JP5134983B2 - Radio communication apparatus and software radio control method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a radio communication apparatus and a software radio control method using software defined radio (SDR) technology.

Conventionally, according to software radio technology, different radio communication schemes can be realized by changing software to be executed in the same hardware device. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a wireless communication apparatus using the software wireless technology. The wireless communication apparatus described in Patent Literature 1 monitors the resource usage status of the signal processing device as resource management of the signal processing device, and performs the additional function according to the surplus resource amount grasped from the resource usage status and the required resource amount of the additional function. Resource allocation is performed.
JP 2002-335186 A

  However, the above-described conventional wireless communication apparatus can perform resource allocation according to the resource usage status of the signal processing device, but has a communication quality called “QoS (Quality of Service)” required for actual communication. Accordingly, software cannot be adaptively executed on the signal processing device. For this reason, there is a problem that it is difficult to sufficiently respond to QoS requests that differ for each application.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to wirelessly enable software to be executed by a signal processing device in accordance with communication quality required for actual communication. To provide a communication device and a software radio control method.

  In order to solve the above problems, a wireless communication apparatus according to the present invention includes a signal processing device capable of executing software that implements a function of a wireless communication method in a wireless communication apparatus using software wireless technology, and the software. A storage unit that stores performance information on a plurality of wireless communication systems, a communication quality management unit that selects a communication quality required for actual communication and a wireless communication system that can be used based on the performance information; And software radio control means for controlling the software related to the selected radio communication system to be executed by the signal processing device.

  In the wireless communication apparatus according to the present invention, the communication method management means includes location information of the software related to each wireless communication method, and the software defined wireless control means is configured to select the selected wireless communication based on the location information. When the software according to the method is not stored in the storage unit, the software request message is transmitted to the software providing apparatus outside the own wireless communication apparatus to acquire the software.

  In the wireless communication apparatus according to the present invention, the communication method management means includes information on a software acquisition method from the software providing apparatus for each piece of software to be acquired, and the software wireless control means includes software from the software providing apparatus. When acquiring the information, the wireless communication method for acquisition is selected from the wireless communication methods that can be realized by the software stored in the storage unit based on the information of the software acquisition method, and the selected wireless communication for acquisition Software for realizing the method is executed by the signal processing device.

  In the wireless communication apparatus according to the present invention, the communication method management unit selects the available wireless communication method in consideration of the location information of the software.

  In the wireless communication apparatus according to the present invention, a propagation environment monitoring unit for monitoring characteristics of a wireless propagation path is provided, and the communication method management unit selects the available wireless communication method in consideration of the monitoring result. It is characterized by.

  A software defined radio control method according to the present invention is a software defined radio control method for a radio communication apparatus having a control manager for controlling a radio communication apparatus using software radio technology, wherein the control manager is required for actual communication. Selecting a usable wireless communication method based on communication quality and performance information on a plurality of wireless communication methods; and a storage means for storing software that implements a function of the wireless communication method by the control manager Controlling the stored software related to the selected wireless communication system to be executed by a signal processing device capable of executing software that implements the function of the wireless communication system.

  In the software defined radio control method according to the present invention, the control manager does not store the software associated with the selected wireless communication scheme in the storage unit based on the location information of the software associated with each wireless communication scheme. In this case, the software request message is transmitted to the software providing apparatus outside the wireless communication apparatus, and the software is acquired.

  In the software defined radio control method according to the present invention, when the control manager acquires software from the software providing apparatus, the storage is based on information for each piece of software to be acquired by the software acquiring method from the software providing apparatus. Selecting a wireless communication method for acquisition from wireless communication methods that can be realized by software stored in the means, and causing the signal processing device to execute software that realizes the selected wireless communication method for acquisition To do.

  In the software defined radio control method according to the present invention, the control manager selects the usable radio communication method in consideration of the location information of the software.

  In the software defined radio control method according to the present invention, the control manager selects the available radio communication method in consideration of the monitoring result by the propagation environment monitoring means for monitoring the characteristics of the radio propagation path. And

  According to the present invention, it is possible to adaptively execute software on a signal processing device in accordance with communication quality required for actual communication.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a wireless communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless communication apparatus 100 uses software defined radio technology.

