JP6910620B2 - Power receiving type information acquisition transmission device, information acquisition system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a power receiving type information acquisition / transmission device or the like that obtains electric power from the outside to acquire and transmit information.

Conventionally, information is transmitted and received in various situations. The power used to send and receive information depends on the battery or is externally supplied by wire or wirelessly.

Conventional RFID transmits and receives information from a tag in which ID information is embedded by wireless communication over a short distance (several mm to several meters depending on the frequency band) using electromagnetic induction from the outside or radio waves. This tag has come to be realized by an integrated circuit of a single chip, and this may be called an IC tag.

The tag includes a passive type IC tag (passive tag, hereinafter referred to as a passive tag), an active type IC tag (active tag, hereinafter referred to as an active tag) and the like. A passive tag receives electromagnetic induction from a reader, receives it with a coil on the circuit of the tag, generates an induced electromotive force in the circuit, and operates using this as an energy source. ID information is transmitted to the reader side by transmitting a part of it with an antenna.

The active tag has a built-in primary battery. Since radio waves are emitted by its own power during communication, the communication distance can be longer than that of passive tags (1 to 100 m or more). In addition, since it can be connected to a sensor and spontaneously notify the change, it is expected to be used as a sensor network. Since the capacity of the built-in battery of this active tag is limited, it is necessary to reduce the number of communications as much as possible. For example, there are a method of periodically self-transmitting using a built-in timer to communicate with a reader, a standby communication method of waiting for a transmission instruction from a reader, and then communicating. In the standby communication method, the call is waited without activating the communication by itself, or the communication is started by the manual switch (button) provided on the IC tag itself.

However, since the conventional passive tag operates only when it receives electromagnetic induction from a reader that reads the passive tag, that is, a so-called reader, the effective distance from the electromagnetic induction power supply device included in the reader is extremely short. The system can be operated only when the electromotive force is obtained by electromagnetic induction, and it cannot be used for applications such as periodically sensing the external environment, and although it does not need to have a built-in battery, it transmits from a passive tag. Since the wave intensity is very small, the communication distance from the passive tag to the reader is still shorter than that of the active tag, and there is a problem that the passive tag and the reader must be brought close to each other.

Since the active tag has a built-in primary battery, it can sense the external environment regularly or constantly, but on the other hand, if the capacity of the primary battery is reduced below a certain level, it becomes inoperable. There was a problem with the life of the active tag itself due to. Further, in order to reduce the power consumption, the communication frequency must be reduced, which causes a problem that the convenience is lowered.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and enables regular or steady and permanent information collection in a remote place without being restricted by the life due to the battery capacity, and the present invention is made. It is an object of the present invention to provide a power receiving type information acquisition / transmission device capable of stably transmitting information to the outside. Another object of the present invention is to provide a power receiving type information acquisition / transmission device capable of freely controlling information acquisition, recording, storage, transmission, etc. while continuously or intermittently receiving power.

The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device of the present invention that achieves the above object includes a power receiving means that receives a power supply wave capable of supplying power, a power storage means that stores the power obtained by the power receiving means, the power receiving means, and / or. It is provided with an information acquisition means for consuming at least a part of the electric power of the electricity storage means to acquire information, and an information transmission means for transmitting the information to the outside by using the electric power of the electricity storage means. It is a feature.

In connection with the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device, the information acquisition means is characterized in that it detects an surrounding physical phenomenon and acquires information.

In relation to the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device, the timing of acquiring the information in the information acquisition means is controlled by the collection timing control means.

In connection with the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device, the collecting timing control means receives the power supply wave and / or elapses a preset collection time, and / or , When the time corresponding to the time constant of the power storage means has elapsed, and / or when the charge amount of the power storage means reaches a predetermined threshold value, and / or when a collection instruction signal is received from the outside. It is characterized in that the timing for acquiring the information is set when one or more conditions are satisfied.

In relation to the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device, the collecting timing control means sets the time constant of the power storage means when the power receiving means receives the power supply wave and when a preset collection time elapses. When the corresponding time has elapsed, when the charge amount of the power storage means reaches a predetermined threshold value, when a collection instruction signal is received from the outside, and when the conditions of a plurality of arbitrary combinations selected from are simultaneously satisfied, the information is described. It is characterized in that it is the timing to acquire.

It is characterized by having a transmission timing control means for controlling the timing of transmitting the information by the information transmission means in relation to the power receiving type information acquisition / transmission device.

In connection with the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device, the transmission timing control means has elapsed a preset transmission time and / or has elapsed a time corresponding to the time constant of the power storage means, and / Or when the charge amount of the power storage means reaches a predetermined threshold value and / or when the information acquired by the information acquisition means satisfies a predetermined condition and / or a transmission instruction signal is received from the outside. It is characterized in that the timing is set to transmit the information when any one or more of the time and / or when the power receiving means receives the power supply wave is satisfied.

In relation to the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device, the transmission timing control means charges the power storage means when a preset transmission time elapses or a time corresponding to the time constant of the power storage means elapses. From when the amount reaches a predetermined threshold value, when the information acquired by the information acquisition means satisfies a predetermined condition, when a transmission instruction signal is received from the outside, or when the power receiving means receives the power supply wave. It is characterized in that the timing of transmitting the information is set when the conditions of a plurality of selected arbitrary combinations are satisfied at the same time.

In relation to the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device, it is characterized by having a distribution control means for distributing a part of the electric power converted by the power receiving means to the information acquisition means.

In relation to the power receiving type information acquisition transmitting device, the power supply wave is an electromagnetic wave such as a γ-ray, an X-ray, an ultraviolet ray, a visible light, an infrared ray, a laser light, a radio wave including a microwave, or a sound wave including an ultrasonic wave. It is characterized by containing any one or more of wave energies including elastic waves such as solid vibration and solid vibration.

