JP7796348B2 - Information processing method, program, information terminal, and communication system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing method, a program, an information terminal, and a communication system.

Patent Document 1 discloses a lighting control device that communicates with lighting devices via a network.

JP 2017-59492 A

The present invention provides an information processing method and the like that can assist in the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

An information processing method according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing method executed by a computer for constructing a hierarchical mesh network. The hierarchical mesh network includes a plurality of first mesh networks and a second mesh network configured by a management node belonging to each of the plurality of first mesh networks. The information processing method executes a first determination process and a transmission process in each of a plurality of areas in a space in which a plurality of nodes are installed and which is divided into a plurality of areas. The first determination process is a process of determining one or more nodes belonging to the first mesh network of the corresponding area based on the radio wave strength of a signal transmitted from each of one or more nodes that can communicate. The transmission process is a process of transmitting a signal containing affiliation information indicating the first mesh network of the corresponding area to each of the one or more nodes. The information processing method executes an acquisition process and a second determination process at a predetermined position in the space. The acquisition process is a process of acquiring the affiliation information from each of two or more nodes that can communicate. The second determination process is a process of determining the management node for each of the plurality of first mesh networks from the two or more nodes based on the affiliation information of each of the two or more nodes acquired in the acquisition process.

A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes one or more processors to execute the information processing method.

An information terminal according to one aspect of the present invention includes an information processing unit that executes information processing for constructing a hierarchical mesh network. The hierarchical mesh network includes a plurality of first mesh networks and a second mesh network configured by a management node belonging to each of the plurality of first mesh networks. The information processing unit executes a first determination process and a transmission process in each of a plurality of areas in a space in which a plurality of nodes are installed and which is divided into a plurality of areas. The first determination process is a process of determining one or more nodes that belong to the first mesh network of the corresponding area based on the radio wave strength of a signal transmitted from each of one or more nodes that can communicate. The transmission process is a process of transmitting a signal containing affiliation information indicating the first mesh network of the corresponding area to each of the one or more nodes. The information processing unit executes an acquisition process and a second determination process in the center of the space. The acquisition process is a process of acquiring the affiliation information from each of two or more nodes that can communicate. The second determination process is a process of determining the management node for each of the plurality of first mesh networks from the two or more nodes based on the affiliation information of each of the two or more nodes acquired in the acquisition process.

A communication system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises the information terminal and the plurality of nodes.

The information terminals of the present invention can assist with the configuration process for building a hierarchical mesh network.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a hierarchical mesh network. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating an example of a space in the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 illustrates an example of replacement of a first candidate node with a replacement candidate node in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating nodes controlled by the second control process in the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hierarchical mesh network constructed when the number of divisions N=2 in the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hierarchical mesh network constructed when the division number N=3 in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hierarchical mesh network constructed when 60 nodes are installed in a space in the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the movements of a setting person who performs a first node setting operation in the third embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the location of a setting person who performs a second node setting operation in the third embodiment. FIG. 15 is a plan view showing another example of a space and a plurality of areas. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of determining a management node based on communication performance. FIG. 17 is a flowchart of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of the movements of a setting person performing a first node setting operation in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of the location of a setting person who performs a second node setting operation in the fourth embodiment.

The following describes the embodiments in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not recited in the independent claims will be described as optional components.

Please note that each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact representation. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations may be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
[composition]
First, the configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, a communication system 10 includes a plurality of nodes 20 and an information terminal 30.

In the communication system 10, each of the multiple nodes 20 has wireless communication capabilities, and the multiple nodes 20 form a hierarchical wireless mesh network (hereinafter simply referred to as a hierarchical mesh network) after a user (hereinafter also referred to as a configurator B1 (see Figure 4)) has completed initial setup work using an information terminal 30. Note that building a hierarchical mesh network after completing initial setup work is merely one example, and other methods, such as building a mesh network from configured nodes 20, are also possible.

Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram of a hierarchical mesh network. "N1" or "N2" in Figure 2 corresponds to one node 20 in Figure 1. The hierarchical mesh network includes multiple lower mesh networks and an upper mesh network. In the example of Figure 2, each lower mesh network is composed of multiple nodes (N1 and N2), and the upper mesh network is composed of a management node (N2) belonging to each of the multiple lower mesh networks. The management node can also be referred to as a bridge node, backbone node, gateway node, or the like. Note that there is no particular limit to the number of lower mesh networks included in the hierarchical mesh network. There is also no particular limit to the number of layers in the hierarchical mesh network. In addition, in the embodiment, the channel used for communication in the multiple lower mesh networks is the same as the channel used for communication in the upper mesh network.

In a lower-level mesh network, when information is transmitted from one node (also referred to as a first node) to another node (also referred to as a second node), the information is transmitted, for example, by flooding.

Specifically, when the first node broadcasts information including the address information (destination information) of the second node, each of the other nodes belonging to the same lower mesh network as the first node that receives this information further broadcasts the received information. In other words, each of the other nodes relays the information. As this information relaying is repeated within the same lower mesh network, the information transmitted by the first node reaches all nodes belonging to the same lower mesh network as the first node. Therefore, the second node can receive the information transmitted by the first node.

