Wireless network design support device and wireless network design support program

Abstract

A wireless network design support device according to one embodiment comprises an input unit, an acquisition unit, an information processing unit, and a display control unit. The input unit acquires: environment setting information which is information relating to an environment in which a wireless network is used; and design requirement information which includes a use purpose of the wireless network and indicates design requirements of the wireless network. The acquisition unit provides the environment setting information to a design tool, and acquires radio wave prediction information generated by the design tool on the basis of the environment setting information and indicating a reception power level of each evaluation point set in an environment diagram corresponding to the environment. The information processing unit calculates a target quality from the design requirement information. The display control unit displays the radio wave prediction information on the environment diagram with reference to the target quality.

Description

Wireless network design support apparatus and wireless network design support program

[0001] The present invention relates to technology for supporting the design and operation of wireless networks.

[0002] With the advancement of wireless systems such as L5G (local 5th generation mobile communication system), public 5G, LTE (long-term evolution) (registered trademark), 6G (6th generation mobile communication system), IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN (hereinafter referred to as Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), WiGig, and HaLow, demand for designing wireless networks is increasing.

[0003] Several tools for propagation estimation in wireless networks have conventionally existed. All of these tools require advanced knowledge. For example, a user needs to input detailed parameters of the wireless network. Therefore, in order to design a wireless network using such tools, the user needs to undergo a great deal of training.

[0004] Ranplan, [online], [retrieved January 15, 2025], Internet <URL: https: / / www.ranplanwireless.com / gb / > NetAlly AirMagnet Survey PRO, [online], [retrieved January 15, 2025], Internet <URL: https: / / www.ntt-at.co.jp / product / netally_airmagnet_survey_pro / >

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide technology that enables design of a wireless network without advanced knowledge.

[0006] A wireless network design support device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises an input unit, an acquisition unit, an information processing unit, and a display control unit. The input unit acquires environment setting information, which is information about the environment in which the wireless network is used, and design requirements information, which indicates the design requirements of the wireless network, including the intended use of the wireless network. The acquisition unit provides the environment setting information to a design tool and acquires radio wave prediction information from the design tool, which indicates the received power level of each evaluation point set in an environmental diagram corresponding to the environment, generated by the design tool based on the environment setting information. The information processing unit calculates the target quality from the design requirements information. The display control unit displays the radio wave prediction information on the environmental diagram based on the target quality.

[0007] According to the present invention, a technology is provided that enables the design of wireless networks without requiring advanced knowledge.

[0008] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless network design system according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a wireless network design system according to an embodiment. Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a client according to an embodiment. Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a client according to an embodiment. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a method for setting environment setting information according to an embodiment. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a method for setting environment setting information according to an embodiment. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a method for setting environment setting information according to an embodiment. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a method for setting environment setting information according to an embodiment. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating a method for setting environment setting information according to an embodiment. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating a method for setting environment setting information according to an embodiment. Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating a method for setting environment setting information according to an embodiment. Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating a method for setting environment setting information according to an embodiment. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating a method for setting design requirements information according to an embodiment. Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating a Wi-Fi throughput table according to an embodiment. Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating an L5G throughput table according to an embodiment. Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating a screen displaying propagation estimation results according to an embodiment. Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating a screen displaying station design results according to an embodiment. Figure 18 is a diagram showing a screen displaying the site design results according to the embodiment. Figure 19 is a diagram showing a screen displaying the site design results according to the embodiment. Figure 20 is a diagram illustrating the method for setting design requirements according to the embodiment. Figure 21 is a diagram showing a method for determining the received power level of an evaluation point using measurement data according to the embodiment. Figure 22 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a support tool according to the embodiment.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 schematically shows a wireless network design system 30 including a wireless network design support device according to one embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the wireless network design system 30 comprises a client 10 and a server 20. The client 10 may be a computer such as a personal computer (PC). The client 10 communicates with the server 20 via a communication network, which may include the Internet, for example.

[0011] Server 20 includes a design tool 21 that performs various processes related to wireless network design, including propagation estimation and base station placement design in a wireless network. Propagation estimation refers to the process of estimating the propagation characteristics of radio waves. Base station placement design refers to the process of designing the placement of base stations. Base station placement design includes propagation estimation as part of the process. Base station placement includes the position and orientation of the base station (specifically, the base station antenna). The position may be a three-dimensional position. For example, the position may include latitude, longitude, and height. The design tool 21 is implemented by the CPU (central processing unit) of Server 20 executing a software program. The design tool 21 can be any design tool that can perform propagation estimation and / or base station placement design. For example, an existing design tool such as Cradio® can be used as the design tool 21. For this reason, a detailed explanation of the design tool 21 is omitted.

[0012] Client 10 is equipped with a support tool 11 that assists in wireless network design using the design tool 21. The support tool 11 provides a GUI (graphical user interface) for wireless network design. The support tool 11 is implemented by the CPU of client 10 executing a software program. The support tool 11 communicates with the design tool 21 through an external API (application programming interface).

[0013] As shown in Figure 2, the design tool 21 and the support tool 11 may be installed on the same computer and communicate with each other via an internal API. The computer on which the support tool 11 is implemented corresponds to the wireless network design support device. In the example shown in Figure 1, the client 10 corresponds to the wireless network design support device.

