WO2022201556A1

WO2022201556A1 - Base station device, information processing device, and communication system

Info

Publication number: WO2022201556A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/013148
Authority: WO
Inventors: 隆仲山
Original assignee: ソニーグループ株式会社
Priority date: 2021-03-26
Filing date: 2021-03-26
Publication date: 2022-09-29

Abstract

A base station device (20) comprises: a communication unit (22); and a control unit (25). The communication unit (22) carries out data transmission/reception with a second terminal device (30B) via a first terminal device (30A). The control unit (25) notifies an information processing device (10) of first information relating to the data in association with the first terminal device (30A).

Description

Base station device, information processing device and communication system

The present disclosure relates to base station devices, information processing devices, and communication systems.

In a mobile communication system based on a communication standard called LTE/LTE-A (Advanced), radio signals with a frequency called ultrahigh frequency around 700 MHz to 3.5 GHz are mainly used for communication.

Also, in recent years, various studies have been conducted on the 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system following LTE/LTE-A. For example, in the same mobile communication system, the use of communication using radio signals of frequencies called millimeter waves such as 28 GHz and 39 GHz (hereinafter also simply referred to as "millimeter waves") is under consideration. Against this background, various techniques for enabling wireless communication using millimeter waves are also being studied.

Compared to ultrahigh-frequency waves, millimeter waves can increase the amount of information that is transmitted, but they tend to travel in a straight line and increase propagation loss and reflection loss. Therefore, in wireless communication using millimeter waves, there is a problem of narrow cell coverage.

Therefore, as one of the methods to solve the coverage problem of wireless communication using millimeter waves, extension to mesh topology, such as multi-hop by cooperative relay between UE devices, is being considered.

On the other hand, mobile phones have now become a daily necessity for the people, and they also play a role as important infrastructure that protects the lives and property of the people and supports socioeconomic activities. For this reason, it is necessary to realize rates and services that are easy for national users to understand and understand.

For example, in Japan, in October 2020, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications presented an outline of an action plan for "reducing mobile phone charges."

In the above-described multi-hop with inter-UE device cooperative relay, a UE device uses its own resources to relay data of other UE devices. For UE devices that provide resources for cooperative relay, it is important to pay a price corresponding to the provision of resources, such as a reduction in communication charges according to the relayed data, in order to spread cooperative relay between UE devices. It is considered to be In addition, it is considered that the payment of such consideration is also important for achieving the above-mentioned reduction in mobile phone charges.

Therefore, this disclosure proposes a mechanism that allows users to pay a price corresponding to the provision of resources when cooperative relaying is performed between UE devices.

It should be noted that the above problem or object is only one of the multiple problems or objects that can be solved or achieved by the multiple embodiments disclosed herein.

According to the present disclosure, a base station device is provided. A base station apparatus includes a communication unit and a control unit. The communication unit transmits and receives data to and from the second terminal device via the first terminal device. The control unit notifies the information processing device of the first information about the data in association with the first terminal device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of inter-UE device cooperative relay; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of inter-UE device cooperative relay; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of inter-UE device cooperative relay; BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of proposed technology of the present disclosure; 1 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an arrangement example of small cells according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of communication information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of relay information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining another example of relay information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining another example of relay information according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a base station device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of relay communication processing executed in the communication system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining interference by a relay terminal device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a communication system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining transmission power control performed by a communication system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant description.

In addition, in this specification and drawings, similar components of the embodiments may be distinguished by attaching different alphabets or numbers after the same reference numerals. However, when there is no particular need to distinguish between similar components, only the same reference numerals are used.

Each of one or more embodiments (including examples and modifications) described below can be implemented independently. On the other hand, at least some of the embodiments described below may be implemented in combination with at least some of the other embodiments as appropriate. These multiple embodiments may include novel features that differ from each other. Therefore, these multiple embodiments can contribute to solving different purposes or problems, and can produce different effects.

Note that the description will be given in the following order.
1. Introduction 1.1. Background 1.2. Overview of proposed technology 2 . Configuration example of communication system 2.1. Communication system 2.2. Information processing device 2.3. Base station device 2.4. Terminal device 3 . Relay communication processing 4. Other embodiments5. summary

<<1. Introduction>>
<1.1. Background>
5G commercial services have started in South Korea, the United States, and Europe, and full-scale commercial services have started in Japan in March 2020. On the other hand, in RAN 1 of 3GPP, discussions on Rel-17 will start for 15 months from 2020, and similarly, discussions on Rel-18 will start for 15 months from September 2021 to December 2022. It is scheduled to be held.

In addition, 5G E&B (Evolution & Beyond) aims to start services that meet the requirements of Rel-18 and beyond by 2025. The goal of 5G E&B is to achieve a sufficiently high level of user satisfaction for all requirements in all use cases in all consumer/business markets. 5G E&B will require new combinations of requirements that do not fit into the three categories of eMBB, URLLC, and mMTC, as well as performance that exceeds current requirements.

In addition, 5G on Rel-15 supports the FR2 frequency range from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. On the other hand, 3GPP Rel-17 proposes a plan to support 52.6 GHz or higher. The above-mentioned 5G E&B aims to realize a radio access concept that combines ultra-high-speed, large-capacity and expanded coverage by supporting further high-frequency bands.

