JP7200878B2 - Reporting method of monitoring information in remote monitoring system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a reporting method of monitoring information in a remote monitoring system.

It has a wireless communication system consisting of a master unit and multiple slave units wirelessly connected to the master unit, and a center device. There is a remote monitoring system that notifies a central device of a leakage alarm, low battery level alarm, etc. via a master unit (Patent Document 1).

In this remote monitoring system, communication is performed between the center device and the master unit via a public line such as radio or cable. Radio communication within a radio communication system composed of “machines” is performed using specified low-power radio or the like.

Each child device is arranged so as to form one hierarchy for each unit of distance, for example, about 100 m from the parent device. Further, the number of stages of slave units is limited to a certain number (for example, three stages) at the system design stage of the remote monitoring system. In addition, the center device has information on a plurality of communication routes composed of a parent device and a child device, the number of stages of the relevant child device, etc., and each child device has communication partner information (terminal ID and number of stages of the terminal immediately above) and The number of stages of the own terminal is saved for each communication route.

For example, the communication route for the child device is created as follows. When a child device is newly installed, the child device first calls surrounding terminals, that is, broadcasts a route search message to which the terminal ID (identification information) of the own terminal is added. Then, it is checked whether or not there is a response from the surrounding terminals (parent device, child device) within a predetermined time.

If there is a response within a predetermined time, a terminal with good communication conditions is selected from the terminal ID contained in the response message, the received field strength of the route search message (hereinafter referred to as field strength), and the number of stages. The above communication route information (communication partner information), that is, the terminal ID and the number of steps of the terminal immediately above the communication partner are stored in the storage unit of the own terminal for each communication route.

Also, based on the electric field intensity and the number of stages acquired at this time, a communication route number (priority order) such as a first communication route and a second communication route is assigned in descending order of, for example, the smallest number of stages and the highest electric field intensity. Then, a message requesting registration of these communication routes (this message includes the terminal ID of its own terminal, the terminal ID of the terminal immediately above it, the number of steps, and the electric field intensity) is sent to the center device. The center device receives the registration request message and registers the communication route.

Sensors such as gas meters, water meters, gas leak detectors, etc. are connected to each slave unit, and the monitoring information generated by these sensors is acquired and sent via the higher slave unit on the communication route, that is, the upper Multi-hop communication is performed in which a slave unit is used as a relay slave unit to report to the master unit.

More specifically, a child device that intends to report monitoring information transmits a message message containing the terminal ID of its own terminal as monitoring information and reporting route information to the directly connected slave device on the first communication route. The child device (relay child device) that has received the message also performs the same operation, and transmits the message telegram to the center device via the parent device. Here, when the first communication route becomes uncommunicable, a call is made again by switching to the second communication route, and when the second communication route is also uncommunicable, the call is made again by switching to the third communication route. For example, resend while switching between multiple held communication routes. When all of the held communication routes are incapable of communication, a new communication route is recreated according to the above-described new installation procedure.

JP 2010-87761 A

However, in the conventional process of recreating a communication route, new communication routes such as the following (1) and (2) may not be created. cannot be reported to the center device.
(1) Surrounding terminals do not respond to calls from terminals corresponding to the communication route information held by themselves in order to prevent loop formation of communication routes. Therefore, it is not possible to discover a higher-level terminal that serves as a new communication route.
(2) Even if there is a terminal that responds to the challenge, a new communication route cannot be created due to the problem of the higher-level terminal (excessive number of stages, failure of relay communication).
These problems will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a first example in which a new communication route cannot be created.
In FIG. 7A, when the terminals are installed in the order of master device 10, slave device 20a, and slave device 20b, the communication route of slave device 20a is only the first communication route to master device 10, and the communication route of slave device 20b is only the first communication route to master device 10. are the first communication route to the parent device 10 and the second communication route to the child device 20a.

As shown in FIG. 7B, when the master device 10 does not respond to the call originating from the slave device 20a, the slave device 20a calls the surrounding terminals to create a new communication route and retransmit the call.

