Communication device and control method

Abstract

A communication device comprising: a transmission request analysis unit that, on the basis of a transmission request transmitted from each of one or more termination devices connected to the communication device, classifies each of the one or more termination devices as either a communicating terminal or a non-communicating terminal; and a communication control unit that performs communication control on the communicating terminal and does not perform communication control on the non-communicating terminal.　

Description

Communication device and control method

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device and a control method.

[0002] There is a communication system including a subscriber line terminal device installed on the subscriber side that uses a communication service, and a terminal station device installed on the communication station side that provides the communication service. In such a communication system, when a large number of subscriber line terminal devices are connected to one terminal station device, a transmission request is sent from each subscriber line terminal device to the one terminal station device. Therefore, the bandwidth for transmitting user data is compressed.

[0003] Therefore, in order to solve such problems, a technique for restricting the number of subscriber line terminal devices that send transmission requests has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, an ONU (Optical Network Unit) is shown as the subscriber line terminal device, and an OLT (Optical Line Terminal) is shown as the terminal station device.

[0004] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of a conventional communication system. The OLT groups each ONU based on the magnitude relationship between the value of the transmission request (transmission request amount) transmitted from each ONU connected to the self-device and the actual transmission amount (step S1). The OLT extracts a total of N ONUs for which transmission permission processing is to be sequentially performed from the group with the highest priority, and performs transmission permission processing on the extracted N ONUs (step S2). Thus, as a secondary effect of restricting the number of ONUs that send transmission requests, the load on the OLT, which is the terminal station device, is suppressed.

[0005] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014 - 11660

[0006] However, with the technique of Patent Document 1, while the number of units for which transmission permission processing can be performed can be restricted, transmission permission processing for N units will always be performed. In addition, the OLT (terminal station device) is burdened with a processing load for grouping and extracting the ONUs (subscriber line terminal devices). Therefore, with the conventional technique, there are cases where the processing load of the terminal station device cannot be sufficiently reduced.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a technology that can reduce the processing load on terminal devices compared to conventional methods.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a communication device comprising: a transmission request analysis unit that classifies each of the one or more terminal devices connected to the device as either a communicating terminal or a non-communicating terminal based on transmission requests transmitted from each of the one or more terminal devices; and a communication control unit that performs communication control on the communicating terminals but does not perform communication control on the non-communicating terminals.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is a control method that, based on transmission requests sent from each of the one or more terminal devices connected to the device, classifies each of the one or more terminal devices as either a communicating terminal or a non-communicating terminal, performs communication control on the communicating terminals, and does not perform communication control on the non-communicating terminals.

[0010] This invention makes it possible to reduce the processing load on terminal devices compared to conventional methods.

[0011] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a communication system in the first embodiment. This flowchart shows the processing flow performed by the terminal device in the first embodiment. This flowchart shows the processing flow performed by the terminal device in the second embodiment. This flowchart shows the processing flow performed by the terminal device in the third embodiment. This flowchart shows the processing flow performed by the terminal device in the fourth embodiment. This flowchart shows the processing flow performed by the terminal device in the fifth embodiment. This flowchart shows the flow of a conventional communication system.

[0012] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a communication system 100 in the first embodiment. The communication system 100 includes a subscriber line termination device 10 and an terminal device 20. In Figure 1, the communication system 100 is shown to have two subscriber line termination devices 10-1 to 10-2, but the communication system 100 may have three or more subscriber line termination devices 10. Each subscriber line termination device 10 is connected to the terminal device 20.

[0014] The subscriber line termination device 10 is installed in the premises of a subscriber using the communication service. The subscriber line termination device 10 is used to connect an information processing device (not shown) installed in the subscriber's premises to an external network. The subscriber line termination device 10 terminates the signal transmitted from the terminal device 20 and outputs a signal to the connected information processing device (not shown). The subscriber line termination device 10 transmits the signal transmitted from the information processing device (not shown) to the terminal device 20 via the network. If the communication system 100 is an optical communication system, the subscriber line termination device 10 is an ONU. However, the communication system 100 is not limited to an optical communication system. The subscriber line termination device 10 is one form of termination device.