Here, in current mobile communication systems, fixed topologies in which an area is covered by the cell arrangement of base station equipment installed by the operator are the mainstream. However, in consideration of securing coverage and improving connectivity in the higher frequency band described above, a higher density network configuration is required.

Currently, construction of a high-density network using Distributed MIMO (distributed MIMO), IAB, repeaters, reflectors, glass antennas, etc. is under consideration. In addition, as a method to solve future 5G E&B coverage problems, in addition to the methods described above, extensions to mesh topologies such as multi-hop by cooperative relay between UE devices are being considered.

Regarding cooperative relay between UE devices, currently, at the SA2 meeting in 3GPP's TSG-SA (Service & Systems Aspects), ProSe (Proximity-based Services in 5GS) in 5GC (5G core network) is being discussed. there is Also, regarding the cooperative relay between UE devices, TR (Technical Report) is summarized at Stage 1 level in TR23.752.

Here, as a general procedure for creating 3GPP standardization specifications, standardization is discussed step by step through three stages: Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3.

Stage 1 is the stage that defines overall service and functional requirements from the user's point of view. Stage 2 is the stage that defines the overall architecture for supporting the requirements of services and functions in Stage 1 with network functions. Stage 3 is a stage that defines protocols such as switching and signaling functions necessary to support the requirements defined in Stage 1.

In fact, after the Stage 3 specification was completed, ASN. 1 is frozen, formal protocol coding is completed, and interoperability is verified between the base station side and the terminal side, and between the conformance test measuring instrument side and the terminal side.

Here, regarding the cooperative relay between UE devices, the above-mentioned TR23.752 is discussing overall service and functional requirements from the user's point of view. For example, section 5.3 of TR23.752 describes requirements for cooperative relay services and functions.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a cooperative relay between UE devices. In TR23.752, as shown in FIG. 1, the UE device communicates directly with the network side (path #1) or via indirect communication with the network side (path #2, #3) , that the network side can be accessed. Here, path #1 is a direct communication path with the network that may not exist, and paths #2 and #3 are indirect communication paths from different UEs to the network side via relays. It is the communication path with the network.

In addition, section 5.3 of TR23.752 describes two possible cases regarding UE-to-Network Relay support. This point will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 and 3 are diagrams for explaining an example of inter-UE device cooperative relay.

Section 5.3 of TR23.752 describes UE-to-Network Relay provided by "gNB" as shown in Figure 2 and UE-to-Network Relay provided by "ng-eNB" as shown in Figure 3. Two cases of Network Relay are shown.

Furthermore, in section 5.3 of TR23.752, whether or not the UE-to-Network Relay supports the case provided by "ng-eNB", shown in Figure 3, depends on the given solution and the decision on the RAN side It is stated that Also, in chapter 5.3 of TR23.752, UE-to-Network Relay will become PC5-based "ProSe UE-to-Network Relay" in LTE when migrating to E-UTRAN (LTE). , states that support can be provided as defined in TS23.303 for Public Safety.

In this way, regarding the cooperative relay between UE devices, standardization discussions are underway, but as described above, it is certain that UEs will use their own resources to transfer data of other UEs. . Therefore, in order to popularize the inter-UE-device cooperative relay, it is considered important to establish a mechanism that allows UEs that have provided resources to be compensated accordingly.

Also, as mentioned above, along with the improvement of mobile phone services, there is also a demand for lower mobile phone charges. Therefore, in the inter-UE device cooperative relay, by establishing a mechanism that can pay the UE that has provided the resource a price corresponding to the provision of the resource, the mobile phone service will be improved, the mobile phone fee will be reduced, It is possible to provide a mechanism that satisfies both.

<1.2. Overview of Proposed Technology>
First, an outline of the proposed technology according to the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the proposed technology of the present disclosure. The proposed technique according to the present disclosure is implemented as communication processing in the communication system 1 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4 , the communication system 1 has an information processing device 10 , a base station device 20 and a terminal device 30 . Note that the terminal device 30 is an example of the UE described above.

As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the terminal device 30B communicates with the base station device 20 via the terminal device 30A. Thus, in the communication system 1 according to this embodiment, cooperative relaying between UE devices is performed.

In the communication process of the present disclosure, the base station device 20 transmits data to the terminal device 30B via the terminal device 30A (step S1). Specifically, the base station device 20 transmits data destined for the terminal device 30B as the final destination to the terminal device 30A. The terminal device 30A relays the received data to the terminal device 30B. Hereinafter, data transmitted to the terminal device 30B via the terminal device 30A is also referred to as relay data.

The base station device 20 notifies the information processing device 10 of relay data information regarding relay data (step S2). The relay data information includes relay data amount information (an example of the first information) associated with the terminal device 30A (an example of the first terminal device), and information associated with the terminal device 30B (an example of the second terminal device). and the traffic information (an example of the second information). The relay data amount information and the communication amount information include, for example, the size of relay data transmitted by the base station device 20 .

