Sensor Provision Settings for Mobile Sensing Area Requests

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mobile communication networks, particularly in new generations like 5G, lack efficient methods to utilize the wide variety of sensing information provided by diverse communication stations, including terrestrial, flying, and relay stations, leading to suboptimal utilization of sensor resources.

Innovation Solution

A communication control apparatus and method that sets sensors within a sensing area to provide sensing information through a mobile communication network in response to specific requests, optimizing the utilization efficiency of sensor groups.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If all sensors in the network continuously provide sensing information, then the availability of sensing information is improved, but the energy consumption and network load increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveavailability of sensing informationVSAvoidenergy consumption of sensors
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The network control device pre-configures sensing information providing settings for sensors based on historical data and predicted future needs. This allows the system to proactively prepare which sensors should provide information under specific conditions, avoiding the need for all sensors to continuously transmit data while ensuring readiness when information is needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Sensors are equipped with local decision-making capabilities to determine whether they should provide sensing information based on pre-configured rules and current sensor readings. This self-service mechanism allows individual sensors to autonomously activate or deactivate their information provision function, reducing overall network energy consumption while maintaining reliability when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Quantity of substance

If multiple sensors provide sensing information simultaneously, then the quantity of available information is improved, but the complexity of managing and processing the information increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequantity of sensing informationVSAvoidcomplexity of sensor management
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The network control device receives feedback from sensors about their current state and the quality of sensing information they can provide. Based on this feedback, the controller dynamically adjusts which sensors should be active and what type of information they should collect, optimizing the quantity of useful information while managing complexity through centralized coordination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The sensing network is divided into multiple independent sensor groups, each managed according to specific sensing requirements. This segmentation allows the system to handle large quantities of sensing information in manageable units, reducing overall management complexity while maintaining the ability to collect diverse information from multiple sensors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Area of stationary object

If sensors with wide sensing ranges are deployed, then the coverage area is improved, but the precision of localized measurements decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensing coverage areaVSAvoidprecision of localized sensing
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Different sensors within the network are configured with different sensing ranges and precisions according to local requirements. The network control device assigns sensors to specific monitoring tasks based on their capabilities, allowing wide-area coverage from distant sensors while maintaining high-precision localized measurements from nearby sensors with narrower sensing ranges.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system combines data from multiple sensors with different sensing ranges to achieve both wide coverage and high precision. By merging information from a primary sensor providing broad coverage with secondary sensors providing localized detailed measurements, the system achieves both objectives simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4664939A1Setting for sensor that corresponds to request for measurement information relating to measurement area
Publication Date: 2025.12.17 RAKUTEN MOBILE INC
  • EP4664939A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4664939A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4664939A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A communication control apparatus includes at least one processor that performs, by a sensing information providing sensor setter, setting a sensor, among a plurality of sensors whose sensing ranges are included in a sensing area, to provide the sensing information through a mobile communication network in response to a request for sensing information concerning the sensing area. The sensing information providing sensor setter sets the providing manner of the sensing information from the sensor in response to the request. The at least one processor: by a sensor identifiable information reducer, reducing information identifiable of the sensor in its sensing information, based on the providing manner set by the sensing information providing sensor setter, in response to the request; and by a sensing information outputter, outputting the sensing information with reduced information identifiable of the sensor by the sensor identifiable information reducer, in response to the request.