile units 3 moving during the day being expected to be higher at night. In this case, the number of mobile units that can be allocated may be set variably according to the expected number of mobile units 3 in motion during each of the multiple time periods of the day.

[0020] The communication management device 1 receives a request, for example from the flight management device 2, to reserve the allocation of mobile communication resources to the managed mobile object 3, and, in cooperation with the control device 4, reserves the allocation of mobile communication resources according to the mobile object 3's travel plan. The content of the reservation for the allocation of mobile communication resources is determined using information on the planned travel date and time and the planned travel route of the managed mobile object 3. In other words, the information on the planned travel route identifies the communication area (in other words, the base station 9) for which the reservation for the allocation of mobile communication resources is requested. The information on the planned travel date and time identifies the date and time (day and time zone) for which the reservation for the allocation of mobile communication resources is requested.

[0021] In the first embodiment, as described above, the communication management device 1 manages the reservation of mobile communication resources. Then, when communication resources of the base station 9 are allocated in accordance with the control of the communication carrier's control device 4 using the reservation information, the reserved mobile units 3 will be allocated mobile communication resources according to the reservation details. Therefore, for reserved mobile units 3, situations in which wireless communication is not possible due to a lack of communication resources and thus a lack of communication resources can be avoided, and the problem of the smooth operation of the managed mobile units 3 being hindered due to a lack of communication resources, as described above, can be prevented. In other words, the communication management device 1 of the first embodiment can ensure efficient operation of the managed mobile units 3 while taking into account the constraints of wireless communication resources.

[0022] The following describes the configuration of the communication resource management device (communication management device) 1 of the first embodiment for managing mobile communication resources. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the communication management device 1 comprises an arithmetic unit 10 and a storage device 20. The storage device 20 is equipped with a storage medium for storing data and computer programs (hereinafter also referred to as programs) 21. There are multiple types of storage devices, such as magnetic disk devices and semiconductor memory elements, and furthermore, there are multiple types of semiconductor memory elements, such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). Computer devices are equipped with multiple types of storage devices depending on their application, but here, these storage devices will be referred to collectively as storage device 20 without distinction. Furthermore, the types and number of storage devices 20 equipped in the communication management device 1 are not limited, and their explanation will be omitted. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the communication management device 1 may be connected to a separate storage device (database) 6, and that data may be read and written to the storage device 6 as well. However, here, we will omit any explanation of cases where data is read and written to the storage device 6.

[0023] Here, the storage device 20 stores base station information. The base station information is information for each base station 9 to which the managed mobile unit 3 can connect, and includes information on the location of the base station 9, the range of the communication area covered by the base station 9, and information on the mobile communication resources set up at the base station 9. The information on mobile communication resources includes information on the number of mobile units that can be allocated.

[0024] The computing unit 10 is composed of processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The computing unit 10 can perform various functions based on the program 21 stored in the storage device 20 by reading and executing the program 21. In this case, the computing unit 10 includes a reception unit 11, a planning unit 12, and a notification unit 13 as functional units related to the management of mobile communication resources.

[0025] The reception unit 11 receives resource reservation requests. A resource reservation request is a command requesting the reservation of a mobile communication resource (i.e., a communication resource for wireless communication used by the managed mobile unit 3). A resource reservation request is associated with mobile unit identification information and travel plan information. Mobile unit identification information is information that identifies the managed mobile unit 3 of the reservation request requesting the reservation of a mobile communication resource allocation, and is used, for example, when establishing a connection with a base station 9. Travel plan information is information about the travel plan of the managed mobile unit 3 of the reservation request, and the travel plan includes information on the planned date and time of travel and the planned travel route.

[0026] A resource reservation request is transmitted, for example, from the flight management device 2, which manages the mobile object 3 to be managed for the reservation request, to the communication management device 1. The reception unit 11 receives the resource reservation request transmitted in this manner, and also receives the mobile object identification information and travel plan information associated with the resource reservation request. Furthermore, the reception unit 11 associates the received mobile object identification information and travel plan information with, for example, information about the reception time, and stores the mobile object identification information and travel plan information in the storage device 20.

[0027] The planning unit 12 plans the allocation of mobile communication resources using the information associated with the received resource reservation request. The method for planning the allocation of mobile communication resources is not limited, but examples include a method of allocating resources on a first-come, first-served basis (hereinafter also referred to as the first-come, first-served allocation method) and a method of allocating resources considering priority (hereinafter also referred to as the priority allocation method).