The information processing device 10 manages the amount of relay data and the amount of communication for each terminal device 30 based on the relay data information (step S3). The information processing device 10 associates and stores the identification information (terminal ID in FIG. 4) of the terminal device 30 and the amount of relay data, and associates and stores the identification information of the terminal device 30 and the amount of communication. and When receiving the relay data information, the information processing apparatus 10 updates the relay data amount of the corresponding terminal device 30A and updates the communication amount of the terminal device 30B. The information processing apparatus 10 updates the relay data amount (or communication amount) by adding the relay data amount (or communication amount) included in the relay data information to the stored relay data amount (or communication amount).

As described above, the base station apparatus 20 notifies the information processing apparatus 10 of the relay data amount information as relay data information in association with the terminal apparatus 30A, so that the information processing apparatus 10 can transmit the information to the terminal apparatus 30 for each terminal apparatus 30. The amount of relay data relayed by the device 30 can be managed.

As a result, the operator can check the amount of relay data for each terminal device 30, and can pay the user a price corresponding to the amount of relay data. Consideration may include a reduction in communication charges according to the amount of relay data, a reduction in the amount of communication according to the amount of relay data, and the like. In this way, since the operator can check the amount of relay data for each terminal device 30, the operator can pay for the relay data by a payment method according to the service to be provided and the charge plan of the user. become able to.

<<2. Communication system configuration example >>
<2.1. Communication system>
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the communication system 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. As described above, the communication system includes the base station device 20 , the terminal device 30 , the core network 40 and the PDN (Packet Data Network) 50 . have The information processing device 10 shown in FIG. 4 is, for example, a device that implements one function of the core network 40 shown in FIG. 5, and is omitted from the illustration in FIG.

The base station device 20 is a device that provides wireless communication services to devices under its control. For example, the base station device 20A is a base station of a cellular system (or mobile communication system). The base station device 20A performs radio communication with a device (eg, terminal device 30A) located inside the cell CA of the base station device 20A. For example, the base station device 20A transmits downlink signals to the terminal device 30A via the base station device 20B2, and receives uplink signals from the terminal device 30A via the base station device 20B2.

The base station device 20A is logically connected to other base station devices via, for example, an X2 interface, and can transmit and receive control information. Also, the base station apparatus 20A is logically connected to the core network 40 via, for example, an S1 interface, and can transmit and receive control information and the like. A core network 40 is connected to the PDN 50 . Note that communications between these devices may be physically relayed by a variety of devices.

Here, the base station device 20A shown in FIG. 5 is a macrocell base station, and the cell CA is a macrocell. For example, the cell CA can be operated according to any wireless communication scheme such as LTE or NR (New Radio). The base station apparatus 20A may be any one of eNodeB, ng-eNodeB, gNodeB and en-gNodeB. Additionally or alternatively, if the base station 100 is either an eNodeB or an en-gNodeB, the base station apparatus 20A may be referred to as EUTRAN. Additionally or alternatively, if the base station apparatus 20A is either gNodeB or ng-eNodeB, the base station apparatus 20A may be referred to as NGRAN.

On the other hand, the base station devices 20B_1 to B_N (N is an integer equal to or greater than 2) are master devices that operate the small cells CB_1 to CB_N, respectively. As an example, the base station device 20B is a fixedly installed small cell base station. The base station device 20B is a multi-base station (or multi-TRP (Transmission and Reception Point)). The base station device 20B establishes a radio backhaul link with the base station device 20A and an access link with one or more terminal devices 30 (eg, terminal device 30A) in the small cell CB.

Note that the small cell CB may include various types of cells smaller than the macrocell CA (for example, femtocells, nanocells, picocells, microcells, etc.), which may be arranged with or without overlapping with the macrocell CA. is.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an arrangement example of small cells CB according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 shows an example in which small cells CB are arranged to overlap with macrocells CA.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the communication system 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the base station apparatus 20B is arranged so that the small cell CB at least partially overlaps with the macrocell CA. Although the plurality of small cell CBs do not overlap each other in FIG. 6, the base station apparatus 20B may be arranged such that the plurality of small cell CBs overlap as shown in FIG.

Here, FeMIMO (Further enhancements on MIMO) is currently being discussed in RAN1. In FeMIMO, studies of distributed MIMO using the above-described multi-TRP within one cell are also underway.

As described above, since high-frequency signals such as millimeter waves have a large path loss, it is recommended to introduce a large number of RRHs (Remote Radio Heads) (an example of the base station device 20B) called multi-TRP in one cell. being considered. For example, a method of arranging RRHs, which are obtained by dividing a panel antenna composed of 128 Massive MIMO patch antennas into panels for each of 32 patch antennas, in a macro cell CA, is being studied.

In this way, in one macrocell CA, by controlling the group of panel antennas (an example of the base station device 20B) distributed at high density by one gNB (an example of the base station device 20A), We are trying to overcome a group of problems in wave communication.

Problems in millimeter wave communication include the following problems 1 to 3.
Problem 1: High-frequency signals such as millimeter waves are greatly affected by path loss.
Problem 2: High-frequency signals such as millimeter waves are quickly attenuated by trees, buildings, and the like. Blocking of the communication channel has a large effect.
Problem 3: Among millimeter waves, in a low frequency band such as FR2, there is some influence of multipath fading, although not as much as in microwaves.

Regarding issue 2, it is possible to extend the coverage of the blocked area by the above-mentioned inter-UE device cooperative relay. For example, the network side (for example, the base It is set from the station device 20). Thereby, a more optimal coordinated relay between UE devices can be realized within one cell CB.