A rectifying means for rectifying the electric power obtained by the power receiving means is provided in connection with the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device.

In connection with the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device, the information acquisition means is connected to any one of a storage unit that stores the information, an arithmetic processing unit that performs a predetermined calculation, and a control unit that performs a predetermined control. It is characterized by.

The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device is characterized by being an IC tag.

The information acquisition system of the present invention that achieves the above object is a power supply capable of supplying electric power to the power receiving type information acquisition transmitting device according to any one of the above and the power receiving means of the power receiving side information acquisition transmitting device. It is characterized by including a power supply device capable of transmitting waves.

In connection with the information acquisition system, the information transmission means in the power receiving type information acquisition / transmission device includes a reception means for receiving the information transmitted to the outside.

The power supply device and the reception device are integrated in relation to the information acquisition system.

In relation to the information acquisition system, the power supply wave is superposed with instruction information regarding the timing of acquiring the information in the information acquisition means.

In relation to the information acquisition system, instruction information regarding the timing at which the information transmitting means transmits the information to the outside is superimposed on the power supply wave.

A unit supplied by the power supply device to the power receiving side information acquisition / transmission device with respect to the power consumption per unit time including natural discharge in the power receiving side information acquisition / transmission device in relation to the information acquisition system. It is characterized by a large amount of power supply per hour.

In relation to the information acquisition system, in the power supply device, based on the transmission frequency of the information of the information transmission means in the power receiving side information acquisition transmission device or based on the acquisition frequency of the information of the information acquisition means. It is characterized in that the transmission amount of the power supply wave is variable.

According to the present invention, it is possible to collect information constantly and / or permanently or constantly and / or periodically without worrying about the wiring arrangement by the wired power supply and the life of the built-in battery, and this information can be collected. It is possible to stably transmit wirelessly to a remote location, that is, to the outside at a short distance or a long distance.

It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the power receiving type information acquisition transmission apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows another example of the whole structure of the power receiving type information acquisition transmission apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structure of the power supply wave of the power receiving type information acquisition transmission device. (A) is a figure which shows the storage state of the battery type power storage means, and (B) is a figure which shows the power storage state of a capacitor type power storage means. It is a figure which shows the application example of the information acquisition system using the power receiving type information acquisition transmission apparatus. (A) is a front view showing an example in which a power receiving type information acquisition transmission device in the information acquisition system is installed on a member with an energizing path, and (B) is a perspective view showing a state in which the member with an energizing path is used for connecting steel materials. It is a figure, (C) is a cross-sectional view of the same member. It is a block diagram which shows another example of the whole structure of the power receiving type information acquisition transmission apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1A shows a power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101 according to the present embodiment. The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101 includes one or more power receiving means 110, one or more power storage means 120, one or more information acquisition means 130, and one or more information transmitting means 140. ..

The power receiving means 110 receives the power supply wave 105 emitted from the power supply device 104 and converts it into electric power. The power supply wave 105 may be a wave that can transmit energy even in a wireless state, and a typical example thereof is an electromagnetic wave in which electromagnetic energy propagates in space. Electromagnetic waves include γ-rays and X-rays with short wavelengths, laser beams that are light in a broad sense, ultraviolet rays, visible rays, infrared rays, radio waves with longer wavelengths, microwaves, ultra-short waves, short waves, medium waves, long waves, ultra-long waves, and poles. Including ultra-long waves, etc. Further, as the power supply wave 105, elastic waves such as sound waves and solid vibration transmitted through the solid can also be used. The entire device configuration including the power supply device 104 can be defined as the information acquisition system 1.

The power supply device 104 includes an antenna, a laser element, a light emitting element, a speaker, an ultrasonic transmitter, a vibrator, and the like in order to emit a power supply wave 105. The transmission timing of the power supply wave 105 by the power supply device 104 can be continuously or intermittently executed, for example, periodically at regular time intervals, or may be transmitted steadily. As the antenna, one or more directional and / or omnidirectional antennas can be used, and specifically, for example, a monopole antenna, a dipole antenna, a Yagi antenna, a plate antenna, a flat antenna, a parabolic antenna, and the like. You may use it. When the distance between the power supply device 104 and the power receiving means 110 is short, it is also possible to magnetically couple the coils, so-called loop antennas, with each other to transmit power by electromagnetic induction.

The power receiving means 110 can adopt one or more various structures, and a plurality of power receiving means 110 can be arranged side by side. For example, a coil, an antenna, a light receiving part (photonic element system member, a solar panel, etc.), a microphone, or a piezoelectric material An energy conversion element such as a vibrator, which is configured to be able to convert vibration, pressure change, etc. into electric energy like an element, receives a power supply wave 105 and converts it into electric power.

Further, as another power supply method, for example, a so-called Seebeck element (a so-called Seebeck element) in which a sound wave is used as a power supply wave 105 and an electromotive force is obtained by utilizing the Seebeck effect as a power receiving means 110.
Circuit) may be used. In this case, by utilizing the alternating of the high-density medium region and the low-density medium region alternately created in the medium by the sound pressure of the sound wave of an appropriate frequency used as the power supply wave 105, each region is alternately generated. , Located at each of the first and second contacts of the Zeebeck element, the first contact becomes a warm contact at the timing when the high-density medium region surrounds the first contact, while at this moment, the second contact becomes a warm contact. When the low-density medium region is surrounded by a cold contact and an electromotive force in a predetermined direction is generated, and the high-density medium region and the low-density medium region are exchanged, the first contact and the second contact are on the warm contact side. By switching the cold contact side, it is possible to obtain an alternating current in which the directions of the electromotive force currents due to the temperature difference are switched. Further, sound sources as power supply devices 104 and 104 are arranged at two different points in the space to create a sound field in which sound waves are superposed, and as a result, the first contact and the second contact of the Seebeck element. It may be configured to generate a steady electromotive force in the Seebeck element by setting a state having a steady density difference. As a method of setting the sound source as the power supply devices 104 and 104 at two or more appropriate points in the space, for example, the two power supply devices 104 and 104 have the power receiving means 110 as an intermediate position. The power supply devices 104 and 104 and the power receiving means 110 may be arranged in a straight line, and the power supply wave 105 may be emitted from the respective power supply devices 104 and 104 toward the power receiving means 110. With such a configuration, the power supply wave 105 in the power receiving means 110 becomes a standing wave, a steady temperature difference can be created at a predetermined portion, and a direct current can be generated.