Note that the flooding method is one example of a method used to transmit information within a lower mesh network. Other methods, such as a routing method, may also be used to transmit information within a lower mesh network. For example, a method may be used that allows only some nodes 20 to have relay functionality in at least some of the mesh networks in the upper mesh network and the lower mesh network.

When information is transmitted from a first node to a third node belonging to another lower mesh network, the information is relayed by a management node. In other words, information is transmitted through the upper mesh network. For example, at least one management node is provided for each lower mesh network. The method used to transmit information within the upper mesh network may be flooding, routing, or any other method.

If all nodes belonged to the same mesh network, all nodes would relay information when transmitting it, resulting in a large amount of communication traffic per unit time. In contrast, in a hierarchical mesh network, when information is transmitted within a certain lower-level mesh network, that information is not relayed in other lower-level mesh networks. In a hierarchical mesh network, information is transmitted from one lower-level mesh network to another via a management node only when necessary. Therefore, a hierarchical mesh network can improve the robustness of the system by reducing the amount of communication traffic per unit time.

The node 20 and information terminal 30 will be described below, primarily with reference to Figure 1. First, the node 20 will be described. In other words, the node 20 is a wireless communication device. Examples of the node 20 include a lighting fixture, a lighting remote controller, and an AC relay.

Note that AC relays include, but are not limited to, the following two types: a first AC relay and a second AC relay. The first AC relay is a device that is attached to a wiring duct and can turn on and off a single lighting fixture attached to the wiring duct by turning on and off the AC power to that lighting fixture. The second AC relay is a device that is attached to the base of a wiring duct and can turn on and off all lighting fixtures attached to that wiring duct by turning on and off the supply of AC power to that wiring duct.

Node 20 may be a device not directly related to lighting, such as an air conditioner, ventilation system, camera, motion sensor, speaker, or environmental sensor. Environmental sensors include temperature sensors, humidity sensors, brightness sensors, carbon dioxide concentration sensors, and PM (Particle Matter) sensors. A device that becomes node 20 may have two or more of the individual functions of each of the devices described above, and there are no particular limitations on the type of device that can become node 20.

When multiple nodes 20 include lighting fixtures, the information transmitted through the hierarchical mesh network may be, for example, control information for turning the lighting fixtures on, off, dimming, adjusting color, color, or controlling light distribution. Furthermore, when multiple nodes 20 include environmental sensors, the environmental sensor's measurement values (sensing information) may be transmitted through the hierarchical mesh network. When multiple nodes 20 include cameras, speakers, or other devices, video, images, audio, other information, or control values may be transmitted.

The node 20 includes a wireless communication unit 21. The wireless communication unit 21 is a wireless communication circuit that enables the node 20 to communicate wirelessly (more specifically, via radio waves) with other nodes 20 and the information terminal 30. After the node 20 joins the hierarchical mesh network, the wireless communication unit 21 communicates through the hierarchical mesh network. Before the node 20 joins the hierarchical mesh network, the wireless communication unit 21 periodically transmits a beacon signal (also called an advertisement signal, etc.) and communicates wirelessly with the information terminal 30 that receives the beacon signal. Specifically, the wireless communication unit 21 performs wireless communication in accordance with a communication standard such as BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), but the communication standard is not limited to these.

Next, the information terminal 30 will be described. The information terminal 30 is an information terminal used for the initial setup work to allow multiple nodes 20 to join the hierarchical mesh network. The information terminal 30 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The information terminal 30 may also be a dedicated remote controller used in the communication system 10. The information terminal 30 is used by the person setting up the information terminal B1 who performs the initial setup work. Specifically, the information terminal 30 includes an operation reception unit 31, a display unit 32, a wireless communication unit 33, an information processing unit 34, and a storage unit 35. Note that the connection configuration of the components (units) included in the information terminal 30 shown in Figure 1 is merely an example and is not limited to this configuration.

The operation reception unit 31 receives operations from the setting person B1. Specifically, the operation reception unit 31 is realized by a touch panel or the like.

The display unit 32 displays the images necessary for the initial setup process. The display unit 32 is implemented, for example, by a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic electroluminescence (EL) panel.

The wireless communication unit 33 is a wireless communication circuit that enables the information terminal 30 to communicate wirelessly (more specifically, via radio waves) with each of the multiple nodes 20. Specifically, the wireless communication unit 33 performs wireless communication in accordance with a communication standard such as BLE or Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

The information processing unit 34 processes information related to the initial setup work in response to the operation of the configurator B1 accepted by the operation acceptance unit 31. In other words, this information processing is information processing for constructing a hierarchical mesh network. The information processing unit 34 is realized, for example, by a microcomputer, but may also be realized by a processor or dedicated circuit. The functions of the information processing unit 34 are realized when hardware such as a microcomputer or processor constituting the information processing unit 34 executes a computer program (software) stored in the memory unit 35.

The memory unit 35 is a storage device that stores information necessary for information processing related to the initial setup work. Such information includes the computer program executed by the information processing unit 34. The memory unit 35 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory or the like.

[Initial setup overview]
Next, an overview of the initial setup work for constructing a hierarchical mesh network will be described. The initial setup work is triggered, for example, by an operation of the operation reception unit 31 of the information terminal 30 by the configurator B1, and is performed automatically or semi-automatically by the information processing unit 34.