Return to Figure 5. The terminal device 30 is a communication device that wirelessly communicates with the base station device 20 under the control of the base station device 20 . The terminal device 30 may be a so-called user equipment (UE). The terminal device 30 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet PC (personal computer), a notebook PC, a portable game terminal, a mobile terminal such as a portable/dongle-type mobile router or a digital camera, an in-vehicle terminal such as a car navigation device, or a smart glass. It may be implemented as a wearable device such as

The

terminal devices

30A and 30C are relay nodes that relay between the base station devices 20B_2 and 20B_3 and the

terminal devices

30B and 30D. The

terminal devices

30B and 30D cannot directly communicate with the base station devices 20B_2 and 20B_3 due to, for example, buildings. Therefore, the

terminal devices

30A and 30C function as relay nodes, so that the

terminal devices

30B and 30D can communicate with the base station devices 20B_2 and 20B_3 via the

terminal devices

30A and 30C.

When the core network 40 is an EPC in LTE, for example, MME (Mobility Management Entity), S-GW (Serving gateway), P-GW (PDN gateway), PCRF (Policy and Charging Rule Function) and HSS (Home Subscriber Server ). The MME is a control node that handles control plane signals, and manages the movement state of the terminal device. The S-GW is a control node that handles user plane signals, and is a gateway device that switches transfer paths of user information. The P-GW is a control node that handles user plane signals, and is a gateway device that serves as a connection point between the core network 40 and the PDN 50 . The PCRF is a control node that controls policies such as QoS (Quality of Service) for bearers and charging. HSS is a control node that handles subscriber data and performs service control. On the other hand, when the core network 40 is 5GC in NR, AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function), SMF (Session Management Function), UPF (User-Plane Function), PCF (Policy Control Function) and UDM (Unified Data Management) can include The AMF is a control node that handles control plane signals and manages the movement state of the terminal device. The SMF is a control node that handles control plane signals and manages data transfer paths. The UPF is a control node that handles user plane signals and manages the transfer path of user information. PCF is a control node that controls policy. A UDM is a control node that handles subscriber data.

<2.2. Information processing device>
Next, a configuration example of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described using FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The information processing device 10 of the present disclosure manages the amount of communication, the amount of relay data, etc. of the terminal device 30 as described above. The information processing device 10 may be a device that executes the PCRF function of the core network 40, and is a device that manages the communication amount of the terminal device 30, the amount of relay data, etc. as a function of one NF node of the core network 40. There may be.

The information processing device 10 is, for example, an information processing device including a server device, and includes a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 7 is a functional configuration, and the hardware configuration may differ from this. Also, the functions of the information processing apparatus 10 may be distributed and implemented in a plurality of physically separated configurations. For example, the information processing device 10 may be configured by a plurality of server devices. Furthermore, the functions of the information processing device 10 may be dynamically distributed and implemented in a plurality of physically separated configurations.

The communication unit 11 is a communication interface for communicating with other devices. The communication unit 11 may be a network interface or a device connection interface. The communication unit 11 has a function of directly or indirectly connecting to the Internet line. For example, the communication unit 11 may include a LAN (Local Area Network) interface such as a NIC (Network Interface Card), or a USB interface configured by a USB (Universal Serial Bus) host controller, a USB port, etc. may Also, the communication unit 11 may be a wired interface or a wireless interface. The communication unit 11 functions as communication means of the information processing device 10 . The communication unit 11 communicates with other nodes of the core network 40 under the control of the control unit 13 .

The storage unit 12 is a data readable/writable storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a flash memory, a hard disk, or the like. The storage unit 12 functions as storage means of the information processing device 10 . The storage unit 12 stores communication information for each terminal device 30 . The storage unit 12 also stores relay information for each terminal device 30 .

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of communication information according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the storage unit 12 stores the amount of communication of the terminal device 30 as communication information.

As shown in FIG. 8, the storage unit 12 associates and stores the terminal ID that identifies the terminal device 30 and the amount of communication. Here, the code of the terminal device 30 is used as the terminal ID, but the terminal ID may be, for example, IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity), SUPI (Subscriber Permanent Identifier), SUCI (Subscriber Concealed Identifier), GUTI (Globally Unique Temporary Identifier). ) or subscriber identification information such as TMSI (Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity).

It should be noted that the information processing device 10 does not include the amount of relay data relayed by the terminal device 30 in the amount of communication. In other words, the storage unit 12 stores the amount of communication of the terminal device 30 with which the base station device 20 communicates as a communication partner with which the base station device 20 actually transmits and receives data.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of relay information according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the storage unit 12 stores the amount of relay data as relay information.

The storage unit 12 associates and stores the terminal ID that identifies the terminal device 30 and the amount of relay data. The amount of relay data is the amount of relay data received by the terminal device 30 from the base station device 20 (or another terminal device 30) and the data of relay data transmitted by the terminal device 30 to the other terminal device 30. quantity included. The amount of relay data may be either the amount of relay data received by the terminal device 30 or the amount of relay data transmitted.

By storing the amount of relay data in the storage unit 12 in this manner, the operator can pay the user a price corresponding to the amount of relay data.

