Base station, network node, and communication method

Abstract

This base station comprises: a control unit that, when a target vehicle having caused an accident on a road is detected by sensing, collects sensing data related to the target vehicle; and a transmission unit that transmits the sensing data to which the ID of the target vehicle is added, to a network node.

Description

Base Station, Network Node, and Communication Method

[0001] The present invention relates to wireless sensing technology.

[0002] In 3GPP (Registered Trademark) (3rd Generation Partnership Project), wireless sensing technology that utilizes communication radio waves for sensing purposes in the advancement of 5G (also referred to as NR (New Radio)) and the next-generation 6G system is being studied. By utilizing wireless sensing technology, it is possible to grasp the situation of objects such as vehicles, for example.

[0003] On highways or main roads, by notifying the vehicles behind of real-time information such as the occurrence of traffic accidents or traffic jams, the vehicles behind can take actions to avoid accidents. In the prior art, sensing technology is not used to grasp such real-time information about road conditions.

[0004] 3GPP TS 23.041 V18.6.0 (2024-09)

[0005] As a prior art for notifying vehicles of road conditions such as accident situations, VICS (Registered Trademark) (Vehicle Information and Communication System) is known. However, in this prior art, information dissemination is slow and time-consuming.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a technology that enables rapid provision of information on road conditions by utilizing sensing technology.

[0007] According to the disclosed technology, when a target vehicle that has caused an accident on the road is detected by sensing, a base station is provided that includes a control unit that collects sensing data regarding the target vehicle, and a transmission unit that transmits the sensing data with the ID of the target vehicle added thereto to a network node.

[0008] According to the disclosed technology, a technology that enables rapid provision of information on road conditions by utilizing sensing technology is provided.

[0009] This is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system. This is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system in a roaming environment. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of SF80. This is a diagram illustrating an example of a sensing method. This is a diagram illustrating a problem. This is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation sequence in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of network node 100 in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of terminal 20 in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of terminal 20 and network node 100 in an embodiment of the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of vehicle 2001 in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to those described below.

[0011] In the operation of the wireless communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention, existing technologies may be used as appropriate. However, such existing technologies include, for example, existing LTE or existing NR, but are not limited to these.

[0012] First, an example of a mobile network configuration expected to be used in this embodiment will be described, followed by a detailed description of the configuration and operation for using wireless sensing technology to monitor road conditions. Note that "wireless sensing" may sometimes be referred to as "sensing." Furthermore, the "sensing data" in this embodiment may be data indicating reflected signals from objects, etc., acquired by the base station 10 through wireless sensing, or it may be data obtained by analyzing data indicating reflected signals from objects, etc. (for example, data representing the speed of an object, the shape of an object, the position of an object, etc.), or it may be data other than these.

[0013] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system equivalent to a mobile network. As shown in Figure 1, this communication system consists of a UE20 and multiple network nodes. Hereafter, one network node will be assigned to each function, however, one network node may implement multiple functions, or multiple network nodes may implement one function. Also, the "connection" described below may be a logical connection or a physical connection. Note that the UE20 may also be referred to as terminal 20.

[0014] The RAN (Radio Access Network) 10 is a network node with wireless access functionality, which may include a base station, and is connected to the UE 20, AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) 30, and UPF (User plane function). The RAN (Radio Access Network) 10 may also be called a base station or BS (Base Station). The AMF 30 is a network node that has functions such as terminating the RAN interface, terminating the NAS (Non-Access Stratum), registration management, connection management, reachability management, and mobility management. The UPF is a network node that interconnects with the DN (Data Network) and has functions such as a PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session point to the outside, packet routing and forwarding, and user plane QoS (Quality of Service) handling. The UPF and DN constitute a network slice.

[0015] AMF30 is connected to UE20, RAN10, SMF (Session Management function), NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function), NEF (Network Exposure Function)40, NRF (Network Repository Function), UDM (Unified Data Management), AUSF (Authentication Server Function), PCF (Policy Control Function), and AF (Application Function)50. AMF30, SMF, NSSF, NEF40, NRF, UDM, AUSF, PCF, and AF50 are network nodes that are interconnected via interfaces based on their respective services: Namf, Nsmf, Nnssf, Nnef, Nnrf, Nudm, Nausf, Npcf, and Naf.

