Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

A distributed system according to the present disclosure uses orchestration technology to provide a resource to which processing in a radio access network is logically allocated, and has a configuration in which a plurality of terminals are connected together. A parent terminal, which is one of the plurality of terminals, is provided with a child terminal monitoring unit that monitors the state of processing load on a child terminal which is disposed at a lower level than the parent terminal is, and an alternative allocation unit that, if the state of processing load on the child terminal satisfies a prescribed condition, alternatively allocates, to the resource of user equipment which uses the distributed system, part of all of processing which is to be allocated to the resource of the child terminal, and causes the user equipment to perform the processing.

Description

Information Processing Apparatus, Information Processing Method, and Information Processing Program

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

[0002] Conventionally, apparatuses for load distribution in wireless access networks have been developed (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-166003

[0004] An information processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires processing accompanying provision of a service related to mobile communication; and an orchestrator that causes part or all of processing to be allocated to hardware resources of a plurality of base stations configuring a radio access network to be alternatively allocated to and processed by hardware resources of user terminals that access the radio access network.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the service is provision of use of artificial intelligence, and the processing may be execution processing of application software that runs artificial intelligence.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in the information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the information processing apparatus further comprises a base station monitoring unit that monitors a processing load state of a base station, and when the processing load state of the base station satisfies a predetermined condition, the orchestrator may cause part or all of processing to be allocated to hardware resources of the base station to be alternatively allocated to and processed by hardware resources of the user terminal.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the information processing apparatus according to the third aspect, the predetermined condition may be that the processing load state of the base station is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

[0008] A fifth aspect of this disclosure is an information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, further comprising a user terminal monitoring unit for monitoring the processing load status of a user terminal, wherein the orchestrator may, when the processing load status of a user terminal satisfies predetermined conditions, alternatively allocate some or all of the processing that would otherwise be allocated to the base station's hardware resources to the user terminal's hardware resources for processing.

[0009] A sixth aspect of this disclosure is an information processing device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the predetermined condition is that the processing load state of the user terminal is below a threshold.

[0010] A seventh aspect of this disclosure is an information processing device according to the first aspect, further comprising a transmission unit that acquires data necessary for alternative processing by a user terminal from a base station and transmits it to the user terminal.

[0011] An eighth aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, further comprising a storage control unit that stores in a predetermined storage unit information about a user terminal regarding whether or not it is possible for the processing associated with the provision of mobile communication services to be performed at a base station to be performed by the user terminal, and the orchestrator may select a user terminal to be assigned to perform part or all of the processing based on the information about the user terminal.

[0012] A ninth aspect of this disclosure is an information processing device according to the third aspect, wherein the base station includes a base station notification unit that periodically notifies the information processing device of its own processing load status, and the base station monitoring unit monitors the processing load status of the base station based on the processing load status notified by the base station notification unit.

[0013] A tenth aspect of this disclosure is an information processing device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the user terminal includes a user terminal notification unit that periodically notifies the information processing device of its own processing load status, and the user terminal monitoring unit monitors the processing load status of the user terminal based on the processing load status notified by the user terminal notification unit.

[0014] An information processing method relating to an eleventh aspect of this disclosure includes an acquisition step in which a computer acquires processing associated with the provision of mobile communication services, and an orchestrator step in which it alternatively allocates some or all of the processing that would be allocated to the hardware resources of a plurality of base stations constituting a wireless access network to the hardware resources of a user terminal accessing the wireless access network, and has the processing performed thereon.

[0015] An information processing program according to the twelfth aspect of this disclosure implements an acquisition function in which a computer acquires processing associated with the provision of mobile communication services, and an orchestrator function in which it alternatively allocates some or all of the processing that would otherwise be allocated to the hardware resources of multiple base stations constituting a wireless access network to the hardware resources of a user terminal accessing the wireless access network.

[0016] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the information processing device according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a user terminal according to this embodiment. Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a base station according to this embodiment. Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment. Figure 6 is an example of a flowchart of an information processing program according to this embodiment. Figure 7 is an example of a flowchart of an information processing program according to another embodiment.