[0015] The terminal device 20 is installed within the station that provides communication services. The terminal device 20 communicates with each subscriber line termination device 10. The terminal device 20 controls communication only with specific subscriber line termination devices 10 out of all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to it. For example, based on transmission requests sent from each terminal device 20, the terminal device 20 assigns a mark to all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to it, indicating either a communicating terminal or a non-communicating terminal. That is, the terminal device 20 classifies all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to it as either communicating terminals or non-communicating terminals. The terminal device 20 then controls communication with subscriber line termination devices 10 marked as communicating terminals, and does not control communication with subscriber line termination devices 10 marked as non-communicating terminals. A transmission request means that each subscriber line termination device 10 will transmit data to the terminal device 20 in the near future.

[0016] In the first embodiment, a communicating terminal refers to a subscriber line termination device 10 in which all or a predetermined percentage of transmission requests over a certain period of time have exceeded the transmission request threshold. In the first embodiment, a non-communicating terminal refers to a subscriber line termination device 10 other than a communicating terminal. Thus, in the first embodiment, the terminal device 20 does not perform communication control for subscriber line termination devices 10 that are not communicating. Communication control includes, for example, the allocation of the transmission period and transmission volume necessary to cause the subscriber line termination device 10 to transmit a transmission request, and the allocation of the data transmission period and transmission volume for a transmission request. If the communication system 100 is an optical communication system, the terminal device 20 is an OLT. The terminal device 20 is one form of a communication device.

[0017] (Configuration of subscriber line termination device 10) The subscriber line termination device 10 comprises a transmission control unit 11, a buffer 12, and a transmission request transmission unit 13. The transmission control unit 11 transmits data stored in the buffer 12 according to the content notified by the terminal device 20. For example, based on the data transmission period and data transmission amount notified by the terminal device 20, the transmission control unit 11 transmits a specified amount of data from the data stored in the buffer 12 within the data transmission period.

[0018] Buffer 12 temporarily stores data to be transmitted to the terminal device 20. Buffer 12 is divided into multiple queues according to transmission priority, and data is accumulated in each queue. Therefore, each field in the transmission request stores a value indicating the amount of data accumulated in each queue. That is, the transmission request has multiple fields for storing values ​​indicating the amount of data accumulated in each queue of transmission priority. The transmission request transmission unit 13 generates a transmission request based on the amount of data accumulated in buffer 12 and transmits the generated transmission request to the terminal device 20. A transmission request is a request to transmit the data accumulated in each buffer 12. A transmission request is, for example, a REPORT message of MPCP (Multi Point Control Protocol) as defined in IEEE 802.3. The transmission request includes at least information indicating the amount of data to be transmitted to the terminal device 20 and identification information of the subscriber line termination device 10.

[0019] (Configuration of Terminal Device 20) Terminal device 20 comprises a transmission request receiving unit 21, a transmission request analysis unit 22, and a communication control unit 23. The transmission request receiving unit 21, the transmission request analysis unit 22, and the communication control unit 23 of terminal device 20 are functional units that operate when a CPU executes a program.

[0020] The transmission request receiving unit 21 receives transmission requests sent from each subscriber line termination device 10. Here, it is conceivable that some subscriber line termination devices 10 do not have data to transmit. That is, it is conceivable that some subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20 transmit data. In the following explanation, the transmission request receiving unit 21 will be described using the example of receiving transmission requests sent from all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20 within a predetermined period.

[0021] Furthermore, if the transmission request receiving unit 21 does not receive a transmission request from a specific subscriber line termination device 10 within a predetermined period, it may consider the value of the transmission request at that specific subscriber line termination device 10 to be 0. Also, if the transmission request receiving unit 21 receives multiple transmission requests from the same subscriber line termination device 10, it will adopt the last received transmission request (the most recent transmission request).

[0022] The transmission request analysis unit 22 classifies all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to its own device as either communication terminals or non-communication terminals, based on each transmission request received by the transmission request reception unit 21.