Further, the power receiving means 110 is not limited to the case of receiving the power supply wave emitted from the power supply device 104, and the power receiving means 110 may receive the power supply wave naturally generated due to the change in the surrounding environment and convert it into electric power. .. The ambient environment change includes, for example, vibration, temperature change, external light (illumination light or natural light), pressure change (atmospheric pressure change), external force change (wind, buoyancy change, rainfall) and the like. The natural environment change and the power supply device 104 may be used in combination.

The power storage means 120 stores the electric power obtained by the power receiving means 110. The power storage means 120 can adopt various structures, and for example, a capacitor (capacitor) such as a single plate type, a swivel type, a laminated type, a through type, an electrolytic type, an electric double layer type, a chemical battery system, a physical battery system, etc. Various storage batteries (secondary batteries), that is, rechargeable batteries can be adopted.

The information acquisition means 130 acquires information and holds the acquired information temporarily or for a long period of time. The electric power for operating the information acquisition means 130 can be selected to be directly received from the power receiving means 110 or indirectly received from the power storage means 120. In each case, the information acquisition means 130 has a structure in which a part of the electric power obtained by the power receiving means 110 is consumed to acquire and hold the information.

The information acquisition means 130 is composed of one or more so-called sensors, detects a physical phenomenon occurring in the surroundings, and acquires the information. The information acquisition means 130 includes, for example, an acceleration sensor, a mechanical sensor (strain gauge, pressure sensor), a temperature sensor, an odor sensor, a specific particle sensory sensor, a radiation sensor, an image sensor (camera), a wet sensor, a microphone, and a position sensor ( GPS), gyro sensor, human sensor, dielectric (electrostatic capacity) sensor, etc. These information acquisition means 130 can also be defined as means for inputting information to the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101. Further, the information acquisition means 130 can be electrically connected to the storage unit 134, the arithmetic processing unit 136, the control unit 138, and the like. The storage unit 134 is a so-called memory, and stores information acquired by the information acquisition means 130, stores a predetermined program, and records setting information. The arithmetic processing unit 136 is a so-called CPU, and performs various information processing when a program is executed. For example, the information input from the information acquisition means 130 is recorded in the storage unit 134, the information in the storage unit 134 is taken out and transmitted to the information transmission means 140, and the content of the information is determined. The control unit 138 is a control circuit that controls the information acquisition means 130 and the information transmission means 140 in conjunction with the storage unit 134. The control unit 138 may be configured so that the control performed by the collection timing control means 160, the transmission timing control means 170, and the distribution control means 180, which will be described later, can be executed.

The information transmitting means 140 uses the electric power of the power storage means 120 to transmit the information held by the information acquiring means 130 to the outside. The information transmitting means 140 can adopt various structures, but information is transmitted by emitting a transmitting wave 142 such as radio waves, light, and sound by an antenna, a light emitting unit (light emitting element), a speaker, and the like. The transmitted wave 142 is received by the antenna of the receiving means 190 or the like, and information is periodically collected. It is also possible to integrally configure the receiving means 190 and the power supply device 104. At this time, by superimposing the response signal on the power supply wave 105, the transmitting means 140 can execute the transmission according to the instruction of the response signal, and the information can be transmitted to the receiving means 190.

It is preferable to secure the storage capacity of the storage unit 134 by erasing the information transmitted by the information transmission means 140 from the storage unit 134.

Further, the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101 may include a rectifying means 150, a collecting timing controlling means 160, a transmitting timing controlling means 170, and a distribution controlling means 180.

The rectifying means 150 is a so-called rectifier or a rectifier circuit, and rectifies the electric power obtained by the power receiving means 110. Specifically, the alternating current obtained by converting the power supply wave 105 is converted into a direct current. A part of the rectified direct current is directly or indirectly supplied to the information acquisition means 130, and the rest is stored in the power storage means 120. As the rectifier circuit, for example, a half-wave rectifier circuit using a diode or the like, a full-wave (double-wave) rectifier circuit, a bridge circuit, or the like can be adopted.

The collection timing control means 160 determines the information collection timing by the information acquisition means 130. For this collection timing, for example, the following options can be considered.

(1) When the power receiving means 110 receives the power supply wave 105. Specifically, when electric power is generated in the power receiving means 110 and a part of the electric power is supplied to the information acquisition means 130 by the distribution control means 180, the information acquisition means 130 is activated to collect information. In this case, both the distribution control means 180 that distributes the electric power and the information acquisition means 130 that performs the information collection process function as the collection timing control means 160. The information acquisition means 130 does not need to collect information at all timings when the power receiving means 110 receives the power supply wave 105, and may be controlled to collect information every 10 times of receiving power, for example.