[0017] (Background of this disclosure) With the advancement of artificial intelligence technology, the use of artificial intelligence by individuals is rapidly expanding, along with its use by companies. The same is true in mobile communication networks, where the evolution from the fourth to the fifth generation is leading to the expansion of various forms of artificial intelligence use. The use of services that provide the processing power of advanced computers, such as artificial intelligence, by installing servers and other equipment alongside base stations of radio access networks (RANs) is expanding. As the use of such services increases, the load generated within the RAN increases, so the number of base stations and servers that handle this load has been increased.

[0018] On the other hand, the costs, labor, and time required to increase the number of base stations and servers have become a burden on telecommunications carriers providing mobile communication services, and reducing these burdens has become a topic of discussion. Therefore, this disclosure has been made in consideration of the above issues, and its purpose is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can reduce the burden on telecommunications carriers providing mobile communication services. More specifically, the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program related to this disclosure enable a reduction in the burden on telecommunications carriers by effectively utilizing the hardware resources of user terminals (User Equipment: UE) that access the RAN.

[0019] (Overview of the Information Processing Device 10 According to This Embodiment) An information processing device 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The information processing device 10 according to this embodiment is a so-called computer, and may be implemented by a server, personal computer (hereinafter referred to as PC), notebook PC, tablet PC, smartphone, etc., may be built by a general-purpose computer, or may be built by a dedicated computer. Furthermore, the information processing device 10 may be implemented by a DU (Distributed Unit) and CU (Central Unit) of fifth-generation communication, etc.

[0020] The outline of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the outline of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. RAN 3 and core network 6 are components of the mobile communication network 1. The information processing device 10 is connected to the core network 6 via the Internet 7, but is not limited to this; the information processing device 10 may be installed in the mobile communication network 1 in various ways. For example, the information processing device 10 may be connected to the core network 6 or RAN 3 without going through the Internet 7. Alternatively, the information processing device 10 may be configured as part of the core network 6 or RAN 3.

[0021] RAN3 is the network portion of the mobile communication network 1 for communicating with user equipment (UE) 2 held by users of mobile communication services provided via the mobile communication network 1. RAN3 includes base stations 4 and antennas (not shown), and is responsible for receiving data transmitted from user terminals 2 and sending it to the core network 6. User terminals 2 are portable information communication terminals such as smartphones, tablet personal computers (hereinafter referred to as PCs), and notebook PCs. Although Figure 1 shows two user terminals 2a and 2b, it is not limited to two; there may be one or three or more user terminals 2 connected to RAN3. Furthermore, user terminals 2 are not limited to portable information communication terminals; for example, they may be stationary information processing devices, which are shown as user servers 2c and 2d in Figure 1. Stationary information processing devices may be, for example, servers, workstations, or desktop PCs. Although Figure 1 shows two user servers 2c and 2d, it is not limited to two servers; it may be one server or three or more user servers connected to RAN3.

[0022] RAN3 is composed of multiple base stations 4, etc. Although Figure 1 shows two base stations 4a and 4b, it is not limited to two, and three or more base stations 4 may be part of the RAN3 configuration. Servers 5 and data centers (not shown) used for providing mobile communication services are installed in RAN3 as edge servers, etc., as components of RAN3 that are at the edge of the mobile communication network 1, in order to suppress communication delays with user terminals 2. These servers 5 and data centers (not shown) may be included in the base stations 4 that make up RAN3. Although Figure 1 shows one server 5, it is not limited to one, and two or more servers 5 may be part of the RAN3 configuration.

[0023] The core network 6 is the central part of the mobile communication network 1, and is responsible for routing and managing data, as well as controlling the entire communication of the mobile communication network 1, including authentication of user terminals 2, connection management of user terminals 2, and data transfer. For example, the UPF (User Plane Function) 6a that constitutes the core network 6 refers to the network function that processes data communication with user terminals 2, and user terminals 2 connect to the internet 7 through the UPF 6a.

