Communication control system, communication control device, communication control method, and control program

Abstract

The present disclosure realizes a technique capable of performing communication with high quality and low latency even when autonomous driving vehicles are congested. A communication control system comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires an operation state of a vehicle under autonomous driving within an area of a local area data network; a determination unit that determines whether to set a connection destination of an in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle to the local area data network or a data network on the basis of the operation state; and a switching unit that switches the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminal on the basis of a determination result by the determination unit.

Description

Communication control system, communication control device, communication control method, and control program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication control system, a communication control device, and a communication control method.

[0002] Generally, in an in-vehicle terminal mounted on an autonomous vehicle, communication over a wide area is not always required, and more local communication is important in many scenarios. Specifically, an in-vehicle terminal mounted on an autonomous vehicle requires high-precision and real-time information limited to the spot at locations where the situation frequently changes, such as intersections and areas with many pedestrians. As a related technology, there is an invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.

[0003] Patent Document 1 below discloses that in an automatic driving support system, by a vehicle connection server always connecting to a vehicle, a management server corresponding to the area where the vehicle is parked can easily call that vehicle at any time via the vehicle connection server. This can reduce the concentration of load on the management server.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-160068

[0005] In the 5G (5th generation mobile communication system) network, LADN (Local Area Data Network) can provide limited, high-quality, and low-latency communication services for a specific area. However, when autonomous vehicles are congested within the service area of LADN, the network load increases, which may prevent low-latency communication. As the number of autonomous vehicles increases in the future, this problem will become more prominent. Even if the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 above is used, such problems cannot be solved.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an exemplary object thereof is to provide a technology that enables high-quality and low-latency communication even when autonomous vehicles are congested.

[0007] An exemplary communication control system relating to this disclosure includes: acquisition means for acquiring the operating status of a vehicle in autonomous driving mode within the area of ​​a local area data network; determination means for determining, based on the operating status, whether to connect an in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle to the local area data network or a data network; and switching means for switching the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminal based on the determination result by the determination means.

[0008] A communication control device relating to an exemplary aspect of this disclosure includes: acquisition means for acquiring the operating status of a vehicle that is autonomously driving within the area of ​​a local area data network; determination means for determining, based on the operating status, whether the destination of an in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle should be the local area data network or a data network; and notification means for notifying another communication control device of the destination of the in-vehicle terminal.

[0009] A communication control method relating to an exemplary aspect of this disclosure acquires the operating status of a vehicle in autonomous driving mode within the area of ​​a local area data network, determines whether to connect an in-vehicle terminal installed in the vehicle to the local area data network or a data network based on the operating status, and switches the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminal based on the determination result.

[0010] According to an illustrative aspect of this disclosure, one exemplary effect is that autonomous vehicles can communicate with high quality and low latency even when the area is congested.

[0011] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the communication control system related to this disclosure. This is a flowchart for explaining the processing procedure of the communication control system related to this disclosure. This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the communication control device related to this disclosure. This is a diagram showing the reference architecture of 5GC. This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the communication control system related to this disclosure. This is a flowchart for explaining the processing procedure of the communication control system related to this disclosure. This is a diagram schematically showing the determination of the connection destination of an autonomous vehicle. This is a sequence diagram for explaining the processing of each device when an autonomous vehicle moves from outside the LAND area to inside the LAND area. This is a sequence diagram for explaining the processing of each device when an autonomous vehicle is stopped inside the LAND area. This is a sequence diagram for explaining the processing of each device when an autonomous vehicle is driving inside the LAND area. This is a sequence diagram for explaining the processing of each device when an autonomous vehicle moves from inside the LAND area to outside the LAND area. This is a diagram showing an example of computer hardware.

[0012] The following are examples of embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown below, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means employed in each of the exemplary embodiments shown below may also be included in the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, embodiments obtained by appropriately omitting some of the technical means employed in each of the exemplary embodiments shown below may also be included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the effects mentioned in each of the exemplary embodiments shown below are examples of effects that can be expected in that exemplary embodiment and do not define the scope of the present invention. That is, embodiments that do not produce the effects mentioned in each of the exemplary embodiments shown below may also be included in the scope of the present invention.

[0013] [First Exemplary Embodiment] A first exemplary embodiment, which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This exemplary embodiment is the basic form for each of the exemplary embodiments described later. The scope of application of each technical means adopted in this exemplary embodiment is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. That is, each technical means adopted in this exemplary embodiment can also be adopted in other exemplary embodiments included in this disclosure, to the extent that no particular technical problems occur. Furthermore, each technical means shown in the drawings referenced to explain this exemplary embodiment can also be adopted in other exemplary embodiments included in this disclosure, to the extent that no particular technical problems occur.

[0014] (Configuration of Communication Control System 100) The configuration of the communication control system 100 will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the communication control system 100. The communication control system 100 includes an acquisition unit 11, a determination unit 12, and a switching unit 21. This communication control system 100 may include, for example, devices corresponding to AMF (Access and Mobility Function) and SMF (Session Management Function) in the 5GC architecture described later.