However, if only the slave device 20b exists as terminals around the slave device 20a and the slave device 20b has the second communication route to the slave device 20a, the slave device 20b does not respond to the call of the slave device 20a. (No response to surrounding terminals due to loop avoidance). Therefore, the slave device 20a cannot create a new communication route.

As shown in FIG. 7C, even if the child devices 20c and 20d exist as subordinate terminals of the child device 20a (terminals having the child device 20a as a higher-level terminal), the child devices 20c and 20d When the communication route to 20a is held, the child devices 20c and 20d do not respond to the call of the child device 20a (no response to surrounding terminals due to loop avoidance). Therefore, the slave device 20a cannot create a new communication route.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a second example in which a new communication route cannot be created.
As shown in FIG. 8A, in the communication route of master device 10-child device 20a (first stage)-child device 20b (second stage), when master device 10 does not respond to a call made by child device 20a, child device 20a calls the surrounding terminals, and as shown in FIG. 8B, assumes that a communication route to the child device 20c has been created. In this case, the child device 20c, the child device 20a, and the child device 20b are the first stage, the second stage, and the third stage, respectively. However, the child device 20b does not know that its own terminal has become the third stage.

As shown in FIG. 8C, it is assumed that a communication route to the child device 20b is found when the child device 20d under the child device 20b calls the surrounding terminals (the child device 20b calls its own terminal). Assume that it responds to the call because it recognizes it as the second step). However, in this case, since the report arrives through the communication route of slave unit 20d→slave unit 20b→slave unit 20a→slave unit 20c, slave unit 20c recognizes that the number of stages is exceeded and cannot relay. In other words, the number of stages is actually exceeded, and a communication route cannot be created.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a third example in which a new communication route cannot be created.
As shown in the figure, in the communication route of master device 10 - slave device 20a (first stage) - slave device 20b (second stage), when the slave device 20c under the slave device 20b calls the surrounding terminals. , even if a communication route to the child device 20b is found (when the child device 20b responds to the call), if the relay communication from the child device 20b to the child device 20a or the relay communication from the child device 20a to the parent device 10 fails, A communication route for the child device 20c cannot be created.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such problems. In a remote monitoring system in which monitoring information from a child device is reported to a center device via a parent device, when all communication routes of the child device attempting to report monitoring information are incapable of communication, from the child device is to enable reporting of monitoring information.

The present invention has a wireless communication system comprising a parent device and a plurality of child devices wirelessly connected to the parent device, and a center device, wherein monitoring information from the child device is sent to the center device via the parent device. A reporting method for reporting monitoring information from a child device when all communication routes of the child device to be notified of monitoring information are incapable of communication in a remote monitoring system for reporting, wherein the child device is a peripheral terminal. a first step of performing an emergency call requesting an unconditional reply to the call; a second step in which the terminal returns a response including its own ID, number of stages, and received field strength of the challenge; a third step of determining, as an emergency destination terminal, a terminal with good communication conditions other than the terminal that is receiving the emergency destination; and a fifth step in which the terminal notifies the monitoring information from the slave device through its own communication route.

According to the present invention, there is provided a wireless communication system including a master unit and a plurality of stages of slave units wirelessly connected to the master unit, and a center device. In a remote monitoring system for notifying a device, when all communication routes of a child device to be notified of monitoring information are incapable of communication, the monitoring information from the child device can be notified.

It is a figure showing composition of a remote monitoring system concerning an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a child device; FIG. It is a figure which shows the first half part of the method to transmit an emergency report to a center apparatus. It is a figure which shows the latter half part of the method to transmit an emergency report to a center apparatus. FIG. 4 illustrates a first method of creating a new communication route; FIG. 10 illustrates a second method of creating a new communication route; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first example in which a new communication route cannot be created; FIG. 12 illustrates a second example in which a new communication route cannot be created; FIG. 11 illustrates a third example in which a new communication route cannot be created;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
<Configuration of remote monitoring system>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a remote monitoring system according to an embodiment of the invention.
This remote monitoring system is used, for example, for automatic meter reading of gas meters and water meters. and a wireless communication system. In this remote monitoring system, the number of slave units in the wireless communication system is limited to three.