[0016] The SMF is a network node with functions such as session management, IP (Internet Protocol) address allocation and management for UE20, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) functionality, ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) proxy, and roaming functionality. The NEF40 is a network node with the function of notifying other NFs (Network Functions) of capabilities and events. The NSSF is a network node with functions such as selecting the network slice to which UE20 connects, determining the allowed NSSAI (Network Slice Selection Assistance Information), determining the NSSAI to be set, and determining the AMF set to which UE20 connects. The PCF is a network node with the function of controlling network policy. The AF50 is a network node with the function of controlling application servers. The NRF is a network node with the function of discovering NF instances that provide services. The UDM is a network node that manages subscriber data and authentication data. The UDM is connected to the UDR (User Data Repository) that holds this data. Furthermore, Figure 1 shows the Sensing Function (SF) 80.

[0017] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication system in a roaming environment. As shown in Figure 2, the network consists of a UE and multiple network nodes.

[0018] SEPP is an opaque proxy that filters control plane messages between PLMNs (Public Land Mobile Networks). In Figure 2, vSEPP is SEPP in the visited network, and hSEPP is SEPP in the home network.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the UE is in a roaming environment connected to the RAN and AMF in the Visited PLMN. The Visited PLMN and Home PLMN are connected via vSEPP and hSEPP. The UE can communicate with the UDM of the Home PLMN, for example, via the AMF of the Visited PLMN.

[0020] (About SF80) Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of SF80's operation. As shown in Figure 3, SF80 transmits RF sensing measurement information (sensing data) transmitted from UE20 or base station 10 to AF50 via NEF40. Furthermore, as will be described later, SF80 can use the sensing data to analyze road conditions and other factors.

[0021] (Examples of sensing) Refer to Figure 4 to explain examples of sensing methods. In the example shown in Figure 4, the sensing methods are "Monostatic sensing" and "Bistatic sensing".

[0022] In "Monostatic sensing," for example, base station 10 transmits a sensing signal, and base station 10 receives the sensing signal reflected from the object. Base station 10 (which may also be SF80 or AF50) can estimate the object's condition (e.g., position, shape, speed of movement, etc.) by analyzing the received sensing signal. In "Monostatic sensing," the entity transmitting and receiving the sensing signal may also be UE20.

[0023] In "Bistatic nuisance," for example, base station 10 transmits a sensing signal, and another device (e.g., UE20) receives the sensing signal reflected from an object. Alternatively, the other device (e.g., UE20) may transmit a sensing signal, and base station 10 may receive the radio signal reflected from an object.

[0024] (Regarding the problem) On expressways or major roads, real-time information such as the occurrence of traffic accidents or congestion can be notified to vehicles behind, allowing them to take accident avoidance actions such as changing their route or slowing down. However, with conventional technology, the notification of information may be delayed or inaccurate.

[0025] A conventional technology for notifying vehicles of road information is VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System). Refer to Figure 5 to explain the overview of VICS and its challenges.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, in the VICS (registered trademark) system, the collected information is provided by the prefectural police / road administrators to the Japan Road Traffic Information Center.

[0027] However, the information gathering stage requires the parties involved to move to a safe location, report to the police, and for the police to verify the situation, which means that providing information to the traffic information center takes time. In other words, reporting, information processing, and editing take too much time, and the information is not real-time. Also, some vehicles do not have VICS (registered trademark) installed.

[0028] By utilizing sensing technology, it is possible to detect, for example, the presence of objects or people. Therefore, it is considered possible to use sensing technology to determine the occurrence of accidents or traffic congestion. However, in conventional technology, sensing technology has not been used for analyzing road conditions or disseminating information.

[0029] (Outline of the Embodiment) In this embodiment, a base station 10 located along a road (e.g., a highway or major road) performs sensing. The SF80 (or base station 10) monitors the operational status of the road by sensing and detecting physical information of objects, such as the shape of the object, the speed of movement of the object, and the direction of movement of the object.

[0030] In other words, the base station 10 uses wireless sensing technology to collect information such as vehicle speed, direction of movement, lane used, and vehicle shape on major roads such as expressways. If an accident, vehicle breakdown, or traffic congestion is detected, it can immediately cooperate with external parties to provide information.

[0031] Furthermore, SF80 (or base station 10) determines that one or more vehicles that have suddenly stopped or suddenly slowed down may be involved in an accident or traffic jam, and continuously monitors them.