[0015] The acquisition unit 11, the determination unit 12, and the switching unit 21 may be implemented in a single device, or they may be implemented in separate devices. Furthermore, each unit may be distributed across the cloud (i.e., on a network). For example, if implemented in the cloud or on separate devices, information from each unit is transmitted and received via the network to facilitate processing.

[0016] The acquisition unit 11 acquires the operating status of the vehicle during autonomous driving within the area of ​​the Local Area Data Network (LADN). The vehicle during autonomous driving can acquire information about the behavior of all vehicles within the service area, information about intersections and pedestrians, etc., using communication technologies such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and V2X (Vehicle to Everything).

[0017] Examples of data exchanged using V2X communication technology include road traffic information, data on the behavior of autonomous vehicles, data on platooning and follow-me driving, and data on autonomous driving. In this exemplary embodiment, among this data, data on the behavior of autonomous vehicles, in particular, information such as the autonomous vehicle's driving area, location information, driving speed, driving distance, driving characteristics such as acceleration / deceleration and steering, and the state of the autonomous vehicle can be used.

[0018] The determination unit 12 determines, based on the operating status, whether to connect the in-vehicle terminal installed in the vehicle to the local area data network (LADN) or the data network. The data network corresponds to the DN in 5GC, which will be described later.

[0019] Operating status refers to information such as whether the autonomous vehicle is moving or stopped, and can be determined from the autonomous vehicle's speed, etc. Autonomous vehicles are equipped with various sensors that acquire information such as the vehicle's speed and steering wheel operation information, and in-vehicle terminals can acquire various information from these sensors.

[0020] A LANN is a network where local servers, such as MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing or Mobile Edge Computing) servers, reside, enabling high-quality, low-latency communication. In this exemplary embodiment, networks other than the Local Area Data Network (LANN) will be referred to as Data Networks (DN). Compared to LANN, DNs are networks with lower quality and higher latency.

[0021] The determination unit 12 determines, for example, that if the autonomous vehicle is in motion, the in-vehicle terminal should be connected to the local area data network, and if the autonomous vehicle is stopped, the in-vehicle terminal should be connected to the data network.

[0022] This determination is made because autonomous vehicles in motion need to send and receive vehicle information such as location, speed, and direction of travel in real time, whereas autonomous vehicles stopped at red lights or other locations do not require the same real-time capabilities as those in motion, and a certain degree of communication delay is acceptable.

[0023] The switching unit 21 switches the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminal based on the determination result from the determination unit 12. For example, if the autonomous vehicle is in motion, the switching unit 21 connects the in-vehicle terminal to the local area data network, and if the autonomous vehicle is stopped, it connects the in-vehicle terminal to the data network.

[0024] (Effects of the communication control system 100) As described above, in the communication control system 100, the determination unit 12 determines, based on the operating status of the autonomous vehicle, whether to connect the in-vehicle terminal installed in the vehicle to the local area data network or the data network. As a result, even when the autonomous vehicle network is congested, only vehicles that need to connect to the LAND will connect to the LAND, and vehicles that do not need to connect to the LAND will connect to the DN. Therefore, the load on the LAND can be reduced, and vehicles that connect to the LAND can communicate with high quality and low latency.

[0025] (Flow of Communication Control Method) The flow of the communication control method S1 will be explained with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of the communication control method S1. As shown in Figure 2, the communication control method S1 includes processes S11 to S13.

[0026] First, the acquisition unit 11 acquires the operating status of the autonomously driven vehicle within the area of ​​the local area data network (LADN) (S11). The autonomously driven vehicle can acquire information about the behavior of all vehicles within the service area, information about intersections and pedestrians, etc., using communication technologies such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and V2X.

[0027] The determination unit 12 determines, based on the operating status, whether to connect the in-vehicle terminal installed in the vehicle to the local area data network (LADN) or the data network (S12). The data network corresponds to the DN in 5GC, which will be described later.

[0028] The switching unit 21 switches the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminal based on the determination result by the determination unit 12 (S13). For example, if the autonomous vehicle is in motion, the switching unit 21 connects the in-vehicle terminal to the local area data network, and if the autonomous vehicle is stopped, it connects the in-vehicle terminal to the data network.

[0029] (Effects of communication control method S1) As described above, in communication control method S1, the determination unit 12 determines, based on the operating status of the autonomous vehicle, whether to connect the in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle to the local area data network or the data network. As a result, even when autonomous vehicles are congested, only vehicles that need to connect to the LAND will connect to the LAND, and vehicles that do not need to connect to the LAND will connect to the DN. Therefore, the load on the LAND can be reduced, and vehicles connected to the LAND can communicate with high quality and low latency.

[0030] (Configuration of Communication Control Device 1) The configuration of the communication control device 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the communication control device 1. This communication control device 1 is, for example, a device corresponding to AMF in the 5GC architecture described later, and comprises an acquisition unit 11, a determination unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

[0031] The acquisition unit 11 acquires the operating status of the vehicle during autonomous driving within the area of ​​the Local Area Data Network (LADN). The vehicle during autonomous driving can acquire information about the behavior of all vehicles within the service area, information about intersections and pedestrians, etc., using communication technologies such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2X).

