Communication device and communication method

Abstract

An electronic device that is configured to receive synchronization signals transmitted from each of a plurality of devices, select at least one synchronization signal from among the synchronization signals to perform a synchronization process based on a determination that the electronic device is moving toward a location at which at least one of the synchronization signals is not available, and perform the synchronization process based on the selected synchronization signal

1 . An electronic device, comprising:
 a communication interface configured to
 receive synchronization signals transmitted from each of a plurality of devices, wherein the synchronization signals include at least a Primary Sidelink Synchronization Signal (PSSS) and a Secondary Sidelink Synchronization Signal (SSSS), wherein one of the synchronization signals is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal received from a Global Positioning System satellite, and 
 receive an instruction from a communication control device to select at least one synchronization signal from among the synchronization signals; and 
   circuitry configured to
 select at least one synchronization signal from among the synchronization signals based on the instruction received from the communication control device to perform a synchronization process based on a determination that the electronic device is moving toward a location at which at least one of the synchronization signals is not available; and 
 perform the synchronization process based on the at least one selected synchronization signal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of devices include at least one of a communication control device, a roadside unit (RSU), a vehicle-mounted electronic device, or a mobile communication device.   
     
     
         3 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to control the communication interface to transmit location information indicating a current location of the electronic device to the communication control device; and   the communication interface is configured to receive, from the communication control device, the instruction to select the at least one synchronization signal based on the transmitted location information.   
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a vehicle-mounted memory configured to store map information, wherein the circuitry is configured to
 determine a current location of the electronic device; and 
 access the map information to select the at least one synchronization signal from among the synchronization signals based on the current location of the electronic device. 
   
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 4 , wherein the interface is configured to:
 receive a synchronization signal from the communication control device or a roadside unit (RSU); and   receive a synchronization signal from a mobile communication device.   
     
     
         6 . The electronic device of  claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
 determine, based on the map information and the current location of the electronic device, that the electronic device is approaching a shielded area; and   select the synchronization signal received from the mobile communication device as the at least one synchronization signal upon determining that the vehicle mounted electronic device is approaching the shielded area, in particular a tunnel, underground passage, underpass or garage.   
     
     
         7 . The electronic device of  claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
 determine, based on the map information and the current location of the electronic device, that the electronic device is exiting a shielded area; and   select one of the GNSS signal or the synchronization signal received from the communication control device or the RSU as the at least one synchronization signal upon determining that the vehicle mounted electronic device is exiting the shielded area.   
     
     
         8 . The electronic device of  claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
 determine, based on the map information and the current location of the electronic device, that the electronic device is in an unshielded area; and   select one of the GNSS signal or the synchronization signal received from the communication control device or RSU as the at least one synchronization signal upon determining that the vehicle mounted electronic device is in the unshielded area.   
     
     
         9 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to select the at least one synchronization signal based on a signal quality corresponding to each of the received synchronization signals. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
 determine that a synchronization signal having a signal quality that exceeds a predetermined threshold value has not been received; and   control the communication interface to transmit a synchronization signal.   
     
     
         11 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to:
 control performing Device-to-Device (D2D) communication directly with another electronic device;   determine that a synchronization signal having a signal quality that exceeds a predetermined threshold value has not been received; and   control the communication interface to transmit a synchronization signal at a timing different from transmission of a synchronization signal from the other electronic device.   
     
     
         12 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the communication interface is configured to receive an offset value corresponding to a timing difference between a first synchronization signal received from a first device of the plurality of devices and a second synchronization signal received from a second device of the plurality of devices; and   
       the circuitry is configured to correct the first synchronization signal or the second synchronization signal based on the offset. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic device of  claim 12 , wherein the communication interface is configured to
 receive a first synchronization signal from the Global Positioning System satellite; and   receive a second synchronization signal from the communication control device; and   the circuitry is configured to
 determine that the second synchronization signal has not been detected; and 
 activate circuitry to receive the first synchronization signal from the Global Positioning System satellite based on the determining. 
   
     
     
         14 . A method performed by an electronic device, the method comprising:
 receiving synchronization signals transmitted from each of a plurality of devices, wherein the synchronization signals include at least a Primary Sidelink Synchronization Signal (PSSS) and a Secondary Sidelink Synchronization Signal (SSSS), wherein one of the synchronization signals is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal received from a Global Positioning System satellite;   receiving an instruction from a communication control device to select at least one synchronization signal from among the synchronization signals;   selecting at least one synchronization signal from among the synchronization signals based on the instruction received from the communication control device to perform a synchronization process based on a determination that the electronic device is moving toward a location at which at least one of the synchronization signals is not available; and   performing the synchronization process based on the at least one selected synchronization signal.   
     
     
         15 . A communication control device comprising:
 circuitry configured to:
 transmit synchronization signals to an electronic device, wherein the synchronization signals include at least a Primary Sidelink Synchronization Signal (PSSS) and a Secondary Sidelink Synchronization Signal (SSSS), wherein one of the synchronization signals is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal received from a Global Positioning System satellite; and 
 transmit an instruction to the electronic device to select at least one synchronization signal from among the synchronization signals, 
   wherein the electronic device selects at least one synchronization signal from among the synchronization signals based on the instruction transmitted from the communication control device to perform a synchronization process based on a determination that the electronic device is moving toward a location at which at least one of the synchronization signals is not available, and the electronic device performs the synchronization process based on the at least one selected synchronization signal.   
     
     
         16 . A method performed by a communication control device, the method comprising:
 transmitting synchronization signals to an electronic device, wherein the synchronization signals include at least a Primary Sidelink Synchronization Signal (PSSS) and a Secondary Sidelink Synchronization Signal (SSSS), wherein one of the synchronization signals is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal received from a Global Positioning System satellite; and   transmitting an instruction to the electronic device to select at least one synchronization signal from among the synchronization signals,   wherein the electronic device selects at least one synchronization signal from among the synchronization signals based on the instruction transmitted from the communication control device to perform a synchronization process based on a determination that the electronic device is moving toward a location at which at least one of the synchronization signals is not available, and the electronic device performs the synchronization process based on the at least one selected synchronization signal.