JP6752003B2 - Portable terminals and computer programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a portable terminal device and a computer program that support the work of setting network information in a radio.

Energy such as gas, electricity, and water supplied to households is charged according to the amount used. For this reason, meter reading meters that indicate the amount used are installed in each household. The mainstream of meter reading work of a meter reading meter is that a meter reading person who brings a portable terminal device visits each home or the like on a regular basis to read the meter reading value. As shown in FIG. 7, the public line network 440 is used. The centralized monitoring system 400 using the above has also been put into practical use. Here, a gas meter is taken as an example as a meter for meter reading.

In the centralized monitoring system 400, a network control unit (NCU) 420 is connected to a gas meter 410 arranged in a home or the like, and communication is performed between the centralized monitoring center 430 and the gas meter 410 in each home or the like via a public network 440. Is to do. By constructing the centralized monitoring system 400, the meter reading value of the gas meter 410 can be transmitted to the centralized monitoring center 430, so that the visiting meter reading by the meter reader becomes unnecessary.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-289666

However, the centralized monitoring system 400 using the public network 440 requires a cost to cope with the transition of the communication infrastructure of the public network 440 such as general analog line, ISDN, ADSL, FTTH and the like. In addition, the service specifications of the public network 440 are entrusted to the telecommunications carrier that operates the public network 440, and the degree of freedom on the meter-related side is low, and it is difficult to transmit a large amount of information due to bandwidth restrictions. Is.

Therefore, it has been proposed on the meter-related side to construct a wireless communication network of original specifications to construct a wireless meter reading system, and its practical application is being promoted. In such a wireless meter reading system, a small wireless device capable of high-speed packet communication is attached to a gas meter to form a mesh wireless communication network. In the wireless communication network, a wireless device that functions as a gateway wireless device that relays communication with other networks is set, and each wireless device can communicate with the gateway wireless device by performing multi-stage relay. It can be so. That is, a radio that is installed away from the gateway radio and cannot directly communicate with the gateway radio will relay another radio and communicate with the gateway radio.

At the time of meter reading, the gateway radio transmits a meter reading value collection command to the radio, and the radio reads the meter reading value from the gas meter to be attached and transmits it to the gateway radio. As a result, the meter reading values of each gas meter included in the wireless meter reading system are collected in the gateway radio.

In the gateway radio, the received meter reading value is recorded in association with the customer identifier in which the source gas meter is installed. Since the meter reader can collectively acquire the meter reading value of each gas meter by communicating with the gateway radio using the portable terminal device, it is not necessary to visit each household or the like for meter reading.

Generally, when constructing a wireless communication network, it is necessary to design the network and make settings for wireless communication in each wireless device. The settings for wireless communication include, for example, communication channel settings, network number settings, wireless device number settings, and the like. In addition to the settings for wireless communication, it is also necessary to associate the identifier of the wireless device with the identifier of the customer who installs the wireless device in terms of system operation.

Conventionally, in the setting for wireless communication, a network is designed in the office, network information is registered in each wireless device, and then the wireless device is installed in the field. That is, the work of setting the network number, the radio device number, and the like for each radio device according to the network design and associating them with the customer identifier of the installation destination is performed in advance at the office. Then, he goes to the customer's house where the installation is made and installs the radio associated with the customer identifier.

For this reason, at the installation site, a specific radio associated with the customer must be selected from among many radios, and the management load of the radios is excessive in order to prevent the radios from being mistaken for each other.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the workload at the installation site of the radio.

In order to solve the above problems, the portable terminal device according to the first aspect of the present invention is a portable terminal device that supports the work of setting network information in the radio installed in the customer's home. The network design department that accepts the designation of the installation site and sets the network information in association with the customer identifier corresponding to the specified installation site, and obtains the identifier of the radio to be installed at the installation site and responds to the installation site. It is characterized in that it includes a radio setting registration unit that registers the network information associated with the customer identifier in the radio while associating it with the customer identifier.
Here, the network information can include a communication channel and a network number.
In addition, the network design unit can accept the designation of the installation site of the radio by displaying the map.
In order to solve the above problems, the computer program according to the second aspect of the present invention is a computer program that causes a portable terminal device to perform a process of supporting a work of setting network information in a radio installed in a customer's house. The network design department that accepts the designation of the installation site of the radio and sets the network information in association with the customer identifier corresponding to the specified installation site, and the identifier of the radio to be installed at the installation site are acquired. It is characterized in that the portable terminal device functions as a radio setting registration unit that registers the network information associated with the customer identifier in the radio while associating it with the customer identifier corresponding to the installation site.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the workload at the installation site of the radio. That is, by using the portable terminal device of the present invention, network information is set in advance without specifying the radio, and the customer identifier and the radio identifier are assigned to the radio selected at the installation site. Network information can be registered after associating. As a result, since any radio can be selected at the installation site, there is no risk of the radio being mistaken for each other, and the management load of the radio can be greatly reduced.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the wireless meter reading system which made the network design by the portable terminal apparatus of this embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the radio (including the gateway radio) of this embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the portable terminal apparatus. It is a flow diagram explaining the network design operation of a portable terminal apparatus. It is a figure which shows the screen example which specifies the customer's house of the network design target. It is a flow diagram explaining the network setting information registration operation of a portable terminal apparatus. It is a figure which shows the centralized monitoring system using a public network.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a wireless meter reading system 100 whose network is designed by the portable terminal device 200 of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the meter reading target is a gas meter, but the wireless meter reading system 100 is not limited to the gas meter, and can be applied to a power meter, a water meter, and other meter reading meters.