[0032] Furthermore, if the SF80 (or base station 10) detects a vehicle that has not moved for a predetermined period of time or a vehicle whose speed is below a predetermined speed, it determines that there has been an accident or traffic congestion and notifies an external party of the sensing result.

[0033] Furthermore, the SF80 (or base station 10) can determine, through sensing, whether there are obstacles in each lane of the road and whether vehicles can proceed normally. The SF80 (or base station 10) provides the collected sensing data or analysis results to a third party (VICS®, etc.) via 5GC.

[0034] (Processing Sequence) The processing sequence in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 6. In the example shown in Figure 6, the sensing target 70 is one or more vehicles involved in an accident. Vehicles A to C are all vehicles traveling behind the vehicle involved in the accident. AF50 is an application server of a third party (e.g., Road Traffic Center, VICS®).

[0035] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 6, the road is assumed to be a highway, and multiple base stations are provided along the highway. In the following explanation, the analysis using sensing data from SF80 may be performed by base station 10.

[0036] <S101> In S101, a rear-end collision occurred between vehicle X and vehicle Y on the driving lane of a highway.

[0037] <S102> In S102, the base station 10 located along the highway detects vehicles X and Y, which have suddenly stopped, through sensing (wireless sensing radio waves), and determines that an accident has occurred. The base station 10 also detects through sensing that the speed of the vehicle behind has decreased significantly.

[0038] <S103> In S103, the base station 10 collects sensing data from the sensing targets 70. The sensing targets 70 here are both vehicle X and vehicle Y involved in the accident, and the vehicles located behind vehicle X and vehicle Y.

[0039] The information collected as sensing data includes, for example, the stopping position of the vehicle being sensed (or the position and speed of the vehicle while it is moving), information about the lane in which the vehicle is located, and the size of the vehicle.

[0040] Furthermore, the base station 10 may turn on the collection (analysis) of sensing data such as lane information when it detects a vehicle whose moving speed is 0 or less than a predetermined value, and may turn off the collection (analysis) of sensing data during periods when no such vehicles are detected.

[0041] <S104> In S104, the base station 10 adds the ID of each target vehicle being sensed to the collected sensing data and transmits the sensing data with the added ID to the SF 80. The base station 10 may also transmit the sensing data to the SF 80 if it detects that the speed of the vehicle behind has not recovered even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the time the accident was detected.

[0042] <S105> In S105, SF80 uses sensing data received from base station 10 to analyze accident conditions (information on stopped vehicles and their lanes, the number of stopped vehicles, etc.) or traffic congestion conditions (length of congestion, estimated time until speed recovery, etc.).

[0043] For example, when SF80 detects an accident between vehicle X and vehicle Y and a speed reduction of another vehicle (e.g., the speed has dropped below 40 Km / h) based on sensing data, and even after a certain period of time (predetermined time) has elapsed, if it detects that the speed of the other vehicle does not recover (e.g., does not become greater than 40 Km / h), it determines that a traffic jam has occurred. Also, the length of the traffic jam can be grasped by detecting the positions of vehicles with speeds below the threshold value.

[0044] Also, SF80 (or base station 10) may track the driving route of a vehicle avoiding an accident location using sensing data (information on wireless sensing radio waves). Also, based on the sensing data, SF80 (or base station 10) can determine the passability of the driving lane or overtaking lane by detecting route internal obstacles. For example, when it detects that there is an obstacle in the driving lane, it determines that only the overtaking lane is passable.

[0045] <S106> In S106, SF80 transmits the analysis result to AF50 via NEF40 (via 5GC). The analysis result includes information such as, for example, accident situation, traffic jam situation, average vehicle speed, and predicted passing time.

[0046] <S107> In S107, AF50 provides information to the following vehicle (vehicle C in the example of FIG. 6). The information provided is, for example, information such as accident situation (accident occurrence location, etc.), traffic jam situation, average vehicle speed, and predicted passing time. Vehicle C that has received the information may transfer the information to other vehicles using V2X.

[0047] (Effect of the Embodiment) With the technology according to this embodiment, when a traffic accident or traffic jam occurs on a highway or a main road, etc., it is possible to detect stopped vehicles or traffic jams by sensing. Also, it becomes possible to provide the information detected by sensing to a third party (such as a traffic center, VICS (registered trademark), etc.) more quickly.