(2) When the preset collection time has passed. Specifically, the collection timing control means 160 is provided with a timer and / or a clock, gives an instruction to the information acquisition means 130 based on a preset collection time, and the information acquisition means 130 externally and / or. Or get information from the inside. Of course, this timer / and / or clock does not necessarily have to be a component of the collection timing control means 160, but is arranged inside the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101 to be a timer from these timers and / or clocks. Information and / or clock information may be acquired by the collection timing control means 160, and the collection time and timing may be controlled based on the time information. As the collection time and / or collection timing, a specific date and time or the like may be set, or a collection time interval (for example, every 3 hours) or the like may be set. These functions may be realized by storing a program for realizing the collection timing control means 160 in the storage unit 134 and executing the program in the arithmetic processing unit 136. In addition, for example, a radio clock is built in, and it is set to receive clock radio waves emitted from the clock stand and perform sampling, that is, information acquisition and collection by the information acquisition means 130 according to an appropriate time. May be good.

(3) When a predetermined time has elapsed based on the time constant of the power storage means 120. Specifically, the collection timing control means 160 holds a time specified based on the time constant of the power storage means 120, and when the time elapses by the timer, gives an instruction to the information acquisition means 130. It may be configured to acquire information.

(4) When the charge amount of the power storage means 120 reaches a predetermined threshold value. For example, a value exceeding the amount of electric power required for the information acquisition means 130 to collect information is set as a threshold value, and the charge amount of the power storage means 120 is measured by monitoring the collection timing control means 160 or the distribution control means 180. When it is determined that the threshold value has been exceeded, an instruction is given to the information acquisition means 130 to acquire information. When this condition is used, when the charge amount of the power storage means 120 does not reach a predetermined threshold value, it means that the power consumption by the information acquisition means 130 is suppressed and the power storage priority mode is set.

(5) When a collection instruction signal is received from the outside. Specifically, when the collection timing control means 160 receives the collection instruction signal from the outside via wireless or wired, the information acquisition means 130 issues an instruction to the information acquisition means 130, and the information acquisition means 130 acquires the information. This collection instruction signal may be included in the power supply wave 105 of the power supply device 104.

In addition, any one of the above (1) to (5) may be set as the collection timing, or a plurality of these may be set as the collection timing, or selected from the above (1) to (5). The collection timing may be set when a plurality of conditions are satisfied at the same time. It is also possible to change the collection frequency based on the above conditions (1) to (5). Of course, conditions other than the above (1) to (5) can be set.

For example, when the information transmission means is not transmitted by the information transmission means 140 because the charge amount of the storage means 120 does not reach a predetermined threshold value, the mode in which the information acquisition by the information acquisition means 130 is temporarily suspended or the collection frequency is reduced. You may move to. In this way, the free space of the storage unit 134 is unlikely to be insufficient. Further, when the charge amount of the power storage means 120 does not reach the predetermined threshold value, or when the free capacity of the storage unit 134 is insufficient, less important information is deleted from the storage unit 134 based on the predetermined determination condition ( Alternatively, overwriting is permitted). For example, it is preferable to delete (or allow overwriting) the information of the normal value or the steady value from the storage unit 134 and preferentially hold the abnormal value.

Further, the collection timing control means 160 may be configured so that the control performed by the above-mentioned control unit 138 or the transmission timing control means 170 or the distribution control means 180 described later can be executed, and conversely, the collection timing control. The control performed by the means 160 may be configured to be executed by another control means such as the control unit 138, the transmission timing control means 180, or the distribution control means 180.

The transmission timing control means 170 determines the timing at which the information transmission means 140 transmits the information acquired by the information acquisition means 130. For this transmission timing, for example, the following options can be considered.

(1) When the preset outgoing time has elapsed. Specifically, the transmission timing control means 170 is provided with a timer and / or a clock, and gives an instruction to the information transmission means 140 based on a preset transmission time to transmit information. Of course, this timer / and / or clock does not necessarily have to be a component of the transmission timing control means 170, but is arranged inside the power receiving type information acquisition / transmission device 101 to be a timer from these timers and / or clocks. Information and / or clock information may be acquired by the transmission timing control means 170, and the transmission time and timing may be controlled based on this time information. As the transmission time, a specific date and time may be set, or a transmission time interval (for example, every day) or the like may be set. In this case, the transmission timing control means 17
A program for realizing 0 may be stored in the storage unit 134 and executed by the arithmetic processing unit 136. In addition, for example, a radio-controlled clock may be built in, and it may be set to receive the clock radio wave emitted from the clock stand and transmit information by the information transmitting means 140 according to an appropriate time.

(2) When a predetermined time corresponding to the time constant of the power storage means 120 has elapsed. Specifically, when it is determined that a predetermined time corresponding to the time constant has elapsed from the start of charging in the time zone in which the power storage means 120 is being charged, an instruction is issued to the information transmitting means 140 to transmit information. Let me. In this way, the information transmitting means 140 can be operated to transmit information after checking the state in which the power storage means 120 is sufficiently charged.

(3) When the charge amount of the power storage means 120 reaches a predetermined threshold value. For example, a value exceeding the amount of electric power required for the information transmitting means 140 to transmit information is set as a threshold value, and the charging amount of the power storage means 120 sets the threshold value by monitoring the transmission timing control means 170 or the distribution control means 180. When it is determined that the value has been exceeded, an instruction is given to the information transmitting means 140, and the information transmitting means 140 transmits information.

(4) When the information acquired by the information acquisition means 130 satisfies a predetermined condition. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the collected information is an abnormal value, and if it is an abnormal value, an instruction is given to the information transmitting means 140, and the information transmitting means 140 transmits the information. This makes it possible to quickly transmit information in the event of an abnormality. Alternatively, when the collected information deviates from the range of the preset threshold value, the information may be set to be transmitted.

(5) When a transmission instruction signal from the outside is received. Specifically, when the transmission timing control means 170 receives a transmission instruction signal from the outside via wireless or wired, it issues an instruction to the information transmission means 140 and transmits information to the information transmission means 140. Let me. This transmission instruction signal may be included in the power supply wave 105 of the power supply device 104. Further, the transmission instruction signal may be transmitted from the reception means 190, and the transmission timing control means 170 may receive the transmission instruction signal via the information transmission means 140.