[0032] The determination unit 12 determines, based on the operating status, whether to connect the in-vehicle terminal installed in the vehicle to the local area data network (LADN) or the data network. The data network corresponds to the DN in 5GC, which will be described later.

[0033] The communication unit 13 notifies another communication control device of the destination of the in-vehicle terminal. This other communication control device is, for example, a device that corresponds to SMF in the 5GC architecture described later.

[0034] (Effects of the communication control device 1) As described above, in the communication control device 1, the determination unit 12 determines, based on the operating status of the autonomous vehicle, whether to connect the in-vehicle terminal installed in the vehicle to the local area data network or the data network. As a result, even when autonomous vehicles are congested, only vehicles that need to connect to the LAND will connect to the LAND, and vehicles that do not need to connect to the LAND will connect to the DN. Therefore, the load on the LAND can be reduced, and vehicles that connect to the LAND can communicate with high quality and low latency.

[0035] [Second Exemplary Embodiment] A second exemplary embodiment, which is an example of an embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Components having the same function as those described in the above-described exemplary embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate. The scope of application of each technical means adopted in this exemplary embodiment is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. That is, each technical means adopted in this exemplary embodiment can also be adopted in other exemplary embodiments included in this disclosure, to the extent that no particular technical problems occur. Furthermore, each technical means shown in each drawing referenced to describe this exemplary embodiment can also be adopted in other exemplary embodiments included in this disclosure, to the extent that no particular technical problems occur. First, the architecture of the 5GC will be briefly described. Figure 4 is a diagram showing a reference architecture of the 5GC. As shown in Figure 4, the 5GC according to this exemplary embodiment comprises a plurality of nodes called NFs (Network Functions) and NF inter-interfaces N1 to N15 and N22.

[0036] UE (User Equipment) 7 is connected to (R)AN (RAN (Radio Access Network) or AN (Access Network)) 4 and AMF (Access and Mobility Function) 1.

[0037] RAN4 is a base station that utilizes new RAT (Radio Access Technology). AN4 is a base station that utilizes non-3GPP access, such as a Wi-Fi® access point.

[0038] 5GC consists of NFs called AMF1, SMF (Session Management Function)2, PCF (Policy Control Function)54, AF (Application Function)55, NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function)56, AUSF (Authentication Server Function)57, UDM (User Data Management)58, and UPF (User Plane Function)3.

[0039] In 5GC, an architecture is employed that separates the processing of the C-Plane (Control Plane) for control signal communication, such as establishing communication, and the U-Plane (User Plane) for user data communication. The C-Plane includes AMF1, SMF2, PCF54, AF55, NSSF56, AUSF57, and UDM58. The U-Plane includes UPF3.

[0040] AMF1 is an NF that provides authentication, authorization, and mobility management for UE7, and controls SMF2. SMF2 is an NF responsible for UE7 session management, IP address allocation, and selection and control of UPF3 for data transfer. When UE7 establishes multiple sessions, AMF1 can assign a different SMF2 to each session so that SMF2 manages each session independently and uses different functions for each session. In 5GC, management related to UE7 is performed by a single AMF1, and traffic is handled by SMF2 for each individual network slice.

[0041] PCF 54 is an NF that determines policies regarding mobility management and session management for appropriately operating AMF 1 and SMF 2. AF 55 is an NF that provides information regarding a packet flow to PCF 54 that performs policy control in order to support QoS (Quality of Service). PCF 54 determines policies regarding mobility management and session management based on the information regarding the packet flow provided from AF 55.

[0042] NSSF 56 is an NF that constructs a plurality of logical networks with different characteristics, that is, network slices, in a single physical network and provides specific communication services for each network slice.

[0043] AUSF 57 is an NF that stores, manages, etc., data for the authentication of UE 7. UDM 58 is an NF that stores, manages, etc., the subscription information of UE 7.

[0044] UPF 3 functions as an external PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session point for interconnection to DN (Data Network) 5 and is an NF that performs packet routing, forwarding, etc.

[0045] DN 5 is a data network outside of 5GC and includes wide area networks such as the Internet and local area networks such as LAN (Local Area Network).

[0046] (Configuration of Communication Control System 100A) The configuration of communication control system 100A will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of communication control system 100A. Communication control system 100A includes a communication control device (AMF) 1A, a communication control device (SMF) 2, UPFs 3-1 and 3-2, gNB (RAN) 4, DN 5, LADN 6, and in-vehicle terminals (UEs) 7-1 to 7-3. UEs 7-1 to 7-3 correspond to in-vehicle terminals mounted on respective autonomous vehicles. UEs 7-1 to 7-3 may be collectively referred to simply as UE 7.

[0047] The communication control device (AMF) 1A includes an acquisition unit 11A, a determination unit 12A, and a communication unit 13A. The communication unit 13A mainly transmits and receives information to and from the gNB 4 and the communication control device (SMF) 2.