  In FIG. 1, a wireless unit 2 transmits and receives wireless signals via an antenna 1 and performs wireless communication with other wireless communication devices. The radio unit 2 includes a part (not shown) that handles a signal of a radio transmission frequency, a signal processing unit 3 that handles an intermediate frequency (IF) or baseband signal, and a software radio control unit 4. The signal processing unit 3 includes a signal processing device that can execute software that implements the function of the wireless communication method. When the signal processing device executes software, the signal processing unit 3 has a function of a wireless communication method realized by the software. Examples of the signal processing device included in the signal processing unit 3 include an arithmetic processing device (for example, a DSP (digital signal processor)) that performs arithmetic operations according to software, and a hardware device (for example, PLD) that can redefine the circuit configuration according to software. (Programmable logic device) and the like.

  The software radio control unit 4 causes the signal processing unit 3 to execute software adaptively in accordance with communication quality required for actual communication.

  The SDR software storage unit 5 stores software to be provided to the signal processing unit 3. FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the SDR software storage unit 5. In FIG. 2, the SDR software storage unit 5 has a default software area and an additional software area. In the default software area, software is stored in advance as an initial setting before the operation is started. Software stored in the default software area implements a default wireless communication system. In the example of FIG. 2, software that implements wireless communication systems such as communication system A and communication system B is stored in the default software area. Note that the software stored in the default software area may be a software that realizes different wireless communication methods, or may be a software that realizes different versions of the same wireless communication method.

  In the additional software area, software added after the start of operation is stored. The software stored in the additional software area is realized by software that realizes a wireless communication system other than the wireless communication system realized by software stored in the default software area, or software stored in the default software area, for example. The same wireless communication method as that of the one that realizes a version with different performance, etc. In the example of FIG. 2, additional software is not yet stored in the additional software area.

  In addition, if the wireless communication systems themselves are different, they are not compatible and cannot be communicated. The same wireless communication system with different performance versions can be communicated with each other, although they are compatible and may have performance limitations.

  One software shall realize one wireless communication system. Here, versions having the same wireless communication system and different performances are distinguished from each other. That is, it is assumed that different versions of the same wireless communication method are realized by different software. Even if the value of a variable included in the software can be changed to a different version simply by changing the software, the software is different, including the setting value of the variable being different. However, the data structure of the actual software is arbitrary and not limited. For example, software data in which variable setting values are changed may be prepared for each version, or software body data common to all versions and variable setting value data for each version may be prepared. Good.

  In the following, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that information and software are managed in units of wireless communication systems. However, in practice, information and software are managed in units of versions even in the same wireless communication system. Yes.

  The propagation environment monitoring unit 6 monitors the characteristics of the wireless propagation path. The characteristics of the radio propagation path include, for example, a received signal power to interference power ratio (Signal to Interference Ratio: SIR).

  The communication method management unit 7 has information related to the wireless communication method. FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of information included in the communication method management unit 7. In FIG. 3, the communication method management unit 7 specifies, for each wireless communication method, a name for specifying the wireless communication method (corresponding to the name of the software on a one-to-one basis), and performance of the wireless communication method (for example, data rate, consumption). Power, reliability, etc.), software location, software acquisition method, etc. The data rate information represents the data communication speed obtained by the wireless communication method. The power consumption information is power required to obtain the data rate (for example, average transmission power). The reliability information represents the reliability of communication using the wireless communication method.

  The software location information indicates whether the corresponding software is in the SDR software storage unit 5 (local) of the own wireless communication device or in an external device (remote) of the own wireless communication device. The software acquisition method information indicates a method of acquiring the software from an external device when the software location information is remote. If the software location information is local, there is no information on the software acquisition method (the column is blank in FIG. 3).

  Information held by the communication method management unit 7 can be updated during operation. For example, if information is stored in a tabular format as shown in FIG. 3, the information can be arbitrarily rewritten. Further, during operation, information may be received and updated from a device external to the own wireless communication device 100.

The application execution unit 8 executes an application involving communication. Examples of applications include those that require various QoS. For example, the technical specification “3GPP2 C.R1001-F Version 1.0” defined by 3GPP2 (3rd Generation Partnership Project 2), which is one of the standardization projects for the third generation (3G) mobile communication system, is used as the QoS specification. Those described in “Administration of Parameter Value Assignments for cdma2000 Spread Spectrum Standards” are known. In this technical specification, a QoS that can be requested by an application required in the cdma2000 system is defined, and an identifier (ID) is assigned to each QoS. As this QoS, for example, “best effort”, “Streaming 32 kbps”, “Streaming 96 kbps”, “Streaming 128 kbps”, “Minimum Acceptable User Data Rate of 32 kbps, max latency is 100 msec, average data loss rate 1% ”,“ Minimum Acceptable User Data Rate of 64 kbps, max latency is 100 msec, average data loss rate 1% ”, etc. are defined.
The application execution unit 8 notifies the software radio control unit 4 of the QoS requested by the application.