[0028] In the first-come, first-served allocation method, for example, a plan is made to allocate mobile communication resources to the managed mobile 3 (the managed mobile 3 of the reservation request) in the order in which resource reservation requests are received by the reception unit 11, by referring to the mobile plan of the managed mobile 3 associated with the resource reservation request. In other words, the communication areas through which the planned travel route included in the travel plan passes and the planned travel times through those communication areas are identified, and a plan is made to allocate the mobile communication resources set at the base station 9 to the managed mobile 3 of the reservation request on a first-come, first-served basis during the time period including the planned travel times in the identified communication areas. If the planned travel route passes through multiple communication areas, the planning unit 12 makes a plan to allocate the mobile communication resources of the base station 9 in each of those communication areas to the managed mobile 3 of the reservation request, while considering the continuity of communication. In such a first-come, first-served allocation method, the feasibility of an allocation reservation is determined by determining whether the number of managed mobile 3 that have already been allocated has reached the allowable number of mobile allocations in the communication area to be reserved and at the date and time of the reservation target.

[0029] In the priority allocation method, for example, allocation reservations are accepted for predetermined time periods, and an acceptance deadline is set for each time period. When a resource reservation request is received by the reception unit 11, the communication area and date and time to be reserved are identified from the movement plan information of the mobile body 3 managed for the reservation request associated with the resource reservation request. A provisional reservation for the allocation of mobile communication resources is made using this identified information.

[0030] Then, the following processing is performed for each time period after the application deadline. Specifically, a decision is made as to whether or not an allocation reservation can be made based on whether or not the number of provisional reservations made by the application deadline is less than or equal to the number of mobile devices that can be allocated. If the number of provisional reservations is less than or equal to the number of mobile devices that can be allocated, it is determined that an allocation reservation can be made for the mobile devices 3 that have already been provisionally reserved. Then, a plan for allocating communication resources for mobile devices is made based on the result of that decision.

[0031] On the other hand, if the number of provisional reservations made by the deadline exceeds the number of mobile units that can be allocated, each of the managed mobile units 3 for which a provisional reservation has been accepted will be assigned a priority according to a predetermined priority assignment criterion. The priority assignment criterion is the standard for assigning priority to the managed mobile units 3 for which a provisional reservation has been made, in relation to the reservation of allocation of communication resources for mobile units. One possible criterion for this priority assignment criterion is to assign a high priority to managed mobile units 3 that are moving for purposes of high social importance. More specifically, for example, the operational purposes of managed mobile units 3 include various operational purposes such as the delivery of goods, infrastructure inspection, crime prevention patrol, monitoring of important facilities, pesticide spraying, and observation and measurement for research purposes. Such operational purposes are associated with social importance. Thus, the priority of managed mobile units 3 is assigned using the relationship between the operational purpose and social importance. Furthermore, when mobile units are to move (emergency dispatch) for highly urgent purposes such as firefighting or ambulance services, situations in which they cannot be dispatched due to insufficient communication resources should be avoided. Therefore, it is preferable that the allocation of communication resources to mobile vehicles moving for such urgent purposes be controlled (managed) separately from the allocation of communication resources for mobile vehicles. Considering this, the above explanation does not include examples of firefighting or ambulance services, which are considered highly urgent purposes, as examples of operational purposes. However, information on firefighting and ambulance services, which are considered highly urgent purposes, may be included as operational purpose information in the priority assignment criteria described above.

[0032] Another possible priority assignment criterion is to assign a higher priority to the managed mobile device 3 the more times it has requested the allocation of communication resources. This criterion can promote the mechanism of reserving the allocation of communication resources for mobile devices. This is expected to optimize the use of communication resources for mobile devices and improve user satisfaction.

[0033] Furthermore, another priority assignment criterion could be, for example, assigning priority based on the shortness of the estimated usage time of mobile communication resources, which is estimated using information on the planned travel route. This priority assignment criterion assigns higher priority to mobile devices 3 with shorter estimated usage times, because the shorter the estimated usage time, the more mobile communication resources can be allocated to managed mobile devices 3.

[0034] Furthermore, a priority ranking criterion may be provided that assigns priority using a combination of several factors selected from the above-mentioned factors, such as the purpose of operation, the number of requests for reservation of communication resource allocation, and the shortness of the planned usage time.

[0035] After assigning a priority to each of the provisionally reserved mobile devices 3 using the priority assignment criteria described above, a decision is made on whether or not to allocate a mobile device if the number of provisional reservations exceeds the number of mobile devices that can be allocated. In other words, from among the provisionally reserved mobile devices 3, the number of mobile devices 3 to be allocated is selected in order of priority, up to the number of mobile devices that can be allocated. The selected mobile devices 3 are determined to be able to reserve the allocation of mobile communication resources. The mobile devices 3 that are not selected are determined to be unable to reserve the allocation of mobile communication resources. Based on this decision, a plan for allocating mobile communication resources is formulated.

[0036] Information regarding the mobile communication resource allocation plan formulated by the planning unit 12 is provided to the communication carrier's control device 4, along with mobile identification information that identifies the managed mobile 3 that has been reserved. The control device 4 uses the provided information to transmit information and commands to the base stations 9 so that the allocation of communication resources at each base station 9 is carried out.