[0048] The acquisition unit 11A acquires the operation state of the vehicle during automatic driving from the UEs 7-1 to 7-3 within the area of the Local Area Data Network (LADN) via the gNB 4 and the communication unit 13A. For example, the acquisition unit 11A acquires information such as the driving area of the autonomous vehicle, position information, driving speed, driving distance, driving characteristics such as acceleration / deceleration and steering, and the state of the autonomous vehicle. Further, the acquisition unit 11A may acquire information regarding the lighting state of traffic lights in the traveling direction of the autonomous vehicle via the gNB 4 and the communication unit 13A.

[0049] The determination unit 12A determines whether to connect the in-vehicle terminal mounted on the autonomous vehicle to either the Local Area Data Network (LADN) 6 or the Data Network (DN) 5 based on the operation state.

[0050] For example, the determination unit 12A determines to connect the in-vehicle terminal (UE) 7 to the Local Area Data Network (LDAN) 6 when the autonomous vehicle is in motion, and determines to connect the in-vehicle terminal (UE) 7 to the Data Network (DN) 5 when the autonomous vehicle is stopped.

[0051] Further, the determination unit 12A acquires information on the network resources of the Local Area Data Network (LADN) 6 from the communication control device (SMF) 2 via the communication unit 13A. The information on the network resources is, for example, information regarding the bandwidth of the LADN 6. For example, the remaining amount of network resources can be calculated by subtracting the current used bandwidth from the maximum bandwidth of the LADN 6.

[0052] Then, the determination unit 12A determines to connect the in-vehicle terminal (UE) 7 to the Local Area Data Network (LADN) 6 when the remaining amount of network resources is below the threshold value and the autonomous vehicle is in motion.

[0053] Furthermore, the determination unit 12A determines that if the remaining network resources are below a threshold, the in-vehicle terminal (UE) 7 will be connected to the data network (DN) 5 while the autonomous vehicle is stopped.

[0054] Furthermore, the determination unit 12A determines the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminals (UEs) 7-1 to 7-3 of the multiple autonomous vehicles. The determination unit 12A may also determine that, when the remaining network resources are below a threshold, the in-vehicle terminals (UEs) 7 of the autonomous vehicles with relatively long stopping times among the multiple autonomous vehicles should be connected to the data network (DN) 5.

[0055] Furthermore, the determination unit 12A determines the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminals (UEs) 7-1 to 7-3 of multiple autonomous vehicles. The determination unit 12A may also determine that, when the remaining network resources are below a threshold, the in-vehicle terminals (UEs) 7 of autonomous vehicles that are stopped due to a red light and have a relatively short stopping time should be connected to the data network (DN) 5.

[0056] The communication control device (SMF) 2 comprises a switching unit 21, a communication unit 22, and a detection unit 23. The communication unit 22 mainly transmits and receives information with the communication control device (AMF) 1A and the UPF 3-1 and 3-2.

[0057] The detection unit 23 refers to the session information of LAND6 and monitors the current bandwidth usage of LAND6. By subtracting the current bandwidth usage from the maximum bandwidth of LAND6, the detection unit 23 can calculate the remaining network resources and detect a shortage of network resources.

[0058] When the detection unit 23 detects a shortage of network resources for LAND6, the communication unit 22 notifies the communication control device (AMF) 1A that there is a shortage of network resources for LAND6.

[0059] The switching unit 21 switches the connection destinations of UE7-1 to UE7-3 in response to instructions from the communication control device (AMF) 1A. For example, when the switching unit 21 receives an instruction from the communication control device (AMF) 1A to disconnect UE7-1 from LAND6, it disconnects the connection between UE7-1 and LAND6 and switches the connection destination of UE7-1 to DN5.

[0060] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the processing procedure of the communication control system according to this disclosure. In Figure 6, autonomous vehicle 8-1 is traveling outside the area of ​​LAND6, and the destination of the in-vehicle terminal 7-1 mounted on autonomous vehicle 8-1 is assumed to be DN5. Autonomous vehicles 8-2 to 8-3 are traveling within the area of ​​LAND6, and the destination of the in-vehicle terminals 7-2 to 7-3 mounted on autonomous vehicles 8-2 to 8-3 is assumed to be LAND6.

[0061] Furthermore, it is assumed that AMF1A, SMF2, UPF3-1, and DN5 are located on the data center side, and gNB4, UPF3-2, and LAND6 are located on the local side.

[0062] When the operating status of autonomous vehicles 8-2 and 8-3 changes, the in-vehicle terminals (UEs) 7-2 and 7-3 within the LAND6 area notify AMF1A of the operating status of autonomous vehicles 8-2 and 8-3 (S21).

[0063] Furthermore, SMF2 monitors the current bandwidth usage of LAND6, calculates the remaining network resources of LAND6, and if it detects a shortage of network resources, it notifies AMF1A that there is a shortage of network resources (S22).