(6) When the power receiving means 110 receives the power supply wave 105. It is not necessary for the power receiving means 110 to transmit information at all timings when the power supply wave 105 is received, and for example, it may be controlled to transmit information every 10 times of receiving power. Alternatively, as a result of receiving the power supply 105 of a predetermined amount or more by the power receiving means 110, the power storage means 120 may be set to transmit information at a timing when the power storage amount exceeds the predetermined amount.

In addition, any one of the above (1) to (6) may be set as the transmission timing, a plurality of these may be set as the transmission timing, and the above (1) to (6) may be selected. The transmission timing may be set when a plurality of the specified conditions are satisfied at the same time.

Further, the transmission timing control means 170 may be configured so that the control performed by the control unit 138 described above, the collection timing control means 160, or the distribution control means 180 described later can be executed, and conversely, the transmission timing control may be performed. The control performed by the means 170 may be configured to be executed by another control means such as the control unit 138, the collection timing control means 160, or the distribution control means 180.

When the power receiving means 110 receives power, the distribution control means 180 distributes a part of the electric power to the information acquisition means 130, and at the same time, distributes a part or the rest of the other electric power to the power storage means 120. The distribution method such as the distribution ratio and timing can be set as appropriate. The information acquisition means 130 and the power storage means 120 may be distributed according to a predetermined current ratio or voltage ratio, or may be distributed according to time division. Alternatively, when the charge rate of the power storage means 120 reaches a predetermined value or more, for example, the charge amount at which information can be transmitted by the transmission means 140 is reached, the information acquisition means 130 can be set to distribute the information. Further, the distribution control means 180 preferably has a function of monitoring the state (storage information) of the power storage means 120. In this case, the distribution control means 180 can be included in one of the sensors of the information acquisition means 130, and the stored information is held by the information acquisition means 130. The distribution control means 180 may acquire and / or hold the storage information independently of the information acquisition means 130. The distribution control means 180 may be configured so that the control performed by the control unit 138, the collection timing control means 160, or the transmission timing control means 170 may be executed, and conversely, the distribution control means 180 may be used. The control to be performed may be configured to be executed by other control means such as the control unit 138, the collection timing control means 160, or the transmission timing control means 170.

Note that FIG. 1A illustrates a case where the information acquisition means 130 is connected to an external storage unit 134, an arithmetic processing unit 136, and a control unit 138, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 1B, the information acquisition means 130 can integrally include a storage unit 134, an arithmetic processing unit 136, and a control unit 138 inside. Further, the information acquisition means 130 may integrally include a collection timing control means 160, a transmission timing control means 170, a distribution control means 180, and the like.

Next, the operation of the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101 will be described.

The power supply wave 105 emitted from the power supply device 104 has, for example, a single or a plurality of unmodulated wave regions and a single or a plurality of modulated wave regions, as shown in FIG. The unmodulated wave region is used for the purpose of transmitting electric power to the power receiving means 110 and / or for receiving an information transmitting signal (response signal) emitted from the information transmitting means 140 in the power receiving type information acquisition transmitting device 101. .. The modulated wave region is used for the purpose of transmitting a signal (command) to the power receiving type information acquisition transmitting device 101. Specifically, in the present embodiment, for example, in chronological order, the first unmodulated wave region 105A, the first modulated wave region 105X, the second unmodulated wave region 105B, the second modulated wave region 105Y, and the third unmodulated wave region 105C. Has. Further, it also has a plurality of information transmission signal areas emitted from the information transmission means 140, which are the first transmission signal area 142A and the second transmission signal area 142B. The first transmitted signal region 142A is superimposed on the second unmodulated wave region 105B as a reflected wave, and the second transmitted signal region 142B is superimposed on the third unmodulated wave region 105C as a reflected wave.

In the power receiving means 110, for example, the electric power obtained by converting the first unmodulated wave region 105A is used by the distribution control means 180 as the power source of the information acquisition means 130. Therefore, the amount of electric power transmitted by the first unmodulated wave region 105A is controlled by the information acquisition means 130 being activated to acquire information from the inside and / or the outside, and the arithmetic processing unit 136 to execute various arithmetics. It is preferable that the unit 138 is sufficient for executing various controls.

Further, for example, the signal (command) including the first modulated wave region 105X or the second modulated wave region 105Y can include the following items.
(1) Power storage switching signal: A signal instructing the distribution control means 180 to distribute the electric power supplied to the information acquisition means 130 to the power storage means 120, or supplying the power storage means 120. A signal instructing the information acquisition means 130 to distribute electric power.
(2) Collection time signal: A signal for setting the information collection timing by the information acquisition means 130.
(3) Collection instruction signal: A signal instructing the information acquisition means 130 to collect information.
(4) Transmission time signal: A signal for setting the transmission timing of information by the information transmission means 140.
(5) Transmission instruction signal: A signal instructing the information transmission means 140 to transmit information.

For example, when the first modulated wave region 105X includes the storage switching signal of the above (1), the power of the second unmodulated wave region 105B is distributed to the charging side of the storage means 120 by the distribution control means 180. Although the case where the electric power in the first unmodulated wave region 105A is preferentially distributed to the activation of the information acquisition means 130 is illustrated here, the present invention is not limited to this. The electric power of the first unmodulated wave region 105A and the second unmodulated wave region 105B is used for charging the power storage means 120, and when the charging of the power storage means 120 is completed, the surplus power is allocated to the activation of the information acquisition means 130 at the same time. You may do so. The third unmodulated wave region 105C may be used for charging the power storage means 120 or activating the information acquisition means 130, but is mainly used for the purpose of receiving the second transmission signal region 142B.