　The relay information is not limited to the amount of relay data. For example, the relay information may be the time (relay time) when the terminal device 30 relayed the relay data.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of relay information according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the storage unit 12 stores the relay time in association with the terminal device 30 as the relay information. In FIG. 10, the unit of relay time is milliseconds (ms), but the unit of relay time may be slot, frame, or the like.

For example, if the amount of data that can be relayed at one time is small, the terminal device 30 may relay the relay data multiple times. In this case, even if the amount of data relayed by the terminal device 30 is the same as when the amount of data that can be relayed at one time is large, the time for the terminal device 30 to relay the relay data becomes longer. Therefore, by storing the relay time in the information processing apparatus 10, the operator can pay the user a price according to the relay time (time resource).

Also, the relay information may be information about the power (transmission power or reception power) used when the terminal device 30 relays the relay data. For example, when the terminal device 30 and another terminal device 30 are far apart, the terminal device 30 needs to transmit relay data with high transmission power. In this case, the power consumption of the terminal device 30 increases. Therefore, by storing the relay time in the information processing apparatus 10, the operator can pay the user a price according to the relay time (time resource).

Also, the relay information may be information that combines the above-described relay data amount, relay time, power, and the like. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining another example of relay information according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. In the example shown in FIG. 11 , the storage unit 12 stores, as relay data, points obtained by combining relay data amount, relay time, power, etc., in association with the terminal device 30 .

A point is, for example, a value determined in advance according to the amount of relay data, relay time, and power. It is assumed that Based on the relay data information received from the base station apparatus 20, the information processing apparatus 10 refers to the storage unit 12 to determine points, and updates the relay information according to the determined points.

In this manner, the information processing apparatus 10 stores points obtained by combining relay data amount, relay time, power, etc., as relay information, so that the operator can obtain a comprehensive Compensation can be paid according to the amount of resources.

In the following, for the sake of simplicity, the case where the relay information is the amount of relay data will be described as an example.

The control unit 13 is a controller that controls each unit of the information processing device 10 . The control unit 13 is implemented by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), for example. For example, the control unit 13 is implemented by the processor executing various programs stored in the storage device inside the information processing apparatus 10 using a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like as a work area. The control unit 13 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). CPUs, MPUs, ASICs, and FPGAs can all be considered controllers.

The control unit 13 interacts with the core network to provide services. Also, the control unit 13 updates the relay information and communication information stored in the storage unit 12 based on the relay data information acquired from the base station device 20 .

For example, the control unit 13 updates the relay information by adding the amount of relay data included in the relay data information to the amount of relay data stored in the storage unit 12 . Further, the control unit 13 updates the communication information by adding the amount of communication included in the relay data information to the amount of communication stored in the storage unit 12 .

<2.3. Base station equipment>
Next, details of the base station apparatus 20 will be described. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the base station device 20 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 12 , base station apparatus 20 includes antenna section 21 , radio communication section 22 , network communication section 23 , storage section 24 and control section 25 .

(1) Antenna section 21
The antenna unit 21 radiates the signal output by the wireless communication unit 22 into space as radio waves. The antenna unit 21 also converts radio waves in space into signals and outputs the signals to the wireless communication unit 22 .

(2) Wireless communication unit 22
The wireless communication unit 22 transmits and receives signals. For example, the wireless communication unit 22 transmits downlink signals to the terminal device 30 and receives uplink signals from the terminal device.

(3) Network communication unit 23
The network communication unit 23 transmits and receives information. For example, the network communication unit 23 transmits information to other nodes and receives information from other nodes. For example, the other nodes include other base station apparatuses 20 and core network nodes.

(4) Storage unit 24
The storage unit 24 temporarily or permanently stores programs and various data for operating the base station apparatus 20 .

(5) Control unit 25
The control unit 25 controls the overall operation of the base station device 20 and provides various functions of the base station device 20 . The control unit 25 includes a relay information acquisition unit 251 , a relay communication unit 252 and a notification unit 253 .

(5-1) Relay information acquisition unit 251
The relay information acquisition unit 251 acquires relay information about relays from the terminal device 30 . The relay information includes, for example, information on other terminal devices 30 with which the terminal device 30 can communicate (relay). Also, the relay information may include relay permission/prohibition information indicating whether or not the terminal device 30 performs relay.

(5-2) Relay communication unit 252
The relay communication unit 252 transmits and receives relay data to and from another terminal device 30 (hereinafter also referred to as the final terminal device 30B) via the terminal device 30 (hereinafter also referred to as the relay terminal device 30A).

For example, when transmission data addressed to the final terminal device 30B is generated and the final terminal device 30B is not directly communicating with the base station device 20, the relay communication unit 252 communicates with the final terminal device 30B. The transmission data is transmitted as relay data to the relay terminal device 30A.

At this time, the relay communication unit 252 selects the relay terminal device 30A as the destination for relaying the transmission data (hereinafter also referred to as the relay destination) and the final terminal as the final destination of the transmission data (hereinafter also referred to as the final destination). The relay (transmission) data is transmitted by designating the device 30B. For example, the relay communication unit 252 transmits the relay (transmission) data including the relay destination and the final destination.

