IP Library Granted Patent US 12,744,582
Granted Patent B2
US 12,744,582 · App. 18/681,194 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Relay device, control method for relay device, and program

Inventors: Riku Omiya (Musashino, JP); Kahoko Takahashi (Musashino, JP); Tomoaki Ogawa (Musashino, JP); Yasushi Takatori (Musashino, JP)
Assignee: NTT, Inc.
H04B7/15
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,744,582
App. No.
18/681,194
Granted
Sep 22, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A relay device has the following configuration for quickly and easily acquiring highly accurate terminal position information and controlling the reconfigurable intelligent surface. The reconfigurable intelligent surface dynamically changes the reflection direction of the radio wave. The image sensor captures a use range of a terminal composed of a plurality of regions divided in a lattice shape. A control device controls the reconfigurable intelligent surface. In particular, the control device acquires image data of a use range of the terminal captured by the image sensor. The control device searches for a region where the terminal exists among the plurality of regions from the image data. The control device directs the reflection direction of the reconfigurable intelligent surface to a region where the terminal exists.

Claims (21)

1 . A relay device that relays radio waves between a base station and a terminal, the relay device comprising:

a reconfigurable intelligent surface for dynamically changing a reflection direction of the radio wave;

an image sensor that captures a use range of the terminal, which is composed of a plurality of regions partitioned in a lattice shape; and

processing circuitry that controls the reconfigurable intelligent surface,

wherein

the processing circuitry

acquires image data of the use range captured by the image sensor,

searches the image data for a region in which the terminal exists among the plurality of regions, and

directs the reflection direction of the reconfigurable intelligent surface toward the region where the terminal exists.

2 . The relay device according to claim 1 , wherein the use range of the terminal is a range partitioned by a plurality of tiles arranged on a floor surface, and

each of the plurality of regions corresponds to one of the plurality of tiles.

3 . A control method for a relay device that relays radio waves between a base station and a terminal, wherein

the relay device includes

a reconfigurable intelligent surface for dynamically changing a reflection direction of the radio wave, and

an image sensor that captures a use range of the terminal, which is composed of a plurality of regions partitioned in a lattice shape,

the control method comprising:

acquiring image data of the use range captured by the image sensor;

searching for a region in which the terminal exists among the plurality of regions from the image data; and

directing the reflection direction of the reconfigurable intelligent surface toward the region where the terminal exists.

4 . The control method for the relay device according to claim 3 , wherein the use range of the terminal is defined by a plurality of tiles arranged on a floor surface, and each of the plurality of regions corresponds to one of the plurality of tiles.

5 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that is executed by a computer and causes the computer to function as the relay device according to claim 1 .

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 21, 2025
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 072499/0774 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2024
From: OMIYA, RIKU; TAKAHASHI, KAHOKO; OGAWA, TOMOAKI; TAKATORI, YASUSHI
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066398/0535 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250055555A1 · Feb 13, 2025
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