In the initial setup process, for each of the multiple nodes 20, the ID of the node 20, the network ID of the lower mesh network to which the node 20 having that ID belongs, and information indicating whether the node 20 having that ID is a management node are associated and stored in the storage unit 35 of the information terminal 30. For example, a MAC (Media Access Control) address is used as the ID of the node 20. Hereinafter, the information indicating this association will be referred to as management information.

The initial setup process also involves storing configuration information for each of the multiple nodes 20 to allow that node 20 to join the hierarchical mesh network. Specifically, the information terminal 30 transmits the configuration information to the node 20 by communicating with the node 20 via unicast. The node 20 stores the received configuration information in a storage unit (not shown) provided in the node 20. Here, unicast means that communication is performed by specifying a specific node 20 as the final destination; direct communication between the information terminal 30 and the specific node 20 is not required. Note that if a functioning mesh network already exists, the information terminal 30 may perform unicast communication via the mesh network.

The configuration information includes the network ID of the lower mesh network to which the node 20 belongs, and address information (unicast address) of the node 20 used for communication within the hierarchical mesh network. If necessary, the configuration information may also include a security passcode used for communication within the lower mesh network, information about the information terminal 30 (information about the device that manages the hierarchical mesh network), and the like. If the node 20 is a management node, the configuration information includes information necessary for the node 20 to function as the management node. The management information can be used to identify which node 20 should receive what configuration information.

A node 20 with the configuration information stored in the memory unit can join the hierarchical mesh network. Once a node 20 joins the hierarchical mesh network, it stops periodically transmitting beacon signals that it was doing before joining.

As described above, the initial setup process includes determining, for each of the multiple nodes 20, the lower mesh network to which that node 20 belongs, and determining whether that node 20 is a management node. The initial setup process also includes storing configuration information for each of the multiple nodes 20 in a storage unit and allowing the node 20 to join the hierarchical mesh network.

Here, various methods can be considered for determining the lower mesh network and the management node. Below, we will explain examples of methods for determining the lower mesh network and the management node.

[Example 1]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, in a space Sp1 (see FIG. 4 ) in which a plurality of nodes 20 are installed and which is divided into a plurality of areas A1, a setting person B1 performs the following initial setting work using an information terminal 30. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of the space Sp1 in the first embodiment. Here, the space Sp1 may include, for example, one or more rooms including a conference room, one or more corridors, or one or more partitions such as partitions, but these are not shown in FIG. 4 . Of course, the space Sp1 may also be a single large room that does not have these.

In Example 1, each area A1 is assumed to be a 5m x 5m square in plan view. Note that each area A1 is not actually divided into 5m x 5m shapes, but rather is an area that the configurator B1 assumes to be approximately a 5m x 5m square, in other words, an area that the configurator B1 can use as a guide when determining the lower mesh network. In other words, the configurator B1 will perform node configuration work so that one or more nodes 20 installed in each area A1 will become one or more affiliated nodes belonging to the lower mesh network corresponding to each area A1.

In Example 1, as shown in FIG. 4, the setter B1 starts from area A1 at one of the four corners of space Sp1 (here, the upper left corner) and moves to the right through each area A1 in turn until he reaches area A1 at the right end of space Sp1. Once he reaches area A1 at the right end of space Sp1, he moves to the next area A1 below, and then moves to the left through each area A1 in turn until he reaches area A1 at the left end of space Sp1. Then, once he reaches area A1 at the left end of space Sp1, he moves to the next area A1 below, and then moves to the right through each area A1 in turn until he reaches area A1 at the right end of space Sp1.

In this way, in Example 1, the setter B1 starts from area A1 in the upper left corner of space Sp1 and moves in a zigzag pattern through each of the multiple areas A1 until he or she reaches area A1 in the lower right corner of space Sp1, which is his or her end point. Then, the setter B1 performs the node setting work described below in each area A1.

In the following, it is assumed that none of the multiple nodes 20 installed in space Sp1 have been initialized, i.e., have joined the hierarchical mesh network. Therefore, in the following, it is assumed that each node 20 periodically transmits a beacon signal. In addition, in the following, it is assumed that each node 20 is lit at the upper limit of its dimmable range, i.e., fully lit. Note that when a node 20 is fully lit, it indicates that the node 20 has not been initialized. Furthermore, if the node 20 is a device other than a lighting fixture, such as a sensor, the node 20 lights up when a light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) included in the device is turned on.

<Node setting work>
The setting person B1 moves to a predetermined position in the area A1 (here, the center of the area A1) and performs an operation to start the setting process on the information terminal 30. When the operation reception unit 31 receives the operation, the information processing unit 34 starts the setting process.

As shown in FIG. 3, first, the information processing unit 34 receives beacon signals from one or more nodes 20 via the wireless communication unit 33, thereby acquiring the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) value of each beacon signal from the one or more nodes 20 (S101). In other words, the information terminal 30 receives one or more signals (beacon signals) transmitted from one or more nodes 20, respectively, and executes an acquisition process to acquire the radio wave strength (RSSI value) of the one or more signals. Here, the one or more nodes 20 may include nodes 20 installed within area A1 where the setter B1 is located, as well as nodes 20 installed outside area A1.