[0024] (Hardware configuration of the information processing device 10) Referring to Figure 2, an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. The information processing device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage unit 14, a control unit 15, and an input / output interface 17, etc. The information processing device 10 may be implemented using a cloud computing service, or it may be implemented by multiple computers.

[0025] The communication unit 11 controls communication with the Internet 7. The information processing device 10 may also communicate with other information devices through the communication unit 11. The communication unit 11 is a communication interface that has the function of communicating with devices outside the information processing device 10. Note that the communication unit 11 may communicate with the user terminal 2 via the base station 4.

[0026] The storage unit 14 can be used as a storage device for the information processing device 10 and is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, and flash memory. Furthermore, the storage unit 14 may be configured using cloud storage. The storage unit 14 stores information processing programs, an operating system (OS) necessary for the operation of the information processing device 10, various other application software, and various data used by said application software. The storage unit 14 is a storage medium that has the function of storing various programs and various data necessary to realize the functions that the information processing device 10 should perform.

[0027] The control unit 15 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc., and is realized by logic circuits or dedicated circuits formed by integrated circuits (IC (Integrated circuit) chips, LSI (Large-Scale Integration)), etc. The control unit 15 is a processor that executes various programs stored in the memory unit 14 and uses the data to realize the functions that the information processing device 10 should realize. The information processing device 10 stores the information processing program, which will be described later, in the ROM 12 or the memory unit 14 and imports the information processing program into the main memory, which is composed of RAM 13, etc. The control unit 15 accesses the main memory into which the information processing program has been imported and executes the information processing program.

[0028] The input / output interface 17 transmits and receives data to and from external devices of the information processing device 10. External devices refer to input devices 18 and output devices 19 that input and output data to and from the information processing device 10. The input device 18 may be, for example, a keyboard, mouse, and scanner (none of which are shown). The output device 19 may be, for example, a monitor, printer, and scanner (none of which are shown).

[0029] (Hardware and Functional Configuration of User Terminal 2) The hardware and functional configuration of user terminal 2 will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of user terminal 2 according to this embodiment. As described above, user terminal 2 is a portable information communication terminal and a stationary information processing device, and is a type of information processing device, and therefore has the same hardware configuration as information processing device 10, and includes a communication unit, ROM, RAM, storage unit, control unit 50, input / output interface, input device, and output device. The control unit 50 of user terminal 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), etc., and may be realized by logic circuits or dedicated circuits formed by integrated circuits (IC (Integrated circuit) chips, LSI (Large-Scale Integration)), etc. As shown in Figure 3, user terminal 2 has a user terminal notification unit 51 as a functional unit in the control unit 50 by executing predetermined application software that has been installed in advance.

[0030] (User terminal notification unit 51) The user terminal notification unit 51 periodically notifies the information processing device 10 of the processing load status of its own machine. That is, the user terminal notification unit 51 periodically notifies the information processing device 10 of the processing load status of the user terminal 2, which is its own machine. The user terminal monitoring unit 27 (see Figure 5) of the information processing device 10, which will be described later, monitors the processing load status of the user terminal 2 based on the processing load status notified by the user terminal notification unit 51.

[0031] The processing load state of user terminal 2 may also refer to the utilization rate of hardware resources during the execution of user terminal 2's processing. In this case, the processing load state of user terminal 2 may refer to the utilization rate of each hardware resource during the execution of user terminal 2's processing, or it may refer to the utilization rate of a specific hardware resource. The hardware resources of user terminal 2 refer to the communication unit, ROM, RAM, storage unit, control unit 50, input / output interface, input device, and output device. Alternatively, the processing load state of user terminal 2 may also refer to the utilization rate of computing resources during the execution of user terminal 2's processing. In this case, the processing load state of user terminal 2 may refer to the utilization rate of each computing resource during the execution of user terminal 2's processing, or it may refer to the utilization rate of a specific computing resource. The computing resources of user terminal 2 refer to RAM and control unit 50, and if user terminal 2 is using a GPU (graphics processing unit), it refers to control unit 50, RAM, and GPU.

