JP3608644B2 - Network device and network device grouping method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a network device used in a plurality of divided places such as a home, and a grouping method thereof.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Currently, many home appliances and AV devices are installed in general households. There are many devices that are equipped with various sensors and that control operations based on information obtained from the sensors. In addition, many home appliances and AV devices in the home are being connected to each other by a digital network due to the recent wave of digitization.
[0003]
In homes, there is a desire to divide the network into units such as rooms, so that control of each divided unit and control of the entire network can be performed, and network division is performed dynamically. desirable. In the conventional network apparatus, as a method of dividing and using a network, there is a technique of connecting a plurality of networks into one network as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-202929.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above prior art, the settings of the individual networks to be connected and the devices to be connected to the networks are fixed in advance and the division of the network is fixed, and the networks are connected. Therefore, there is a problem that a coupling device and a network control device are necessary.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of grouping completely dynamic network devices without a control device, and a device for realizing the method.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The network system of the present invention includes a first network device including an identification number transmission unit that continuously transmits the identification number of the own device, an identification number transmission unit that continuously transmits the identification number of the own device, and another device. In the network system comprising: an identification number receiving unit that receives the identification number transmitted by the first network device; and a second network device that includes a peripheral device management table that stores the identification number received by the identification number receiving unit. 1 network device for communication of the identification signal and wherein the configuration der Turkey that performs transmission only. Or the network system of the present invention, the identification number transmitting unit for transmitting the identification number of its own continuously, the identification number receiving section for receiving an identification number other machine sends said identification number receiving unit receives A first network device having a peripheral device management table for storing an identification number; an identification number receiving unit for receiving an identification number transmitted by another device; and a peripheral device for storing the identification number received by the identification number receiving unit. In a network system including a second network device including a management table, the second network device is configured to only receive an identification signal communication.
[0007]
Further, for the communication of the identification signal, a network that is disconnected by the movement of the network device is used, and for the communication of information other than the identification number, a network that is not disconnected by the movement of the network device is used. .
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of a network device to which the network device grouping method of the present invention is applied.
Reference numerals 1 to 5 denote network devices constituting the network, details of which will be described later. Reference numeral 6 denotes a network that is disconnected when the network devices 1 to 5 are moved. Reference numeral 7 denotes a blocking object such as a wall that blocks the network 6. Reference numeral 8 denotes a network that is newly configured when the network device 1 moves over the blockage 7 to the location of the network device 1a. This network 8 is also a network that is disconnected by movement, like the network 6.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a main configuration of the network devices 1 to 5 illustrated in FIG. 1. A control unit 10 controls the network device. Reference numeral 11 denotes an identification signal receiving unit for receiving an identification signal transmitted from another device. As the identification signal, a signal uniquely assigned to each network device is used. For example, model name + manufacturing number or Ethernet Address (EUI-48 / 64). Reference numeral 12 denotes an identification signal transmitter for transmitting an identification signal of the own device. The identification signal transmitter 12 periodically transmits its own identification signal. The term “periodic transmission” as used herein refers to transmission at regular intervals or transmission at a frequency equal to or greater than the number determined within a certain period. Reference numeral 13 denotes a peripheral device management table for storing the identification signal of the other device received by the identification signal receiving unit 11.
[0015]
FIG. 3 is a specific example of the peripheral device management table shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the received identification signal and its final reception time are stored, but other related information may be stored together. The peripheral device management table 13 is updated by the control unit 10, and flowcharts thereof are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. These two processes shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are always executed in parallel.
[0016]
First, FIG. 4 will be described. In step S1, reception of an identification signal is awaited. When the identification signal is received, the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, it is checked whether or not the received identification signal has already been registered in the peripheral device management table 13. When the identification signal has been registered in the peripheral device management table 13, the process proceeds to step S3, and when it has not been registered, the process proceeds to step S4.