[0014] Figure 3 schematically shows an example of the functional configuration of client 10. As shown in Figure 3, in addition to the support tool 11, client 10 includes an operation unit 12, a display unit 13, and a communication unit 14.

[0015] The operation unit 12 accepts user input. For example, the operation unit 12 may include input devices such as a keyboard or mouse. The display unit 13 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display device. The communication unit 14 communicates with external devices such as a server 20 via a communication network. The communication unit 14 is used for data exchange between the support tool 11 and the design tool 21 of the server 20. For example, the communication unit 14 transmits information used for propagation estimation to the design tool 21 and receives the results of propagation estimation from the design tool 21. The communication unit 14 transmits information used for site placement design to the design tool 21 and receives the results of site placement design from the design tool 21.

[0016] The support tool 11 comprises an input unit 111, an information processing unit 112, an API communication unit 113, a display control unit 114, and a storage unit 115.

[0017] The API communication unit 113 communicates with the design tool 21 of the server 20 via an external API. The API communication unit 113 functions as an acquisition unit that provides information such as information used for propagation estimation to the design tool 21 of the server 20 and acquires information such as propagation estimation results from the design tool 21. Furthermore, the API communication unit 113 functions as an instruction unit that instructs the design tool 21 to execute specific processes. The display control unit 114 controls the content (image) displayed on the display unit 13. For example, the display control unit 114 displays the GUI on the display unit 13 and changes the display content of the GUI in response to user operation. The storage unit 115 stores various data such as a configuration file and a list of available base stations. The configuration file holds setting values ​​(various parameters) used in wireless network design, such as a margin for the received power level (also simply called the received level) used in calculating the target quality described later. The configuration file can be edited by the user. The list may include information indicating the model name, cost, wireless system, and installation target for various base stations. The list may be provided by the design tool 21.

[0018] The input unit 111 receives information entered by the user. For example, the input unit 111 obtains from the user environmental setting information, which is information about the environment in which the wireless network will be used (e.g., a building and / or area), and design requirements information, which indicates the design requirements for the wireless network. The environmental setting information includes environmental information indicating the environment in which the wireless network will be used, and propagation estimation conditions, which are the conditions used for propagation estimation. The environment in which the wireless network will be used may indicate the environment in which the wireless network is to be installed or introduced. The environmental information includes CAD (computer-aided design) data of the environment. Alternatively, the environmental information may include measurement data obtained by actually measuring the environment. The design requirements information includes information indicating the intended use of the wireless network, the number of simultaneous users, the minimum number of base stations, and the bandwidth for each available wireless system. The number of simultaneous users indicates the number of terminals that are expected to use the wireless network simultaneously. The minimum number of base stations indicates the lower limit of the number of base stations. Examples of wireless systems include Wi-Fi, public 5G, LTE, 6G, WiGig, and HaLowL 5G.

[0019] The information processing unit 112 calculates the target quality based on the design requirements information acquired by the input unit 111. The target quality indicates the quality that should be guaranteed for user equipment (UE), such as wireless terminals. The quality may be a received power level such as received signal strength indicator (RSSI), reference signal received power (RSRP), or signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). In the example where the quality is a received power level, the target quality is the target value of the received power level. In site design, notification information including the target quality calculated by the information processing unit 112 is transmitted to the design tool 21 by the API communication unit 113. The notification information further includes at least a part of the design requirements information, for example, the minimum number of base stations and the bandwidth for each wireless system.

[0020] In the example described here, the user inputs design requirements information, and the information processing unit 112 calculates the target quality from the input design requirements information. Alternatively, the user can input the target quality. If the user inputs design requirements information, the target quality calculated from the input design requirements information will be used in the process described later. If the user manually inputs the target quality, the input target quality will be used in the process described later.

[0021] The design tool 21 of the server 20 receives information from the support tool 11 and performs various processes based on the received information. For example, the design tool 21 generates radio wave prediction information by performing propagation estimation based on the environment setting information received from the support tool 11. The radio wave prediction information includes estimated values ​​of the received power levels at multiple locations (evaluation points described later). The design tool 21 also generates one or more base station placement patterns by performing base station design based on the environment setting information and notification information received from the support tool 11. The base station placement pattern may include the arrangement and model names of each base station constituting the base station placement pattern, radio wave prediction information, and KPIs (key performance indicators). Examples of KPIs include cost, RSSI, RSRP, and SINR. The cost may be the sum of the equipment costs. For example, in a base station placement pattern using four base stations costing 1 million yen each, the cost would be 4 million yen.

[0022] The API communication unit 113 receives wireless network design information, including radio wave forecast information, from the design tool 21. The display control unit 114 generates an image based on the radio wave forecast information received by the API communication unit 113 and displays the generated image on the display unit 13. The API communication unit 113 receives wireless network design information, including one or more station placement patterns, from the design tool 21. As an example, the display control unit 114 can display a graph comparing KPIs between station placement patterns.

[0023] Furthermore, some of the processes described as being performed by the support tool 11 may be performed by the design tool 21. Also, some of the processes described as being performed by the design tool 21 may be performed by the support tool 11. For example, cost calculation may be performed by the support tool 11 instead of the design tool 21.