[0037] Furthermore, if the planned travel route passes through multiple communication areas, a decision is made regarding the feasibility of allocation and reservation in each of those communication areas, and the planning unit 12 formulates a plan to allocate the mobile communication resources of the base station 9 to the mobile entity 3 that has made the reservation request, while taking into consideration the continuity of communication.

[0038] The notification unit 13 notifies the source of the resource reservation request of response information. The response information is information generated using the result of the allocation reservation feasibility determination by the planning unit 12, and indicates whether or not a mobile communication resource can be reserved in response to the resource reservation request. Furthermore, if a mobile communication resource can be reserved, the response information is associated with reservation content information, which represents the reservation content corresponding to the resource reservation request, for example, extracted from the mobile communication resource allocation plan by the planning unit 12.

[0039] On the other hand, if it is not possible to reserve a mobile communication resource, it is sufficient to simply notify the source of the resource reservation request that the reservation could not be made. However, for example, the response information may include explanatory information explaining why the allocation could not be reserved. There are several methods for generating such explanatory information, including methods that use relationship data between the cause of the reservation failure and the explanatory text explaining why the reservation could not be made. Since the methods are not limited here, their explanation will be omitted.

[0040] Furthermore, if the planned route of the travel plan information associated with the resource reservation request passes through multiple communication areas, it is preferable that the response information collectively include information about the reservation of allocation of mobile communication resources related to those communication areas.

[0041] The response information described above is transmitted by the notification unit 13 to the source of the resource reservation request, for example, the flight management device 2. Upon receiving the response information, the flight management device 2 displays the response information on the display device 7, for example, by controlling the display operation of the display device 7 connected to the flight management device 2. The display device 7 is a display device used by the flight manager 8 who manages the operation of the managed mobile body 3. Figures 3 and 4 are examples of how the response information is displayed when the allocation of communication resources for the mobile body has been reserved as per the resource reservation request. In the example in Figure 3, the fact that the allocation of communication resources for the mobile body has been reserved as per the resource reservation request is indicated by a check box associated with the words "Reservation Complete". The confirmed reservation details are also displayed in a table format. In the example in Figure 4, the information indicating that the reservation has been made is displayed in the same way as in Figure 3, and the reservation details are further superimposed on the map. In other words, in Figure 4, the map is superimposed with information representing the communication area for which the allocation reservation has been made and information on the planned travel route, and the reservation details are further displayed in text.

[0042] Figure 5 shows an example of the display information on the display device 7 when it is not possible to reserve a mobile communication resource allocation as requested. In the example in Figure 5, the fact that it was not possible to reserve a mobile communication resource allocation as requested is indicated by a check box associated with the words "Reservation Unavailable". Furthermore, in the example in Figure 5, an explanation of why the reservation could not be made is displayed using the explanatory information associated with the response information.

[0043] The communication management device 1 of the first embodiment is configured as described above. Below, an example of the operation of the communication management device 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 shows a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the communication management device 1. It can also be said that Figure 6 shows an example of a communication resource management method by the communication management device 1. In this explanation of the operation example of the communication management device 1, the mobile entity 3 that requests the reservation of mobile communication resources will be referred to as the mobile entity for which the reservation request is managed.

[0044] For example, when a resource reservation request is sent from an operation management device 2 that manages the operation of a mobile object subject to reservation management to a communication management device 1, a reception unit 11 receives the resource reservation request (step 101). The resource reservation request is associated with movement plan information of the mobile object subject to reservation management, and the reception unit 11 also receives the movement plan information of the mobile object subject to reservation management.

[0045] Then, a planning unit 12 refers to the movement plan of the mobile object subject to reservation management and determines whether it is possible to reserve the allocation of communication resources for the mobile object. If the reservation can be made, the planning unit 12 plans the allocation of communication resources for the mobile object related to the mobile object subject to reservation management (step 102). Thereafter, a notification unit 13 notifies the source of the resource reservation request of the response information regarding the resource reservation request related to the mobile object subject to reservation management (step 103).

[0046] The communication management device 1 of the first embodiment has the configuration as described above. That is, the communication management device 1 of the first embodiment has a configuration for managing the reservation of the allocation of communication resources for mobile objects. By executing the allocation of communication resources of a base station 9 according to the control of a control device 4 of a communication carrier using the information on the reservation of the allocation of communication resources for mobile objects by this communication management device 1, the reserved mobile object 3 subject to management will be allocated communication resources for mobile objects according to the reservation content. For this reason, in the case of the reserved mobile object 3 subject to management, a situation where wireless communication cannot be performed because communication resources cannot be allocated due to a shortage of communication resources is avoided, and the problem that the smooth operation of the mobile object 3 subject to management cannot be performed due to the shortage of communication resources as described above can be prevented. That is, the communication management device 1 of the first embodiment can achieve efficient operation of the mobile object 3 subject to management in consideration of the constraints of communication resources for wireless communication.