Next, the information processing unit 34 executes a first determination process (S102). The first determination process determines one or more first candidate nodes based on the radio wave strength (RSSI value) of one or more signals (beacon signals) acquired in the acquisition process. The first candidate nodes are nodes that are candidates for one or more affiliated nodes belonging to the first mesh network (lower mesh network) of the corresponding area A1 (i.e., the area A1 where the configurator B1 is performing the node configuration work). In Example 1, the information processing unit 34 ranks one or more nodes 20 whose RSSI values are equal to or greater than a threshold in descending order of RSSI value (i.e., ascending order of radio wave strength), and ranks the node 20 with the highest RSSI value as first, and then determines the nodes 20 from the first node to the upper limit number as one or more first candidate nodes. Note that if the number of one or more nodes 20 does not reach the upper limit, the information processing unit 34 determines all of the one or more nodes 20 as one or more first candidate nodes. Furthermore, the threshold value may be adjusted as appropriate, for example, by the settler B1 operating the information terminal 30.

Here, the upper limit number is the upper limit of the number of first candidate nodes (one or more) in each area A1, and is the maximum number of nodes 20 allowed to belong to one area A1. The upper limit number is, for example, a parameter stored in advance in the memory unit 35. The upper limit number is set, for example, based on the dimensions of the area A1 in a planar view and the spacing at which the nodes 20 are installed. In Example 1, the upper limit number is set to nine. Note that the upper limit number may be adjusted as appropriate, for example, by the setter B1 operating the information terminal 30.

Next, the information processing unit 34 executes a second determination process (S103). The second determination process is a process of determining, as a second candidate node, a node 20 whose radio wave intensity (RSSI value) satisfies a predetermined condition among the one or more first candidate nodes determined in the first determination process. The second candidate node is a node that is a candidate for the management node of the first mesh network (lower mesh network) of the corresponding area A1 (i.e., the area A1 where the configurator B1 is performing the node configuration work). In Example 1, the information processing unit 34 determines, as the second candidate node, the node 20 with the largest RSSI value among the one or more first candidate nodes.

Next, the information processing unit 34 executes a third determination process (S104). The third determination process is a process for determining one or more replacement candidate nodes based on the radio wave strength (RSSI value) of two or more signals (beacon signals) transmitted from two or more nodes 20 acquired in the acquisition process. A replacement candidate node is a node whose RSSI value is equal to or greater than a threshold, whose radio wave strength (RSSI value) is the second strongest after the one or more first candidate nodes, and which can become the first candidate node in place of the one or more first candidate nodes. In Example 1, the one or more replacement candidate nodes are nodes 20 other than the one or more first candidate nodes, out of the one or more nodes 20 from which the wireless communication unit 33 was able to receive a beacon signal.

Next, the information processing unit 34 executes a first control process (S105). The first control process is a process for controlling one or more first candidate nodes determined in the first determination process and the second candidate node determined in the second determination process so that they have a visual appearance different from that of the other nodes 20. In Example 1, the one or more first candidate nodes and second candidate nodes are controlled to blink in a visual appearance different from that of the other nodes 20 that are fully lit. Specifically, the information processing unit 34 transmits a control signal including an instruction to blink to the one or more first candidate nodes and second candidate nodes via the wireless communication unit 33. Each node 20 that receives the control signal via the wireless communication unit 21 blinks in accordance with the instruction included in the control signal.

Next, the information processing unit 34 displays a setting screen on the display unit 32 for determining the lower mesh network and management node (S106). Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the setting screen in Example 1. As shown in Figure 5, the setting screen displays a list of one or more nodes 20 from which the wireless communication unit 33 was able to receive a beacon signal, arranged horizontally in descending order of radio wave strength (largest RSSI value). The setting screen also displays an icon with the word "Confirm" written on it for accepting a confirmation operation by the configurator B1.

In Figure 5, solid-lined circles represent candidates for belonging nodes (i.e., first candidate nodes) of the lower mesh network corresponding to area A1 where configurator B1 is performing node configuration work. Double-lined circles represent candidates for management nodes of the lower mesh network (i.e., second candidate nodes). Dashed-lined circles represent replacement candidate nodes that have weaker radio wave strength than the candidate belonging node but are strong enough to belong to the lower mesh network, and can replace the candidate belonging node. Numbers in circles simply represent the ID of node 20.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the one or more first candidate nodes are nine nodes 20 with node 20 IDs of "1" to "9." Also, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the second candidate node is node 20 with node 20 ID of "5." Also, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the one or more replacement candidate nodes are five nodes 20 with node 20 IDs of "10" to "14."

Returning to FIG. 3, the operation reception unit 31 receives an adjustment operation from the configurator B1 (S107). The adjustment operation includes an operation to replace candidate nodes or candidate management nodes of the lower mesh network corresponding to the area A1 where the configurator B1 is performing node configuration work, or an operation to delete candidate nodes of the lower mesh network. Note that it is optional for the configurator B1 to perform an adjustment operation.