[0048] (Device Configuration) Next, a functional configuration example of the network node 100 that performs the processes and operations described so far will be described. The network node 100 may be any of the SF80, AF50, and base station 10. That is, the SF80, AF50, and base station 10 all have the configuration shown in FIG. 7.

[0049] <Network Node 100> FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the network node 100.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 7, the network node 100 includes a transmission unit 110, a reception unit 120, a setting unit 130, and a control unit 140. The functional configuration shown in FIG. 7 is merely an example. As long as the operations according to the embodiments of the present invention can be performed, the functional divisions and the names of the functional units may be any.

[0051] The transmission unit 110 includes a function of generating a signal to be transmitted to the terminal 20 or another network node and transmitting the signal by wire or wirelessly. The reception unit 120 includes a function of receiving various signals transmitted from the terminal 20 or another network node and obtaining information of, for example, a higher layer from the received signals. A communication unit including the transmission unit 110 and the reception unit 120 may be configured.

[0052] The setting unit 130 stores setting information set in advance and various setting information to be transmitted to the terminal 20 in a storage device and reads it out from the storage device as necessary. The control unit 140 controls the network node 100. A functional unit related to signal transmission in the control unit 140 may be included in the transmission unit 110, and a functional unit related to signal reception in the control unit 140 may be included in the reception unit 120. Note that the transmission unit 110 and the reception unit 120 may be called a transmitter and a receiver, respectively. Also, the control unit 140 may include a sensing function.

[0053] <Terminal 20> Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of terminal 20. As shown in Figure 8, terminal 20 has a transmitting unit 210, a receiving unit 220, a setting unit 230, and a control unit 240. The functional configuration shown in Figure 8 is merely an example. Any functional classification and functional unit names are acceptable as long as they enable the operation according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] The transmitting unit 210 creates a transmission signal from the transmission data and transmits the transmission signal wirelessly. The receiving unit 220 wirelessly receives various signals and acquires signals from higher layers from the received physical layer signals. The receiving unit 220 has the function of receiving NR-PSS, NR-SSS, NR-PBCH, DL / UL control signals or reference signals transmitted from network nodes. A communication unit including the transmitting unit 210 and the receiving unit 220 may be configured.

[0055] The setting unit 230 stores various setting information received from network nodes by the receiving unit 220 in its storage device and reads it from the storage device as needed. The setting unit 230 also stores pre-configured setting information.

[0056] The control unit 240 controls the terminal 20. The signal transmission function of the control unit 240 may be included in the transmission unit 210, and the signal reception function of the control unit 240 may be included in the reception unit 220. The transmission unit 210 and the reception unit 220 may also be called the transmitter and receiver, respectively. The control unit 240 may also include a sensing function.

[0057] (Hardware Configuration) The block diagrams (Figures 7 and 8) used in the description of the above embodiments show functional units. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or it may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wired or wireless connections). A functional block may be realized by combining the one device or the multiple devices with software.

[0058] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision, determination, calculation, calculation, processing, derivation, investigation, exploration, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, selection, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, assumption, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating (mapping), and assigning. For example, a functional block (configuration part) that enables transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. In all cases, as mentioned above, the method of implementation is not particularly limited.

[0059] For example, the network node 100 and terminal 20 in one embodiment of the present disclosure may function as computers that process the communication method of the present disclosure. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the network node 100 and terminal 20 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The network node 100 and terminal 20 described above may be physically configured as computer devices including a processor 1001, a storage device 1002, an auxiliary storage device 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, and the like.

[0060] In the following explanation, the term "device" can be read as "circuit," "device," "unit," etc. The hardware configuration of the network node 100 and the terminal 20 may include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or it may be configured to omit some of the devices.

[0061] Each function in the network node 100 and terminal 20 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and storage device 1002, which allows the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication by the communication device 1004, and control at least one of data reading and writing in the storage device 1002 and auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0062] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer, for example, by running an operating system. The processor 1001 may consist of a central processing unit (CPU) that includes interfaces with peripheral devices, control devices, arithmetic units, registers, etc. For example, the control unit 140, control unit 240, etc., described above may be implemented by the processor 1001.