[0024] Figure 4 schematically shows an example of the hardware configuration of client 10. As shown in Figure 4, client 10 includes a CPU 151, RAM (random access memory) 152, a storage device 153, an input device 154, a display device 155, and a communication device 156 as hardware components.

[0025] The CPU 151 is an example of a hardware processor capable of executing various programs. The RAM 152 is volatile memory and is used as the CPU 151's workspace. The storage device 153 is non-volatile memory such as an HDD (hard disk drive) or SSD (solid state drive) and stores programs and data. The support tool 11 is implemented by the CPU 151 executing programs stored in the storage device 153. In other words, the CPU 151 is configured to function as the support tool 11.

[0026] The input device 154 allows the user to operate the client 10. The input device 154 includes, for example, a keyboard and a mouse. The display device 155 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The communication device 156 is configured to communicate with an external device. The communication device 156 includes a wired communication module and / or a wireless communication module.

[0027] Note that the hardware configuration shown in Figure 4 is illustrative, and the client 10 may have a different hardware configuration than that shown in Figure 4.

[0028] The program may be provided to the client 10 in a state where it is stored on a computer-readable recording medium. In this case, the computer has a drive to read data from the recording medium and retrieves the program from the recording medium. Examples of recording media include magnetic disks, optical disks (CD-ROM, CD-R, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, etc.), magneto-optical disks (MO, etc.), and semiconductor memory. The program may also be distributed via a communication network. Specifically, the program may be stored on a server on the communication network, and the client 10 may download the program from the server.

[0029] Referring to Figures 5 through 12, an example of the procedure for entering environment settings information will be explained.

[0030] When a user starts the support tool 11, the display control unit 114 displays the GUI screen 400 (Figure 5). When the user clicks the file selection tab 401 displayed on screen 400, the display control unit 114 displays a dialog box 421 for selecting a file (e.g., CAD data) corresponding to environmental information indicating an environment using a wireless network, as shown in Figure 6. When a file is selected, the display control unit 114 displays an environmental diagram corresponding to the selected file, as shown in Figure 7. The environmental diagram may be a schematic diagram of the environment generated from the environmental information. For example, the API communication unit 113 transmits CAD data acquired by the input unit 111 to the design tool 21, and the design tool 21 receives the CAD data. The design tool 21 generates an environmental diagram from the received CAD data and transmits the generated environmental diagram to the support tool 11. In an example where the environment is a building, a tab 411 for switching the floor (number of floors) to display is displayed, as shown in Figure 8. It is possible to select not only a form that displays one floor, but also a form that displays all floors.

[0031] When the user clicks the "Add Base Station" tab 402 on screen 400, the display control unit 114 displays a dialog box 422 for selecting the base station model (type), as shown in Figure 9. The user selects one or more types to be used in the wireless network. The name of the selected base station model is displayed in the display area 403. The user can place the base stations displayed in the display area 403 onto the environment diagram. The user can also specify a range on the environment diagram and delete all base stations within that range at once.

[0032] The display control unit 114 can also display the antenna patterns of the base stations registered in the list as a graph so that they can be visually confirmed. For example, the graph may include the antenna pattern in the horizontal direction (H) and the antenna pattern in the vertical direction (V). Basic information of the base station, including the antenna pattern, may be stored in the storage unit 115.

[0033] Furthermore, when using a coupler (antenna splitter), the user sets the number of branches. During propagation estimation, the antenna output is attenuated according to the number of branches. For example, if the antenna output is 23 dBm and the number of branches is 2, the antenna output is corrected to 20 dBm. If the antenna output is 23 dBm and the number of branches is 3, the antenna output is corrected to 17 dBm.

[0034] When a user clicks the batch placement tab 404 on screen 400, the display control unit 114 displays a dialog box 423 for batch placement of evaluation points, as shown in Figure 10. Evaluation points indicate the locations to be evaluated for the received power level. Multiple placement patterns for evaluation points are available, and it is possible to select one of these patterns. Furthermore, the height of the evaluation points and the distance between two adjacent evaluation points can be specified. Evaluation points are placed according to the user's operation on the dialog box 423. In the example shown in Figure 10, there are two placement patterns: polygonal placement and full-range placement. When polygonal placement is selected, it becomes possible to set an evaluation target area for the environment displayed on screen 400. Once the evaluation target area is set, evaluation points are uniformly placed within the evaluation target area. In Figure 10, the evaluation target area is indicated by reference numeral 450, and circles represent evaluation points. The placement of evaluation points can be edited by the user. For example, any of the displayed evaluation points can be deleted. For example, as shown in Figure 11, the user can specify a range 451 and delete all evaluation points within the range 451 at once. Additionally, evaluation points can be added inside or outside the evaluation area.

[0035] In addition, users can manually place individual evaluation points instead of using the bulk placement method described above. For example, if a user clicks the individual placement tab 405 on screen 400, they will be able to individually place evaluation points on the environment diagram displayed on screen 400.