[0047] <Second Embodiment> Hereinafter, a second embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described. In the description of this second embodiment, components having the same name as the components with reference numerals used in the description of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the redundant description thereof is omitted.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 7, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, the communication management apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment includes a proposal unit 14 as a functional unit of the arithmetic unit 10. When there is a managed mobile body 3 for which reservation of mobile body communication resources cannot be made, the proposal unit 14 generates a modification plan for the movement plan of the managed mobile body 3 for which reservation cannot be made, for which reservation of mobile body communication resources is possible. In other words, when it is determined that the proposal unit 14 cannot respond to a resource reservation request based on the determination of whether reservation is possible by the allocation reservation determination by the planning unit 12, the proposal unit 14 uses the movement plan information associated with the resource reservation request to generate a modification plan for the movement plan of the managed mobile body 3.

[0049] The technique by which the proposal unit 14 generates a modification plan for the movement plan is not limited here, but for example, it is conceivable to use AI technology. In this case, a modification plan generation model generated by the AI technology is used. The input information to the modification plan generation model is information necessary for changing the movement plan, such as, for example, movement plan information that could not be reserved and information on the reservation status of mobile body communication resources in a plurality of communication areas in the area including the movement scheduled route of the movement plan information. Receiving such input information, the modification plan generation model outputs a modification plan for the movement plan to be modified. Such a modification plan generation model is generated by learning information used for changing the movement plan, including information on the usage status of mobile body communication resources in a plurality of communication areas and the movement plan information before and after changing the movement plan using the information.

[0050] The modification plan for the movement plan generated by the proposal unit 14 is notified by the notification unit 13 to the source of the resource reservation request, associated with the response information answering that it was not possible to respond to the resource reservation request.

[0051] The configuration other than the above-described configuration of the communication management apparatus 1 in the second embodiment is the same as the configuration of the communication management apparatus 1 in the first embodiment.

[0052] Since the communication management device 1 of the second embodiment has the same configuration as the communication management device 1 of the first embodiment, it can achieve the same effects as the communication management device 1 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the communication management device 1 of the second embodiment is equipped with a proposal unit 14 that can propose proposed changes to the travel plan to the source of the resource reservation request. As a result, the communication management device 1 of the second embodiment can reduce the workload of operations managers 8 and others involved in changing travel plans for which reservations for mobile communication resources could not be made, and can shorten the time required to change travel plans.

[0053] The proposal unit 14 may generate multiple proposed changes to the travel plan. In this case, the multiple proposed changes are associated with the response information and notified to the source of the resource reservation request by the notification unit 13.

[0054] Furthermore, the receiving unit 11 of the communication management device 1 may be configured to receive information from the source of the resource reservation request (flight management device 2) regarding whether or not to adopt the proposed changes to the travel plan generated by the proposal unit 14. In this case, for example, information on whether or not to adopt the changes is obtained using a display screen such as the one shown in Figure 8 of the display device 7 of the flight management device 2. In such a case, for example, the proposal unit 14 further makes a provisional reservation for the allocation of mobile communication resources related to the travel plan included in the proposed changes, triggered by the generation of the proposed changes to the travel plan. The planning unit 12 prioritizes this provisional reservation when planning the allocation of mobile communication resources. When information is received from the source of the resource reservation request (flight management device 2) indicating that the proposed changes will be adopted, the provisional reservation for the allocation of mobile communication resources is confirmed as a formal reservation. If information is received from the source of the resource reservation request (flight management device 2) indicating that the proposed changes will not be adopted, the provisional reservation for the allocation of mobile communication resources is canceled. Furthermore, if multiple proposed changes are submitted, the receiving unit 11 may be configured to receive information from the source of the resource reservation request (operation management device 2) indicating that one of the proposed changes has been selected, or information indicating that none of the proposed changes will be adopted. In such cases as well, the proposal unit 14 will make a provisional reservation for the proposed changes as described above, the planning unit 12 will prioritize the provisional reservation and plan the allocation of communication resources for mobile units, and the reservation will be confirmed or canceled.

[0055] Furthermore, the proposal unit 14 may be configured to use information on pre-set constraints (indicators) according to, for example, the environment of the communication area or the purpose of the managed mobile object 3, when generating proposed changes to the travel plan. Examples of constraints include the constraint that, if the purpose of the managed mobile object 3 is home delivery, the planned travel time is fixed, but the planned travel route can be changed.

[0056] <Third Embodiment> A third embodiment of the present disclosure is described below. In this description of the third embodiment, components with the same names as those used in the descriptions of the first and second embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0057] As shown in Figure 9, the communication management device 1 of the third embodiment is equipped with an adjustment unit 15 in addition to the configuration of the first or second embodiment.