Furthermore, after the configurator B1 has performed an adjustment operation, or if the configurator B1 has not performed an adjustment operation, the operation reception unit 31 receives a confirmation operation from the configurator B1 (S108). The confirmation operation is an operation to confirm one or more candidate nodes (i.e., one or more first candidate nodes) of the lower mesh network corresponding to the area A1 where the configurator B1 is performing node configuration work as one or more nodes of the lower mesh network. The confirmation operation is also an operation to confirm a candidate node (i.e., second candidate node) of the lower mesh network as the management node of the lower mesh network.

Now, the replacement operation and confirmation operation will be explained in detail. First, the configurator B1 visually checks whether the one or more first candidate nodes and second candidate nodes that are flashing due to the first control process are appropriate as one or more affiliated nodes and management nodes, respectively. For example, if the one or more first candidate nodes are all contained within area A1 where the configurator B1 is located, the configurator B1 determines that the one or more first candidate nodes are one or more affiliated nodes of the lower mesh network corresponding to area A1. Furthermore, for example, if the second candidate node is located within area A1 within the range expected by the configurator B1, the configurator B1 determines that the second candidate node is a management node of the lower mesh network corresponding to area A1.

Then, the scribble maker B1 performs the confirmation operation by operating the information terminal 30. In Example 1, the scribble maker B1 performs the confirmation operation by selecting an icon with the word "confirm" written on it, which is displayed on the display unit 32 of the information terminal 30.

On the other hand, for example, if some of the first candidate nodes are not included in area A1 where setter B1 is located, setter B1 operates information terminal 30 to perform a swap operation to swap the first candidate node with a desired replacement candidate node included in area A1. In Example 1, setter B1 selects the target first candidate node displayed on display unit 32, and then performs an operation to select the desired replacement candidate node. The order of selection of the first candidate node and the replacement candidate node may be reversed. As a result of the swap operation, the target first candidate node becomes a replacement candidate node after the swap operation, and the target replacement candidate node becomes the first candidate node after the swap operation.

Furthermore, for example, if the second candidate node is different from the node 20 assumed by the setter B1, the setter B1 operates the information terminal 30 to perform a swap operation to swap the second candidate node with a desired node 20 from among one or more first candidate nodes. In Example 1, the setter B1 selects the target second candidate node displayed on the display unit 32, and then performs an operation to select the desired first candidate node. The selection of the second candidate node and the selection of the first candidate node may be reversed. As a result of the swap operation, the target second candidate node becomes the first candidate node after the swap operation, and the target first candidate node becomes the second candidate node after the swap operation.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the replacement of a first candidate node and a replacement candidate node in Example 1. In Figure 6, the area surrounded by a dashed line indicates the area corresponding to area A1 where setter B1 is performing node setting work. Also, in Figure 6, nodes 20 represented by circles hatched with solid lines are first candidate nodes (including second candidate nodes). Also, in Figure 6, nodes 20 represented by circles hatched with dashed lines are replacement candidate nodes. Also, in Figure 6, nodes 20 represented by white circles are nodes 20 other than the first candidate node and replacement candidate node.

In the example shown in Figure 6, one first candidate node exists outside the area surrounded by the dashed line, and one replacement candidate node exists within that area. Therefore, by performing a replacement operation to swap the first candidate node with the replacement candidate node, the setter B1 can set all nodes 20 within the area A1 where the setter B1 is located as first candidate nodes.

Returning to FIG. 3, when the operation reception unit 31 receives a confirmation operation, the information processing unit 34 confirms one or more first candidate nodes as one or more affiliated nodes (S109). The information processing unit 34 also confirms the second candidate node as a management node (S110). This confirms the lower mesh network and management node corresponding to area A1 where the configurator B1 is performing node configuration work.

Then, once the information processing unit 34 has determined one or more affiliated nodes and management nodes, it executes an initial setup process (S111). In the initial setup process, the information processing unit 34 transmits configuration information to each of the determined one or more affiliated nodes and management nodes via the wireless communication unit 33. Each node 20 that receives the configuration information via the wireless communication unit 21 stores the configuration information in its storage unit. As a result, each node 20 joins the hierarchical mesh network, specifically the lower mesh network corresponding to area A1 where the configurator B1 is performing the node configuration work, and stops the periodic transmission of beacon signals.

Then, the information processing unit 34 executes a second control process (S112). The second control process is a process of controlling the one or more determined affiliated nodes and management nodes so that they have a visual appearance different from that of the other nodes 20. In Example 1, the one or more affiliated nodes and management nodes are controlled to be illuminated at the lower limit of the dimmable range, thereby being visually different from that of the other nodes 20 that are fully illuminated. Specifically, the information processing unit 34 transmits a control signal including a command to illuminate at the lower limit of the dimmable range to one or more first candidate nodes and second candidate nodes via the wireless communication unit 33. Each node 20 that receives the control signal via the wireless communication unit 21 illuminates at the lower limit of the dimmable range in accordance with the command included in the control signal.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing nodes controlled by the second control process in Example 1. In Figure 7, the area surrounded by a dashed line indicates the area corresponding to area A1 where setter B1 is performing node setting work. Also, in Figure 7, nodes 20 represented by white circles are fully lit. Also, in Figure 7, nodes 20 represented by black circles are lit at the lower limit of the dimmable range.