[0023] The communication control unit 23 calculates the transmittable period, which is the period during which data transmission is permitted at each communication terminal, and the amount of data to be transmitted, based on the QoS (Quality of Service) settings, etc., set at the terminal equipment 20. The communication control unit 23 notifies the subscriber line termination equipment 10 that is the target of data transmission of information indicating the transmittable period and the amount of data to be transmitted, calculated for each subscriber line termination equipment 10. The subscriber line termination equipment 10 that is the target of data transmission is the communication terminal. The transmittable period includes the timing of data transmission start (start time) and the timing of data transmission end (end time). The timing of data transmission end (end time) can be calculated based on the timing of data transmission start (start time) and the amount of data to be transmitted. Therefore, the transmittable period does not need to include information on the timing of data transmission end (end time). In this way, the communication control unit 23 performs communication control on communication terminals but does not perform communication control on non-communication terminals.

[0024] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the processing flow performed by the terminal device 20 in the first embodiment. The transmission request receiving unit 21 receives transmission requests transmitted from each subscriber line termination device 10 within a predetermined period (step S101). The start timing of the predetermined period may be set in advance, or it may be the timing when a transmission request transmitted from one subscriber line termination device 10 is received. The transmission request receiving unit 21 outputs all transmission requests received within the predetermined period to the transmission request analysis unit 22. The transmission request receiving unit 21 may refer to all the values ​​described in the transmission request as a transmission request, or it may refer to only some of the values ​​specified in advance.

[0025] The transmission request analysis unit 22 repeatedly executes the process from loop L1s to loop L1e. Loops L1s to L1e are executed for 10 minutes each for subscriber line termination devices connected to the terminal equipment 20. In other words, if M (where M is a non-negative integer) subscriber line termination devices 10 are connected to the terminal equipment 20, the transmission request analysis unit 22 will execute the process from loop L1s to loop L1e M times.

[0026] First, the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines whether one subscriber line termination device 10 connected to its own device (for example, subscriber line termination device 10-1) has been marked as a non-communication terminal for a certain period of time or longer (step S102). If the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the subscriber line termination device 10 has been marked as a non-communication terminal for a certain period of time or longer (step S102-YES), the transmission request analysis unit 22 marks the subscriber line termination device 10 that has been marked as a non-communication terminal for a certain period of time or longer as a terminal in communication (step S103).

[0027] As described above, the reason for marking a subscriber line termination device 10 that has been marked as a non-communication terminal for a certain period of time as a communication terminal is that no transmission requests are sent from the subscriber line termination device 10 that has been marked as a non-communication terminal. Therefore, the subscriber line termination device 10 that has been marked as a non-communication terminal loses the opportunity to return to being a communication terminal. Thus, it is necessary to mark the subscriber line termination device 10 that has been marked as a non-communication terminal for a certain period of time as a communication terminal in order to send a transmission request and confirm its current status.

[0028] On the other hand, if the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the subscriber line termination device 10 has not been marked as a non-communication terminal for a certain period of time or longer (step S102-NO), the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines whether the transmission requests for the past certain period of time are equal to or greater than the transmission request threshold (step S104). Specifically, the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines whether all of the transmission requests for the past certain period of time, or a predetermined percentage (e.g., 50%, 60%, etc.) or more, are equal to or greater than the transmission request threshold. The transmission request threshold is a threshold used for comparison with the value obtained based on the transmission request, and is set in advance. The value obtained based on the transmission request may be the sum of all values ​​described in the transmission request, or it may be a predetermined portion of the values ​​(values ​​of some fields in the transmission request). Here, some fields in the transmission request refer to, for example, fields that store values ​​indicating the accumulated amount of high-priority queues. Note that which queues of which priority levels are considered high-priority queues may be set in advance.

[0029] If the value obtained based on the transmission request is the sum of all the values ​​listed in the transmission request, the transmission request analysis unit 22 calculates the sum of all the values ​​listed in the transmission request for each transmission request in the past certain period of time. For example, if a certain subscriber line termination device 10 (e.g., subscriber line termination device 10-1) has received three transmission requests in the past certain period of time, the transmission request analysis unit 22 calculates a sum for each of the three received transmission requests. The transmission request analysis unit 22 then compares the calculated sum for each transmission request with the transmission request threshold.