[0063] Furthermore, the processor 1001 reads programs (program code), software modules, or data from at least one of the auxiliary storage device 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the storage device 1002, and executes various processes accordingly. The program used is one that causes the computer to execute at least a part of the operations described in the above embodiment. For example, the control unit 140 of the network node 100 shown in Figure 7 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and operated by the processor 1001. Also, for example, the control unit 240 of the terminal 20 shown in Figure 8 may be implemented by a control program stored in the storage device 1002 and operated by the processor 1001. Although the above-described processes have been explained as being executed by one processor 1001, they may be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The program may also be transmitted from the network via a telecommunications line.

[0064] The storage device 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage device 1002 may also be called a register, cache, main memory, etc. The storage device 1002 can store executable programs (program code), software modules, etc., for implementing a communication method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] The auxiliary storage device 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium and may consist of at least one of the following: an optical disc such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital multipurpose disk, a Blu-ray® disk), a smart card, flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy® disk, a magnetic strip, etc. The above-mentioned storage medium may also be a database, server, or other suitable medium that includes at least one of the storage device 1002 and the auxiliary storage device 1003.

[0066] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmitting / receiving device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as a network device, network controller, network card, communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include, for example, a high-frequency switch, duplexer, filter, frequency synthesizer, etc., in order to implement at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the transmitting and receiving antenna, amplifier section, transmitting and receiving section, transmission path interface, etc., may be implemented by the communication device 1004. The transmitting and receiving section may be implemented in a physically or logically separated manner, with a transmitting section and a receiving section.

[0067] The input device 1005 is an input device that accepts input from an external source (e.g., a keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, etc.). The output device 1006 is an output device that outputs to an external source (e.g., a display, speaker, LED lamp, etc.). The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be configured as an integrated unit (e.g., a touch panel).

[0068] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the storage device 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or different buses may be configured for each device.

[0069] Furthermore, the network node 100 and the terminal 20 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and some or all of each functional block may be realized by such hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these hardware components.

[0070] Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of vehicle 2001. As shown in Figure 10, vehicle 2001 includes a drive unit 2002, a steering unit 2003, an accelerator pedal 2004, a brake pedal 2005, a shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, an axle 2009, an electronic control unit 2010, various sensors 2021 to 2029, an information service unit 2012, and a communication module 2013. Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be applied to a communication device mounted on vehicle 2001, for example, to the communication module 2013. For example, a network node 100 or a terminal 20 may be included in the communication module 2013.

[0071] The drive unit 2002 consists of, for example, an engine, a motor, or a hybrid of an engine and a motor. The steering unit 2003 includes at least a steering wheel (also called a handle) and is configured to steer at least one of the front wheels and the rear wheels based on the operation of the steering wheel, which is operated by the user.

[0072] The electronic control unit 2010 consists of a microprocessor 2031, memory (ROM, RAM) 2032, and communication ports (IO ports) 2033. Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 installed in the vehicle 2001 are input to the electronic control unit 2010. The electronic control unit 2010 may also be called an ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0073] Signals from various sensors 2021 to 2029 include current signals from current sensor 2021 for sensing motor current, front and rear wheel rotation speed signals acquired by rotation speed sensor 2022, front and rear wheel air pressure signals acquired by air pressure sensor 2023, vehicle speed signals acquired by vehicle speed sensor 2024, acceleration signals acquired by acceleration sensor 2025, accelerator pedal depression signals acquired by accelerator pedal sensor 2029, brake pedal depression signals acquired by brake pedal sensor 2026, shift lever operation signals acquired by shift lever sensor 2027, and detection signals acquired by object detection sensor 2028 for detecting obstacles, vehicles, pedestrians, etc.

[0074] The Information Service Unit 2012 consists of various devices for providing (outputting) various types of information such as driving information, traffic information, and entertainment information, including a car navigation system, audio system, speakers, television, and radio, and one or more ECUs that control these devices. The Information Service Unit 2012 uses information acquired from external devices via a communication module 2013, etc., to provide various multimedia information and multimedia services to the occupants of the vehicle 2001. The Information Service Unit 2012 may include input devices that accept input from the outside (e.g., keyboard, mouse, microphone, switch, button, sensor, touch panel, etc.) and output devices that perform output to the outside (e.g., display, speaker, LED lamp, touch panel, etc.).