[0036] When the user clicks the propagation estimation settings tab 406, the display control unit 114 displays a dialog box 424 for setting propagation estimation conditions, as shown in Figure 12. In the example shown in Figure 12, the user sets the usage environment, environment details, and implementation level as propagation estimation conditions. Specifically, the dialog box 424 is configured so that the user can select one of "indoors," "outdoors," and "indoors and outdoors" as the usage environment. When "indoors" is selected as the usage environment, the dialog box 424 is configured so that the user can select one of "office" and "factory" as the environment details. When "outdoors" or "indoors and outdoors" is selected as the usage environment, the dialog box 424 is configured so that the user can select one of "urban area," "residential area," "suburban area," and "forested area." When "urban area" is selected, the dialog box 424 is configured so that the user can select one of "rooftop" and "street" as the antenna installation height. Also, when "residential area" or "suburban area" is selected, the antenna installation height is set to "rooftop." Furthermore, the dialog box 424 is configured to allow the user to select one of the following implementation levels: "Simplified Estimation," "Detailed Estimation," "Simplified Estimation (Measurement Correction)," and "Detailed Estimation (Measurement Correction)." Detailed estimation is an implementation level that performs propagation estimation using a method with higher estimation accuracy than simplified estimation. Specifically, detailed estimation performs propagation estimation that takes noise power into account.

[0037] Note that the operating environment and / or environmental details may be identifiable from the environment information. In such cases, user configuration of the operating environment and / or environmental details is not required.

[0038] Referring to Figure 13, an example of the procedure for entering design requirements information will be explained.

[0039] When a user clicks the design requirements setting tab 407 on screen 400, the display control unit 114 displays a dialog box 425 for setting design requirements, as shown in Figure 13. In the example shown in Figure 13, the dialog box 425 is configured for the user to input the main use of the wireless network, the number of simultaneous users, the minimum number of base stations, the maximum number of base stations, the Wi-Fi bandwidth, and the L5G bandwidth. The maximum number of base stations indicates the upper limit of the number of base stations. In this example, the dialog box 425 is configured so that the user selects one of several options for the main use of the wireless network. The multiple types of main use available as options are associated with a value representing UE throughput. UE throughput indicates throughput per evaluation point. For example, five types of main use are available: "high-definition video viewing," "standard-definition video viewing," "voice communication," "web browsing," and "IoT communication," each associated with UE throughput as shown below. • High-definition video viewing: 50 Mbps • Standard-definition video viewing: 25 Mbps • Voice communication: 10 Mbps • Web browsing: 5 Mbps • IoT communication: 2 Mbps

[0040] In the example shown in Figure 13, the dialog box 425 is configured for the user to set the bandwidth for each of the two wireless systems, Wi-Fi and L5G. In other examples, the dialog box 425 may be configured for the user to select one or more wireless systems from a group of wireless systems and set the bandwidth for each of the selected wireless systems.

[0041] Next, we will explain one example of a method for calculating target quality.

[0042] The information processing unit 112 calculates the target quality based on the design requirements information entered by the user through the dialog box 425 shown in Figure 13. Specifically, the information processing unit 112 calculates the target quality for each wireless system from information indicating the intended use of the wireless network, the number of simultaneous users, the minimum number of base stations, and the bandwidth for each wireless system.

[0043] For the target quality when the wireless system is Wi-Fi, the information processing unit 112 calculates the total throughput from the input information indicating the usage application of the wireless network and the input number of simultaneous users. Specifically, the information processing unit 112 obtains, as the total throughput, a value obtained by multiplying the UE throughput associated with the main usage application selected by the user by the input number of simultaneous users. Subsequently, the information processing unit 112 calculates the base station throughput from the input minimum number of base stations and the calculated total throughput. The base station throughput indicates the throughput per base station. For example, the information processing unit 112 obtains, as the base station throughput, a value obtained by dividing the calculated total throughput by the input minimum number of base stations.

[0044] Subsequently, the information processing unit 112 calculates the minimum reception level from the calculated base station throughput and the input bandwidth. For example, the storage unit 115 stores a throughput table for Wi-Fi as shown in FIG. 14, and the information processing unit 112 uses this throughput table to determine the minimum reception level. The throughput table includes, for each bandwidth, information indicating the throughput obtained at each reception level. The information processing unit 112 identifies, from the throughput table, a reception level at which a throughput equal to or higher than the calculated base station throughput can be obtained for the input bandwidth, and obtains the identified reception level as the minimum reception level.

[0045] Subsequently, the information processing unit 112 calculates the target quality from the calculated minimum reception level and a preset margin for Wi-Fi. For example, the information processing unit 112 obtains a value obtained by adding the calculated minimum reception level and the margin as the target quality.

[0046] For example, assume that the usage is "normal quality video viewing", the number of simultaneous users is 10, the minimum number of base stations is 3, the Wi-Fi bandwidth is 20 MHz, and the margin is 7 dB. Since the usage is "normal quality video viewing", the UE throughput is 25 Mbps. Therefore, the total throughput is obtained as 250 Mbps (=25×10). Then, the throughput per base station is obtained as 83.3 Mbps (≈250 / 3). Referring to the throughput table shown in FIG. 14, the reception level at which a throughput of 83.3 Mbps or more can be obtained in a 20 MHz bandwidth is identified as -75 dBm. Finally, the target quality is obtained as -68 dBm (=-75+7).

[0047] The target quality when the wireless system is L5G can be calculated by the same method as described above for the case where the wireless system is Wi-Fi. The storage unit 115 stores a throughput table for L5G as shown in FIG. 15, and the information processing unit 112 uses this throughput table to calculate the target quality when the wireless system is L5G.