[0058] The adjustment unit 15 adjusts the amount of communication resources used by the managed mobile body 3 by requesting the source of the resource reservation request to change the way the communication resources are used. This adjustment is made with the aim of increasing the number of managed mobile bodies 3 that can use the limited mobile communication resources. In other words, the ways in which the managed mobile body 3 uses communication resources include, for example, transmitting video from a surveillance camera mounted on the managed mobile body 3, periodically informing the flight management device 2 of the status of the managed mobile body 3, and communicating with bases (such as vertiports) where the managed mobile body 3 takes off and lands.

[0059] The amount of communication resources used differs depending on whether text information is being transmitted or video is being transmitted. Furthermore, the amount of communication resources used increases with the frequency of communication. Thus, the amount of communication resources used varies depending on the type of use. For this reason, as a method to increase the number of managed mobile devices 3 to which limited communication resources can be allocated, for example, if there are many managed mobile devices 3 requesting the allocation of communication resources, a request can be made to managed mobile devices 3 that are scheduled to transmit video to refrain from transmitting video or to lower the video resolution. Another method to increase the number of managed mobile devices 3 to which communication resources can be allocated is to request a reduction in the frequency of regular contact (non-emergency contact) with the flight management device 2 during times and in communication areas where there are many requests for allocation reservations.

[0060] The adjustment unit 15 detects the reservation status of mobile communication resource allocation using, for example, the movement plan information associated with the resource reservation request received by the reception unit 11. Then, using predetermined criteria, the adjustment unit 15 determines that it is desirable to increase the number of manageable mobile units 3 to which allocation is possible, and inquires with the source of the resource reservation request whether or not to accept the request regarding the usage pattern described above.

[0061] The planning unit 12 updates the number of target mobile units 3 to which mobile communication resources can be allocated, using the response to the inquiry from the adjustment unit 15, and plans the allocation of mobile communication resources using the updated information.

[0062] Since the communication management device 1 of the third embodiment has the same configuration as the communication management device 1 of the first or second embodiment, it can achieve the same effects as the communication management device 1 of the first or second embodiment. Furthermore, since the communication management device 1 of the third embodiment is equipped with an adjustment unit 15, the adjustment unit 15 can increase the number of managed mobile bodies 3 that can be allocated to the limited mobile communication resources, and can reduce the number of managed mobile bodies 3 whose movement plans must be changed due to a shortage of communication resources.

[0063] <Fourth Embodiment> A fourth embodiment of the present disclosure is described below. In the description of the fourth embodiment, components with the same names as components that were assigned the same reference numerals in the descriptions of the first to third embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals, and their redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0064] The communication management device 1 of the fourth embodiment includes a prediction unit 16, as shown in Figure 10, in addition to the configuration of any of the first to third embodiments. The prediction unit 16 predicts the usage status of mobile communication resources for each communication area. One example of a method for predicting the usage status of mobile communication resources is a method using AI technology. When using AI technology, a prediction model generated by the following AI technology is used. The prediction model here is a model that takes information representing the communication area to be predicted and the date and time to be predicted as input, and outputs the predicted usage status of mobile communication resources at the date and time to be predicted in the communication area to be predicted. For example, information representing the actual usage status of mobile communication resources for each communication area, obtained from the control device 4 of the communication carrier, is used to generate (learn) such a prediction model.

[0065] There are several possible output modes for outputting the communication resource usage status predicted by the prediction unit 16. For example, one output mode is a response-type output mode that is output in response to a prediction request. That is, in addition to the functions of the embodiment described above, the reception unit 11 is equipped with a function that can receive a request for prediction of communication resource usage status (hereinafter also referred to as a prediction request) from, for example, the operation management device 2. The prediction request is associated with information representing the communication area and date and time of the prediction request. The prediction unit 16 uses the information of the communication area and date and time of the prediction request associated with the received prediction request, along with a prediction model, to predict the usage status of mobile communication resources in the communication area corresponding to the prediction request for the date and time. The information predicted in this way by the prediction unit 16 is output (notified) by the notification unit 13 to the source of the prediction request.

[0066] Another output mode of the prediction unit 16 is a distribution type output mode. For example, the prediction unit 16 predicts the usage status of communication resources at predetermined timings (for example, predetermined time intervals). The prediction here is, for example, a prediction of the usage status of communication resources for a predetermined period (for example, from one week in the future to two weeks in the future) in each of the predetermined communication areas that are the target of prediction. The information predicted in this way is distributed by the notification unit 13 to the notification destinations that are registered in advance (for example, the flight management device 2 that manages the operation of the managed mobile object 3).

[0067] In the flight management device 2, which receives information on the predicted usage of communication resources as described above, the received prediction information is displayed on, for example, a display device 7. By viewing the display on such a display device 7, for example, the flight manager 8 of the managed mobile object 3 can learn about the predicted usage of communication resources.

