IP Library Granted Patent US 12,609,872
Granted Patent B2
US 12,609,872 · App. 18/832,264 · Granted Apr 21, 2026

Control apparatus, control method and program

Inventors: Kengo Urata (Tokyo, JP); Ryota Nakamura (Tokyo, JP); Shigeaki Harada (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NTT, Inc.
H04L41/40H04L41/147
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,609,872
App. No.
18/832,264
Granted
Apr 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control apparatus for allocating a virtual network to a physical network is disclosed. The control apparatus includes a processor, and a memory storing instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to execute a process including performing allocation of virtual nodes configuring the virtual network to physical nodes or determination of paths between the virtual nodes, based on a prediction value of an amount of traffic of a service, a prediction value of an amount of power consumption of a physical node, information relating to the physical network, and a command value relating to power supply-demand match.

Claims (23)

1 . A control apparatus for allocating a virtual network to a physical network, the control apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to execute a process, the process including

performing allocation of virtual nodes in the virtual network to physical nodes in the physical network or determination of paths of a virtual link between the virtual nodes in the virtual network, based on a prediction value of an amount of traffic of a service, a prediction value of an amount of power consumption of a physical node, information relating to the physical network, and a command value relating to power supply-demand match.

2 . A control apparatus for allocating a virtual network to a physical network, the control apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to execute a process, the process including

performing allocation of virtual nodes to physical nodes or determination of paths between the virtual nodes, based on a prediction value of an amount of traffic of a service, a prediction value of an amount of power consumption of a physical node, information relating to the physical network, and a command value relating to power supply-demand match, the virtual nodes preventing prediction errors with respect to both the prediction value of the amount of traffic and the prediction value of the amount of power consumption.

3 . A control apparatus for embedding a virtual network in a physical network, the virtual network enabling service provision, the control apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to execute a process, the process including

acquiring a prediction value of an amount of traffic of a service and a prediction value of an amount of power consumption of a physical node to which a command value relating to the amount of power consumption is not provided, from among physical nodes configuring a physical network;

acquiring information relating to the physical network;

acquiring the command value provided to at least some of physical nodes configuring the physical network;

calculating a solution to a 2-stage optimization problem relating to allocation of virtual nodes configuring the virtual network to physical nodes and determination of paths between the virtual nodes, with a constraint condition that an amount of power consumption of a physical node to which the command value is provided satisfies the command value, based on the prediction value of the amount of traffic, the prediction value of the amount of power consumption, information relating to the physical network, and the command value; and

controlling a virtual network embedded in the physical network, based on allocation of the virtual node and determination of a path represented by the solution.

4 . The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the command value is an amount of power consumption in which a physical node to which the command value is provided needs to be satisfied or a range of the amount of power consumption in which a physical node to which the command value is provided needs to satisfied.

5 . The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the prediction value of the amount of traffic is expressed by a nominal value of the amount of traffic and a deviation from the nominal value, and

the prediction value of the amount of power consumption is expressed by a nominal value of the amount of power consumption of a physical node to which the command value is not provided and a deviation from the nominal value.

6 . The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the calculating includes

decomposing the 2-stage optimization problem into a master problem and a sub-problem, based on a column-and-constraint generation method, and then calculating a solution relating to the allocation of the virtual nodes by alternately solving the master problem and the sub-problem in a first step, and

calculating a solution relating to the path determination by solving the sub-problem in a second step.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 15, 2025
From: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
To: NTT, INC.
Reel/Frame 072490/0664 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2024
From: URATA, KENGO; NAKAMURA, RYOTA; HARADA, SHIGEAKI
To: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 068055/0791 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250106121A1 · Mar 27, 2025
References Cited (6)
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