[0048] For example, the information processing unit 112 obtains, as the total throughput, a value obtained by multiplying the UE throughput associated with the main usage selected by the user by the input number of simultaneous users. The information processing unit 112 obtains, as the base station throughput, a value obtained by dividing the calculated total throughput by the input minimum number of base stations. From the throughput table, the information processing unit 112 identifies the reception level at which a throughput equal to or higher than the calculated base station throughput can be obtained in the input bandwidth, and obtains the identified reception level as the minimum reception level. Subsequently, the information processing unit 112 obtains, as the target quality, a value obtained by adding the calculated minimum reception level and a preset margin for L5G.

[0049] Further, the information processing unit 112 calculates noise power based on the input bandwidth. The noise power is used for the calculation of SINR in the design tool 21. For example, the information processing unit 112 may calculate the noise power according to the following formula. NP = -174 + 10 × log 10(BW × NCC) + NF Here, NP is the noise power, BW is the bandwidth of the input L5G, NCC is the number of component carriers, and NF is the noise figure. In one example, NCC = 3 and NF = 5. The number of component carriers NCC and the noise figure NF are stored in the configuration file. The number of component carriers NCC and the noise figure NF are editable.

[0050] For example, suppose the intended use is "viewing standard-definition video," the number of simultaneous users is 10, the minimum number of base stations is 1, the L5G bandwidth is 100 MHz, and the margin is 7 dB. Since the intended use is "viewing standard-definition video," the throughput per evaluation point is 25 Mbps. Therefore, the total throughput is calculated to be 250 Mbps (= 25 × 10). The base station throughput is then calculated to be 250 Mbps (= 250 / 1). Referring to the throughput table shown in Figure 15, it is determined that the reception level at which a throughput of 250 Mbps or more can be obtained with a bandwidth of 100 MHz is -72 dBm. Finally, the target quality is calculated to be -65 dBm (= -72 + 7).

[0051] Furthermore, if the L5G bandwidth is 100 MHz, the number of component carriers is 3, and the noise figure is 5, the noise power can be calculated to be 84.2288 dBm.

[0052] For wireless systems other than Wi-Fi and L5G, the target quality can be calculated using the same method as described above for Wi-Fi and L5G.

[0053] Next, we will explain an example of the procedure for performing propagation estimation using the support tool 11.

[0054] The input unit 111 acquires environment setting information. For example, the input unit 111 acquires CAD data for an environment using a wireless network. The display control unit 114 displays an environment diagram generated based on the CAD data acquired by the input unit 111. The information processing unit 112 generates evaluation point information indicating the location of each evaluation point set in the environment diagram. The information processing unit 112 may generate evaluation point information based on user input as described above with reference to Figure 10, or it may generate evaluation point information according to predetermined rules, such as rules for placing evaluation points throughout the entire environment diagram.

[0055] The input unit 111 acquires base station information, which is information about base stations. For example, base station information is information about base stations to be installed in the environment, and the input unit 111 acquires information such as the model name and placement for each base station as base station information. For example, the user selects one of the base stations displayed in the display area 403 and then sets the location of the selected base station by clicking on a location on the environment diagram. If the environment information includes location information indicating the location of a power source, the range in which base stations can be placed may be restricted based on the location of the power source. Specifically, base stations may be placed within a predetermined distance from the power source. The support tool 11 may read the location of the power source from CAD data using AI (artificial intelligence) or the like.

[0056] Furthermore, the input unit 111 acquires propagation estimation conditions, for example, as described above with reference to Figure 12. The input unit 111 also acquires design requirements information, for example, as described above with reference to Figure 13. Then, the information processing unit 112 calculates the target quality from the design requirements information acquired by the input unit 111.

[0057] When the propagation estimation execution tab 408, as shown in Figure 7, is clicked, the API communication unit 113 instructs the design tool 21 to perform propagation estimation. The API communication unit 113 may send environment setting information, evaluation point information, base station information, and propagation estimation conditions to the design tool 21 before the propagation estimation execution tab 408 is clicked, or it may send environment setting information, evaluation point information, base station information, and propagation estimation conditions to the design tool 21 after the propagation estimation execution tab 408 is clicked. In response to the instruction from the support tool 11, the design tool 21 performs propagation estimation based on the environment setting information, evaluation point information, base station information, and propagation estimation conditions and generates radio wave prediction information. The API communication unit 113 receives the radio wave prediction information from the design tool 21.

[0058] When the display control unit 114 acquires radio wave forecast information, it displays the propagation estimation results tab 412 (Figure 16). When the propagation estimation results tab 412 is clicked, the display control unit 114 displays the radio wave forecast information on the environment diagram based on the target quality calculated by the information processing unit 112, as shown in Figure 16. In Figure 16, triangular icons represent base stations, and circular icons represent evaluation points. For example, the display control unit 114 displays the wireless environment corresponding to the radio wave forecast information by assigning a color to each evaluation point according to the value obtained by subtracting the target quality from the estimated value of the received power level at each evaluation point. In the example shown in Figure 16, the larger the value obtained by subtracting the target quality from the estimated value of the received power level at an evaluation point, the lighter the gray color the evaluation point is displayed in.