[0075] The driver assistance system unit 2030 consists of various devices that provide functions to prevent accidents or reduce the driver's workload, such as millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), cameras, positioning locators (e.g., GNSS), map information (e.g., high-definition (HD) maps, autonomous vehicle (AV) maps), gyro systems (e.g., IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), INS (Inertial Navigation System)), AI (Artificial Intelligence) chips, and AI processors, as well as one or more ECUs that control these devices. The driver assistance system unit 2030 also transmits and receives various information via the communication module 2013 to realize driver assistance functions or autonomous driving functions.

[0076] The communication module 2013 can communicate with the microprocessor 2031 and components of the vehicle 2001 via its communication port. For example, the communication module 2013 sends and receives data via the communication port 2033 between the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axle 2009, the microprocessor 2031 and memory (ROM, RAM) 2032 in the electronic control unit 2010, and sensors 2021-29 provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0077] The communication module 2013 is a communication device that can be controlled by the microprocessor 2031 of the electronic control unit 2010 and can communicate with external devices. For example, it can send and receive various types of information to and from external devices via wireless communication. The communication module 2013 may be located either inside or outside the electronic control unit 2010. The external device may be, for example, a base station, terminal, network node, etc.

[0078] The communication module 2013 may transmit at least one of the following to an external device via wireless communication: signals from the various sensors 2021-2028 input to the electronic control unit 2010, information obtained based on said signals, and information based on input from an external source (user) obtained via the information service unit 2012. The electronic control unit 2010, the various sensors 2021-2028, the information service unit 2012, etc., may also be called input units that accept input.

[0079] The communication module 2013 receives various information (traffic information, signal information, inter-vehicle information, etc.) transmitted from an external device and displays it on the information service unit 2012 provided in the vehicle 2001. The information service unit 2012 may also be called an output unit, which outputs information (for example, outputs information to devices such as displays and speakers based on the PDSCH (or data / information decoded from the PDSCH) received by the communication module 2013). The communication module 2013 also stores the various information received from the external device in a memory 2032 that can be used by the microprocessor 2031. Based on the information stored in the memory 2032, the microprocessor 2031 may control the drive unit 2002, steering unit 2003, accelerator pedal 2004, brake pedal 2005, shift lever 2006, front wheels 2007, rear wheels 2008, axles 2009, sensors 2021-2029, etc., provided in the vehicle 2001.

[0080] Furthermore, if the communication module 2013 includes a network node 100 (or terminal 20), the communication module 2013 can perform the operations of the aforementioned network node 100 (or terminal 20).

[0081] This specification discloses at least the configurations described in the following appendix.

[0082] <Notes> (Note 1) A base station comprising: a control unit that collects sensing data relating to a target vehicle when sensing detects a target vehicle that has been involved in an accident on a road; and a transmission unit that transmits the sensing data with the ID of the target vehicle added to it to a network node. (Note 2) The base station according to Note 1, wherein the sensing data includes the stopping position of the target vehicle and the lane information of the target vehicle. (Note 3) A network node comprising: a receiving unit that receives sensing data relating to a vehicle involved in an accident from a base station that performs sensing on vehicles on a road; a control unit that analyzes the accident situation or traffic congestion situation based on the sensing data; and a transmission unit that transmits the analysis results by the control unit to a specific network node. (Note 4) The network node according to Note 3, wherein the control unit determines whether or not traffic congestion has occurred based on the speed of vehicles other than the vehicle involved in the accident. (Appendix 5) A communication method performed by a base station, comprising the steps of: collecting sensing data relating to a target vehicle that has been involved in an accident on a road when sensing detects such a vehicle; and transmitting the sensing data, to which the ID of the target vehicle has been added, to a network node.

[0083] According to any of the appendices 1 to 5, technology is provided that enables the rapid provision of road condition information by utilizing sensing technology. According to appendice 2, it becomes possible to perform appropriate analysis using sensing data. According to appendice 3, it becomes possible to appropriately determine the occurrence of traffic congestion.