As shown in this figure, in the wireless meter reading system 100, a wireless device 120 attached to a gas meter 110 arranged in each home or the like constitutes a mesh-type wireless communication network. At least one of the plurality of radios 120 constituting the wireless communication network functions as the gateway (GW) radio 130. Each radio 120 can communicate with the gateway radio 130 by performing multi-stage relay.

At the time of periodic meter reading, the gateway radio 130 transmits a meter reading value collection command to the target radio 120. The radio 120 that has received the meter reading value collection command reads the meter reading value from the gas meter 110 to be attached and transmits it to the gateway radio 130. As a result, the meter reading values of the gas meter 110 to be meter-read are collected in the gateway radio 130.

The gateway radio 130 records the received meter reading value in association with the customer identifier of the customer's house where the source gas meter 110 is installed. The meter reader can collectively acquire the meter reading value of the gas meter 110 to be meter-read by communicating with the gateway radio 130 using the portable terminal device 200.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the radio 120 (including the gateway radio 130) of the present embodiment. As shown in this figure, the radio 120 includes a wired communication interface unit 121 and a wireless communication interface unit 122. Each block has a control unit and a storage unit necessary for the processing performed by each block. Further, the radio 120 is provided with a radio ID 124 for identifying the radio. The radio ID 124 can be, for example, a serial number. It is desirable that the radio ID 124 is, for example, converted into a two-dimensional bar code and attached to the housing of the radio 120.

The wired communication interface unit 121 is an interface for performing wired communication with the attached gas meter 110. The meter reading value can be acquired from the gas meter 110 via the wired communication interface unit 121.

The wireless communication interface unit 122 constitutes a mesh-type wireless communication network with another wireless device 120. The wireless communication interface unit 122 enables the radio 120 to perform packet communication with the gateway radio 130. The wireless communication interface unit 122 registers communication channels, network numbers, radio equipment numbers, relay route information, and the like as network information for performing multi-stage relay wireless communication.

Further, the wireless communication interface unit 122 performs wireless communication with the portable terminal device 200. In the case of the gateway radio 130, the meter reading value and related device information collected from each radio 120 are output to the portable terminal device 200 via the wireless communication interface unit 122. Further, by connecting to the portable terminal device 200 via the wireless communication interface unit 122, the wireless device 120 can receive various setting information such as network information from the portable terminal device 200.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the portable terminal device 200. The portable terminal device 200 can be composed of, for example, a general-purpose tablet computer, a smartphone, a notebook computer, or the like. As shown in this figure, the portable terminal device 200 includes a display unit 201 and an input unit 202. , Imaging unit 203, network design tool unit 204, and wireless communication interface unit 205.

The display unit 201 and the input unit 202 can be configured by, for example, a touch panel. The imaging unit 203 can be configured by, for example, a built-in camera. All of these are functions that are provided as standard in the portable terminal device 200.

The network design tool unit 204 performs a process of supporting the work of setting network information in the radio 120 installed in the field. Specifically, the network design process that accepts the designation of the customer group to be the target of the network design, creates the network information of the radio 120 installed in each customer's house and records it in the setting table, and the customer at the installation site. At home, the radio device 120 to be installed is subjected to a radio device setting registration process for registering network information according to a setting table. At the customer's home, an arbitrary radio 120 can be installed instead of the predetermined radio 120. The network design tool unit 204 is configured by executing application software for the network design tool installed in the portable terminal device 200.

The wireless communication interface unit 205 performs wireless communication with other devices such as the wireless device 120.

Next, the operation of the network design tool unit 204 of the portable terminal device 200 of the present embodiment will be described. First, the network design operation will be described with reference to FIG. The network design operation can be performed in the office rather than at the installation site, at which point the radio 120 is not required.

In the network design operation, first, the worker accepts the designation of the customer group to be the network design target (S101). The designation of the target customer group can be received, for example, by displaying a map including the houses as shown in FIG. 5 on the screen. The worker sequentially specifies the target customer's house from the houses shown on the screen. In this figure, the shaded house shows the customer's house designated as the setting target. At this time, one of the customer's homes is designated as the home where the gateway radio 130 is installed. A customer identifier is attached to each customer, and the customer identifier is specified for each customer's house designated as a setting target.

