Relay apparatus, wireless communication system, wireless communication method and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12597992-B2
Application number	US-202018268059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 25, 2020
Priority date	Dec 25, 2020
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

A relay device that relays wireless signals transmitted from a plurality of first communication devices to a second communication device while moving includes: a first reception unit configured to receive signals transmitted from the plurality of first communication devices through a reception antenna; and a direction control unit configured to control a reception direction of the reception antenna based on dense district information which is estimated based on the reception of the signals and indicates a district where the first communication devices are located with high density exceeding a predetermined reference.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A relay device that relays wireless signals transmitted from a plurality of first communication devices to a second communication device while moving, the relay device comprising:
a first receiver configured to receive first uplink signals transmitted from the plurality of first communication devices through a reception antenna; a transmitter configured to transmit a downlink signal indicating reception information regarding reception of the first uplink signals to the second communication device; a second receiver that receives a second uplink signal which is transmitted from the second communication device and is based on dense district information indicating a district estimated based on the reception information; and a direction controller configured to control a reception direction of the reception antenna based on the dense district information and indicates the district where the first communication devices are located with high density exceeding a predetermined reference, wherein the district is estimated based on positional information, which is included in the first uplink signals and indicates positions of the first communication devices that have transmitted the first uplink signals.

2 . The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein the district is estimated based on a received signal strength indicator of the first uplink signals received by the first receiver and orbit information of the relay device.

3 . The relay device according to claim 2 , wherein the direction controller controls the reception direction by controlling an attitude of the relay device.

4 . The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein the district is estimated based on a number of the first uplink signals received by the first receiver and orbit information of the relay device.

5 . The relay device according to claim 4 , wherein the direction controller controls the reception direction by controlling an attitude of the relay device.

6 . The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein the direction controller controls the reception direction by controlling an attitude of the relay device.

7 . The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein the direction controller controls the reception direction by controlling an attitude of the relay device.

8 . A wireless communication system comprising:
a plurality of first communication devices; a second communication device; and a relay device configured to relay signals transmitted from the plurality of first communication devices to the second communication device while moving, wherein each of the plurality of first communication devices includes a first transmitter that transmits the first uplink signal to the relay device, and wherein the relay device includes
a first receiver that receives first uplink signals transmitted from the plurality of first communication devices through a reception antenna,
second transmitter configured to transmit a downlink signal indicating reception information regarding reception of the first uplink signals to the second communication device;
a second receiver that receives a second uplink signal which is transmitted from the second communication device and is based on dense district information indicating a district estimated based on the reception information; and
a direction controller that controls a reception direction of the reception antenna based on the dense district information and indicates the district where the first communication devices are located with high density exceeding a predetermined reference,
wherein the district is estimated based on positional information, which is included in the first uplink signals and indicates positions of the first communication devices that have transmitted the first uplink signals.

9 . The wireless communication system according to claim 8 , wherein the district is estimated based on a received signal strength indicator of the first uplink signals and orbit information of the relay device.

10 . The wireless communication system according to claim 8 , wherein the district is estimated based on a number of the received first uplink signals and orbit information of the relay device.

11 . The wireless communication system according to claim 8 ,
wherein the second communication device includes
a third receiver that receives the downlink signal,
an analyzer that estimates the district based on the reception information, and a third transmitter that transmit to the relay device, the second uplink signal which is based on the dense district information indicating the district estimated by the analyzer.

12 . The wireless communication system according to claim 8 , wherein the direction controller controls the reception direction by controlling an attitude of the relay device.

13 . A wireless communication method in which signals transmitted from a plurality of first communication devices to a second communication device are relayed by a relay device that is moving, the method comprising:
a first transmission step in which each of the plurality of first communication devices transmits a first uplink signal to the relay device; a first reception step in which the relay device receives first uplink signals transmitted from the plurality of first communication devices through a reception antenna; a second transmission step in which the relay device transmits a downlink signal indicating reception information regarding reception of the first uplink signals to the second communication device; a second reception step in which the relay device receives a second uplink signal which is transmitted from the second communication device and is based on dense district information indicating a district estimated based on the reception information; and a direction control step in which the relay device controls a reception direction of the reception antenna based on the dense district information and indicates the district where the first communication devices are located with high density exceeding a predetermined reference, where the district is estimated based on positional information, which is included in the first uplink signals and indicates positions of the first communication devices that have transmitted the first uplink signals.

14 . A non-transitory storage medium that stores a program causing a computer to execute processes as a relay device, the processes comprising:
receiving first uplink signals transmitted from the plurality of first communication devices through a reception antenna; transmitting a downlink signal indicating reception information regarding reception of the first uplink signals to the second communication device; receiving a second uplink signal which is transmitted from the second communication device and is based on dense district information indicating a district estimated based on the reception information; and controlling a reception direction of the reception antenna based on the dense district information and indicates the district where the first communication devices are located with high density exceeding predetermined reference, wherein the district is estimated based on positional information, which is included in the first uplink signals and indicates positions of the first communication devices that have transmitted the first uplink signals.

Assignees

• Ntt Inc

Inventors

• Sakamoto Kazumitsu
• Fujino Yosuke
• Goto Daisuke
• Kojima Yasuyoshi
• Itokawa Kiyohiko

Classifications

• H04B17/318

  Received signal strength · CPC title

• H04B7/155

  Ground-based stations (H04B7/204 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B7/185 Primary

  Space-based or airborne stations; {Stations for satellite systems}(H04B7/204 takes precedence) · CPC title