(5-3) Notification unit 253
The notification unit 253 generates relay data information according to the relay (transmission) data transmitted by the relay communication unit 252 and notifies the information processing apparatus 10 of the relay data information via the network communication unit 23 . For example, the notification unit 253 communicates relay data amount information that associates the amount of relayed (transmitted) data with the relay terminal device 30A, and communication that associates the amount of relayed (transmitted) data with the final terminal device 30B. generate quantity information; The notification unit 253 notifies the information processing apparatus 10 of the generated relay data amount information and communication amount information as relay data information.

In addition, the notification unit 253 generates relay data information according to the relay (received) data received by the base station device 20 and notifies the information processing device 10 via the network communication unit 23 . For example, the notification unit 253 communicates relay data amount information that associates the amount of relayed (received) data with the relay terminal device 30A, and communication that associates the amount of relayed (received) data with the final terminal device 30B. generate quantity information; The notification unit 253 notifies the information processing apparatus 10 of the generated relay data amount information and communication amount information as relay data information.

The configuration of the base station device 20 described above with reference to FIG. 12 is merely an example, and does not necessarily limit the functional configuration of the base station device 20. As a specific example, part of each component of the base station device 20 may be provided outside the base station device 20 . Also, each function of the base station apparatus 20 may be realized by a plurality of apparatuses operating in cooperation.

As described above, in the communication system 1 according to this embodiment, the base station device 20B may operate as a multi-TPR and relay communication between the terminal device 30 and the base station device 20A. In such a case, for example, the base station device 20 corresponding to the base station device 20B does not have to include the notification unit 253 .

<2.4. Terminal device>
Next, an example of the configuration of the terminal device 30 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 13 . FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device 30 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 13, the terminal device 30 includes an antenna section 31, a wireless communication section 32, a storage section 33, and a control section .

(1) Antenna section 31
The antenna unit 31 radiates the signal output by the wireless communication unit 32 into space as radio waves. The antenna unit 31 also converts radio waves in space into signals and outputs the signals to the wireless communication unit 32 . Note that the antenna section 31 may include a plurality of antenna elements.

(2) Wireless communication unit 32
The wireless communication unit 32 transmits and receives signals. For example, the radio communication unit 32 receives downlink signals from the base station device 20 and transmits uplink signals to the base station device 20 .

Also, as described above, in the system 1 according to the present embodiment, the terminal device 30 may operate as a relay terminal and relay communication between the other terminal device 30 and the base station device 20. In such a case, for example, the wireless communication unit 32 of the other terminal device 30 may transmit and receive sidelink signals to and from the terminal device 30, which is a relay terminal.

(4) Storage unit 33
The storage unit 33 temporarily or permanently stores programs and various data for operating the terminal device 30 .

(5) Control unit 34
The control unit 34 controls the overall operation of the terminal device 30 and provides various functions of the terminal device 30 . The control section 34 includes a relay information notification section 341 and a relay communication section 342 .

(5-1) Relay information notification unit 341
The relay information notification unit 341 notifies the base station apparatus 20 of relay information regarding the relay. The relay information includes, for example, information on other terminal devices 30 with which the terminal device 30 can communicate (relay).

Also, the relay information may include relay availability information indicating whether or not the terminal device 30 performs relay. Here, for example, the relay information notification unit 341 determines whether or not to perform the relay according to the contract of the user. For example, if the user's contract stipulates in advance that relaying will not be performed, the relay information notification unit 341 generates relay or non-information indicating that relaying will not be performed, and notifies the base station apparatus 20 of it.

Alternatively, the relay information notification unit 341 may determine whether or not to perform the relay according to the information of the terminal device 30. For example, the terminal device 30 may perform relaying when the remaining battery level of the terminal device 30 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and may not perform relaying when the remaining battery level of the terminal device 30 is less than the predetermined threshold. Alternatively, when an application that causes communication with the base station apparatus 20 is running in the terminal device 30, the terminal device 30 may not perform the relay. Alternatively, the terminal device 30 may determine whether or not to perform the relay according to user settings.

Also, the relay information notification unit 341 may determine whether or not to perform relaying according to the relative mobility speed with respect to other terminal devices 30 with which communication is possible. For example, the terminal device 30 determines to relay when the relative mobility speed is equal to or lower than the normative level (3 km/h).

Also, the relay information notification unit 341 may determine whether or not to perform relay according to QoS (Quality of Service) when the own device communicates with the base station device 20 . For example, when the own device performs communication with the base station device 20 that requires high QoS, such as URLLC, the relay information notification unit 341 determines not to perform the relay.

It should be noted that if it is decided in advance that relaying will not be performed according to a contract or the like, notification of relay information by the relay information notification unit 341 may be omitted. In this case, the base station device 20 may determine whether or not the terminal device 30 performs relay based on information about the terminal device 30 stored on the core network side.

(5-2) Relay communication unit 342
The relay communication unit 342 transmits the relay data received from the base station device 20 to the other terminal devices 30 . Alternatively, the relay communication unit 342 transmits relay data received from another terminal device 30 to the base station device 20 . The relay communication unit 342 transmits the relay data to the final destination of the relay data when the own device is specified as the relay destination of the relay data.