The signal included in the first transmission signal area 142A or the second transmission signal area 142B can include the following items.
(1) Identification information: Individual identification information for identifying the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101 and the information acquisition means 130 (sensor).
(2) Acquisition information: Information collected by the information acquisition means 130.
(3) Energy storage information: Information indicating the amount of electricity stored in the electricity storage means 120.

For example, when it is determined from the storage information contained in the first transmission signal region 142A or the second transmission signal region 142B that the storage amount of the storage means 120 is small, the power supply device 104 determines that the second unmodulated wave region 105B or The transmission time of the third unmodulated wave region 105C may be lengthened or the output may be increased. Further, when it is determined from the electricity storage information that the electricity storage of the electricity storage means 120 is completed (substantially completed), the power supply device 104 determines that the second unmodulated wave region 105B or the third unmodulated wave region is completed. The transmission time of 105C may be shortened or the output may be reduced.

FIG. 3 shows the storage state of the power storage means 120. For example, when the power storage means 120 is a battery, as shown in FIG. 3A, the power storage amount of the power storage means 120 is gradually increased each time the power supply wave 105 is received by the power reception means 110. That is, in the present embodiment, it is set so that the power storage of the power storage means 120 is not completed by only one power supply wave 105. Once the power storage is completed by the power supply wave 105, when various commands are frequently transmitted to the information acquisition means 130 and the like by using the power supply wave 105, the radio wave is transmitted. This is because energy is wasted.

Incidentally, in the information acquisition system 1, the power supply device 104 supplies the power consumption to the power receiving side information acquisition / transmission device 101 with respect to the power consumption per unit time including the natural discharge in the power reception side information acquisition / transmission device 101 (power reception). The amount of power supplied per unit time (converted to power by means 110) is large. The term "per unit time" means, for example, a value leveled to the equivalent of a unit time based on the total amount of electric power such as a predetermined time (1 day, 1 week, 1 month). Specifically, the power consumption of the power receiving side information acquisition / transmission device 101 includes natural discharge in the power storage means 120 and the like, power consumption at the time of information acquisition in the information acquisition means 130, and power consumption at the time of information transmission by the information transmission means 140. It includes power consumption related to control of the storage unit 134, the arithmetic processing unit 136, and the like.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the amount of electricity stored in the electricity storage means 120 reaches a predetermined threshold value Va, the transmission timing control means 170 issues an instruction to the information transmission means 140 to cause the information transmission means 140 to transmit information. It can be configured as follows. By this information transmission, the electric power of the electric power storage means 120 is consumed and the electric power storage amount is significantly reduced, but by the periodic reception of the electric power supply wave 105, the electric power is accumulated again in stages. By repeating this operation, it is possible to realize regular and long-term information transmission to a distant place, which has been impossible in the past due to large power consumption, or permanent information transmission. The information acquisition by the information acquisition means 130 can be performed each time the power supply wave 105 is received by the power receiving means 110. Therefore, in this case, the information transmission means 140 collectively transmits information for a plurality of times. Because it can be done, efficiency can be improved.

Further, for example, when the power storage means 120 is a capacitor, the voltage waveform is as shown in FIG. 3 (B). That is, each time the power receiving means 110 receives the power supply wave 105 a plurality of times, the amount of electricity stored in the capacitor gradually increases. In the case of a capacitor, as the amount of electricity stored increases, it becomes more difficult to store electricity in relation to the time constant. That is, it is preferable that the storage capacity of the capacitor is set so as to sufficiently exceed the amount of electricity equivalent to the power consumption required for one information transmission by the information transmission means 140. Then, when the amount of electricity stored in the electricity storage means 120 reaches a predetermined threshold value Va, the transmission timing control means 170 issues an instruction to the information transmission means 140 to cause the information transmission means 140 to transmit information. By this information transmission, the electric power of the electric power storage means 120 is consumed and the electric power storage amount is significantly reduced, but the electric power is stored again by the reception of the electric power supply wave 105. By repeating this operation, the information transmitting means 140 can transmit information periodically and permanently.

Further, although not particularly shown here, the transmission amount of the power supply wave in the power supply device 104 can be made variable based on the transmission frequency of the information of the information transmission means 140 in the power receiving side information acquisition transmission device 101. For example, when the transmission frequency of the information of the information transmission means 140 decreases, the transmission amount (one transmission amount or transmission frequency) of the power supply wave in the power supply device 104 is increased. The case where the transmission frequency is reduced means that, for example, the power storage means 120 is deteriorated and the power storage efficiency is lowered, so that it takes a long time for the power storage amount to reach a predetermined threshold value Va. At this time, by increasing the transmission amount of the power supply wave, the transmission frequency of the information transmission means 140 is maintained constant. If the transmission frequency of the information transmitting means 140 does not increase even if the transmission amount of the power supply wave in the power supply device 104 is increased, it is said that some problem other than the deterioration of the power storage means 120 has occurred on the receiving means 190 side. It can also be determined in.

Similarly, the transmission amount of the power supply wave in the power supply device 104 can be made variable based on the frequency of information acquisition by the information acquisition means 143 in the power receiving side information acquisition / transmission device 101. For example, when the information acquisition frequency of the information acquisition means 130 decreases, the transmission amount (single transmission amount or transmission frequency) of the power supply wave in the power supply device 104 is increased. The case where the information acquisition frequency decreases means that, for example, the storage means 120 deteriorates and the storage efficiency decreases, so that the time required for the stored amount to reach a predetermined threshold value for information acquisition becomes long. At this time, the acquisition frequency of the information acquisition means 130 is maintained constant by increasing the transmission amount of the power supply wave. If the acquisition frequency of the information acquisition means 130 does not increase even if the transmission amount of the power supply wave in the power supply device 104 is increased, it is said that some problem other than the deterioration of the power storage means 120 has occurred on the receiving means 190 side. It can also be determined in.