As shown in FIG. 7, the one or more confirmed affiliated nodes and management nodes, i.e., each node 20 that has joined the lower mesh network corresponding to area A1 where configurator B1 is performing node configuration work, are controlled in a visual manner different from that of the other nodes 20. This allows configurator B1 to visually grasp the one or more nodes 20 that have joined the lower mesh network.

This completes the node setting work in area A1 where setter B1 is located. Once the node setting work is complete, setter B1 moves from area A1 to the next area A1 and performs node setting work in that area A1. From here on, setter B1 performs node setting work in all areas A1 in space Sp1, completing the initial setting work.

After completing the initial setup work, the configurator B1 operates the information terminal 30 to cause the information processing unit 34 to execute a confirmation process. The information processing is a process of confirming whether a hierarchical mesh network has been constructed by communicating with each of the multiple nodes 20. Specifically, the information processing unit 34 transmits a control signal including a command to perform confirmation control to each node 20 via the wireless communication unit 33. The confirmation control is, for example, a control to blink the node 20.

If the configurator B1 visually confirms that all nodes 20 are blinking, i.e., if the configurator confirms that confirmation control has been executed on all nodes 20, the configurator can determine that all nodes 20 have joined the hierarchical mesh network and that the hierarchical mesh network has been correctly constructed. On the other hand, if the configurator B1 confirms that some nodes 20 are not blinking, i.e., if the configurator confirms that confirmation control has not been executed on some nodes 20, the configurator can determine that those some nodes 20 have not joined the hierarchical mesh network and that the hierarchical mesh network has not been correctly constructed. In this case, the configurator B1 can simply perform the node configuration work again on those some nodes 20.

As described above, in Example 1, the information terminal 30 (information processing method) performs node configuration work, including an acquisition process, a first determination process, and a second determination process, in each of multiple areas A1 in the space Sp1. With this information terminal 30 (information processing method), the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more candidate affiliated nodes and candidate management nodes that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 in each area A1 to start the node configuration work, thereby reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more affiliated nodes and management nodes. In other words, this information terminal 30 (information processing method) can support the configuration work for building a hierarchical mesh network. Furthermore, this information terminal 30 (information processing method) allows the configurator B1 to easily perform the configuration work even if there is no information, such as a lighting distribution diagram, indicating the placement of each of the multiple nodes 20 in the space Sp1.

[Modification of Example 1]
In the first embodiment, all the nodes 20 that have not been initially set are lit, but this is not limiting. For example, the nodes 20 that have not been initially set may be lit in a manner that allows the setting person B1 to visually understand that the nodes 20 have not been initially set.

In the first control process of Example 1, one or more first candidate nodes and one or more second candidate nodes may be controlled to have different visual appearances. For example, one or more first candidate nodes and one or more second candidate nodes may have different blinking patterns.

In the first control process of Example 1, the information processing unit 34 of the information terminal 30 may control one or more replacement candidate nodes in addition to one or more first candidate nodes and second candidate nodes so that they have a visual appearance different from that of the other nodes 20. For example, the one or more first candidate nodes and second candidate nodes and the one or more replacement candidate nodes may each have a different blinking pattern from each other.

In Example 1, the upper limit number of one or more first candidate nodes in each area A1 may be automatically determined by calculation by the information processing unit 34. For example, if the dimensions of the area A1 in a plan view and the spacing at which the nodes 20 are installed can be obtained, the information processing unit 34 may calculate and determine the upper limit number based on these parameters. In other words, the information terminal 30 may determine the upper limit number of one or more first candidate nodes based on the dimensions of each of the multiple areas A1 and the spacing at which the multiple nodes 20 are installed.

In Example 1, the threshold value in the first determination process may be automatically determined by calculation by the information processing unit 34. For example, if parameters indicating the communication performance of each node 20 can be obtained, the information processing unit 34 may calculate and determine the threshold value based on the parameters. In other words, the information terminal 30 may determine the radio wave intensity condition (threshold value) for determining one or more first candidate nodes in the first determination process based on the communication performance of each of the multiple nodes 20.

In Example 1, the information processing unit 34 of the information terminal 30 executes the third determination process, but this is not limited to this. For example, the information processing unit 34 does not have to execute the third determination process. In this case, only one or more first candidate nodes and one or more second candidate nodes will be displayed on the display unit 32 of the information terminal 30.

In Example 1, the information processing unit 34 of the information terminal 30 executes the first control process, but this is not limited to this. For example, the information processing unit 34 does not have to execute the first control process. In this case, the one or more first candidate nodes and second candidate nodes will be controlled in the same visual manner as the other nodes 20. In other words, the one or more first candidate nodes and second candidate nodes will maintain a fully lit state, just like the other nodes 20.

In Example 1, the information processing unit 34 of the information terminal 30 executes the second control process, but this is not limited to this. For example, the information processing unit 34 does not have to execute the second control process. In this case, the one or more confirmed affiliated nodes and management nodes will be controlled in the same visual manner as the other nodes 20. In other words, the one or more affiliated nodes and management nodes will maintain a fully lit state, just like the other nodes 20.