Communication between the base unit 1 and the center device 100 is performed via a commercial communication line such as a mobile phone line, and wireless communication within a wireless communication system composed of the base unit 1 and the handsets 2 in the first to third stages. is carried out using specified low-power radio, etc. In the following description, when the parent device and the child device are not distinguished, they are referred to as terminals.

Sensors such as gas meters, water meters, and gas leak detectors are connected to each slave unit. Using the child device as a relay child device, it reports to the parent device 1 and further to the center device 100 via the parent device 1. - 特許庁

In FIG. 1, the number of slave units in the wireless communication system is three, but there are also configurations with two stages and five or more stages. Also, in FIG. 1, each slave unit has one directly-connected terminal, but there is also a configuration having a plurality of directly-connected terminals.

<Schematic configuration of child unit>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a slave unit in the remote monitoring system shown in FIG. 1;

As shown, the handset 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22 each connected to the control unit 21, a wireless transmission/reception unit 23, an external I/F (interface) unit 24, a display unit 25, and an operation input unit. An antenna 27 is connected to the radio transmitting/receiving unit 23 .

The control unit 21 is composed of, for example, a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits, and performs overall control of the child device 2, arithmetic processing, and the like. The control unit 21 also includes an emergency destination terminal determination unit 211 as a means realized by processing the programs and data stored in the storage unit 22 . Furthermore, the control unit 21 processes the programs and data stored in the storage unit 22, and causes the handset 2 to execute first to sixth steps described later.

The storage unit 22 includes a nonvolatile memory such as a ROM, a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory, and a volatile memory such as a RAM. A control program necessary for operating the child device 2 is stored in the ROM. Also, the RAM stores each program being executed by the control unit 21 and information (terminal ID, radio channel, electric field strength, and the number of stages of the own terminal) necessary for executing them. Various setting data and the like are stored in the rewritable nonvolatile memory. Here, a communication route information management table 221 and an emergency destination terminal information management table 222 are illustrated. The communication route information management table 221 and emergency destination terminal information management table 222 will be described later.

The radio transmitting/receiving unit 23 performs radio communication with the other handset 2 and the base unit 1 using specified low-power radio or the like. External devices such as a gas meter and a water meter are connected to the external I/F unit 24 . The display unit 25 is composed of an LED and the like, and is a user I/F that displays the operating state of the handset 2 and the like. The operation input unit 26 includes buttons, switches, etc., and is a user I/F for inputting predetermined settings for the child device 2 .

<Method of sending emergency call to center device>
3 and 4 are diagrams showing the first half and the second half of the method of transmitting an emergency report to the center device, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3A, when the terminals are installed in the order of parent device 1, child device 2a, child device 2b, and child device 2c, the communication route of child device 2a is only the first communication route to parent device 1. , the communication route of the slave device 2b is the first communication route to the master device 1 and the second communication route to the slave device 2a, and the communication route of the slave device 2c is the first communication route to the master device 1 and the slave device 2b. Suppose that it is the second communication route to

As shown in FIG. 3B, when the base unit 1 does not respond to the transmission of an emergency call (such as a gas leak alarm) by the cordless handset 2a, the cordless handset 2a cannot communicate through the only communication route. cannot report to At this time, since an emergency such as a gas leak has occurred, as shown in FIG. Send a broadcast telegram requesting to the surrounding terminals. Hereinafter, the transmission of this broadcast telegram will be distinguished from ordinary calls as an "urgent call" (corresponding to the first step).

As shown in FIG. 3D, the child device 2b that has received the "emergency call" sends the child device 2a its own ID, the number of stages (example: 0 to 3; here 1), and the "emergency call". A response telegram to which the received electric field intensity (eg, 1 to 7; 7 here) is added is sent back to the child device 2a (corresponding to the second step). However, a terminal that has only a communication route to the terminal that made the "emergency call" does not respond because it cannot transmit to the center device even if it responds. In the case of FIGS. 3A and 3B, there is no terminal having a communication route only to the child device 2a, which is the terminal that made the "emergency call".