Although the case where the electricity storage of the electricity storage means 120 is set to exceed a predetermined value by charging a plurality of times is illustrated here, it is also possible to complete the electricity storage with one charge. In this way, it is possible to shorten the time until the storage of the storage means 120 is completed or the storage rate reaches a predetermined threshold value (that is, the time T based on the time constant).

As described above, according to the power receiving type information acquisition transmitting device 101 of the present embodiment, power is supplied by, for example, the power supply wave 105 radiated into the space. That is, the power supply is passive. At this time, the information acquisition means 130 can directly or indirectly receive power supply from the power receiving means 110 that converts the energy of the power supply wave 105 into electric power, and can acquire information from the sensor or the like.

The power supply by the power supply wave 105 is relatively weak. In particular, when the distance between the power supply device 104 and the power receiving means 110 becomes long, the energy transfer efficiency decreases. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a minute surplus electric power not consumed by the information acquisition means 130 or a power supply wave 105 having energy exceeding the electric power consumed by the information acquisition means 130 is supplied, and the surplus electric power is supplied as the power storage means 120. Accumulates little by little over time. Further, for example, the frequency of information transmission is lower than the frequency of information collection by the information acquisition means 130. As a result, sufficient power can be stored in the power storage means 120, so that the information transmission means 140 utilizes the abundant power stored in the power storage means 120 to collect information collected a plurality of times with a relatively large amount of power. Wireless transmission can be performed at a desired timing. That is, it becomes active with respect to information transmission. This also makes it possible to transmit information to, for example, a receiving means 190 that is several centimeters or several meters to several tens of meters, or hundreds of meters or several kilometers away.

Further, since the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101 can freely set the information collection timing in the information acquisition means 130 by the collection timing control means 160, it is possible to collect information according to the purpose. Similarly, since the transmission timing control means 170 can freely set the transmission timing by the information transmission means 140, it is possible to transmit information according to the purpose. In particular, if the power supply wave 105 includes the setting signal as in the present embodiment, the timing can be changed on the way.

In the above embodiment, the case where the distribution control means 180, the collection timing control means 160, the control unit 138, the transmission timing control means 170, and the like are separate blocks has been illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to these. All or part of the functions of the above may be collectively processed by a chip such as one IC or a microcomputer. That is, the above-mentioned configuration is a functional configuration, and the hardware configuration can be appropriately selected, and can be configured as, for example, an IC tag, an RF tag, or the like.

Further, in the above embodiment, it is also preferable to add a self-diagnosis function to the power receiving side information acquisition / transmitting device 101. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable to provide the self-diagnosis means (self-diagnosis circuit) 185 independently of other circuits in the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101. The self-diagnosis means 185 has a built-in timer means, and periodically (for example, once a day) transmits a diagnosis result via the information transmission means 140. The contents of the self-diagnosis include the amount of electricity stored in the power storage means 120 (storage failure), the power reception failure in the power receiving means 110 (for example, checking the current flow status from the power receiving means 110 to the power storage means 120), and the information acquisition means 130. This includes operation failures (whether or not signals can be exchanged), operation failures of the storage unit 134 and the arithmetic processing unit 136 (whether or not the response operation is performed appropriately), and the like. It is preferable that the electric power of the self-diagnosis means 185 is directly obtained from the distribution control means 180 so that the self-diagnosis means 185 can operate even if the power storage means 120 deteriorates. By periodically transmitting these diagnosis results to the outside, the receiving means 190 can grasp the failure and the maintenance time. By making the self-diagnosis means 180 independent of other circuits (main body circuits), it is possible to distinguish whether the self-diagnosis means 180 is a failure of the main body circuit or the self-diagnosis means 180 itself. Further, by transmitting the diagnostic information from the self-diagnosis means 185 at a periodic timing based on the timer, it is possible to quickly recognize that a failure has occurred in the main body when the diagnostic information is interrupted.

Next, an application example of the information acquisition system 1 including the power receiving type information acquisition transmitting device 101 of the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 4 shows a case where the information acquisition system 1 is applied to a building. The measurement system 1 includes a plurality of buildings 10 such as buildings and bridges, a member 30 with an energizing path that defines the structure at the time of construction in the building 10, and a power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device installed in the member 30. It is configured to include a 101 and a power supply device 104 that supplies power to the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101. The power supply device 104 also serves as a receiving means 190, and is installed in units of buildings or smaller units corresponding to the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101. The power supply device 104 is connected to the server 100 via a wired or wireless communication line.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the member 30 with an energizing path has a structure in which an energizing path 92 is formed with respect to a plate material 300 such as metal. Further, the plate material 300 is formed with engaging portions 302 for fastening to the mating member with bolts or the like at at least two places. As shown in FIG. 5B, the member 30 with an energizing path (plate material 300) can be used as a connecting plate when fastening to a steel material or the like with bolts. By arranging these plurality of plate materials 300 along various directions, more diverse stress measurements can be realized.

Returning to FIG. 5A, the plate material 300 expands, contracts, twists, and the like in conjunction with the deformation of the mating member. A plurality (four) of first current-carrying paths 93 reciprocating in the first direction X are arranged in a matrix on the plate material 300.

As shown in FIG. 5C, a groove (recess) 90A defining an energizing path 92 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the plate material 300. An electrical insulating layer 91 as a base layer is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the groove 90A, and a current-carrying path 92 is directly formed on the electrical insulating layer 91. As a result, since the energizing path 92 does not have to come into contact with the external member, disconnection or peeling of the energizing path 92 can be suppressed. The current-carrying path 92 is made of a metal material, and when the current-carrying path member 30 is deformed, the current-carrying path 92 is also deformed, and as a result, the electrical characteristics such as the resistance value are changed, so that the current-carrying path member 30 becomes a member 30. Output the generated stress state. That is, the current-carrying path 92 constitutes all or part of the information acquisition means 130 in the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101.