[0032] The user terminal notification unit 51 may use its access to the base station 4 of RAN3 to periodically notify the information processing device 10 of its own processing load status through the base station 4, or it may directly access the information processing device 10 to periodically notify the information processing device 10 of its own processing load status. Periodic notification means intermittent notification at predetermined time intervals, for example, every 3 seconds, every 5 seconds, etc. The user terminal notification unit 51 may also notify the information processing device 10 of its own processing load status along with other data transmitted to the information processing device 10.

[0033] (Hardware and Functional Configuration of Base Station 4) The hardware and functional configuration of base station 4 will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of base station 4 according to this embodiment. Base station 4 includes a control unit 40 for controlling each function of base station 4. Furthermore, if base station 4 is implemented under a virtualization infrastructure, that is, if it is built as software under a general-purpose server or cloud environment instead of being built with dedicated hardware, base station 4 is a type of information processing device and therefore may have the same hardware configuration as information processing device 10, and may include a communication unit, ROM, RAM, storage unit, control unit 40, input / output interface, input device, and output device. The control unit 40 of base station 4 corresponds to the control unit 15 of information processing device 10 and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), etc., and may be implemented by logic circuits or dedicated circuits formed by integrated circuits (IC (Integrated circuit) chips, LSI (Large-Scale Integration)), etc. As shown in Figure 4, the base station 4 is equipped with a base station notification unit 41 as a functional unit in the control unit 40 by executing a predetermined application software that has been installed in advance.

[0034] (Base Station Notification Unit 41) The base station notification unit 41 periodically notifies the information processing device 10 of the processing load status of its own base station 4. That is, the base station notification unit 41 periodically notifies the information processing device 10 of the processing load status of its own base station 4. The base station monitoring unit 26 (see Figure 5) of the information processing device 10, described later, monitors the processing load status of the base station 4 based on the processing load status notified by the base station notification unit 41.

[0035] The processing load state of base station 4 may also refer to the utilization rate of hardware resources when base station 4 is executing its processing. In this case, the processing load state of base station 4 may refer to the utilization rate of each hardware resource when base station 4 is executing its processing, or it may refer to the utilization rate of a specific hardware resource. Alternatively, the processing load state of base station 4 may also refer to the utilization rate of computing resources when base station 4 is executing its processing. In this case, the processing load state of base station 4 may refer to the utilization rate of each computing resource when base station 4 is executing its processing, or it may refer to the utilization rate of a specific computing resource. The computing resources of base station 4 refer to RAM and control unit 40, and if base station 4 is using a GPU (graphics processing unit), it refers to control unit 40, RAM, and GPU.

[0036] The base station notification unit 41 may periodically notify the information processing device 10 of its processing load status via the core network 6 and the internet 7, or it may directly access the information processing device 10 and periodically notify it of its processing load status. Periodic notification means intermittent notification at predetermined time intervals, for example, every 3 seconds, every 5 seconds, etc. The base station notification unit 41 may also notify the information processing device 10 of its processing load status along with other data transmitted to the information processing device 10.

[0037] (Regarding the functional configuration of the information processing device 10) Next, an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 10 will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0038] The information processing device 10, by executing an information processing program described later, has a control unit 15 equipped with functional units such as a storage control unit 24, an acquisition unit 25, a base station monitoring unit 26, a user terminal monitoring unit 27, an orchestrator 28, a transmission unit 29, and a processing result acquisition unit 30.