[0030] If the total value for each transmission request, or a specified percentage or more of the total value for each transmission request, is above the transmission request threshold, the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the transmission requests for a certain period of time in the past are above the transmission request threshold. On the other hand, if a portion of the total value for each transmission request, or a specified percentage or more of the total value for each transmission request, is below the transmission request threshold, the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the transmission requests for a certain period of time in the past are not above the transmission request threshold.

[0031] If the value obtained based on the transmission request is a predetermined portion of all the values ​​listed in the transmission request, the transmission request analysis unit 22 calculates the predetermined portion of values ​​(or the sum of the values ​​if there are multiple portions) for each transmission request in the past certain period of time. For example, if a certain subscriber line termination device 10 (e.g., subscriber line termination device 10-1) has received three transmission requests in the past certain period of time, the transmission request analysis unit 22 obtains the predetermined portion of values ​​for each of the three received transmission requests. The transmission request analysis unit 22 then compares the obtained predetermined portion of values ​​for each transmission request with the transmission request threshold.

[0032] If all of a predetermined subset of values ​​for each transmission request, or a specified percentage or more of a predetermined subset of values ​​for each transmission request, are above the transmission request threshold, the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the transmission requests for a certain period of time in the past are above the transmission request threshold. On the other hand, if some of the predetermined subset of values ​​for each transmission request, or a specified percentage or more of a predetermined subset of values ​​for each transmission request, are below the transmission request threshold, the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the transmission requests for a certain period of time in the past are not above the transmission request threshold.

[0033] If the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the number of transmission requests over a certain period of time in the past is equal to or greater than the transmission request threshold (step S104-YES), the transmission request analysis unit 22 marks a certain subscriber line termination device 10 (for example, subscriber line termination device 10-1) as a terminal in communication (step S103).

[0034] On the other hand, if the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the number of transmission requests for a certain period of time is not above the transmission request threshold (step S104-NO), the transmission request analysis unit 22 marks a certain subscriber line termination device 10 (for example, subscriber line termination device 10-1) as a non-communication terminal (step S105). In this way, the transmission request analysis unit 22 in the first embodiment marks subscriber line termination devices 10 that have not sent transmission requests for a certain period of time as non-communication terminals so that communication control is not performed. As described above, the transmission request analysis unit 22 in the first embodiment classifies subscriber line termination devices 10 that are not communicating as non-communication terminals, and classifies other subscriber line termination devices 10 (for example, subscriber line termination devices 10 that are communicating) as communicating terminals.

[0035] In the example above, the processing for one subscriber line termination device 10 (for example, subscriber line termination device 10-1) was described, but the terminal device 20 performs the above processing for all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to it. When the processing from loop L1s to loop L1e is performed for all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20, all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20 will be marked as either a communicating terminal or a non-communicating terminal. When the processing from loop L1s to loop L1e is completed, the communication control unit 23 performs communication control for the subscriber line termination devices 10 that have been marked as communicating terminals (step S106). In this way, the communication control unit 23 does not perform communication control for subscriber line termination devices 10 that have been marked as non-communicating terminals.

[0036] The terminal device 20 configured as described above includes a transmission request analysis unit 22 that classifies each subscriber line termination device 10 connected to the terminal device 20 as either a communicating terminal or a non-communicating terminal based on the transmission request transmitted from each subscriber line termination device 10, and a communication control unit 23 that performs communication control on subscriber line termination devices 10 marked as communicating terminals and does not perform communication control on subscriber line termination devices 10 marked as non-communicating terminals.

[0037] In this way, the terminal device 20 does not perform communication control for the subscriber line termination device 10 when there is no communication from the subscriber line termination device 10. This makes it possible to reduce the processing load of the terminal device 20 compared to conventional methods.

[0038] Furthermore, the terminal device 20 determines whether each connected subscriber line termination device 10 is in communication using a simple logic, such as whether the number of transmission requests over a certain period of time is above a transmission request threshold. In this way, the terminal device 20 has minimal load to perform in classifying each connected subscriber line termination device 10. Therefore, the overall processing load can be reduced.