As shown in FIG. 4A, the handset 2a selects the emergency destination terminal based on the number of steps (0 to 3) and the electric field strength (1 to 7) from among the terminals that have responded to the "emergency call". The determining means 211 determines the emergency destination terminal (corresponding to the third step) and notifies it to the terminal (corresponding to the fourth step). Here, since the purpose of the emergency destination terminal is to ensure that the emergency call from the child device 2a reaches the center device, the child device 2a is selected from among the terminals other than the terminal held as the communication route. Terminals with favorable conditions are determined. That is, for example, the terminal with the best communication conditions (the terminal with the lowest number of steps and the highest electric field strength) is preferentially determined.

In FIG. 4A, the terminal held by the slave device 2a as a communication route is the master device 1, so even if the slave device 2a receives a response from the master device 1, it does not make the master device 1 an emergency destination terminal. In this way, the reason for excluding a terminal held as a communication route is that, as a result of all communication routes including that communication route being unable to communicate, an "emergency call" was made, so that the terminal could be removed in an emergency. This is because if the destination terminal is used, there is a high possibility that communication will become impossible again.

This emergency destination terminal is stored separately from the communication route created by making a normal call to the surrounding terminals. That is, the communication route created by normal calling is managed by the communication route information management table 221, and the emergency destination terminal is managed by the emergency destination terminal information management table 222. FIG. The notification to the emergency destination terminal is hereinafter referred to as "emergency notification". Here, the handset 2b is determined as the emergency destination terminal.

Since the terminal that made the "emergency call" has only a communication route that cannot transmit to the center device 100, it is a terminal that needs to create a new communication route separately (the terminal that made the "emergency call" (because it is determined that the communication route to the terminal that received the "emergency notification" is the best (priority) as a communication route), the communication route held by the terminal that received the "emergency notification" If there is a communication route to the terminal which performed "calling", delete the communication route (corresponding to the sixth step). In the case of FIG. 4A, the second communication route of handset 2b is deleted. The reason for this is to prevent the formation of a loop due to the child device 2b becoming the communication route of the child device 2a when recreating the communication route of the child device 2a.

Tables 1 and 2 below show the communication route of the slave device 2b that has received the "emergency notification". Here, Table 1 shows the situation before deletion of the communication route to the child device 2a that made the "emergency call", and Table 2 shows the situation after deletion.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the handset 2b that has received the "emergency notification" notifies itself through the communication route it holds (hereafter, the notification corresponding to this fifth step is referred to as " proxy notification”). It should be noted that, in the same way as the notification itself, even if the proxy notification fails, if a plurality of communication routes are held, the notification can be made to the center device 100 by switching the communication route while reporting. Become. FIG. 4C shows an image of the proxy notification message that reaches the center device 100. As shown in FIG.

If the child device 2b that has received the "emergency notification" cannot report to the center device 100 through its own communication route, as shown in FIG. By performing "call", the center device 100 can be notified. FIG. 4E shows an image of the proxy notification message that reaches the center device 100. As shown in FIG.

<First method for creating a new communication route>
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a first method of creating a new communication route.
As shown in FIG. 5A, in the installation environment of parent device 1, child device 2a, and child device 2b, the communication route of child device 2a is only the first communication route to parent device 1. Communication is not possible between 2a. The communication route of the child device 2b is only the first communication route to the base device 1 (the second communication route to the child device 2a was in the child device 2b, but it was deleted because the "emergency notification" was received) Suppose it was

Control from the center device 100 (parent device 1→child device 2b⇒child device 2a) or operation of the child device 2a performs a normal call to terminals around the child device 2a. Since the child device 2b can respond to the call from the child device 2a, the child device 2a can have a communication route to the child device 2b as shown in FIG. 5B. In other words, a communication route from the child device 2a to the child device 2b to the parent device 1 can be established, and the notification to the center device 100 can be made.