[0084] (Supplement to Embodiments) Embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the disclosed invention is not limited to such embodiments, and those skilled in the art will understand various modifications, alterations, alternatives, substitutions, etc. Specific numerical examples have been used to facilitate understanding of the invention, but unless otherwise specified, these numerical values ​​are merely examples, and any appropriate values ​​may be used. The division of items in the above description is not essential to the present invention, and matters described in two or more items may be used in combination as necessary, and matters described in one item may be applied to matters described in another item (as long as they do not contradict each other). The boundaries of functional units or processing units in the functional block diagram do not necessarily correspond to the boundaries of physical parts. The operation of multiple functional units may be physically performed by one part, or the operation of one functional unit may be physically performed by multiple parts. The processing procedures described in the embodiments may be rearranged as long as they do not contradict each other. For the convenience of explaining the processing, the network node 100 and terminal 20 have been described using functional block diagrams, but such devices may be realized in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The software operated by the processor of the EES 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention and the software operated by the processor of the terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be stored in any suitable storage medium such as random access memory (RAM), flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), EPROM, EEPROM, register, hard disk (HDD), removable disk, CD-ROM, database, server, or other appropriate storage medium.

[0085] Furthermore, notification of information is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be carried out by other means. For example, notification of information may be carried out by physical layer signaling (e.g., DCI (Downlink Control Information), UCI (Uplink Control Information)), upper layer signaling (e.g., RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling, MAC (Medium Access Control) signaling), broadcast information (MIB (Master Information Block), SIB (System Information Block)), other signals, or combinations thereof. Also, RRC signaling may be called RRC messages, and may be, for example, RRC Connection Setup messages, RRC Connection Reconfiguration messages, etc.

[0086] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure refers to LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G (4th generation mobile communication system), 5G (5th generation mobile communication system), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), xth generation mobile communication system (xG) (xG (where x is, for example, an integer or decimal)), FRA (Future Radio Access), NR (new Radio), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20 may apply to at least one system utilizing UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth®, or other appropriate systems, and to next-generation systems extended, modified, created, or defined based thereon. Alternatively, multiple systems may be applied in combination (e.g., a combination of at least one of LTE and LTE-A with 5G).

[0087] The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., of each aspect / embodiment described herein may be reordered, provided they are consistent with each other. For example, the methods described herein present various step elements in an exemplary order and are not limited to that specific order.

[0088] In this specification, specific operations performed by the base station 10 ((R)AN10) may, in some cases, be performed by its upper node. In a network consisting of one or more network nodes having a base station 10, it is clear that various operations performed for communication with the terminal 20 can be performed by the base station 10 and at least one of the other network nodes (for example, an MME or S-GW, but not limited to these). Although the above example illustrates the case where there is one other network node besides the base station 10, the other network node may be a combination of multiple other network nodes (for example, an MME and an S-GW).

[0089] The information or signals described in this disclosure may be output from a higher layer (or lower layer) to a lower layer (or higher layer). They may also be input and output via multiple network nodes.

[0090] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0091] The determination in this disclosure may be made by a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), by a Boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0092] Software should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, and so on, whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or by any other name.

[0093] Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technology (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL)) and wireless technology (such as infrared or microwave), then at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0094] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of the various different techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0095] In addition, terms used in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of the channel and symbol may be a signal (signaling). Also, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, cell, frequency carrier, etc.

[0096] The terms “system” and “network” as used in this disclosure are interchangeable.

[0097] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc., described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or other corresponding information. For example, wireless resources may be indicated by an index.

[0098] The names used for the parameters described above are not restrictive in any way. Furthermore, the formulas and other expressions using these parameters may differ from those expressly disclosed in this disclosure. Various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements can be identified by any suitable name, and therefore, the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not restrictive in any way.

[0099] In this disclosure, terms such as "Base Station (BS)", "wireless base station", "base station equipment", "fixed station", "NodeB", "eNodeB (eNB)", "gNodeB (gNB)", "access point", "transmission point", "reception point", "transmission / reception point", "cell", "sector", "cell group", "carrier", and "component carrier" may be used interchangeably. Base stations may also be referred to by terms such as macrocell, small cell, femtocell, and picocell.

[0100] A base station can accommodate one or more (e.g., three) cells. If a base station accommodates multiple cells, the entire coverage area of ​​the base station can be divided into multiple smaller areas, each of which may also be provided with communication services by a base station subsystem (e.g., a Remote Radio Head (RRH)). The terms “cell” or “sector” refer to part or all of the coverage area of ​​at least one of the base station and / or base station subsystems that provide communication services in that coverage.

[0101] In this disclosure, the transmission of information by a base station to a terminal may be interpreted as the base station instructing the terminal to perform control or operation based on the information.

[0102] In this disclosure, terms such as "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

[0103] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or several other appropriate terms.