  In the present embodiment, the wireless communication device 100 includes the application execution unit 8. However, as another embodiment, the application execution unit 8 is included in an external device connected to the wireless communication device 100. Also good.

  FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of the wireless communication system according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 4, the wireless communication device 100 has a function of a control manager that controls software defined radio. The function of the control manager is realized by the software defined radio control unit 4 and the communication method management unit 7. The communication method management server 200 manages and stores additional software that can be used by the wireless communication apparatus 100. In this embodiment, of the three wireless communication methods A, B, and C that can be realized by the wireless communication device 100, software that realizes the wireless communication methods A and B is set by default in the wireless communication device 100. Software realizing the method C is stored in the communication method management server 200 as additional software.

  The base station 300A is a radio communication system A base station, the base station 300B is a radio communication system B base station, and the base station 300C is a radio communication system C base station. Communication system management server 200 and base stations 300A, 300B, and 300C are connected via a network.

  The control manager connects to the base station using a wireless communication method realized by software included in the own wireless communication device 100, and transmits a communication method request message to the communication method management server 200 via the base station. The communication method request message includes information on a desired wireless communication method. The communication method management server 200 identifies additional software that implements the wireless communication method according to the wireless communication method information included in the received communication method request message, and transmits the additional software to the wireless communication device 100. As a result, the wireless communication device 100 acquires additional software for realizing a desired wireless communication method. Note that the address of the communication method management server 200 is set in the wireless communication apparatus 100 in advance. The address of the communication method management server 200 may be different for each additional software. Further, the address of the communication method management server 200 may be updated during operation.

  Next, the software defined radio control method according to this embodiment will be described.

First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 5, in step S <b> 1, the application execution unit 8 starts the application, requests communication with the software radio control unit 4, and notifies the software radio control unit 4 of the QoS requested by the application.

  In step S2, the software defined radio control unit 4 notifies the communication method management unit 7 of the request QoS and inquires about available wireless communication methods.

  In step S3, the communication method management unit 7 responds to the software defined wireless control unit 4 with information on available wireless communication methods in response to the inquiry. At this time, the communication method management unit 7 selects a wireless communication method suitable for the requested QoS based on the information related to the wireless communication method that the communication method management unit 7 has (see FIG. 3). Examples of information used when determining the wireless communication method include information such as the performance of the wireless communication method (for example, data rate, power consumption, reliability, etc.) and the location of software. As an example of a specific configuration for determining a wireless communication method in the communication method management unit 7, a set of specified values for each of data rate, power consumption, reliability, and software location is prepared for each specified QoS. Keep it. Then, the wireless communication system that most closely matches is selected based on the specified value of the set corresponding to the requested QoS and information related to each wireless communication system.

Note that the communication system management unit 7 may select a wireless communication system suitable for the wireless propagation path characteristics from time to time, taking into account the monitoring result of the wireless propagation path characteristics by the propagation environment monitoring unit 6. An example of a wireless communication method for request QoS in this case is given below.
(Example 1)
Requested QoS: Single path with high SIR, low required rate,
Wireless communication method: narrowband single carrier method, SISO (Single Input Single Output) method (example 2)
Required QoS: Single path with high SIR, high required rate Wireless communication method: Wideband multi-carrier method, SISO method (Example 3)
Required QoS: Multipath rich, high SIR, high required rate Wireless communication system: Wideband multicarrier system, High rate MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) system (Example 4)
Required QoS: Multipath rich and low SIR
Wireless communication method: Wideband multi-carrier method

  Other wireless communication method determination algorithms include (1) those that place importance on the fact that the modulation method is not changed and the wireless link is not broken even when the radio wave condition is good, and (2) that a certain data rate is obtained. If it is not possible, a wireless communication method determination algorithm may be selected in accordance with the required QoS by preparing a device that makes an early transition to a different wireless communication method.