[0068] The communication management device 1 of the fourth embodiment has the same configuration as any of the first to third embodiments, and therefore can achieve the same effects as those obtained from the configuration of any of the first to third embodiments. Furthermore, the communication management device 1 of the fourth embodiment is equipped with a prediction unit 16, which predicts the usage status of communication resources, and has the function of notifying the operation management device 2 and the like of the prediction result by a notification unit 13. With this function, the operation manager 8 can create a movement plan for the managed mobile object 3 by referring to the predicted information on the usage status of communication resources. This reduces the situation in which a request for allocation reservation of communication resources cannot be made due to the large number of reservations, and the movement plan has to be regenerated. In other words, the communication management device 1 of the fourth embodiment can reduce the redundant work of the operation manager 8 in generating movement plans, thereby increasing convenience for the operation manager 8.

[0069] Furthermore, it is preferable that the prediction model used by the prediction unit 16 undergoes relearning for model updates at predetermined timings using information on the actual usage of communication resources acquired from the communication carrier's control device 4. In addition, while the relearning of the prediction model may be performed by the communication management device 1, for example, the communication management device 1 shown in Figure 11 may be performed by an update unit 18 provided in a separate computer device, the learning device 5.

[0070] <Other Embodiments> This disclosure is not limited to the first to fourth embodiments, and various forms of implementation are possible. For example, in order to equalize the usage of mobile communication resources, a pricing system may be adopted in which usage fees differ depending on the time of day, for example, by setting higher usage fees for communication resources during times when many allocation requests are expected, and lower usage fees for communication resources during times when few allocation requests are expected. In such a case, for example, the communication management device 1 may include a fee calculation unit that calculates the fee for using mobile communication resources as scheduled, in addition to the configuration of the embodiments described above, as a planned usage fee. The information of the planned usage fee calculated by the fee calculation unit is notified to the source of the resource reservation request by the notification unit 13.

[0071] Furthermore, the communication management device 1 may or may not be incorporated into the flight management system. Examples of flight management systems include UTM (UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) Traffic Management) and UATM (Urban Air Traffic Management). Additionally, the communication management device 1 and the aforementioned flight management system may be equipped with a function to detect mobile vehicles using communication resources without a reservation, using the identification information of managed mobile vehicles 3 for which the allocation of mobile communication resources has been reserved by the communication management device 1, and the identification information of communication devices using communication resources from the communication carrier's control device 4.

[0072] Furthermore, the communication resource management device according to this disclosure may also have a configuration as shown in Figure 12. The communication resource management device 100 shown in Figure 12 is, for example, a computer device and includes a reception unit 110, a planning unit 120, and a notification unit 130 as functional units realized by executing a computer program.

[0073] The reception unit 110 receives resource reservation requests that request the reservation of communication resources for wireless communication used by mobile devices equipped with wireless communication capabilities, and travel plan information that includes information on the planned date and time of travel and the planned travel route of the mobile device used for the reservation of communication resource allocation.

[0074] The planning unit 120 uses the information of the planned date and time of travel and the planned route of travel included in the received travel plan information to determine whether or not it is possible to reserve communication resources for a mobile entity in the designated communication area and at the designated date and time. If it is possible to reserve communication resources, the planning unit 120 then creates a plan for the allocation of communication resources.

[0075] The notification unit 130 notifies the source of the resource reservation request of a response information, which is based on the result of the allocation / reservation feasibility determination, indicating whether or not the resource reservation request can be fulfilled.

[0076] The reception unit 11, planning unit 12, and notification unit 13 described in the first embodiment are examples of the reception unit 110, planning unit 120, and notification unit 130, respectively.

[0077] The communication resource management device 100 shown in Figure 12 has the configuration described above. Next, an example of the operation of the communication resource management device 100 will be explained with reference to Figure 13. Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the communication resource management device 100. It can also be said that Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication resource management method.

[0078] For example, the reception unit 110 receives a resource reservation request that requests the reservation of communication resources for wireless communication used by a mobile device equipped with wireless communication capabilities, and travel plan information that includes information on the planned date and time of travel and the planned travel route of the mobile device used to reserve the allocation of communication resources (step 201).

[0079] Then, the planning unit 120 uses the information of the planned date and time of travel and the planned route of travel included in the received travel plan information to determine whether or not it is possible to reserve communication resources for a mobile entity in the designated communication area and at the designated date and time. Furthermore, if it is possible to reserve communication resources, the planning unit 120 creates a plan for allocating communication resources (step 202).

[0080] Subsequently, the notification unit 130 notifies the source of the resource reservation request of a response information, using the result of the allocation reservation feasibility determination, whether or not it can fulfill the resource reservation request (step 203).

[0081] Since the communication resource management device 100 has the above-described configuration, it is possible to efficiently operate mobile devices while taking into account the constraints of communication resources for wireless communication.