[0039] (Second Embodiment) In the second embodiment, a configuration for marking each subscriber line termination device as either a communication terminal or a non-communication terminal will be described in a different manner from that of the first embodiment. For example, in the second embodiment, a configuration will be described in which each subscriber line termination device is marked as either a communication terminal or a non-communication terminal based on the total value of a certain period of transmission requests. The system configuration and device configuration of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. The differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

[0040] The transmission request analysis unit 22 calculates the amount of communication based on each transmission request received by the transmission request reception unit 21. The transmission request analysis unit 22 marks subscriber line termination devices 10 whose total value of transmission requests over a certain period of time is equal to or greater than a total value threshold as active communication terminals, and marks other subscriber line termination devices 10 as non-communication terminals for a predetermined period. The total value threshold is a threshold used for comparison with the total value of transmission requests over a certain period of time, and is set in advance.

[0041] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing flow performed by the terminal device 20 in the second embodiment. In Figure 3, the same reference numerals as in Figure 2 are used for processing that is the same as in Figure 2, and their explanation is omitted. In the processing of step S102, if the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the subscriber line termination device 10 has not been marked as a non-communication terminal for a certain period of time or longer (step S102-NO), the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines whether the total value of transmission requests over the past certain period of time is equal to or greater than the total value threshold (step S201).

[0042] The transmission request analysis unit 22, for example, when referring to all the values ​​described in a transmission request, calculates the sum of all the values ​​described in all transmission requests from one subscriber line termination device 10 obtained in a certain period of time in the past, and determines whether the calculated sum is equal to or greater than the sum threshold. The transmission request analysis unit 22, for example, when referring to a predetermined portion of all the values ​​described in a transmission request, calculates the sum of the predetermined portion of values ​​in all transmission requests from one subscriber line termination device 10 obtained in a certain period of time in the past, and determines whether the calculated sum is equal to or greater than the sum threshold.

[0043] If the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the total value of transmission requests over a certain period of time is equal to or greater than the total value threshold (step S201-YES), the transmission request analysis unit 22 marks a certain subscriber line termination device 10 (for example, subscriber line termination device 10-1) as a communication terminal (step S103). On the other hand, if the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the total value of transmission requests over a certain period of time is not equal to or greater than the total value threshold (step S201-NO), the transmission request analysis unit 22 marks a certain subscriber line termination device 10 (for example, subscriber line termination device 10-1) as a non-communication terminal (step S105).

[0044] In this way, the transmission request analysis unit 22 in the second embodiment marks a subscriber line termination device 10 that has not transmitted a transmission request for a certain period of time as a non - communication terminal so that communication control is not executed. As described above, the transmission request analysis unit 22 in the second embodiment classifies a subscriber line termination device 10 without communication as a non - communication terminal, and classifies other subscriber line termination devices 10 (for example, a subscriber line termination device 10 with communication) as communication terminals. The subsequent processing is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0045] According to the central office device 20 in the second embodiment configured as described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0046] Furthermore, the central office device 20 in the second embodiment determines whether each connected subscriber line termination device 10 is in communication or not using a simple logic such as whether the total value of transmission requests for a certain period is greater than or equal to a total value threshold. In this way, the central office device 20 can have a small load for classifying each connected subscriber line termination device 10. Therefore, the overall processing load can be reduced.

[0047] (Third Embodiment) In the third embodiment, a configuration for marking each subscriber line termination device as either a communication terminal or a non - communication terminal in a method different from the first embodiment will be described. For example, in the third embodiment, a configuration for marking each subscriber line termination device as either a communication terminal or a non - communication terminal by predicting the presence or absence of transmission requests will be described. The system configuration and device configuration of the third embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0048] The transmission request analysis unit 22 calculates the traffic volume based on each transmission request received by the transmission request reception unit 21. The transmission request analysis unit 22 analyzes the transmission requests for a past certain period, marks a subscriber line termination device 10 predicted to have a transmission request of a certain value or more as a communication terminal, and marks other subscriber line termination devices 10 as non - communication terminals for a pre - specified period.

[0049] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing flow performed by the terminal device 20 in the third embodiment. In Figure 4, the same reference numerals as in Figure 2 are used for processing that is the same as in Figure 2, and their explanation is omitted. In the processing of step S102, if the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the subscriber line termination device 10-1 has not been marked as a non-communication terminal for a certain period of time or longer (step S102-NO), the transmission request analysis unit 22 analyzes transmission requests over the past period of time and calculates a predicted value indicating the percentage of transmission requests that are actually transmitted. The transmission request analysis unit 22 determines whether the calculated predicted value is equal to or greater than the predicted value threshold (step S302). The predicted value threshold is a threshold for comparison with the predicted value and is set in advance.