The configuration of the terminal device 30 described above with reference to FIG. 13 is merely an example, and the functional configuration of the terminal device 30 is not necessarily limited. For example, if the terminal device 30 is the final terminal device 30B and does not perform relaying, the terminal device 30 that is the final terminal device 30B does not have to include the relay information notification unit 341 and the relay communication unit 342 .

<<3. Relay communication processing>
FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of relay communication processing executed in the communication system 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 14, first, the relay terminal device 30A notifies the relay information to the base station device 20 (step S101). The relay information includes information on the terminal device 30 capable of communication and relay availability information. Here, the relay terminal device 30A notifies the base station device 20 of information on the final terminal device 30B as information on the terminal device 30 with which communication is possible. In addition, the relay terminal device 30A notifies the base station device 20 of relay enable/disable information indicating that the relay is to be performed.

Next, it is assumed that data addressed to the final terminal device 30B is generated in the base station device 20 (step S102). The base station device 20 checks the relay information and determines that it cannot directly transmit to the final terminal device 30B, but can transmit via the relay terminal device 30A.

In this case, the base station device 20 generates relay data including the relay terminal device 30A as the relay destination and the final terminal device 30B as the final destination, and transmits the relay data to the relay terminal device 30A (step S103).

The relay terminal device 30A that has received the relay data transmits the relay data to the final terminal device 30B (step S104).

Also, when transmitting the relay data to the relay terminal device 30A, the base station device 20 generates relay data information and notifies it to the information processing device 10 (step S105). The relay data information includes relay data amount information corresponding to the relay terminal device 30A and communication amount information corresponding to the final terminal device 30B.

The information processing device 10 updates the amount of relay data corresponding to the relay terminal device 30A based on the relay data information (step S106). Further, the information processing device 10 updates the communication traffic corresponding to the final terminal device 30B based on the relay data information (step S107).

<<4. Other embodiments >>
The above-described embodiment is an example, and various modifications and applications are possible.

For example, as described above, the cell C of the base station device 20 can be arranged to overlap with the cell C of the adjacent base station device 20 . In this case, there is a possibility that the relay terminal device 30B that performs relaying may interfere with the other terminal device 30 . This point will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining interference by a relay terminal device 30A according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 15, the relay terminal device 30A relays the relay data transmitted by the base station device 20B_1 to the final terminal device 30B. At this time, depending on the transmission power of the relay terminal device 30A, interference may be given to another terminal device 30C existing within the cell CB_2 of the base station device 20B_2.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the communication system 1 is provided with a measuring device 60 that measures transmission power with which the relay terminal device 30A transmits relay data. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a communication system 1 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 16, at least one measuring device 60 is arranged, for example, at the cell edge of the base station device 20B.

The measuring device 60 communicates with the base station device 20B and notifies the base station device 20B of information on the measured transmission power. Note that the measuring device 60 may notify the base station device 20A (see FIG. 5) of the measurement result via the base station device 20B. Alternatively, if the measuring device 60 can directly communicate with the base station device 20A, the measuring device 60 may directly notify the base station device 20A of the measurement result.

Based on the transmission power measured by the measurement device 60, the base station device 20 determines the transmission power of the relay data transmitted by the relay terminal device 30A. The base station device 20 notifies the relay terminal device 30A of power information regarding the determined transmission power. The base station device 20 may include the power information in the relay data and notify it to the relay terminal device 30A, or may notify the relay terminal device 30A as control information separately from the relay data, for example.

FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining transmission power control performed by the communication system 1 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 17, based on the power information notified by the base station apparatus 20, the relay terminal apparatus 30A transmits relay data.

Thus, the base station device 20 controls the transmission power of the relay terminal device 30A according to the measurement result of the transmission power of the relay data by the measurement device 60. Thereby, the relay terminal device 30A can further reduce interference given to the other terminal device 30C.

Although the measuring device 60 is arranged at the edge of the cell CB here, it is not limited to this. By arranging the measuring device 60 at the edge of the macrocell CA (see FIG. 5), it is possible to reduce the interference given by the relay terminal device 30A at the boundary of the cell CA of the adjacent base station device 20A.

Also, in the above-described embodiment, the number of relay terminal devices 30A that relay data is one, but the number is not limited to this. There may be two or more terminal devices 30 that relay one piece of data. That is, multiple terminal devices 30 may relay one piece of data.

In this case, the base station device 20 generates relay data information that associates each of the terminal devices 30 that relayed the relay data with the amount of relay data, and notifies the information processing device 10 of it. The information processing device 10 updates the amount of relay data for all the terminal devices 30 that have relayed the relay data.

Also, in the above-described embodiment, the information processing device 10 manages both relay information and communication information, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an information processing device that manages relay information and an information processing device that manages communication information may be different devices.

Also, the relay communication in the embodiment described above is an example, and communication between the base station apparatus 20 and other terminal apparatuses 30 via the terminal apparatus 30 can be realized using various existing techniques.

A control device that controls the information processing device 10, the base station device 20, or the terminal device 30 of the present embodiment may be realized by a dedicated computer system or by a general-purpose computer system.

For example, the program for executing the above operations is distributed by storing it in a computer-readable recording medium such as an optical disk, semiconductor memory, magnetic tape, or flexible disk. Then, for example, the control device is configured by installing the program in a computer and executing the above-described processing. At this time, the control device may be a device (for example, a personal computer) external to the information processing device 10 , the base station device 20 or the terminal device 30 . Further, the control device may be a device inside the information processing device 10, the base station device 20, or the terminal device 30 (for example, the control unit 13, the control unit 25, or the control unit 34).