[0064] AMF1A stores the most recent operating status of autonomous vehicles 8-2 and 8-3 within the LAND6 area. When AMF1A receives a notification of insufficient network resources from SMF2, it selects the on-board terminal of the autonomous vehicle with the longer stop time among autonomous vehicles 8-2 and 8-3 within the LAND6 area.

[0065] In Figure 6, since autonomous vehicle 8-2 is stopped and autonomous vehicle 8-3 is moving, AMF1A selects the in-vehicle terminal 7-2. Then, AMF1A notifies SMF2 to disconnect the in-vehicle terminal 7-2 from LAND6 (S23).

[0066] When SMF2 receives notification from AMF1A that the in-vehicle terminal (UE) 7-2 will be disconnected from LAND6, SMF2 disconnects the connection between the in-vehicle terminal (UE) 7-2 and LAND6 and switches the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminal (UE) 7-2 to DN5 (S24).

[0067] Figure 7 schematically illustrates the determination of the connection destination for autonomous vehicles. In Figure 7, all autonomous vehicles within the area of ​​LAND6 are shown. Furthermore, in Figure 7, autonomous vehicles traveling left and right are stopped due to a red traffic light, while autonomous vehicles traveling up and down are moving due to a green traffic light.

[0068] In Figure 7, an autonomous vehicle in motion (moving in the up-and-down direction) is connected to LAND6, enabling high-quality, low-latency communication. An autonomous vehicle that is stationary (moving in the left-and-right direction) is connected to DN5.

[0069] Figure 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing of each device when an autonomous vehicle moves from outside the area of ​​LANN6 to inside the area of ​​LANN6. First, AMF1A holds registered DNN (Data Network Name) information and TA (Tracking Area) information corresponding to LANN6 (S31). It is assumed that DNN information and TA information are registered for each LANN where it is located.

[0070] Next, when the autonomous vehicle 8-1 moves from outside the LADN6 area to inside the area, UE7-1 sends a LADN6 registration request (LADN indication=LADN6) to AMF1A (S32).

[0071] When AMF1A receives a registration request from UE7-1, it sends a Registration Accept (LADN information=TA1) response to UE7-1. Subsequently, when UE7-1 moves into the area of ​​LAND6 (S34), UE7-1 notifies of its operating status (RUNNING) indicating that it is currently in motion (S35). Since the operating status needs to be notified urgently, it is notified to the core network side as a C-Plane signal.

[0072] AMF1A maintains the operating status (RUNNING) of UE7-1 and resets the stop time timer corresponding to UE7-1 (S36). Then, AMF1A notifies UE7-1 of the response regarding the operating status (S37).

[0073] Next, UE7-1 sends a PDU session establishment request (User Location Information=TA1) to AMF1A (S38). Upon receiving the PDU session establishment request from UE7-1, AMF1A determines that UE7-1 is located within the area of ​​LAND6 (S39) and sends a session creation request (Nsmf_PDUSession_SMContext Request (presenceInLadn=IN_AREA)) to SMF2 (S40).

[0074] When SMF2 receives a session creation request from AMF1A, it recognizes that UE7-1 is within the area of ​​LAND6 (S41) and performs session establishment between UE7-1 and LAND6 (S42).

[0075] Figure 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing of each device when the autonomous vehicle is stopped within the area of ​​LADN6. When UE7-1 is establishing a session with LADN6 (S51) and stops within the area of ​​LADN6 (TA1) (S52), UE7-1 notifies AMF1A of its operating status (STOPPED) indicating that it is currently stopped (S53).

[0076] AMF1A updates the operating status (STOPPED) of UE7-1 and starts counting the timer for the stop time corresponding to UE7-1 (S54). Then, AMF1A notifies UE7-1 of the response regarding the operating status (S55).

[0077] When UE7-2 establishes a session with LAND6 (S56) and UE7-3 establishes a session with LAND6 (S57), UPF3 detects that a shortage of network resources is expected (S58).

[0078] Furthermore, when SMF2 detects a shortage of network resources in LANDN6 based on the session information of LANDN6 (S59), it queries AMF1A for information regarding UEs that should be released from LANDN6 (S60).

[0079] AMF1A determines that UE7-1, which has been stopped for a long time, should be moved out of the LAND6 area (S61). Then, AMF1A notifies SMF2 of a Namf_EventExposure_Notify Request (Presence=OUT_OF_AREA) request to move UE7-1 out of the LAND6 area (S62). In Figure 9, it is shown that the stop time for UE7-1 is "30", the stop time for UE7-2 is "10", and UE7-3 is in motion.

[0080] SMF2 recognizes that UE7-1 has moved out of the LAND6 area and begins to release the session between UE7-1 and LAND6 (S63). AMF1A also resets the timer corresponding to UE7-1 (S64). Then the session between UE7-1 and LAND6 is released (S65).

[0081] Figure 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing of each device when an autonomous vehicle is traveling within the LAND area. With UE7-1 stopped within the LAND6 area and the session between UE7-1 and LAND6 released (S71), UE7-1 begins to travel (S72).