[0050] If the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the calculated predicted value is equal to or greater than the predicted value threshold (step S302-YES), it marks the subscriber line termination device 10-1, whose predicted value is equal to or greater than the predicted value threshold, as a terminal in communication (step S103). A predicted value equal to or greater than the predicted value threshold means that there is a high probability that a transmission request will be sent in the future.

[0051] On the other hand, if the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the calculated predicted value is not equal to or greater than the predicted value threshold (step S302-NO), it marks the subscriber line termination device 10-1 whose predicted value is not equal to or greater than the predicted value threshold as a non-communication terminal (step S105). In this way, the transmission request analysis unit 22 in the third embodiment marks subscriber line termination devices 10 that have not transmitted a transmission request for a certain period of time as non-communication terminals so that communication control is not performed. As described above, the transmission request analysis unit 22 in the third embodiment classifies subscriber line termination devices 10 that are not expected to communicate as non-communication terminals, and classifies other subscriber line termination devices 10 (for example, subscriber line termination devices 10 that may communicate) as communicating terminals. The subsequent processing is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0052] In the third embodiment configured as described above, the terminal device 20 does not perform communication control to the subscriber line termination device 10 when it is expected that there will be no communication from the subscriber line termination device 10. This makes it possible to reduce the processing load of the terminal device 20 compared to the conventional configuration.

[0053] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the terminal device 20 predicts the rate at which transmission requests are sent by analyzing past transmission requests, and determines whether each connected subscriber line termination device 10 is in communication using a simple logic such as whether the predicted result is above a predicted value threshold. In this way, the terminal device 20 has a small load to perform in order to classify each connected subscriber line termination device 10. Therefore, the overall processing load can be reduced.

[0054] (Fourth Embodiment) The first to third embodiments described a method for marking each subscriber line termination device as either a communication terminal or a non-communication terminal. The fourth embodiment describes the conditions for executing the processing shown in any of the first to third embodiments. In the fourth embodiment, for example, a configuration is described in which the processing shown in any of the first to third embodiments is executed when the number of subscriber line termination devices connected to the terminal device (hereinafter referred to as "number of connected terminals") exceeds a certain number. Here, the case in which the processing of the first embodiment is executed will be described. The system configuration and device configuration of the fourth embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. The differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

[0055] The transmission request analysis unit 22 performs the same processing as the transmission request analysis unit 22 in the first embodiment. The transmission request analysis unit 22 acquires information on the number of connected terminals, and performs the same processing as the transmission request analysis unit 22 in the first embodiment only if the number of connected terminals indicated by the acquired information exceeds a certain number.

[0056] The method for obtaining the number of connected terminals may be to use the number of subscriber line termination devices 10 registered in the terminal device 20, to use the number of subscriber line termination devices 10 that the terminal device 20 recognizes as being connected, or to use the number of transmission requests sent from the subscriber line termination devices 10. When using the number of transmission requests sent from the subscriber line termination devices 10, it is conceivable that multiple transmission requests may be sent from the same subscriber line termination device 10 within a predetermined period. Therefore, when using the number of transmission requests sent from the subscriber line termination devices 10, the transmission request analysis unit 22 may obtain the number of transmission requests received within a predetermined period as the number of connected terminals, or it may calculate the number of connected terminals by considering transmission requests that contain the same identification information as one transmission request among the transmission requests received within a predetermined period.

[0057] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing flow performed by the terminal device 20 in the fourth embodiment. In Figure 5, the same processes as in Figure 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Figure 2, and their explanation is omitted. The transmission request analysis unit 22 acquires information on the number of connected terminals. The timing at which the transmission request analysis unit 22 starts acquiring information on the number of connected terminals may be predetermined, or it may be the timing at which a transmission request transmitted from one subscriber line termination device 10 is received.