Also, the above communication program may be stored in a disk device provided in a server device on a network such as the Internet, so that it can be downloaded to a computer. Also, the functions described above may be realized through cooperation between an OS (Operating System) and application software. In this case, the parts other than the OS may be stored in a medium and distributed, or the parts other than the OS may be stored in a server device so that they can be downloaded to a computer.

Further, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being automatically performed can be manually performed, or the processes described as being performed manually can be performed manually. All or part of this can also be done automatically by known methods. In addition, information including processing procedures, specific names, various data and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be arbitrarily changed unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the illustrated information.

Also, each component of each device illustrated is functionally conceptual and does not necessarily need to be physically configured as illustrated. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to the illustrated one, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in arbitrary units according to various loads and usage conditions. Can be integrated and configured.

In addition, the embodiments described above can be appropriately combined in areas where the processing content is not inconsistent. Also, the order of the steps shown in the sequence diagrams or flowcharts of this embodiment can be changed as appropriate.

Also, for example, the present embodiment can be applied to any configuration that constitutes a device or system, such as a processor as a system LSI (Large Scale Integration), a module using a plurality of processors, a unit using a plurality of modules, etc. Furthermore, it can also be implemented as a set or the like (that is, a configuration of a part of the device) to which other functions are added.

In addition, in this embodiment, the system means a set of a plurality of components (devices, modules (parts), etc.), and it does not matter whether all the components are in the same housing. Therefore, a plurality of devices housed in separate housings and connected via a network, and a single device housing a plurality of modules in one housing, are both systems. .

Also, for example, this embodiment can take a configuration of cloud computing in which one function is shared by a plurality of devices via a network and processed jointly.

<<5. Summary>>
Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure can conceive of various modifications or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. are naturally within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

Also, the effects described in this specification are merely descriptive or exemplary, and are not limiting. In other words, the technology according to the present disclosure can produce other effects that are obvious to those skilled in the art from the description of this specification in addition to or instead of the above effects.

Note that the present technology can also take the following configuration.
(1)
a communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from the second terminal device via the first terminal device;
a control unit that notifies an information processing device of first information about the data in association with the first terminal device;
A base station device comprising:
(2)
The base station apparatus according to (1), wherein the control unit notifies the information processing apparatus of the second information about the data in association with the second terminal apparatus.
(3)
The control unit
Acquiring availability information indicating whether or not the first terminal device relays to the second terminal device;
Based on the availability information, transmitting and receiving the data to and from the second terminal device via the first terminal device that performs the relay;
The base station device according to (1) or (2).
(4)
(1) to (3), wherein the first information includes information on at least one of a data amount of the data, power when the data is transmitted or received, and transmission time or reception time of the data; The base station apparatus according to any one of.
(5)
The control unit
Acquiring a measurement result of the transmission power of the data by the first terminal device;
Determining the transmission power of the data transmitted by the first terminal device based on the measurement result;
The base station apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4).
(6)
Control for acquiring the first information associated with the first terminal device and the first information related to the data from a base station device that transmits and receives data to and from the second terminal device via the first terminal device. part,
Information processing device.
(7)
A communication system comprising a base station device and an information processing device,
The base station device
a communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from the second terminal device via the first terminal device;
a control unit that notifies the information processing device of the first information about the data in association with the first terminal device;
with
The information processing device is
a control unit that acquires the first information from the base station device;
communication system.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 information processing device 11 communication unit 12, 24, 33 storage unit 13, 25, 34 control unit 20

base station apparatus

21, 31 antenna unit 22, 32 wireless communication unit 23 network communication unit 30 terminal device 40 core network 50 PDN
60 measuring device 251 relay information acquisition unit 252, 342 relay communication unit 253 notification unit 351 relay information notification unit

Claims

a communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from the second terminal device via the first terminal device;
a control unit that notifies an information processing device of first information about the data in association with the first terminal device;
A base station device comprising:
The base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit notifies the information processing apparatus of the second information about the data in association with the second terminal apparatus.
The control unit
Acquiring availability information indicating whether or not the first terminal device relays to the second terminal device;
Based on the availability information, transmitting and receiving the data to and from the second terminal device via the first terminal device that performs the relay;
The base station apparatus according to claim 1.
The base according to claim 1, wherein the first information includes information on at least one of a data amount of the data, power when the data is transmitted or received, and transmission time or reception time of the data. station equipment.
The control unit
Acquiring a measurement result of the transmission power of the data by the first terminal device;
Determining the transmission power of the data transmitted by the first terminal device based on the measurement result;
The base station apparatus according to claim 1.
Control for acquiring the first information associated with the first terminal device and the first information related to the data from a base station device that transmits and receives data to and from the second terminal device via the first terminal device. part,
Information processing device.
A communication system comprising a base station device and an information processing device,
The base station device
a communication unit that transmits and receives data to and from the second terminal device via the first terminal device;
a control unit that notifies the information processing device of the first information about the data in association with the first terminal device;
with
The information processing device is
a control unit that acquires the first information from the base station device;
communication system.