[0059] If the radio wave forecast information includes evaluation points where the estimated received power level falls below the target quality, the API communication unit 113 may instruct the design tool 21 to generate a base station placement pattern that includes additional base stations. This allows the user to be offered a high-quality base station placement pattern.

[0060] Next, we will explain an example of the procedure for performing site location design using support tool 11.

[0061] The input unit 111 acquires environment setting information. For example, the input unit 111 acquires CAD data for an environment in which a wireless network will be introduced. The display control unit 114 displays an environment diagram generated based on the CAD data acquired by the input unit 111. The information processing unit 112 generates evaluation point information indicating the location of each evaluation point set in the environment diagram.

[0062] The input unit 111 acquires base station information indicating the models of base stations usable in the wireless network, for example, as described above with reference to Figure 9. The input unit 111 acquires propagation estimation conditions, for example, as described above with reference to Figure 12. The input unit 111 acquires design requirements information, for example, as described above with reference to Figure 13. The information processing unit 112 calculates the target quality from the design requirements information acquired by the input unit 111.

[0063] When the site placement design execution tab 409, as shown in Figure 7, is clicked, the API communication unit 113 instructs the design tool 21 to execute the site placement design. The API communication unit 113 may send some of the environment setting information, evaluation point information, base station information, propagation estimation conditions, target quality, and design requirements information to the design tool 21 before the site placement design execution tab 409 is clicked, or it may send some of the environment setting information, evaluation point information, base station information, propagation estimation conditions, target quality, and design requirements information to the design tool 21 after the site placement design execution tab 409 is clicked. In response to instructions from the support tool 11, the design tool 21 performs site placement design based on some of the environment setting information, evaluation point information, base station information, propagation estimation conditions, target quality, and design requirements information, thereby generating one or more site placement patterns for each wireless system. For example, the design tool 21 generates site placement patterns that satisfy conditions such as the minimum number of base stations, the maximum number of base stations, and the base station model, while increasing the number of evaluation points where the received level exceeds the target quality. For example, the design tool 21 generates a base station placement pattern in which the percentage of evaluation points where the received level exceeds the target quality is higher than a predetermined value (e.g., 90%). The predetermined value may be set by the user. Setting the predetermined value to 100% corresponds to generating a base station placement pattern in which the estimated received power level exceeds the target quality at all evaluation points. The base station placement pattern may include the model name and placement of each base station, radio wave forecast information, cost, and achievement rate. The achievement rate represents the percentage of evaluation points where the received level exceeds the target quality.

[0064] The display control unit 114 acquires wireless environment information, including multiple location patterns, from the design tool 21 via the API communication unit 113. For example, the wireless environment information includes one or more location patterns related to Wi-Fi and one or more location patterns related to L5G.

[0065] When the display control unit 114 acquires wireless environment information, it displays the base station design results tab 413 as shown in Figure 17. When the base station design results tab 413 is clicked, the display control unit 114 displays the wireless environment information. For example, the display control unit 114 displays the radio wave forecast information included in one base station pattern on the environment diagram, using the target quality calculated by the information processing unit 112 as a reference. For example, when displaying the radio wave forecast information included in a base station pattern related to Wi-Fi on the environment diagram, the target quality calculated for Wi-Fi is used as the reference, and when displaying the radio wave forecast information included in a base station pattern related to L5G on the environment diagram, the target quality calculated for L5G is used as the reference. The base station pattern to be displayed can be changed using the drop-down list 410. In Figure 17, the triangular icons indicate the location of the base station. The difference between the received power level and the target quality at each evaluation point is shown in different colors.

[0066] The triangular icon indicating the base station location may be displayed oriented to match the antenna orientation, as shown in Figure 18. This allows for visual confirmation of the antenna orientation. Furthermore, the display control unit 114 displays a summary of the base station placement pattern, for example, in response to user operation. The summary includes the maximum, minimum, and median reception levels, total cost, achievement rate, and information about each base station.

[0067] The display control unit 114 can display graphs comparing station placement patterns, as shown in Figure 19. For example, the display control unit 114 can display graphs comparing costs between station placement patterns, graphs comparing RSSI between station placement patterns, graphs comparing RSRP between station placement patterns, and graphs comparing SINR between station placement patterns. Comparisons may be performed between station placement patterns relating to the same wireless system. For example, the three station placement patterns (station placement patterns 1 to 3) shown in Figure 19 relate to Wi-Fi. Comparisons may also be performed between station placement patterns relating to different wireless systems. For example, in Figure 19, station placement patterns 1 and 2 are station placement patterns relating to Wi-Fi, and station placement pattern 3 relates to L5G. A cumulative distribution function (CDF) of KPIs may be used to compare KPIs between station placement patterns. Graphs can be saved and output in CSV format.

[0068] It may not be possible to generate a base station placement pattern that satisfies the condition of the maximum number of base stations and has an achievement rate exceeding a predetermined value. In such cases, the support tool 11 may instruct the design tool 21 to perform base station placement design with a number of base stations exceeding the maximum number of base stations. For example, suppose the maximum number of base stations is set to 8. If it is not possible to generate a base station placement pattern with 8 base stations and an achievement rate exceeding a predetermined value, the support tool 11 may instruct the design tool 21 to generate a base station placement pattern that includes 9 base stations. This makes it possible to propose a high-quality base station placement pattern to the user.