In Example 1, one or more first candidate nodes, one or more second candidate nodes, and one or more replacement candidate nodes are displayed horizontally on the setting screen according to the strength of their RSSI values, but this is not limited to this. For example, one or more first candidate nodes, one or more second candidate nodes, and one or more replacement candidate nodes may be displayed vertically on the setting screen according to the strength of their RSSI values.

In Example 1, the setter B1 starts from an area A1 at one of the four corners of the space Sp1 and moves in a meandering pattern through each of the multiple areas A1, but this is not limited to this. For example, the setter B1 may start from an area A1 in the center of the space Sp1 and move in a spiral pattern through each of the multiple areas A1. In other words, the setter B1 only needs to move so as to visit all of the areas A1 in the space Sp1, and the route of his or her movement does not matter.

In Example 1, the multiple areas A1 each have the same shape and area, but this is not limited to this. For example, the shapes of the multiple areas A1 may be different from each other. Also, for example, the areas of the multiple areas A1 may be different from each other. Also, for example, the shape of the space Sp1 is not limited to being rectangular in plan view, and may be another shape in plan view.

[Summary of Example 1 and its Modifications]
As described above, the information processing method according to the first aspect of the first embodiment is an information processing method executed by a computer for constructing a hierarchical mesh network. The hierarchical mesh network includes a plurality of first mesh networks and a second mesh network configured by a management node belonging to each of the plurality of first mesh networks. In the information processing method, an acquisition process (S101), a first determination process (S102), and a second determination process (S103) are performed in each of a plurality of areas A1 in a space Sp1 in which a plurality of nodes 20 are installed and which is divided into a plurality of areas A1. The acquisition process is a process of receiving one or more signals transmitted from one or more nodes 20, respectively, to acquire radio wave intensities of the one or more signals. The first determination process is a process of determining one or more first candidate nodes that are candidates for one or more belonging nodes belonging to the first mesh network of the corresponding area A1, based on the radio wave intensities of the one or more signals acquired in the acquisition process. The second determination process is a process for determining, from among the one or more first candidate nodes determined in the first determination process, a node whose radio wave intensity satisfies a predetermined condition as a second candidate node to be a candidate for the manager node of the first mesh network. The lower mesh network is an example of a first mesh network, and the upper mesh network is an example of a second mesh network.

With this information processing method, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more candidate affiliated nodes and candidate management nodes for the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 in each area A1 to begin configuration work, reducing the effort required for the configurator B1 to determine one or more affiliated nodes and management nodes. In other words, the information processing method has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the second aspect of Example 1, the one or more nodes 20 in the first aspect are two or more nodes 20. The information processing method further executes a third determination process (S104). The third determination process is a process for determining one or more replacement candidate nodes that have the next strongest radio wave strength after the one or more first candidate nodes and that can become first candidate nodes in place of the one or more first candidate nodes, based on the radio wave strengths of two or more signals transmitted from the two or more nodes 20 acquired in the acquisition process.

This information processing method has the advantage that it reduces the effort required by the settlor B1 to search for alternative nodes 20 when some of the first candidate nodes are not suitable as nodes to belong to.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the third aspect of Example 1, a first control process (S105) is further executed in the first or second aspect. The first control process is a process of controlling one or more first candidate nodes determined in the first determination process and a second candidate node determined in the second determination process so that they have a visual appearance different from that of the other nodes 20.

This information processing method has the advantage that it makes it easier for the settlor B1 to visually grasp one or more first candidate nodes and second candidate nodes.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the fourth aspect of Example 1, in any one of the first to third aspects, the upper limit number of one or more first candidate nodes is determined based on the dimensions of each of the multiple areas A1 and the spacing at which each of the multiple nodes 20 is installed.

This information processing method has the advantage of reducing the effort required for the settlor B1 to determine the upper limit number.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the fifth aspect of Example 1, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the signal strength conditions for determining one or more first candidate nodes in the first determination process are determined based on the communication performance of each of the multiple nodes 20.

This information processing method has the advantage of reducing the effort required for the setter B1 to determine the radio wave strength conditions.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the sixth aspect of Example 1, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, a second control process (S112) is further executed. The second control process is a process for controlling, when one or more affiliated nodes and management nodes are determined, the determined one or more affiliated nodes and management nodes so that they have a visual appearance different from that of the other nodes 20.

This information processing method has the advantage that it makes it easier for the configurator B1 to visually grasp the one or more confirmed affiliated nodes and management nodes.

Furthermore, a program according to a seventh aspect of the first embodiment causes one or more processors to execute an information processing method according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.

With this program, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more candidate affiliated nodes and candidate management nodes for the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 in each area A1 to begin configuration work, reducing the effort required for the configurator B1 to determine one or more affiliated nodes and management nodes. In other words, the program has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, an information terminal 30 according to an eighth aspect of Example 1 includes an information processing unit 34 that executes information processing for constructing a hierarchical mesh network. The hierarchical mesh network includes a plurality of first mesh networks and a second mesh network configured by a management node belonging to each of the plurality of first mesh networks. The information processing unit 34 executes an acquisition process (S101), a first determination process (S102), and a second determination process (S103) in each of a plurality of areas A1 in a space Sp1 in which a plurality of nodes 20 are installed and which is divided into a plurality of areas A1. The acquisition process is a process of receiving one or more signals transmitted from one or more nodes 20, and acquiring the radio wave intensities of the one or more signals. The first determination process is a process of determining one or more first candidate nodes that are candidates for one or more affiliated nodes belonging to the first mesh network of the corresponding area A1, based on the radio wave intensities of the one or more signals acquired in the acquisition process. The second determination process is a process in which a node, of the one or more first candidate nodes determined in the first determination process, whose radio wave intensity satisfies a predetermined condition is determined as a second candidate node to be a candidate for the management node of the first mesh network.