If the slave unit 2a is on the second communication route of the slave unit 2b, in other words, if the "emergency notification" is not deleted when it is received, control from the center device 100 (master unit 1 ⇒ After deleting the communication route of the child device 2a from the communication route of the child device 2b) in the child device 2b) or the like, a normal call is made to the surrounding terminals by the control from the center device 100 or the operation of the child device 2a (2 stage processing) is necessary.

<Second method for creating a new communication route>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second method of creating a new communication route.
As shown in FIG. 6A, in the installation environment of the parent device 1, the child device 2a, the child device 2b, and the child device 2c, the communication route of the child device 2a is only the communication route to the parent device 1. Communication is disabled between the child device 2a and the communication route of the child device 2b is only the communication route to the base device 1, but communication is disabled between the base device 1 and the child device 2b. , and the communication route of the child device 2c is only the first communication route to the base device 1 (the second communication route to the child device 2b was deleted from the child device 2c).

Under control from the center device 100 (parent device 1→child device 2c⇒child device 2b) or operation of the child device 2b, a normal call is made to the terminals around the child device 2b. The child device 2c can respond to the call from the child device 2b. Further, since communication is not possible between the parent device 1 and the child device 2a, a communication route to the child device 2a cannot be created as a communication route for the child device 2b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, child device 2b has only the first communication route to child device 2c as a communication route. In this case, a communication route from the child device 2b to the child device 2c to the parent device 1 is established, and the notification to the center device 100 becomes possible.

Subsequently, the control from the center device 100 (parent device 1➝child device 2c⇒child device 2b⇒child device 2a) or the operation of the child device 2a performs a normal call to the terminals around the child device 2a. Since the child device 2b can respond to the call from the child device 2a, the child device 2a can have the first communication route to the child device 2b as a communication route, as shown in FIG. 6C. Become. In this case, a communication route of slave unit 2a→slave unit 2b→slave unit 2c→base unit 1 is established, and notification to the center device 100 is possible.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above for the case where the child device 2a transmits an emergency report such as a gas leak alarm, the present invention can also be applied to the case where normal monitoring information (meter reading values, etc.) is transmitted.

Reference Signs List 1 Parent device 2a to 2d Child device 21 Control unit 23 Wireless transmission/reception unit 100 Center device 211 Emergency destination terminal determination means 221 Communication route information management table 222 Emergency destination terminal information management table.

Claims (3)

Remote monitoring that has a wireless communication system consisting of a parent device and a plurality of child devices wirelessly connected to the parent device and a center device, and reports monitoring information from the child device to the center device via the parent device A reporting method for reporting monitoring information from a child device in a system when all communication routes of the child device attempting to report monitoring information are incapable of communication, comprising:
a first step in which the slave device issues an emergency call requesting that the terminals in the vicinity unconditionally return a response;
A second method in which, of the terminals that have received the challenge, terminals other than the terminal that holds only the terminal that has transmitted the challenge as a communication route return a response to which their own ID, number of steps, and received electric field strength of the challenge are added. a step;
a third step of determining, from among the terminals that have sent back the response, a terminal with good communication conditions other than the terminal held as a communication route, as an emergency destination terminal;
a fourth step in which the child device transmits an emergency notification to the emergency destination terminal;
a fifth step in which the emergency destination terminal reports the monitoring information from the child device through its own communication route;
A reporting method of monitoring information in a remote monitoring system having In the reporting method of monitoring information in the remote monitoring system according to claim 1,
The second step is a method of reporting monitoring information in a remote monitoring system, wherein a terminal with the lowest number of steps or a terminal with the highest received electric field strength is determined as an emergency destination terminal. In the reporting method of monitoring information in the remote monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2,
A method of notifying monitoring information in a remote monitoring system, comprising a sixth step of deleting, from among terminals held as a communication route by the emergency destination terminal, the slave unit that has issued the emergency call.

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