[0039] (Memory Control Unit 24) The memory control unit 24 stores information about the user terminal 2 in a predetermined memory unit regarding whether or not it is possible for the user terminal 2 to process the processing associated with the provision of mobile communication services that should be performed at the base station 4. The information about the user terminal 2 refers to information about the hardware resources or computing resources that the user terminal 2 possesses, and more specifically, it refers to information indicating the processing capacity based on the hardware resources or computing resources that the user terminal 2 possesses, and refers to the magnitude of the processing load that can be assigned to the user terminal 2 as an alternative. Note that the information about the user terminal 2 may also refer to a specific part or all of the hardware resources or computing resources that the user terminal 2 possesses. The predetermined memory unit may be the memory unit 14 of the information processing device 10, or it may be another storage device. The orchestrator 28, described later, selects a user terminal 2 to which part or all of the processing will be assigned and processed as an alternative based on the information about the user terminal 2. In other words, the orchestrator 28 selects a user terminal 2 to be assigned to perform some or all of the processing that would otherwise be performed at the base station 4, based on information indicating the processing capabilities based on the hardware resources or computing resources that the user terminal 2 possesses.

[0040] (Acquisition Unit 25) The acquisition unit 25 acquires processing associated with the provision of mobile communication services. That is, the acquisition unit 25 acquires processing associated with the provision of mobile communication services from the base station 4. Mobile communication services refer to the provision of artificial intelligence services, and the processing associated with the provision of mobile communication services may be the execution processing of application software that runs the artificial intelligence. Examples of the use of artificial intelligence include the use of LLM (Large Language Model) robots, monitoring and autonomous driving of vehicles, and monitoring and autonomous driving of automated equipment such as factories, as well as the use of artificial intelligence in adjusting the appropriate radio wave output, radio wave frequency band, and cell range of each base station 4 based on information such as the number of user terminals 2 connected to each base station 4, the communication environment within each base station 4, and weather, temperature, humidity, and human flow acquired from sensors installed at each base station 4. These artificial intelligences may be subjected to machine learning using past data as training data and may output predicted values ​​based on information obtained from sensors, etc. Furthermore, mobile communication services may refer to the provision of communication using the mobile communication network 1. In this case, the processing associated with the provision of mobile communication services may include advanced computer processing such as artificial intelligence that analyzes the communication status of RAN3 in order to provide stable communication to users, advanced computer processing that performs optimal control of base station 4 in response to the communication status of RAN3, advanced computer processing that implements security measures for RAN3, and processing associated with the execution of application software that realizes base station 4 built under the virtualization infrastructure of base station 4.

[0041] (Base Station Monitoring Unit 26) The base station monitoring unit 26 monitors the processing load status of the base station 4. That is, the base station monitoring unit 26 monitors the processing load status of the base station 4 based on the processing load status of the base station 4 notified by the base station notification unit 41 of the base station 4. The orchestrator 28, described later, when the processing load status of the base station 4 satisfies predetermined conditions, allocates some or all of the processing that would be allocated to the hardware resources of the base station 4 to the hardware resources of the user terminal 2 for processing. The predetermined conditions may be that the processing load status of the base station 4 is above a threshold. The processing load status of the base station 4 being above a threshold may mean a processing load status that exceeds the load on which the base station 4 can normally and stably perform processing, and the threshold may be used to determine whether the processing performed by the base station 4 deviates from a predetermined range. The threshold may be set by, for example, CPU usage rate (%), GPU usage rate (%), memory usage (GB) or memory usage rate (%), data transfer rate per unit time (data amount or number of packets), and data processing rate per unit time (data amount). In other words, if the processing load of base station 4 exceeds a threshold, the orchestrator 28 determines that the processing of base station 4 is strained, and allocates some or all of the processing that would normally be assigned to base station 4 to the user terminal 2 instead. The predetermined condition may also be that some kind of trouble, such as a failure or malfunction, has occurred or is likely to have occurred in base station 4. The orchestrator 28 may determine that some kind of trouble, such as a failure or malfunction, has occurred or is likely to have occurred in base station 4 based on the processing load status notified by the base station notification unit 41 of base station 4. Hardware resources may also refer to computing resources. In this case, if the processing load of base station 4 satisfies the predetermined condition, the orchestrator 28 may allocate some or all of the processing that would normally be assigned to the computing resources of base station 4 to the computing resources of the user terminal 2 instead.