[0058] The transmission request analysis unit 22 determines whether the number of connected terminals is above a certain number based on the acquired information on the number of connected terminals (step S401). If the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the number of connected terminals is not above a certain number (step S401-NO), the communication control unit 23 performs communication control on all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20 (step S402). After that, the terminal device 20 completes the process shown in Figure 5. If the number of connected terminals is not above a certain number, it is assumed that the number of subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20 is small. Therefore, even if communication control is performed on all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20, it is assumed that the processing load on the terminal device 20 will be small. In such a situation, there is little need to reduce the processing load (even if processing is performed to reduce the load, it will not make much difference), so it is preferable to perform communication control on all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20.

[0059] On the other hand, if the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the number of connected terminals is greater than or equal to a certain number (step S401-YES), the terminal device 20 executes the processing from step S101 onwards. Note that if the number of connected terminals is greater than or equal to a certain number, it is assumed that there are many subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20. Therefore, if communication control is performed on all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20, it is assumed that the processing load on the terminal device 20 will become large. For this reason, if the terminal device 20 determines that the number of connected terminals is greater than or equal to a certain number (step S401-YES), it performs communication control not on all connected subscriber line termination devices 10, but only on some of the subscriber line termination devices 10 (for example, terminals in communication).

[0060] In the fourth embodiment configured as described above, the terminal device 20 performs communication control on terminals in communication when the number of connected terminals is large (number of connected terminals ≥ a certain number). This limits the targets for communication control in situations where it is anticipated that the processing load of the terminal device 20 will become large. This makes it possible to reduce the processing load of the terminal device 20.

[0061] (Modification) In the fourth embodiment, a configuration was described in which the transmission request analysis unit 22 performs the same processing as in the first embodiment when it determines that the number of connected terminals is a certain number or more. In the fourth embodiment, when the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the number of connected terminals is a certain number or more, it may perform the same processing as in the second or third embodiment. Specifically, when the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the number of connected terminals is a certain number or more (step S401-YES), the terminal device 20 may execute the processing from step S101 onwards shown in Figure 3, or it may execute the processing from step S101 onwards shown in Figure 4.

[0062] (Fifth Embodiment) The first to third embodiments described a method for marking each subscriber line termination device as either a communication terminal or a non-communication terminal. The fifth embodiment describes the conditions for executing the processing shown in any of the first to third embodiments. In the fifth embodiment, for example, a configuration is described in which the processing shown in any of the first to third embodiments is executed when the processing time of the communication control unit provided in the terminal device is equal to or greater than a preset processing time threshold. Here, the case in which the processing of the first embodiment is executed will be described. The system configuration and device configuration of the fifth embodiment are the same as in the first embodiment. The following will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0063] The transmission request analysis unit 22 performs the same processing as the transmission request analysis unit 22 in the first embodiment. The transmission request analysis unit 22 acquires information on the processing time of the communication control unit 23, and performs the same processing as the transmission request analysis unit 22 in the first embodiment only if the processing time of the communication control unit 23, as indicated by the acquired information, is equal to or greater than the processing time threshold. The processing time threshold is a threshold used for comparison with the processing time of the communication control unit 23, and is set in advance.

[0064] The method for obtaining the processing time of the communication control unit 23 may be to use the most recent processing time, the average processing time or the maximum processing time within a predetermined period, or to use a predicted value obtained by extrapolation or machine learning from past processing times.

[0065] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing flow performed by the terminal device 20 in the fifth embodiment. In Figure 6, the same processes as in Figure 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in Figure 2, and their explanation is omitted. The transmission request analysis unit 22 acquires information on the processing time of the communication control unit 23. The timing at which the transmission request analysis unit 22 starts acquiring information on the processing time of the communication control unit 23 may be predetermined, or it may be the timing at which a transmission request transmitted from one subscriber line termination device 10 is received.

[0066] The transmission request analysis unit 22 determines, based on the acquired information on the processing time of the communication control unit 23, whether the processing time of the communication control unit 23 is equal to or greater than the processing time threshold (step S501). If the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the processing time of the communication control unit 23 is not equal to or greater than the processing time threshold (step S501-NO), the communication control unit 23 performs communication control on all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20 (step S502). After that, the terminal device 20 completes the process shown in Figure 6. Note that if the processing time of the communication control unit 23 is not equal to or greater than the processing time threshold, it is assumed that there is some leeway in the processing performed by the communication control unit 23 of the terminal device 20. In such a situation, there is little need to reduce the processing load (even if processing is performed to reduce the load, it will not make much difference), so it is preferable to have communication control performed on all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20.

