IP Library Granted Patent US 12,538,199
Granted Patent B2
US 12,538,199 · App. 18/341,763 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Control device, computer readable storage medium, system, and control method

Inventor: Kiyoshi Nozaki (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
H04W36/083H04W36/00833H04W84/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,538,199
App. No.
18/341,763
Granted
Jan 27, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a control device which controls a flight vehicle which forms a multi-cell including a plurality of cells on a ground to provide a wireless communication service to user terminals in the multi-cell, the control device including an output control unit which performs control such that in response to a state where a second flight vehicle which is to replace a first flight vehicle controlled by the control device has started forming a plurality of cells to be aligned with a position of each of the plurality of cells formed by the first flight vehicle, each of the plurality of cells formed by the second flight vehicle being in a same frequency band as that of each of the plurality of cells formed by the first flight vehicle, radio wave output of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle continuously falls.

Claims (43)

1 . A control device which controls a flight vehicle which forms a multi-cell including a plurality of cells on a ground to provide a wireless communication service to user terminals in the multi-cell, the control device comprising:

an output control unit which performs control such that in response to a state where a second flight vehicle which is to replace a first flight vehicle controlled by the control device has started forming a plurality of cells to be aligned with a position of each of the plurality of cells formed by the first flight vehicle, each of the plurality of cells formed by the second flight vehicle being in a same frequency band as that of each of the plurality of cells formed by the first flight vehicle, radio wave output of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle continuously falls, wherein

the output control unit individually controls a decreasing speed of the radio wave output with regard to each of the plurality of cells, and

the output control unit controls the decreasing speed of the radio wave output based on a number of connections of the user terminals with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

2 . The control device according to claim 1 , comprising:

a connection count acquisition unit which acquires the number of connections of the user terminals with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

3 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the output control unit slows down the decreasing speed of the radio wave output as the number of connections of the user terminals is higher with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

4 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the output control unit speeds up the decreasing speed of the radio wave output as the number of connections of the user terminals is lower with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

5 . The control device according to claim 1 , comprising:

an hand over out information acquisition unit which acquires hand over out information indicating a status of the user terminals handed over to be out with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle, wherein

the output control unit controls the decreasing speed of the radio wave output based on the hand over out information with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

6 . The control device according to claim 2 , comprising:

an hand over out information acquisition unit which acquires hand over out information indicating a status of the user terminals handed over to be out with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle, wherein

the output control unit controls the decreasing speed of the radio wave output based on the hand over out information with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

7 . The control device according to claim 5 , wherein the hand over out information acquisition unit acquires the hand over out information indicating a number of the user terminals handed over to be out per unit time with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

8 . The control device according to claim 7 , wherein the output control unit slows down the decreasing speed of the radio wave output as the number of the user terminals handed over to be out per unit time is higher with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

9 . The control device according to claim 1 , comprising:

an hand over in information acquisition unit which acquires hand over in information indicating a status of the user terminals handed over to be in with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the second flight vehicle, wherein

the output control unit controls the decreasing speed of the radio wave output based on the hand over in information with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

10 . The control device according to claim 9 , wherein the hand over in information acquisition unit acquires the hand over in information indicating a number of the user terminals handed over to be in per unit time with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the second flight vehicle.

11 . The control device according to claim 10 , wherein the output control unit slows down the decreasing speed of the radio wave output as the number of the user terminals handed over to be in per unit time to a cell in a corresponding position among the plurality of cells of the second flight vehicle is higher with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

12 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the control device is arranged on the ground, and

the output control unit individually controls the decreasing speed of the radio wave output with regard to each of the plurality of cells by transmitting an instruction to the first flight vehicle.

13 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is mounted to the first flight vehicle.

14 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program which causes a computer to function as a control device which controls a flight vehicle which forms a multi-cell including a plurality of cells on a ground to provide a wireless communication service to user terminals in the multi-cell, the control device comprising:

an output control unit which performs control such that in response to a state where a second flight vehicle which is to replace a first flight vehicle controlled by the control device has started forming a plurality of cells to be aligned with a position of each of the plurality of cells formed by the first flight vehicle, each of the plurality of cells formed by the second flight vehicle being in a same frequency band as that of each of the plurality of cells formed by the first flight vehicle, radio wave output of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle continuously falls, wherein

the output control unit individually controls a decreasing speed of the radio wave output with regard to each of the plurality of cells, and

the output control unit controls the decreasing speed of the radio wave output based on a number of connections of the user terminals with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

15 . A system comprising:

the control device according to claim 1 ;

the first flight vehicle; and

the second flight vehicle.

16 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein after moving to a position corresponding to the first flight vehicle which forms the plurality of cells, the second flight vehicle starts to form the plurality of cells each of which is in a same frequency band as that of each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

17 . The system according to claim 16 , wherein the second flight vehicle transmits, to the control device, hand over in information indicating a status of the user terminals handed over to be in with regard to each of the plurality of cells.

18 . A control method executed by a control device which controls a flight vehicle having an antenna which forms a multi-cell including a plurality of cells on a ground to provide a wireless communication service to user terminals in the multi-cell, the control method comprising:

controlling output by performing control such that in response to a state where a second flight vehicle which is to replace a first flight vehicle controlled by the control device has started forming a plurality of cells to be aligned with a position of each of the plurality of cells formed by the first flight vehicle, each of the plurality of cells formed by the second flight vehicle being in a same frequency band as that of each of the plurality of cells formed by the first flight vehicle, radio wave output of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle continuously falls, wherein

in the controlling the output, a decreasing speed of the radio wave output is individually controlled with regard to each of the plurality of cells, and

in controlling the output, the decreasing speed of the radio wave output is based on a number of connections of the user terminals with regard to each of the plurality of cells of the first flight vehicle.

19 . A control device which controls a replacement flight vehicle which is to replace an active flight vehicle having an antenna which forms a multi-cell including a plurality of cells on a ground to provide a wireless communication service to user terminals in the multi-cell, the control device comprising:

a communication control unit which forms a plurality of cells to be aligned with a position of each of the plurality of cells formed by the active flight vehicle, each of the plurality of cells formed by the communication control unit being in a same frequency band as that of each of the plurality of cells formed by the active flight vehicle;

a notification unit which transmits, to the active flight vehicle, hand over in information indicating a status of the user terminals handed over to be in with regard to each of the plurality of cells formed by the communication control unit; and

an output control unit controls a decreasing speed of a radio wave output of at least one of the plurality of cells of the active flight vehicle based on a number of connections of the user terminals with the active flight vehicle.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Dec 18, 2023
From: HAPSMOBILE INC.
To: SOFTBANK CORP.
Reel/Frame 066048/0600 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 27, 2023
From: NOZAKI, KIYOSHI
To: HAPSMOBILE INC.
Reel/Frame 064065/0206 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-003538 · Jan 13, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2022000287 · Jan 6, 2022
Related Publication 20230345330A1 · Oct 26, 2023
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