[0082] When UE7-1 notifies AMF1A of its operating status (RUNNING) indicating that it is currently running (S73), AMF1A updates the operating status (RUNNING) of UE7-1 and resets the stop time timer corresponding to UE7-1 (S74). Then, AMF1A notifies UE7-1 of its response to the operating status (S75).

[0083] Next, UE7-1 sends a PDU session establishment request (User Location Information=TA1) to AMF1A (S76). Upon receiving the PDU session establishment request from UE7-1, AMF1A determines that UE7-1 is located within the area of ​​LAND6 (S77) and sends a session creation request (Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext Request (presenceInLadn=IN_AREA)) to SMF2 (S78).

[0084] When SMF2 receives a session creation request from AMF1A, it recognizes that UE7-1 is within the area of ​​LAND6 (S79) and performs session establishment between UE7-1 and LAND6 (S80).

[0085] Figure 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating the processing of each device when an autonomous vehicle moves from within the area of ​​LADN6 to outside the area of ​​LADN6. While a session is being established between UE7-1 and LADN6 (S91), when UE7-1 moves outside the area of ​​LADN6 (S92), gNB4 detects a change in TA due to the movement of UE7-1 (S93).

[0086] Then, gNB4 notifies AMF1A of the change in TA of UE7-1 (TAI=TA2) (S94). Here, we assume that the TA of UE7-1 has been changed from TA1 to TA2.

[0087] Upon receiving notification from gNB4, AMF1A recognizes that UE7-1 has moved outside the area of ​​LANN6 (TA2) and removes the operating status and timer value corresponding to UE7-1 from the list (S95). Then, AMF1A sends a session release request Nsmf_EventExposure_Notify Request (Presence=OUT_OF_AREA) to SMF2 (S97).

[0088] When SMF2 receives a session release request from AMF1A, it recognizes that UE7-1 is outside the area of ​​LAND6 (S98) and releases the session between UE7-1 and LAND6 (S99).

[0089] (Effects of the communication control system 100A) As described above, in the communication control system 100A, the determination unit 12A of the communication control device (AMF) 1A determines that when the autonomous vehicle is in motion, the in-vehicle terminal (UE) 7 is connected to the local area data network (LDAN) 6, and determines that when the autonomous vehicle is stopped, the in-vehicle terminal (UE) 7 is connected to the data network (DN) 5. As a result, even when the autonomous vehicle network is congested, only vehicles in motion are connected to LDAN 6, and stopped vehicles are connected to DN 5. Therefore, the load on LDAN 6 can be reduced, and vehicles connected to LDAN 6 can communicate with high quality and low latency.

[0090] Furthermore, the determination unit 12A determines that if the remaining network resources are below a threshold, the in-vehicle terminal (UE) 7 will connect to the data network (DN) 5 while the autonomous vehicle is stopped. Therefore, the stopped vehicle will only connect to DN5 when network resources are insufficient, thereby more efficiently reducing the load on the LAND 6.

[0091] Furthermore, the determination unit 12A determines that if the remaining network resources are below a threshold, the in-vehicle terminal (UE) 7 of the autonomous vehicle with the relatively longer stopping time among the multiple autonomous vehicles 8-1 to 8-3 should be connected to the data network (DN) 5. Therefore, by prioritizing autonomous vehicles with relatively longer stopping times and keeping them outside the area of ​​the LANDN 6, the load on the LANDN 6 can be reduced more efficiently.

[0092] Furthermore, the determination unit 12A determines that if the remaining network resources of LAND6 are below a threshold, it will connect the onboard terminal (UE) 7 of the autonomous vehicle with the relatively shortest stopping time among the autonomous vehicles 8-1 to 8-3 that are stopped due to a red light to the data network (DN) 5. Therefore, by prioritizing the onboard terminal (UE) 7 of the autonomous vehicle that is relatively far behind and will depart later among the vehicles stopped at a red light, and keeping it outside the LAND6 area, the load on LAND6 can be reduced more efficiently.

[0093] [Example of implementation by software] Some or all of the functions of the communication control devices 1, 1A, and 2 may be implemented by hardware such as integrated circuits (IC chips), or by software.

[0094] In the latter case, the communication control devices 1, 1A, and 2 are implemented, for example, by a computer that executes program instructions, which are software that realizes each function. An example of such a computer (hereinafter referred to as computer C) is shown in Figure 12. Figure 12 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of computer C, which functions as the communication control devices 1, 1A, and 2.

[0095] Computer C comprises at least one processor C1 and at least one memory C2. Memory C2 stores a program P for operating computer C as each of the above-mentioned systems. In computer C, the processor C1 reads program P from memory C2 and executes it, thereby realizing each of the functions of the communication control devices 1, 1A, and 2.

[0096] For processor C1, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), FPU (Floating Point Number Processing Unit), PPU (Physics Processing Unit), TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), quantum processor, microcontroller, or a combination thereof can be used. For memory C2, for example, flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof can be used.