[0042] (User Terminal Monitoring Unit 27) The user terminal monitoring unit 27 monitors the processing load status of the user terminal 2. Specifically, the user terminal monitoring unit 27 monitors the processing load status of the user terminal 2 based on the processing load status of the user terminal 2 notified by the user terminal notification unit 51 of the user terminal 2. The orchestrator 28, described later, when the processing load status of the user terminal 2 satisfies predetermined conditions, allocates some or all of the processing that would be allocated to the hardware resources of the base station 4 to the hardware resources of the user terminal 2 for processing. The predetermined conditions may be that the processing load status of the user terminal 2 is below a threshold. Specifically, when the processing load status of the user terminal 2 is below a threshold, the orchestrator 28 determines that there is processing capacity available for the user terminal 2 and allocates some or all of the processing that would be allocated to the base station 4 to the user terminal 2 for processing. The threshold is used to determine whether the user terminal 2 can substitute for the processing associated with the provision of mobile communication services that would be performed at the base station 4. A processing load state of user terminal 2 being below a threshold means that it is in a state where it can perform the processing associated with the provision of mobile communication services that would otherwise be performed at base station 4. Hardware resources may also refer to computing resources. In this case, if the processing load state of user terminal 2 satisfies predetermined conditions, orchestrator 28 may allocate some or all of the processing that would otherwise be allocated to the computing resources of base station 4 to the computing resources of user terminal 2 and have it perform the processing.

[0043] (Orchestrator 28) The orchestrator 28 allocates some or all of the processing that would be allocated to the hardware resources of the multiple base stations 4 constituting the wireless access network (RAN3) to the hardware resources of the user terminals 2 accessing the wireless access network (RAN3) and has them process the data. Hardware resources may also refer to computing resources. In this case, the orchestrator 28 allocates some or all of the processing that would be allocated to the computing resources of the multiple base stations 4 constituting the RAN3 to the computing resources of the user terminals 2 accessing the RAN3 and has them process the data. In addition to the above, the orchestrator 28 constantly monitors the device configuration of RAN3 and the usage status of the devices such as the base stations 4 constituting RAN3 in real time, and performs adjustments and automatic settings. Specifically, the orchestrator 28 constantly monitors the radio wave output status, radio wave frequency band, and the number of connected user terminals 2 for each base station 4 in real time, and dynamically allocates the radio wave output, radio wave frequency band, and cell range to the multiple base stations 4 according to the usage status of RAN3. This enables optimization of traffic volume and improvement of communication quality during peak times in RAN3. Furthermore, the orchestrator 28 automatically handles various configuration changes and fault responses for devices such as base stations 4 that constitute RAN3, thus preventing manpower shortages and human errors. In addition, the orchestrator 28 manages connections (handovers) between different base stations 4 when a user is moving, preventing communication interruptions. Moreover, if any abnormality occurs within RAN3, the orchestrator 28 detects the abnormality and reallocates hardware resources for devices such as base stations 4 that constitute RAN3, thereby improving the reliability and stability of RAN3.

[0044] (Transmitting Unit 29) The transmitting unit 29 acquires, from the base station 4, data required for alternative processing by the user terminal 2, and transmits the data to the user terminal 2. That is, the transmitting unit 29 acquires, from the base station 4 that should have been assigned the process, data required for alternative processing by the user terminal 2, and transmits the data to the user terminal 2. The transmitting unit 29 may transmit the data to the user terminal 2 via a base station 4 different from the base station 4 from which the data was acquired.

[0045] (Processing Result Acquisition Unit 30) The processing result acquisition unit 30 acquires the result of processing by the user terminal 2. That is, the processing result acquisition unit 33 acquires the result of processing that is alternatively allocated to the hardware resources of the user terminal 2. The processing result acquisition unit 33 may acquire the result of processing by the user terminal 2 using communication established between the user terminal 2 and the base station 4 when the user terminal 2 accesses the base station 4.