For the electrical insulating layer 91, for example, laminated printing, pad printing, painting, plating, inkjet printing, or the like can be adopted. Further, for example, various methods such as forming a film of an insulating material by sputtering with a predetermined mask arranged, applying a silica material and heat-treating, and applying a polyimide-based organic insulating material can be adopted. ..

According to this information acquisition system 1, the power supply device 104 can always supply electric power to the power receiving type information acquisition transmission device 101 installed in the member 30 with an energization path. At the same time, the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device 101 can periodically detect the stress acting on the member 30 with an energizing path, and the information can be collected by the server 100 via the power supply device 104.

The examples of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

1 Information acquisition system 101 Power receiving type information acquisition transmitter 104 Power supply device 105 Power supply wave 105A First unmodulated wave region 105B Second unmodulated wave region 105C Third unmodulated wave region 105X First modulated wave region 105Y Second modulation Wave area 110 Power receiving means 120 Storage means 130 Information acquisition means 134 Storage unit 136 Arithmetic processing unit 138 Control unit 140 Information transmitting means 142 Transmission wave 142A First transmission signal area 142B Second transmission signal area 150 Rectification means 160 Collection timing control means 170 Transmission timing control means 170 Transmission timing control means 180 Distribution control means 190 Reception means

Claims (18)

It is a power receiving type information acquisition and transmission device that becomes a passive type for power supply and an active type for information transmission.
A power receiving means that receives a power supply wave that can supply power,
A power storage means for gradually or gradually accumulating the electric power obtained by the power receiving means, and
An information acquisition means for acquiring information by consuming at least a part of the electric power of the power receiving means and / or the power storage means.
An information transmission means that transmits the information by a transmission wave that can be transmitted over a distance range of several hundred meters or more by using the electric power of the storage means.
A collection timing control means that controls the timing of acquiring the information in the information acquisition means, and
With
The collection timing control means acquires the information when the time corresponding to the time constant of the power storage means has elapsed, and the collection timing control means acquires the information.
The power storage means is a power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device, characterized in that it stores surplus power that is not consumed by the information acquisition means among the power obtained by the power receiving means. The information acquisition means is characterized in that it detects an surrounding physical phenomenon and acquires information.
The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device according to claim 1. The collection timing control means is added when the time corresponding to the time constant of the power storage means has elapsed.
When the power receiving means receives the power supply wave,
When the preset collection time has passed
When the time corresponding to the time constant of the power storage means has elapsed,
When the charge amount of the power storage means reaches a predetermined threshold value,
The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when a collection instruction signal is received from the outside, the information is acquired when one or a plurality of arbitrary combinations of conditions are satisfied. .. It is characterized by having a transmission timing control means for controlling the timing of transmitting the information by the information transmission means.
The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The transmission timing control means
When the preset outgoing time has passed and / or
When the time corresponding to the time constant of the power storage means has elapsed and / or
When the charge amount of the power storage means reaches a predetermined threshold value and / or
When the information acquired by the information acquisition means satisfies a predetermined condition and / or
When a transmission instruction signal is received from the outside and / or
When the power receiving means receives the power supply wave,
It is characterized in that the timing of transmitting the information is set when any one or more of the above conditions are satisfied.
The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device according to claim 4. The transmission timing control means
When the preset outgoing time has passed,
When the time corresponding to the time constant of the power storage means has elapsed,
When the charge amount of the power storage means reaches a predetermined threshold value,
When the information acquired by the information acquisition means satisfies a predetermined condition,
When a transmission instruction signal is received from the outside
When the power receiving means receives the power supply wave,
It is characterized in that the timing of transmitting the information is set when the conditions of a plurality of arbitrary combinations selected from are satisfied at the same time.
The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device according to claim 4. It is characterized by having a distribution control means for distributing a part of the electric power converted by the power receiving means to the information acquisition means.
The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the power supply wave is an electromagnetic wave and / or an elastic wave. The electromagnetic wave includes any one or more of γ-rays, X-rays, ultraviolet rays, visible light, infrared rays, laser light, and radio waves including microwaves.
The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device according to claim 8, wherein the elastic wave is a sound wave including ultrasonic waves and / or a solid vibration transmitted in a solid. A rectifying means for rectifying the electric power obtained by the power receiving means is provided.
The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The information acquisition means is connected to any one of a storage unit that stores the information, an arithmetic processing unit that performs a predetermined operation, and a control unit that performs a predetermined control.
The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 10. Characterized by being an IC tag,
The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 11. The power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
A power supply device capable of transmitting a power supply wave capable of supplying power to the power receiving means of the power receiving type information acquisition transmitting device, and a power supply device capable of transmitting a power supply wave capable of supplying power.
An information acquisition system characterized by being equipped with. The information transmitting means in the power receiving type information acquisition / transmitting device includes a receiving means for receiving the information transmitted to the outside.
The information acquisition system according to claim 13. The power supply device and the receiving means are integrated.
The information acquisition system according to claim 14. The power supply wave is superposed with instruction information regarding the timing of acquiring the information in the information acquisition means.
The information acquisition system according to any one of claims 13 to 15. It is characterized in that instruction information regarding the timing at which the information transmitting means transmits the information to the outside is superimposed on the power supply wave.
The information acquisition system according to any one of claims 13 to 16. In the power receiving type information acquiring transmission device, to the power consumption per unit time including the self-discharge, it power supply amount per unit time supplied to the power receiving type information acquiring transmission device is large by the power supply Features,
The information acquisition system according to any one of claims 13 to 17.

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