In step S3, since the received identification signal is already registered in the peripheral device management table 13, only the last reception time is updated, and the process returns to step S1. In step S4, since the received identification signal is not yet registered in the peripheral device management table 13, the newly received identification signal is registered in the peripheral device management table 13 together with the reception time, and the process returns to step S1.
As described above, the received identification signal and its final reception time are registered in the peripheral device management table 13.
[0017]
Next, FIG. 5 will be described. In step S5, after pausing for a certain set time (t1), the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, attention is paid to the first identification signal term in the peripheral device management table 13, and the process proceeds to step S7.
In step S7, it is determined whether or not the difference between the final reception time of the identification signal of interest and the current time is equal to or greater than the set time (t2). When the difference is greater than or equal to the set time t2, the process proceeds to step S8, and when the difference is less than the set time t2, step S8 is skipped and the process proceeds to step S9. The set time t2 may be a value several times the set time t1. This is to avoid being immediately deleted from the peripheral device management table 13 when reception of the identification signal fails for some reason. In addition, the value of the set time t2 may be different for each identification signal.
[0018]
In step S8, since the identification signal of interest has not been received for the set time, it is determined that the network device issuing this identification signal has disappeared from the periphery, and the identification signal of interest from the peripheral device management table 13 is determined. Delete the term. In step S9, it is determined whether the end of the peripheral device table 13 has been reached (whether the term of interest is the last term in the table). If it is the last term, the process returns to step S1, and the last term is selected. If not, the process moves to step S10. In step S10, the term of the identification signal of interest is changed to the next term, and the process proceeds to step S7.
Through the above steps, those that have not received an identification signal for a certain set time are deleted from the peripheral device table 13.
[0019]
By combining the processes of FIGS. 4 and 5 above, a certain network device is moved and the network configuration is changed, and after a set time has elapsed, the peripheral device management table 13 of each network device includes An identification signal issued by a network device existing in the vicinity after the network configuration is changed is registered. By performing processing in this way, network devices can be dynamically grouped.
[0020]
The process of changing the contents of the peripheral device management table 13 when the network device 1 described in FIG. 1 moves to the location of the network device 1a is shown in FIGS.
In addition, as a structure of the network devices 1-5, a structure without an identification signal transmission part as shown in FIG. 9 may be sufficient.
[0021]
[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 10 is a block diagram according to another embodiment of the network device of the present invention. Similarly to the first embodiment of the present invention, 1 'to 5' are network devices constituting the network, and 6 and 8 are also networks that are disconnected by the movement of the network devices 1 'to 5'. 7 is also a blocking object for blocking the network 6 and the network 8.
Reference numeral 9 denotes a network that is not disconnected by the movement of the network devices 1 'to 5'. This network 9 can be moved literally, for example, both a wireless network and the like and can be used in the same way as before moving by reconnecting, for example, a wired computer network. I mean.
[0022]
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the network device shown in FIG.
The control unit 10, the identification signal receiving unit 11, the identification signal transmitting unit 12, and the peripheral device management table 13 have the same functions as the components having the same names of the network devices 1 to 5 according to the first embodiment. Reference numeral 14 denotes a network connection unit for connection to the network 9 that is not disconnected by movement. Using this network connection unit 14, information other than the identification signal is transmitted and received. The flowchart for registering / updating and deleting the peripheral device management table 13 is the same as the flowchart shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the first embodiment, thereby realizing dynamic grouping.
[0023]
Each network device 1 ′ to 5 ′ uses the network 9 that is not disconnected by the movement of the network device together with its own identification signal together with its own identification signal other than the identification signal that the own device has detected or originally possessed. To other network devices. Other network devices that have received these pieces of information check whether or not an identification signal representing a transmission source accompanying the received information is registered in the peripheral device management table 13 of the own device, It is possible to determine whether the information is related to the network device and classify the information.