[0046] (Regarding Information Processing Method and Information Processing Program) Next, with reference to FIG. 6, an information processing program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described together with an information processing method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is an example of a flowchart of the information processing program according to the present embodiment. The information processing method according to the present embodiment is executed by the control unit 15 of the information processing apparatus 10 based on the information processing program according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the information processing program according to the present embodiment includes an acquisition step S25, an orchestrator step S28, and the like.

[0047] The information processing program according to the present embodiment causes the control unit 15 of the information processing apparatus 10 to implement various functions including an acquisition function and an orchestrator function. These functions are executed in the order shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6, but may also be executed with the order changed as appropriate. Since each function overlaps with the above description of various functional units of the information processing apparatus 10, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

[0048] The acquisition function acquires processing accompanying provision of a service related to mobile communication (S25: acquisition step).

[0049] The orchestrator function allocates some or all of the processing that would otherwise be assigned to the hardware resources of multiple base stations 4 constituting the wireless access network (RAN3) to the hardware resources of user terminals 2 accessing the wireless access network (RAN3) (S28: Orchestrator step).

[0050] (Regarding Information Processing Methods and Information Processing Programs According to Other Embodiments) Referring to Figure 7, information processing programs according to other embodiments will be described together with information processing methods according to other embodiments. Figure 7 is an example of a flowchart of an information processing program according to another embodiment. The flowchart of the information processing program according to another embodiment shown in Figure 7 differs from the flowchart of the information processing program shown in Figure 6 in that a storage control step S24, a base station monitoring step S26, a user terminal monitoring step S27, a transmission step S29, and a processing result acquisition step S30 are added. The information processing method according to another embodiment is executed by the control unit 15 of the information processing device 10 based on the information processing program according to another embodiment shown in Figure 7. The information processing program according to another embodiment shown in Figure 7 includes a storage control step S24, an acquisition step S25, a base station monitoring step S26, a user terminal monitoring step S27, an orchestrator step S28, a transmission step S29, and a processing result acquisition step S30, etc.

[0051] The information processing program according to the other embodiment shown in Figure 7 implements various functions in the control unit 15 of the information processing device 10, such as memory control, acquisition, base station monitoring, user terminal monitoring, orchestrator, transmission, and processing result acquisition. These functions are executed in the order shown in the flowchart of Figure 7, but the order can be changed as appropriate. Below, only the differences between the information processing method and information processing program according to the other embodiment shown in Figure 7 and the information processing program shown in Figure 6 will be described. Furthermore, since each function overlaps with the description of the various functional units of the information processing device 10 described above, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0052] The memory control function stores information about the user terminal 2 in a predetermined memory unit regarding whether or not it is possible for the user terminal 2 to process the processing related to the provision of mobile communication services that should be performed at the base station 4 (S24: memory control step).

[0053] The base station monitoring function monitors the processing load status of base station 4 (S26: base station monitoring step).

[0054] The user terminal monitoring function monitors the processing load status of user terminal 2 (S27: User terminal monitoring step).

[0055] The transmission function acquires data necessary for alternative processing by the user terminal 2 from the base station 4 and transmits it to the user terminal 2 (S29: transmission step).

[0056] The processing result acquisition function acquires the processing result from the user terminal 2 (S30: processing result acquisition step).

[0057] (Effects of the Information Processing Device 10 according to this embodiment) According to the Information Processing Device 10 according to this embodiment described above, some or all of the processing that would otherwise be allocated to the hardware resources of the multiple base stations 4 constituting the RAN 3 is instead allocated to the hardware resources of the user terminal 2 that accesses the RAN 3 and processed thereby. This makes effective use of the hardware resources of the user terminal 2, which reduces the need to increase the number of base stations 4 and servers 5, and consequently reduces the burden on the telecommunications carrier.

[0058] Furthermore, according to the information processing device 10 of this embodiment described above, the orchestrator 28 selects a user terminal 2 to which it will be assigned to perform some or all of the processing that would otherwise be performed at the base station 4, based on information about the user terminal 2. This avoids assigning processing that exceeds the processing capacity of the user terminal 2.