Returning to FIG.
In step S3, the software defined radio control unit receives information on a usable wireless communication method as a response from the communication method management unit 7. Here, the location information of the software corresponding to the available wireless communication method is local. Accordingly, the response information from the communication method management unit 7 includes the name of the wireless communication method and the software location information “local”.

  Next, in step S4, based on the information received from the communication method management unit 7 by the software wireless control unit 4 (name of wireless communication method and software location information “local”), the corresponding software is stored in the SDR software storage unit 5. To request.

  In step S <b> 5, the SDR software storage unit 5 provides the requested software to the signal processing unit 3. Thereby, the signal processing unit 3 reads and executes the software. As a result, the signal processing unit 3 has a function of a wireless communication method realized by the software.

  In step S6, the signal processing unit 3 starts wireless communication using the wireless communication method. As a result, the application execution unit 8 can perform communication via the signal processing unit 3. The wireless communication system used for this communication is selected to satisfy the required QoS.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
In FIG. 6, in steps S1 to S3, as in the embodiment of FIG. 5, an available wireless communication method is determined based on the QoS requested by the application. However, here, the location information of the software corresponding to the available wireless communication method is remote. Accordingly, the information on the response from the communication method management unit 7 to the software wireless control unit 4 includes the name of the wireless communication method, the software location information “remote”, and the software acquisition method information.

  In the second embodiment, it is necessary to acquire additional software from the communication method management server 200 (see FIG. 4) outside the own wireless communication device 100. Therefore, first, a wireless communication method (hereinafter referred to as an acquisition wireless communication method) used when acquiring the additional software is realized by software wireless.

  Next, in step S11, the software radio control unit 4 corresponds to the acquisition radio communication method based on the information received from the communication method management unit 7 (software location information “remote” and software acquisition method information). The software is requested from the SDR software storage unit 5. In step S <b> 12, the SDR software storage unit 5 provides the requested software to the signal processing unit 3. As a result, the signal processing unit 3 reads and executes the software, and as a result, has the function of the acquisition wireless communication system realized by the software.

The software acquisition method information includes information for specifying the acquisition wireless communication method. An example of software acquisition method is shown below.
(Method 1) Arbitrarily selected from wireless communication systems that can be realized by software stored in the SDR software storage unit 5.
(Method 2) From among wireless communication systems that can be realized by software stored in the SDR software storage unit 5, a wireless communication system that can obtain a specified data rate suitable for the data amount of the acquired software is selected.
(Method 3) A wireless communication method having the highest reliability is selected from wireless communication methods that can be realized by software stored in the SDR software storage unit 5.
(Method 4) An optimum wireless communication method is selected from wireless communication methods that can be realized by software stored in the SDR software storage unit 5 based on the monitoring result of the wireless channel characteristics by the propagation environment monitoring unit 6 .
(Method 5) The wireless communication method currently implemented by the signal processing unit 3 is used as it is. In this case, steps S11 and S12 shown in FIG. 7 are not necessary. Then, uninterrupted communication can be realized.

  Next, in step S <b> 13, the software defined radio control unit 4 transmits a communication method request message addressed to the communication method management server 200 via the signal processing unit 3. This communication method request message includes the information “name of wireless communication method” received from the communication method management unit 7 in step S3. In step S <b> 14, the software defined radio control unit 4 receives the additional software transmitted from the communication method management server 200 as a response to the communication method request message via the signal processing unit 3.

  Next, in FIG. 7, in step S <b> 15, the software radio control unit 4 notifies the communication method management unit 7 of the location information change “change from remote to local” related to the acquired additional software. Thereby, the communication system management unit 7 changes the location information related to the additional software from remote to local. In the example of FIG. 7, the additional software related to the wireless communication method C is acquired from the communication method management server 200, and the location information of the additional software is changed from remote to local.

  In step S <b> 16, the software radio control unit 4 stores the acquired additional software in the SDR software storage unit 5 and requests the signal processing unit 3 to provide the additional software. In step S <b> 17, the SDR software storage unit 5 provides the requested additional software to the signal processing unit 3. As a result, the signal processing unit 3 reads and executes the additional software, and as a result, has a function of a wireless communication system realized by the additional software. In step S18, the signal processing unit 3 starts wireless communication using the wireless communication method. As a result, the application execution unit 8 can perform communication via the signal processing unit 3. The wireless communication system used for this communication is selected to satisfy the required QoS.