[0082] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: (Note 1) A communication resource management device comprising: a receiving unit that receives a resource reservation request requesting the reservation of communication resources for wireless communication used by a mobile body equipped with wireless communication capabilities, and a mobile plan information including information on the planned date and time of movement and the planned route of the mobile body used for the reservation of communication resources; a planning unit that determines whether or not it is possible to reserve communication resources for the mobile body in a designated communication area and on a designated date and time using the information on the planned date and time of movement and the planned route included in the received mobile plan information, and if it is possible to reserve communication resources, plans the allocation of communication resources; and a notification unit that notifies the source of the resource reservation request of a response information indicating whether or not it is possible to respond to the resource reservation request using the result of the reservation feasibility determination. (Note 2) The communication resource management device according to Note 1, further comprising a proposal unit that generates a proposed change to the mobile body's movement plan using the movement plan information when it is determined that the resource reservation request cannot be fulfilled based on the allocation reservation feasibility determination, wherein the notification unit notifies the generated proposed change to the movement plan in association with response information. (Note 3) The communication resource management device according to Note 1, further comprising an adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of communication resources used by requesting the source of the resource reservation request to change the manner in which the mobile body uses the communication resources. (Note 4) The communication resource management device according to Note 1, further comprising a prediction unit that predicts the usage status of communication resources in a communication area that may be subject to allocation reservation of communication resources, wherein the notification unit outputs information representing the usage status of communication resources. (Note 5) The communication resource management device according to Note 2, wherein the receiving unit receives information from the source of the resource reservation request regarding whether or not to adopt the proposed change to the movement plan, and the planning unit, when it receives information from the source of the resource reservation request indicating that the proposed change will be adopted, plans the allocation of communication resources using the proposed change. (Note 6) The proposal unit is the communication resource management device described in Note 2 that generates multiple proposed changes.(Note 7) The communication resource management device according to Note 1, wherein the planning unit plans the allocation of communication resources using a method of allocating communication resources in the order in which the resource reservation requests are received. (Note 8) The communication resource management device according to Note 1, wherein the planning unit plans the allocation of communication resources using a method of allocating communication resources by referring to the priority assigned to the mobile body using a predetermined priority assignment criterion. (Note 9) A communication resource management method in which a computer receives a resource reservation request requesting the reservation of communication resources for wireless communication used by a mobile body equipped with wireless communication functionality, and travel plan information including information on the planned travel date and time and travel route of the mobile body used for the reservation of communication resources, determines whether an allocation reservation can be made to allocate communication resources to the mobile body in the designated communication area and on the designated date and time using the travel plan information included in the received travel plan information, plans the allocation of communication resources if an allocation reservation can be made, and notifies the source of the resource reservation request of a response information using the result of the allocation reservation feasibility determination whether or not the resource reservation request can be fulfilled. (Note 10) A computer program that causes a computer to execute the following: a resource reservation request that requests the reservation of communication resources for wireless communication used by a mobile body equipped with wireless communication capabilities; a movement plan information that includes information on the planned date and time of movement and the planned route of the mobile body used for the reservation of communication resources; a determination of whether or not it is possible to reserve communication resources for the mobile body in the designated communication area and on the designated date and time of reservation using the information on the planned date and time of movement and the planned route of movement included in the received movement plan information, and if it is possible to reserve communication resources, a plan for the allocation of communication resources; and a notification of response information to the source of the resource reservation request, which is a response using the result of the determination of whether or not it is possible to respond to the resource reservation request.

[0083] Furthermore, some or all of the configurations described in Appendices 2 to 8, which are subordinate to Appendice 1 above, may also be subordinate to Appendices 9 and 10 in the same way as those described in Appendices 2 to 8. Moreover, not limited to Appendices 1, 9, and 10, some or all of the configurations described as appendices may also be subordinate to various hardware, software, various recording means for recording software, or systems, without departing from the embodiments described above.

[0084] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure can be made as can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0085] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-167203, filed on 26 September 2024, and incorporates all of its disclosures herein.

[0086] 1. Communication management device 11, 110 Reception unit 12, 120 Planning unit 13, 130 Notification unit 100 Communication resource management device

Claims

1. A communication resource management device comprising: a receiving unit that receives a resource reservation request requesting the reservation of communication resources for wireless communication used by a mobile body equipped with wireless communication capabilities, and a movement plan information including information on the planned date and time of movement and the planned route of the mobile body used for the reservation of communication resources; a planning unit that determines whether or not it is possible to reserve communication resources for the mobile body in the designated communication area and on the designated date and time of reservation using the information on the planned date and time of movement and the planned route of movement included in the received movement plan information, and if it is possible to reserve communication resources, plans the allocation of communication resources; and a notification unit that notifies the source of the resource reservation request of a response information indicating whether or not it is possible to respond to the resource reservation request using the result of the reservation feasibility determination.