[0104] The base station 10, terminal 20, and SF80 may also be called a transmitting device, receiving device, communication device, etc. The base station 10, terminal 20, AF50, and SF80 may also be devices mounted on a mobile body, the mobile body itself, etc. The mobile body refers to a movable object, and its speed of movement is arbitrary. This also includes cases where the mobile body is stationary. The mobile body includes, but is not limited to, vehicles, transport vehicles, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, connected cars, excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, dump trucks, forklifts, trains, buses, handcarts, rickshaws, ships and other watercraft, airplanes, rockets, satellites, drones (registered trademark), multicopters, quadcopters, balloons, and items mounted on them. Furthermore, the mobile body may be a mobile body that autonomously drives based on operational commands. The mobile object may be a vehicle (e.g., a car, an airplane), an unmanned mobile object (e.g., a drone, an autonomous vehicle), or a robot (manned or unmanned). Note that the base station 10, terminal 20, and SF80 may all be devices that do not move during communication. For example, the base station 10, terminal 20, and SF80 may all be IoT (Internet of Things) devices such as sensors.

[0105] Furthermore, the term "base station" in this disclosure may be interpreted as "user terminal." For example, the various aspects / embodiments of this disclosure may be applied to a configuration in which communication between a base station and a user terminal is replaced with communication between multiple terminals 20 (which may be called, for example, D2D (Device-to-Device), V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything), etc.). In this case, the terminals 20 may have the functions that the base station 10 has. Also, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" may be interpreted as terms corresponding to terminal-to-terminal communication (for example, "side"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., may be interpreted as side channel.

[0106] Similarly, the term "user terminal" in this disclosure may be replaced with "base station." In this case, the base station may be configured to have the same functions as the user terminal described above.

[0107] As used in this disclosure, the terms “determining” and “determining” may encompass a wide variety of actions. “Determining” may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, or inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), or ascertaining. “Determining” may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), inputting, outputting, or accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory). Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after some action. Also, "judgment (decision)" can be reinterpreted as "assuming," "expecting," or "considering."

[0108] The terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variation thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, “connection” may be reinterpreted as “access.” As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be “connected” or “coupled” with each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain, and optical (both visible and invisible) domain.

[0109] The reference signal can also be abbreviated as RS (Reference Signal), and may be called a pilot depending on the applicable standard.

[0110] In this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based solely on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based solely on" and "based at least on."

[0111] Any reference to elements using the designations “first,” “second,” etc., as used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Accordingly, references to the first and second elements do not imply that only two elements may be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0112] In the configuration of each of the above devices, "means" may be replaced with "part," "circuit," "device," etc.

[0113] Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to mean exclusive OR.

[0114] In this disclosure, if articles are added through translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0115] In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combine" may be interpreted similarly to "different."

[0116] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed during implementation. Furthermore, notification of specific information (e.g., notification that "X is") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be implicit (e.g., by not providing such notification).

[0117] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the intent and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the descriptions in the present disclosure are illustrative and not intended to be restrictive in any way.

[0118] 10 Base station ((R)AN) 20 Terminal (UE) 30 AMF 40 NEF 50 AF 80 SF 100 Network node 110 Transmitter 120 Receiver 130 Setting unit 140 Control unit 210 Transmitter 220 Receiver 230 Setting unit 240 Control unit 1001 Processor 1002 Storage device 1003 Auxiliary storage device 1004 Communication device 1005 Input device 1006 Output device

Claims

1. A base station comprising: a control unit that, when sensing detects a target vehicle that has been involved in an accident on a road, collects sensing data relating to the target vehicle; and a transmission unit that transmits the sensing data, with the ID of the target vehicle added, to a network node.

2. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the sensing data includes the stopping position of the target vehicle and the lane information of the target vehicle.

3. A network node comprising: a receiving unit that receives sensing data relating to a vehicle involved in an accident from a base station that performs sensing of vehicles on the road; a control unit that analyzes the accident situation or traffic congestion situation based on the sensing data; and a transmitting unit that transmits the analysis results from the control unit to a specific network node.

4. The network node according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines whether or not a traffic jam has occurred based on the speed of vehicles other than the vehicle that caused the accident.

5. A communication method performed by a base station, comprising the steps of: collecting sensing data relating to a target vehicle that has been involved in an accident on a road, when sensing detects such a vehicle; and transmitting the sensing data, with the ID of the target vehicle added, to a network node.

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