[0097] Furthermore, computer C may also be equipped with RAM (Random Access Memory) for loading program P at runtime and for temporarily storing various data. Computer C may also be equipped with a communication interface for sending and receiving data with other devices. Furthermore, computer C may also be equipped with an input / output interface for connecting input / output devices such as a keyboard, mouse, display, and printer.

[0098] Furthermore, program P can be recorded on a non-temporary, tangible recording medium M that is readable by computer C. Such recording medium M can include, for example, tape, disk, card, semiconductor memory, or programmable logic circuitry. Computer C can acquire program P via such recording medium M. Program P can also be transmitted via a transmission medium. Such transmission mediums can include, for example, a communication network or broadcast waves. Computer C can also acquire program P via such transmission medium.

[0099] [Addendum 1] This disclosure includes the technologies described in the following addendums. However, the present invention is not limited to the technologies described in the following addendums, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. (Addendum 1) A communication control system comprising: acquisition means for acquiring the operating status of a vehicle in autonomous driving mode within the area of ​​a local area data network; determination means for determining, based on the operating status, whether the destination of an in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle should be the local area data network or a data network; and switching means for switching the destination of the in-vehicle terminal based on the determination result by the determination means.

[0100] (Note 2) The communication control system according to Note 1, wherein the determination means determines that the in-vehicle terminal is connected to the local area data network while the vehicle is in motion, and determines that the in-vehicle terminal is connected to the data network while the vehicle is stopped.

[0101] (Note 3) The communication control system according to Note 2, wherein the determination means acquires information on the network resources of the local area data network, determines that the in-vehicle terminal should be connected to the local area data network when the remaining amount of the network resources is below a threshold and the vehicle is in motion, and determines that the in-vehicle terminal should be connected to the data network when the remaining amount of the network resources is below a threshold and the vehicle is stopped.

[0102] (Note 4) The communication control system according to Note 3, wherein the determination means determines the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminals of multiple vehicles, and when the remaining amount of network resources is below a threshold, it determines that the in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle with a relatively long stop time among the multiple vehicles should be connected to the data network.

[0103] (Note 5) The communication control system according to Note 3, wherein the determination means determines the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminals of multiple vehicles, and when the remaining amount of network resources is below a threshold, it determines that the in-vehicle terminals of vehicles that are stopped due to a red light and have a relatively short stopping time will be connected to the data network.

[0104] (Note 6) A communication control device comprising: acquisition means for acquiring the operating status of a vehicle that is autonomously driving within the area of ​​a local area data network; determination means for determining, based on the operating status, whether the destination of an in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle should be the local area data network or a data network; and communication means for notifying another communication control device of the destination of the in-vehicle terminal.

[0105] (Note 7) The communication control device according to Note 6, wherein the determination means determines that the in-vehicle terminal is connected to the local area data network while the vehicle is in motion, and determines that the in-vehicle terminal is connected to the data network while the vehicle is stopped.

[0106] (Note 8) The communication control device according to Note 7, wherein the determination means acquires information on the network resources of the local area data network, determines that the in-vehicle terminal will be connected to the local area data network when the remaining amount of the network resources is below a threshold and the vehicle is in motion, and determines that the in-vehicle terminal will be connected to the data network when the remaining amount of the network resources is below a threshold and the vehicle is stopped.

[0107] (Note 9) The communication control device according to Note 8, wherein the determination means determines the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminals of multiple vehicles, and when the remaining amount of network resources is below a threshold, it determines that the in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle with a relatively long stop time among the multiple vehicles should be connected to the data network.

[0108] (Note 10) A communication control method that acquires the operating status of a vehicle in autonomous driving mode within the area of ​​a local area data network, determines whether to connect an in-vehicle terminal installed in the vehicle to the local area data network or a data network based on the operating status, and switches the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminal based on the determination result.

[0109] (Note 11) A control program for operating a computer as a communication control device described in any of Notes 1 to 5, the control program for causing the computer to function as each of the means described above.

[0110] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-174472, filed on 3 October 2024, and incorporates all of its disclosures herein.

[0111] 1, 1A Communication control device (AMF) 2 Communication control device (SMF) 3-1, 3-2 UPF 4 RAN (gNB) 5 DN 6 LAND 7-1 to 7-3 UE 8-1 to 8-3 Autonomous driving vehicle 11, 11A Acquisition unit 12, 12A Judgment unit 13, 13A, 22 Communication unit 21 Switching unit 23 Detection unit 100, 100A Communication control system

Claims

1. A communication control system comprising: acquisition means for acquiring the operating status of a vehicle in autonomous driving mode within the area of ​​a local area data network; determination means for determining, based on the operating status, whether the in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle should be connected to the local area data network or a data network; and switching means for switching the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminal based on the determination result by the determination means.

2. The communication control system according to claim 1, wherein the determination means determines that the in-vehicle terminal is connected to the local area data network while the vehicle is in motion, and determines that the in-vehicle terminal is connected to the data network while the vehicle is stopped.