2. The communication resource management device according to claim 1, further comprising a proposal unit that generates a proposed change to the movement plan of the moving body using the movement plan information when it is determined that the resource reservation request cannot be fulfilled based on the allocation reservation feasibility determination, wherein the notification unit notifies the generated proposed change to the movement plan in association with response information.

3. The communication resource management device according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of communication resource usage by requesting the source of the resource reservation request to change the manner in which the mobile entity uses the communication resource.

4. The communication resource management device according to claim 1, further comprising a prediction unit that predicts the usage status of communication resources in a communication area that may be subject to reservation for allocation of communication resources, wherein the notification unit outputs information representing the usage status of communication resources.

5. The communication resource management device according to claim 2, wherein the receiving unit receives information from the source of the resource reservation request regarding whether or not to adopt the proposed change to the travel plan, and the planning unit, upon receiving information from the source of the resource reservation request indicating that the proposed change will be adopted, plans the allocation of communication resources using the proposed change.

6. The communication resource management device according to claim 2, wherein the proposal unit generates a plurality of proposed changes.

7. The communication resource management device according to claim 1, wherein the planning unit plans the allocation of communication resources using a method of allocating communication resources in the order in which the resource reservation requests are received.

8. The communication resource management device according to claim 1, wherein the planning unit plans the allocation of communication resources by referring to the priority assigned to the mobile body using a predetermined priority assignment criterion.

9. A communication resource management method comprising: a computer receiving a resource reservation request requesting the reservation of communication resources for wireless communication used by a mobile device equipped with wireless communication capabilities, and travel plan information including information on the planned date and time of travel and the planned travel route of the mobile device used for the reservation of communication resource allocation; determining whether an allocation reservation can be made for the mobile device in the designated communication area and on the designated date and time of reservation, using the information on the planned date and time of travel and the planned travel route included in the received travel plan information; planning the allocation of communication resources if an allocation reservation is possible; and notifying the source of the resource reservation request of a response information, using the result of the allocation reservation feasibility determination, indicating whether or not the resource reservation request can be fulfilled.

10. The communication resource management method according to claim 9, wherein, if it is determined that the resource reservation request cannot be fulfilled based on the allocation reservation feasibility determination, a proposed change to the movement plan of the mobile body is generated using the movement plan information, and the generated proposed change to the movement plan is associated with the response information and notified.

11. The communication resource management method according to claim 9, wherein the amount of communication resources used is adjusted by requesting the source of the resource reservation request to change the manner in which the mobile entity uses the communication resources.

12. A communication resource management method according to claim 9, which predicts the usage status of communication resources in a communication area that may be subject to reservation for the allocation of communication resources, and outputs information representing the usage status of communication resources.

13. The communication resource management method according to claim 10, wherein in the receiving step, information is received from the source of the resource reservation request regarding whether or not to adopt the proposed change to the travel plan, and in the planning step, if information indicating that the proposed change will be adopted is received from the source of the resource reservation request, the method plans the allocation of communication resources using the proposed change.

14. The communication resource management method according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of proposed changes are generated in the generation step.

15. A computer program that causes a computer to execute the following: a resource reservation request that requests the reservation of communication resources for wireless communication used by a mobile body equipped with wireless communication capabilities; a reception process that receives a mobile plan information including the scheduled date and time of movement and the scheduled route of the mobile body used for the reservation of communication resources; a planning process that determines whether or not it is possible to reserve communication resources for the mobile body in the designated communication area and on the designated date and time of reservation using the information of the scheduled date and time of movement and the scheduled route of movement included in the received mobile plan information, and if it is possible to reserve communication resources, it plans the allocation of communication resources; and a notification process that notifies the source of the resource reservation request of a response information, using the result of the reservation feasibility determination, whether or not it is possible to respond to the resource reservation request.

16. The computer program according to claim 15, which includes a proposal process that generates a proposed change to the movement plan of the moving body using the movement plan information when it is determined that the resource reservation request cannot be fulfilled based on the allocation reservation feasibility determination, and in the notification process, the generated proposed change to the movement plan is associated with the response information and notified.

17. The computer program according to claim 15, which adjusts the amount of communication resources used by requesting the source of the resource reservation request to change the manner in which the mobile entity uses the communication resources.

18. A computer program according to claim 15, which predicts the usage status of communication resources in a communication area that may be subject to reservation for allocation of communication resources, and outputs information representing the usage status of communication resources in the notification process.

19. The computer program according to claim 16, wherein in the reception process, it receives information from the source of the resource reservation request regarding whether or not to adopt the proposed change to the travel plan, and in the planning process, if it receives information from the source of the resource reservation request indicating that it will adopt the proposed change, it plans the allocation of communication resources using the proposed change.

20. The computer program according to claim 16, which generates a plurality of proposed changes in the proposal processing.

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