  According to the above-described embodiment, software can be adaptively executed by the signal processing device in accordance with the QoS required for actual communication. As a result, a sufficient response can be made to QoS requests that differ for each application. As a result, an effect of enabling efficient wireless operation without unnecessarily wasting the frequency band is obtained.

  In addition, it has information on available wireless communication systems, and if necessary, by acquiring additional software from a communication system management server outside the own wireless communication device, it is possible to always select the optimal wireless communication system It becomes possible. Since information about available wireless communication systems as illustrated in FIG. 3 is distributed from the network side periodically or when a wireless communication system is added or deleted, it is possible to always grasp the latest information. Yes, it is possible to select the latest wireless communication method as required.

  The additional software may be arranged according to the remaining amount of the additional software area in the SDR software storage unit 5. For example, when the additional software area is insufficient when the additional software area is acquired, it is possible to erase the additional software that is used less frequently.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was explained in full detail with reference to drawings, the specific structure is not restricted to this embodiment, The design change etc. of the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention are included.
For example, the wireless communication apparatus according to the present invention can be applied to either a base station or a mobile station.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus 100 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is an example of a structure of the SDR software memory | storage part 5 shown in FIG. It is a structural example of the information which the communication system management part 7 shown in FIG. 1 has. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the structure of the whole radio | wireless communications system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram of the 1st Example for demonstrating the software defined radio control method which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram of the 2nd Example for demonstrating the software radio control method which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a sequence diagram of the 2nd Example for demonstrating the software radio control method which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Antenna, 2 ... Radio | wireless part, 3 ... Signal processing part, 4 ... Software radio | wireless control part (control manager), 5 ... SDR software memory | storage part, 6 ... Propagation environment monitoring part, 7 ... Communication system management part (control manager) , 8 ... Application execution unit, 100 ... Wireless communication device, 200 ... Communication method management server (software providing device), 300A ... Base station of wireless communication method A, 300B ... Base station of wireless communication method B, 300C ... Wireless communication method C base station

Claims (2)

In a wireless communication device using software defined radio technology,
A signal processing device capable of executing software that implements a function of a wireless communication method;
Storage means for storing the software;
Communication method management means having performance information about a plurality of wireless communication methods, selecting communication quality required for actual communication and available wireless communication methods based on the performance information,
Software radio control means for controlling the software related to the selected radio communication method to be executed by the signal processing device;
The communication method management means has location information of the software related to each wireless communication method,
The software defined radio control means, based on the location information, when the software related to the selected radio communication method is not stored in the storage means, Send a software request message, get the software,
The communication method management unit has information on a software acquisition method from the software providing apparatus for each acquisition target software,
The software defined radio control means, when obtaining software from the software providing apparatus, based on the information of the software obtaining method, obtains a radio for acquisition from wireless communication schemes that can be realized by software stored in the storage means. Selecting a communication method and causing the signal processing device to execute software for realizing the selected wireless communication method for acquisition;
The software acquisition method is an acquisition wireless communication that can obtain a prescribed data rate suitable for the amount of software data acquired from the software providing device from among wireless communication methods that can be realized by software stored in the storage means. The method is to be selected,
A wireless communication apparatus. A software radio control method in the radio communication device having a control manager for controlling a radio communication device using software radio technology,
The control manager selecting an available wireless communication method based on communication quality required for actual communication and performance information on a plurality of wireless communication methods;
The control manager can execute the software related to the selected wireless communication method stored in the storage means for storing the software realizing the wireless communication function, and the software realizing the wireless communication function. Controlling to be executed by the signal processing device,
When the control manager is based on the location information of the software related to each wireless communication method and the software related to the selected wireless communication method is not stored in the storage unit, software external to the own wireless communication device Sending the software request message to the providing device, obtaining the software,
When the control manager acquires software from the software providing device, it can be realized by software stored in the storage unit based on information for each piece of software to be acquired by the software acquisition method from the software providing device. Selecting a wireless communication method for acquisition from wireless communication methods, and causing the signal processing device to execute software for realizing the selected wireless communication method for acquisition;
The software acquisition method is an acquisition wireless communication that can obtain a prescribed data rate suitable for the amount of software data acquired from the software providing device from among wireless communication methods that can be realized by software stored in the storage means. The method is to be selected,
A software defined radio control method.

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