3. The communication control system according to claim 2, wherein the determination means acquires information on the network resources of the local area data network, determines that the in-vehicle terminal should be connected to the local area data network when the remaining amount of the network resources is below a threshold and the vehicle is in motion, and determines that the in-vehicle terminal should be connected to the data network when the remaining amount of the network resources is below a threshold and the vehicle is stopped.

4. The communication control system according to claim 3, wherein the determination means determines the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminals of multiple vehicles, and when the remaining amount of network resources is below a threshold, it determines that the in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle with a relatively long stop time among the multiple vehicles should be connected to the data network.

5. The communication control system according to claim 3, wherein the determination means determines the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminals of multiple vehicles, and when the remaining amount of network resources is below a threshold, it determines that the in-vehicle terminals of vehicles that are stopped due to a red light and have a relatively short stopping time will be connected to the data network.

6. A communication control device comprising: acquisition means for acquiring the operating status of a vehicle in autonomous driving mode within the area of ​​a local area data network; determination means for determining, based on the operating status, whether the destination of an in-vehicle terminal mounted on the vehicle should be the local area data network or a data network; and communication means for notifying another communication control device of the destination of the in-vehicle terminal.

7. The communication control device according to claim 6, wherein the determination means determines that the in-vehicle terminal is connected to the local area data network while the vehicle is in motion, and determines that the in-vehicle terminal is connected to the data network while the vehicle is stopped.

8. The communication control device according to claim 7, wherein the determination means acquires information on the network resources of the local area data network, determines that the in-vehicle terminal will be connected to the local area data network when the remaining amount of the network resources is below a threshold and the vehicle is in motion, and determines that the in-vehicle terminal will be connected to the data network when the remaining amount of the network resources is below a threshold and the vehicle is stopped.

9. The communication control device according to claim 8, wherein the determination means determines the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminals of multiple vehicles, and when the remaining amount of network resources is below a threshold, it determines that the in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle with a relatively long stop time among the multiple vehicles should be connected to the data network.

10. The communication control device according to claim 8, wherein the determination means determines the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminals of multiple vehicles, and when the remaining amount of network resources is below a threshold, it determines that the in-vehicle terminals of vehicles that are stopped due to a red light and have a relatively short stopping time will be connected to the data network.

11. A communication control method comprising: acquiring the operating status of a vehicle in autonomous driving mode within the area of ​​a local area data network; determining, based on the operating status, whether to connect an in-vehicle terminal installed in the vehicle to the local area data network or a data network; and switching the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminal based on the result of the determination.

12. The communication control method according to claim 11, wherein it is determined that the in-vehicle terminal is connected to the local area data network while the vehicle is in motion, and it is determined that the in-vehicle terminal is connected to the data network while the vehicle is stopped.

13. The communication control method according to claim 12, comprising: obtaining information on the network resources of the local area data network; determining that the in-vehicle terminal should be connected to the local area data network when the remaining amount of the network resources is below a threshold and the vehicle is in motion; and determining that the in-vehicle terminal should be connected to the data network when the remaining amount of the network resources is below a threshold and the vehicle is stopped.

14. The communication control method according to claim 13, wherein the connection destination of in-vehicle terminals of multiple vehicles is determined, and when the remaining amount of network resources is below a threshold, the in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle with a relatively long stop time among the multiple vehicles is determined to be connected to the data network.

15. The communication control method according to claim 13, wherein the method determines the connection destination of in-vehicle terminals of multiple vehicles, and when the remaining amount of network resources is below a threshold, it determines to connect the in-vehicle terminals of vehicles that are stopped due to a red light and have a relatively short stopping time to the data network.

16. A communication control method comprising: acquiring the operating status of a vehicle operating autonomously within the area of ​​a local area data network; determining, based on the operating status, whether to connect an in-vehicle terminal installed in the vehicle to the local area data network or a data network; and notifying another communication control device of the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminal.

17. The communication control method according to claim 16, wherein it is determined that the in-vehicle terminal is connected to the local area data network while the vehicle is in motion, and it is determined that the in-vehicle terminal is connected to the data network while the vehicle is stopped.

18. The communication control method according to claim 17, comprising: obtaining information on the network resources of the local area data network; determining that the in-vehicle terminal should be connected to the local area data network when the remaining amount of the network resources is below a threshold and the vehicle is in motion; and determining that the in-vehicle terminal should be connected to the data network when the remaining amount of the network resources is below a threshold and the vehicle is stopped.

19. The communication control method according to claim 18, wherein the method determines the connection destination of in-vehicle terminals of multiple vehicles, and when the remaining amount of network resources is below a threshold, it determines to connect the in-vehicle terminal of the vehicle with a relatively long stop time among the multiple vehicles to the data network.

20. A control program that causes a computer to execute: an acquisition process to acquire the operating status of a vehicle in autonomous driving mode within the area of ​​a local area data network; a determination process to determine, based on the operating status, whether to connect an in-vehicle terminal installed in the vehicle to the local area data network or a data network; and a switching process to switch the connection destination of the in-vehicle terminal based on the determination result of the determination process.

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