[0059] Furthermore, according to each aspect of this disclosure described above, the utilization of AI technology can improve communication quality and operational efficiency, and will serve as an innovative technological foundation in the telecommunications business, thereby contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9, "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation."

[0060] This disclosure is not limited to the information processing apparatus 10, information processing method, and information processing program according to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various other modifications or applications without departing from the gist of this disclosure as described in the claims.

[0061] Furthermore, although the above embodiment uses the term "data," the term "data" can be replaced with "information," and the term "information" can be replaced with "data."

[0062] 1 Mobile communication network 2 User terminal (UE) 2a User terminal 2b User terminal 2c User server 2d User server 3 Radio Access Network (RAN) 4 Base station 4a Base station A 4b Base station B 5 Server 6 Core network 6a UPF (User Plane Function) 7 Internet 10 Information processing device 11 Communication unit 12 ROM (Read Only Memory) 13 RAN (Random Access Memory) 14 Storage unit 15 Control unit 17 Input / Output interface 18 Input device 19 Output device 24 Storage control unit 25 Acquisition unit 26 Base station monitoring unit 27 User terminal monitoring unit 28 Orchestrator 29 Transmission unit 30 Processing result acquisition unit 40 Control unit 41 Base station notification unit 50 Control unit 51 User terminal notification unit

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires processing related to the provision of mobile communication services; and an orchestrator that, instead of all or part of the processing that would be allocated to the hardware resources of multiple base stations constituting a wireless access network, allocates and processes some or all of the processing to the hardware resources of a user terminal accessing the wireless access network.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the service is the provision of use of artificial intelligence, and the process is the execution process of application software that operates the artificial intelligence.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a base station monitoring unit for monitoring the processing load status of the base station, wherein the orchestrator, when the processing load status of the base station satisfies predetermined conditions, alternatively allocates part or all of the processing that would otherwise be allocated to the hardware resources of the base station to the hardware resources of the user terminal for processing.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the predetermined condition is that the processing load state of the base station is equal to or greater than a threshold.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a user terminal monitoring unit for monitoring the processing load status of the user terminal, wherein the orchestrator, when the processing load status of the user terminal satisfies predetermined conditions, alternatively allocates part or all of the processing that would otherwise be allocated to the base station's hardware resources to the user terminal's hardware resources for processing.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the predetermined condition is that the processing load state of the user terminal is below a threshold.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit that acquires data necessary for alternative processing by the user terminal from the base station and transmits it to the user terminal.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage control unit which stores in a predetermined storage unit information about a user terminal regarding whether or not it is possible for the user terminal to perform processing related to the provision of mobile communication services that should be performed at the base station, wherein the orchestrator selects a user terminal to be assigned to perform part or all of the processing on its behalf based on the information about the user terminal.

9. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the base station includes a base station notification unit that periodically notifies the information processing device of its own processing load status, and the base station monitoring unit monitors the processing load status of the base station based on the processing load status notified by the base station notification unit.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the user terminal includes a user terminal notification unit that periodically notifies the information processing apparatus of the processing load status of the user terminal, and the user terminal monitoring unit monitors the processing load status of the user terminal based on the processing load status notified by the user terminal notification unit.

11. An information processing method comprising: an acquisition step in which a computer acquires processing related to the provision of mobile communication services; and an orchestrator step in which a part or all of the processing that would otherwise be allocated to the hardware resources of multiple base stations constituting a wireless access network is instead allocated to the hardware resources of a user terminal accessing the wireless access network and processed by the computer.

12. An information processing program that enables a computer to implement an acquisition function for acquiring processing related to the provision of mobile communication services, and an orchestrator function for alternatively allocating some or all of the processing that would otherwise be allocated to the hardware resources of multiple base stations constituting a wireless access network to the hardware resources of user terminals accessing the wireless access network.

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