[0024]
As the configuration of the network device, in addition to FIG. 11, there is no identification signal receiving unit as shown in FIG. 12, and only an identification signal and other information are transmitted, or an identification as shown in FIG. There may be a configuration in which there is no signal transmission unit and only the identification signal and other information are received.
[0025]
A case will be described in which information on whether or not a person is nearby is exchanged as information other than the exchanged identification signal using the network 9 that is not disconnected by movement. Further, as other information, information obtained from sensors attached to network devices such as temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure can be considered.
In order to detect whether or not a person is near, several configurations are possible as shown in FIGS. 14 to 17 in which a human detection function is added to the configuration of FIG.
The configuration shown in FIG. 14 detects a person using a sensor unit 15 such as an infrared sensor or a thermal sensor.
[0026]
The configuration shown in FIG. 15 carries a transmitter 16 that continues to transmit a transmission signal indicating the presence of a person, and detects a person when the receiver 17 is connected to a network device or the built-in receiver 17 receives the transmission signal. To do.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 16, a person is detected by determining by the person determination unit 19 whether or not a person is included in the video imaged by the video camera 18.
The configuration illustrated in FIG. 17 detects a person by detecting that the user operation unit 20 has been operated. The operation here includes both a direct operation such as pressing an operation button attached to a network device and an indirect operation using an infrared remote controller or the like.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, network devices in the vicinity can be grouped dynamically without a control device.
In addition, information output from other devices can be classified and managed based on whether or not the information is information about network devices around the own device.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram according to an embodiment of a network device of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the network device shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of a peripheral device management table shown in FIG. 2;
4 is a flowchart of registration / update of a peripheral device management table shown in FIG. 3;
5 is a flowchart of erasing the peripheral device management table shown in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the contents of a peripheral device management table before the network device of the present invention moves.
7 is a diagram showing the contents of a peripheral device management table immediately after movement of one of the network devices shown in FIG. 6. FIG.
8 is a diagram showing the contents of a peripheral device management table after a set time t2 has elapsed from the state of FIG.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the network device of the present invention shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 10 is a block diagram according to another embodiment of the network device of the present invention.
11 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the network device shown in FIG.
12 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the network device shown in FIG.
13 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the network device shown in FIG.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing an embodiment in which a sensor is used in the network device of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing an embodiment in which a transmitter is used for human detection in the network device of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an embodiment using a camera for human detection in the network device of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing an embodiment in which device operation is detected for human detection in the network device of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Network devices 6, 8 Network 7 that is disconnected by movement 7 Obstacle that disconnects network by movement 9 Network 10 that is not disconnected by movement Control unit 11 Identification signal receiving unit 12 Identification signal transmitting unit 13 Peripheral device Management table 14 Network connection unit 15 Sensor unit 16 Transmitter 17 Receiver 18 Video camera 19 Person determination unit 20 User operation unit

Claims (3)

A first network device comprising an identification number transmission unit for continuously transmitting the identification number of the own device;
An identification number transmitting unit that continuously transmits the identification number of the own device, an identification number receiving unit that receives an identification number transmitted by another device , and a peripheral device management table that stores the identification numbers received by the identification number receiving unit In a network system composed of a second network device comprising:
Network system comprising a configuration der Turkey for transmitting only the communication of the first network device identification signal. An identification number transmitting unit that continuously transmits the identification number of the own device, an identification number receiving unit that receives an identification number transmitted by another device, and a peripheral device management table that stores the identification numbers received by the identification number receiving unit A first network device comprising:
A second network device comprising: an identification number receiving unit that receives an identification number transmitted by another device; and a peripheral device management table that stores the identification number received by the identification number receiving unit;
In a network system composed of
A network system, wherein the second network device is configured to only receive an identification signal. In the network system according to claim 1 or 2 ,
For the communication of the identification signal, a network in which the communication is disconnected due to movement of a network device is used.
A network system characterized in that a network in which the communication is not disconnected due to movement of a network device is used for communication of information other than an identification number.

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