[0067] On the other hand, if the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the processing time of the communication control unit 23 is greater than or equal to the processing time threshold (step S501-YES), the terminal device 20 executes the processing from step S101 onwards. Note that if the processing time of the communication control unit 23 is greater than or equal to the processing time threshold, it is assumed that the load on the communication control unit 23 is high. Therefore, if communication control is performed on all subscriber line termination devices 10 connected to the terminal device 20, it is assumed that the processing load on the terminal device 20 will become high. For this reason, if the terminal device 20 determines that the processing time of the communication control unit 23 is greater than or equal to the processing time threshold (step S501-YES), it performs communication control not on all connected subscriber line termination devices 10, but only on some subscriber line termination devices 10 (for example, terminals in communication).

[0068] In the fifth embodiment configured as described above, the terminal device 20 performs communication control on a terminal during communication when the processing time of the communication control unit 23 is long (processing time of the communication control unit 23 ≥ processing time threshold). This limits the targets for which communication control is performed in situations where it is expected that the processing load of the terminal device 20 will become large. This makes it possible to reduce the processing load of the terminal device 20.

[0069] (Modification) In the fifth embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the transmission request analysis unit 22 performs the same processing as in the first embodiment when it determines that the processing time of the communication control unit 23 is equal to or greater than a processing time threshold. In the fifth embodiment, the transmission request analysis unit 22 may perform the same processing as in the second or third embodiment when it determines that the processing time of the communication control unit 23 is equal to or greater than a processing time threshold. Specifically, when the transmission request analysis unit 22 determines that the processing time of the communication control unit 23 is equal to or greater than a processing time threshold (step S501-YES), the terminal device 20 may execute the processing from step S101 onwards shown in Figure 3, or it may execute the processing from step S101 onwards shown in Figure 4.

[0070] In each of the embodiments described above, some or all of the functional units of the terminal device 20 (for example, the transmission request receiving unit 21, the transmission request analysis unit 22, and the communication control unit 23) are implemented as software by one or more processors such as a CPU executing a program stored in a storage device and memory having a non-volatile recording medium (non-temporary recording medium). The program may be recorded on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium. A computer-readable non-temporary recording medium is a non-temporary recording medium such as a flexible disk, magneto-optical disk, ROM (Read Only Memory), CD-ROM (Compact Disc-ROM), or other portable media, or a storage device such as a hard disk built into a computer system.

[0071] Some or all of the functional parts of the terminal device 20 may be implemented using hardware including electronic circuits (or circuits) such as LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0072] Although embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention.

[0073] This invention can be applied to general communication systems (communication systems that use transmission requests).

[0074] 10, 10-1 to 10-2... Subscriber line termination equipment, 11... Transmission control unit, 12... Buffer, 13... Transmission request transmission unit, 20... Terminal equipment, 21... Transmission request reception unit, 22... Transmission request analysis unit, 23... Communication control unit

Claims

1. A communication device comprising: a transmission request analysis unit that classifies each of the one or more terminal devices connected to the device as either a communicating terminal or a non-communicating terminal based on transmission requests transmitted from each of the one or more terminal devices; and a communication control unit that performs communication control on the communicating terminals but does not perform communication control on the non-communicating terminals.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission request analysis unit classifies one or more terminal devices that are not communicating or are expected not to communicate as non-communication terminals, and classifies the other one or more terminal devices as communicating terminals.

3. The communication control unit performs communication control on the terminals in communication and does not perform communication control on the non-communicating terminals when the number of the one or more terminals is above a certain number, or when the processing time of the communication control unit is above a processing time threshold.

4. A control method that, based on transmission requests sent from each of the one or more terminal devices connected to the device, classifies each of the one or more terminal devices as either a communicating terminal or a non-communicating terminal, performs communication control on the communicating terminals, and does not perform communication control on the non-communicating terminals.

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