[0069] Environmental information may include information indicating the location of the power source. In this case, the design tool 21 may determine the location of the base station based on the location of the power source during site placement design. For example, the design tool 21 can narrow down the list of base station candidates located within a predetermined distance from the power source, and then use the narrowed-down list of base station candidates to determine the location of the base station, thereby enabling site placement design so that the base station is located within a predetermined distance from the power source.

[0070] In the example described above, uniform conditions are set for the environment in which the wireless network is introduced. As shown in Figure 20, it is also possible to divide the environment into multiple areas 431, 432, and 433 and set different conditions for each divided area 431, 432, and 433. For example, the usage for divided area 431 could be set to "normal quality video viewing," the usage for divided area 432 could be set to "voice communication," and the usage for divided area 433 could be set to "web browsing." This makes it possible to design the station placement for each area.

[0071] The support tool 11 can be used not only when introducing a new wireless network, but also when adding base stations to an existing wireless network.

[0072] In cases where base stations are added to an existing wireless network, information about the base stations constituting the existing wireless network is input into the support tool 11. This information includes the model name and placement of each base station. The minimum and maximum number of base stations input as design requirements may be the lower and upper limits for the number of base stations to be added to the existing wireless network, or they may be the lower and upper limits for the sum of the number of base stations included in the existing wireless network and the number of base stations to be added to the existing wireless network. The support tool 11 calculates the target quality based on the input design requirements in the same manner as described above. The support tool 11 uses the design tool 21 to generate a placement pattern in which the percentage of evaluation points where the received power level exceeds the target quality is higher than a predetermined value, and displays the placement pattern. In this case, the placement pattern includes information about the placement of the base stations to be added, radio wave forecast information after the base station addition, and the cost required for the base station addition. If there is measurement data of the received power level (e.g., RSSI) measured at one or more locations, the measurement data may be input into the support tool 11. When measurement data is input, the received power level of evaluation points close to the location where the measurement data is obtained is determined using the measurement data. For example, the RSSI value of the closest measurement point (nearest neighbor) within the range centered on the evaluation point is considered as the RSSI value of the evaluation point. If there are multiple nearest neighbors, the smallest RSSI value is adopted. In the example shown in Figure 21, there are eight locations where RSSI measurements are obtained. Measurement points P1 and P2 are included in a circle with a radius of 5m centered on evaluation point UE-a, and measurement point P1 is the closest to evaluation point UE-a. Therefore, the RSSI value of measurement point P1 is adopted as the RSSI value of evaluation point UE-a. There are no measurement points within a circle with a radius of 5m centered on evaluation point UE-b. For this reason, there is no measurement value for evaluation point UE-b. It is confirmed whether the RSSI value of each evaluation point meets the target quality, and the confirmation results are used for site design.

[0073] Figure 22 schematically shows an example of the operation of the support tool 11. The series of processes shown in Figure 22 corresponds to an example of operation that supports the design of a newly introduced wireless network.

[0074] In step S101, the input unit 111 acquires environmental information indicating the environment in which the wireless network will be introduced. For example, when the file selection tab 401 on the screen 400 shown in Figure 5 is clicked, the display control unit 114 displays the dialog box 421 shown in Figure 6, and the user selects the CAD data for the environment in which the wireless network will be introduced. The display control unit 114 displays an environmental diagram corresponding to the environmental information acquired by the input unit 111. For example, the API communication unit 113 transmits the environmental information acquired by the input unit 111 to the design tool 21, the design tool 21 generates an environmental diagram from the received environmental information, transmits the generated environmental diagram to the API communication unit 113, and the display control unit 114 displays the environmental diagram received from the design tool 21 on the display unit 13. After that, evaluation points are set on the environmental diagram in the manner described above, referring to Figure 10. Furthermore, the input unit 111 acquires information indicating the models of base stations that can be used for the wireless network.

[0075] In step S102, the input unit 111 acquires propagation estimation conditions, which are the conditions for estimating the propagation characteristics of radio waves. For example, when the propagation estimation setting tab 406 on the screen 400 shown in Figure 7 is clicked, the display control unit 114 displays the dialog box 424 shown in Figure 12, and the user specifies the characteristics of the environment as propagation estimation conditions.

[0076] In step S103, the input unit 111 acquires design requirements information indicating the design requirements for the wireless network. The design requirements for the wireless network are the conditions necessary for station placement design. For example, when the design requirements setting tab 407 on screen 400 is clicked, the display control unit 114 displays the dialog box 425 shown in Figure 13, and the user inputs the design requirements for the wireless network. For example, the design requirements include the intended use of the wireless network, the number of simultaneous users, the minimum number of base stations, the Wi-Fi bandwidth, and the L5G bandwidth.