The network design tool unit 204 automatically sets the communication channel used in the network configured in the designated customer's house (S102). The method of setting the communication channel is arbitrary, but the communication channel that does not interfere with the existing network in the vicinity should be set. The communication channel may be set manually.

In addition, the network number registered in the radio 120 installed in each customer's home is automatically set (S103). The network number is a communication address, and is set so that each radio 120 is uniquely determined.

Further, a wireless device number is assigned to the wireless device 120 installed in each customer's house (S104). The radio device number can be used, for example, as an index of the radio device 120 as a communication partner, and a different number is assigned to each radio device 120.

The network design tool unit 204 records each set value as a setting table (S105). In the setting table, a communication channel, a gateway radio 130 installation location, a network number for each customer identifier, and a radio number are recorded. In addition, information such as the network group name and the meter reading date and time may be included. The above is the network design operation performed in the office.

Next, the network information registration operation of the network design tool unit 204 will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. The network information registration operation is performed at each customer's home, which is the installation site, and is an operation of registering network information in the radio 120 installed at the customer's home.

In the network information registration operation, first, the setting table is read (S201). The setting table created by the own device may be read, or the setting table created by another portable terminal device 200 may be acquired and read.

From the customer identifier recorded in the setting table, the customer identifier of the customer's house where the radio 120 is installed is specified (S202). The customer identifier can be specified, for example, by displaying a list of candidate customers on the screen and accepting a selection from an operator.

The worker selects the radio 120 to be installed in the customer's house (S203). The radio 120 is not a specific radio, but can be arbitrarily selected from the radios 120 at hand. Therefore, the management load of the radio 120 can be greatly reduced. When installing the gateway radio 130, a radio that can function as the gateway radio is selected.

Then, the radio ID 124 of the selected radio 120 is read (S204). The reading of the radio ID 124 can be performed, for example, by representing the radio ID 124 with a two-dimensional bar code or the like and recognizing the two-dimensional bar code or the like by the imaging unit 203. As a result, the wireless device 120 to be installed can be registered in the setting table in association with the customer identifier.

Next, the portable terminal device 200 communicates with the selected radio device 120, and registers the network information in the radio device 120 according to the setting table (S205). That is, with reference to the setting table, the communication channel, the network number associated with the customer identifier specified in the process (S202), the radio number, and the like are registered in the radio 120.

Further, the radio ID 124 read in the process (S204) is registered in the meter 110 to be attached and the gateway radio 130 to be the master unit (S206). Since the installed radio 120 can communicate with each other by these processes, a communication test is performed with the gateway radio 130 (S207). At this time, the relay route information is also registered. The network information registration operation of the network design tool unit 204 has been described above.

In the portable terminal device 200 of the present embodiment, network information is set in advance without specifying the radio 120, and the customer identifier and the radio ID are associated with the radio 120 selected at the installation site. After that, register the network information. Since any radio device 120 can be selected at the installation site, there is no risk of the radio device 120 being mistaken for each other, and the management load of the radio device 120 can be greatly reduced.

Further, not only when the radio 120 is newly installed but also when the radio 120 is replaced due to a failure or the like, the network information can be registered according to the setting table, so that the replacement work can be simplified.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above-described embodiment is an example of the portable terminal device and the computer program of the present invention, and the portable terminal device and the computer program of the present invention are limited to the above-described embodiment. However, it can be realized by various modifications.

100 Wireless meter reading system 110 Gas meter 120 Radio 121 Wired communication interface unit 122 Wireless communication interface unit 130 Gateway radio 200 Portable terminal device 201 Display unit 202 Input unit 203 Imaging unit 204 Network design tool unit 205 Wireless communication interface unit

Claims (4)

It is a portable terminal device that supports the work of setting network information on the radio installed in the customer's home.
The network design department that accepts the designation of the installation site of the radio and sets the network information in association with the customer identifier corresponding to the specified installation site.
At the installation site, the identifier of the radio to be installed is acquired, associated with the customer identifier corresponding to the installation site, and by wirelessly communicating with the radio, the network information associated with the customer identifier is transmitted to the radio. A portable terminal device including a radio setting registration unit for registration. The portable terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the network information includes a communication channel and a network number. The portable terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the network design unit receives a designation of a radio installation site by displaying a map. A computer program that causes a portable terminal device to perform processing that supports the work of setting network information on a radio installed in a customer's home.
The network design department that accepts the designation of the installation site of the radio and sets the network information in association with the customer identifier corresponding to the specified installation site.
At the installation site, the identifier of the radio to be installed is acquired, associated with the customer identifier corresponding to the installation site, and by wirelessly communicating with the radio, the network information associated with the customer identifier is transmitted to the radio. A computer program characterized in that a portable terminal device functions as a radio setting registration unit to be registered.