[0077] In step S104, the information processing unit 112 calculates the target quality based on the design requirements information obtained in step S103. For example, the information processing unit 112 calculates the target quality for Wi-Fi from the information indicating the intended use of the wireless network, the number of simultaneous users, the minimum number of base stations, and the Wi-Fi bandwidth, which are included in the design requirements information obtained in step S103. For example, the information processing unit 112 converts the intended use of the wireless network into UE throughput and obtains the total throughput by multiplying the UE throughput by the number of simultaneous users. The information processing unit 112 obtains the base station throughput by dividing the calculated total throughput by the minimum number of base stations. From the Wi-Fi throughput table shown in Figure 14, the information processing unit 112 identifies a reception level at which a throughput equal to or greater than the calculated base station throughput can be obtained in the Wi-Fi bandwidth, and obtains the identified reception level as the minimum reception level. The information processing unit 112 obtains the target quality for Wi-Fi by adding the calculated minimum reception level and a preset Wi-Fi margin. Furthermore, the information processing unit 112 calculates the target quality for L5G from the information indicating the intended use of the wireless network, the number of simultaneous users, the minimum number of base stations, and the L5G bandwidth, which are included in the design requirements information obtained in step S103. The information processing unit 112 further calculates the noise power based on the L5G bandwidth.

[0078] In step S105, the API communication unit 113 acquires wireless environment information, including multiple station placement patterns, based on the information obtained in steps S102 to S104. For example, the API communication unit 113 transmits the information obtained in steps S102 to S104 to the design tool 21. The design tool 21 generates multiple station placement patterns based on the information received from the support tool 11. The API communication unit 113 receives wireless environment information, including the station placement patterns generated by the design tool 21, from the design tool 21.

[0079] In step S106, the display control unit 114 displays the wireless environment information obtained in step S105 on the display unit 13. For example, the display control unit 114 may display a base station arrangement corresponding to one of the base station placement patterns included in the wireless environment information on the environment diagram. The display control unit 114 may also display a graph comparing KPIs between base station placement patterns.

[0080] As described above, the wireless network design system 30 allows for wireless network design by setting propagation estimation conditions that indicate the characteristics of the environment and design requirements that include the intended use of the wireless network. There is no need to set detailed parameters of the wireless network. Therefore, it is possible to design a wireless network without advanced knowledge. Furthermore, wireless network design can be performed collectively for multiple wireless systems.

[0081] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways during implementation without departing from its essence. Furthermore, each embodiment may be combined as appropriate, and in that case, the combined effects can be obtained. Moreover, the above embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by selecting combinations from the multiple components disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and effects can be obtained even if some components are deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment, then the configuration with these components deleted can be extracted as an invention.

[0082] 10...Client 11...Support tool 12...Operation unit 13...Display unit 14...Communication unit 20...Server 21...Design tool 30...Wireless network design system 111...Input unit 112...Information processing unit 113...API communication unit 114...Display control unit 115...Storage unit 151...CPU 152...RAM 153...Storage device 154...Input device 155...Display device 156...Communication device

Claims

1. A wireless network design support device comprising: an input unit that acquires environment setting information, which is information about the environment in which a wireless network is used, and design requirements information, which indicates the design requirements of the wireless network, including the intended use of the wireless network; an acquisition unit that provides the environment setting information to a design tool and acquires radio wave prediction information from the design tool, which indicates the received power level of each evaluation point set in an environmental diagram corresponding to the environment, generated by the design tool based on the environment setting information; an information processing unit that calculates a target quality from the design requirements information; and a display control unit that displays the radio wave prediction information on the environmental diagram based on the target quality.

2. The wireless network design support device according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires radio wave prediction information relating to a first wireless system and radio wave prediction information relating to a second wireless system different from the first wireless system from the design tool.

3. The wireless network design support device according to claim 2, wherein the design requirements information includes design requirements for the first wireless system and design requirements for the second wireless system, the information processing unit calculates a target quality for the first wireless system from the design requirements for the first wireless system and calculates a target quality for the second wireless system from the design requirements for the second wireless system, and the display control unit displays radio wave prediction information for the first wireless system on the environmental diagram based on the target quality for the first wireless system and displays radio wave prediction information for the second wireless system on the environmental diagram based on the target quality for the second wireless system.

4. The wireless network design support device according to claim 1, further comprising an instruction unit that instructs the design tool to generate a base station placement pattern including additional base stations if there are evaluation points in the radio wave prediction information where the received power level falls below the target quality.

5. The wireless network design support device according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires a plurality of base station placement patterns, each including the arrangement of base stations and radio wave prediction information, generated by the design tool, and the display control unit displays a base station placement pattern selected from the plurality of base station placement patterns on the environment diagram based on the target quality.

6. The wireless network design support device according to claim 5, wherein the design requirements information includes design requirements for a first wireless system and design requirements for a second wireless system different from the first wireless system, the information processing unit calculates a target quality for the first wireless system from the design requirements for the first wireless system and calculates a target quality for the second wireless system from the design requirements for the second wireless system, and the acquisition unit provides the design tool with the environment setting information and target quality information indicating the target quality for the first wireless system and the target quality for the second wireless system, and acquires the station placement pattern for the first wireless system and the station placement pattern for the second wireless system as the plurality of station placement patterns.

7. The wireless network design support device according to claim 1, wherein the design requirements information includes information indicating the intended use of the wireless network, the number of terminals that simultaneously use the wireless network, a minimum number of base stations, and bandwidth.

8. A wireless network design support program for causing a computer to function as one of the components of the wireless network design support device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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