With this information terminal 30, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more candidate affiliated nodes and candidate management nodes for the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 in each area A1 to begin configuration work, reducing the effort required for the configurator B1 to determine one or more affiliated nodes and management nodes. In other words, the information terminal 30 has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, the communication system 10 according to the ninth aspect of Example 1 includes an information terminal 30 according to the eighth aspect and a plurality of nodes 20.

With this communication system 10, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more candidate affiliated nodes and candidate management nodes for the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 in each area A1 to begin configuration work, reducing the effort required for the configurator B1 to determine one or more affiliated nodes and management nodes. In other words, the communication system 10 has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, in the communication system 10 according to the tenth aspect of Example 1, in the ninth aspect, the plurality of nodes 20 includes lighting fixtures.

Such a communication system 10 has the advantage of being able to function as a lighting fixture control system.

[Example 2]
FIG. 8 is a flowchart of Example 2. In Example 2, similar to Example 1, the setter B1 moves through each of the multiple areas A1 in the space Sp1 in order. Then, the setter B1 performs the node setting work described below in each area A1. In Example 2, the content of the node setting work differs from Example 1. Hereinafter, explanations of points common to Example 1 will be omitted as appropriate.

<Node setting work>
The setting person B1 moves to a predetermined position in the area A1 (here, the center of the area A1) and performs an operation to start the setting process on the information terminal 30. When the operation reception unit 31 receives the operation, the information processing unit 34 starts the setting process.

As shown in FIG. 8, first, the information processing unit 34 determines how many groups the multiple nodes 20 installed in space Sp1 should be divided into, i.e., the number of divisions N (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2) (S201). In step S201, the setting person B1 performs an operation on the information terminal 30 to input the number of nodes 20 installed in space Sp1. The information processing unit 34 then determines the number of divisions N based on the input number of nodes 20 and a threshold value. Note that step S201 only needs to be performed at the start of the setting process, and is not thereafter performed each time the user moves within area A1.

Here, the threshold value is a value based on the upper limit of the number of nodes 20 that can belong to one lower mesh network (first mesh network) and the upper limit of the number of management nodes that can belong to one higher mesh network (second mesh network). In Example 2, the above threshold value is stored in advance in the storage unit 35. Note that the above threshold value may be set, for example, by the setting person B1 inputting it into the information terminal 30.

In Example 2, the information processing unit 34 basically determines the division number N to be "2", but if the number of nodes 20 included in one group exceeds the threshold, the information processing unit 34 increases the division number N by "1". For example, assume that the number of input nodes 20 is 60 and the threshold is 20. In this case, if the division number N is set to "2", the number of nodes 20 included in one group will exceed the threshold, so the information processing unit 34 determines the division number N to be "3". Unless otherwise specified, the following description will be given assuming that the division number N is "2".

Next, the information processing unit 34 executes an allocation process to allocate each of the multiple nodes 20 to one of the N groups (S202). In Example 2, the information processing unit 34 randomly allocates one or more nodes 20 that have been able to receive a beacon signal via the wireless communication unit 33, i.e., one or more nodes 20 that are capable of communication, to one of the N groups.

The information processing unit 34 then performs node setting work in each area A1, thereby executing the allocation process in each of all areas A1 in space Sp1, randomly assigning all nodes 20 installed in space Sp1 to one of N groups. In other words, in the allocation process of Example 2, multiple nodes 20 are each assigned to one of N groups according to random numbers. Here, the information processing unit 34 assigns multiple nodes 20 to one of N groups according to pseudo-random numbers generated by an appropriate pseudo-random number generation algorithm.

For example, assume that when a settler B1 is in an arbitrary area A1, there are eight nodes 20 with which the settler B1 can communicate: "a," "b," "c," "d," "e," "f," "g," and "h," and that these are to be assigned to two groups (i.e., N=2). In this case, the information processing unit 34 performs an assignment process, for example, according to a random number, such that "a," "c," "e," and "g" are assigned to group "1" and "b," "d," "f," and "h" are assigned to group "2."

In addition, the information processing unit 34 executes a first determination process (S203) and a second determination process (S204) in parallel with the allocation process.

The first determination process is a process of determining all nodes 20 assigned to one of the N groups (hereinafter also referred to as the "management group") as management nodes for multiple lower mesh networks (first mesh networks). In Example 2, the information processing unit 34 determines, as management nodes, one or more nodes 20 that were able to receive a beacon signal via the wireless communication unit 33, i.e., one or more nodes 20 that are capable of communication, and that are assigned to the management group.

Then, the information processing unit 34 performs the first determination process in each of all areas A1 of the space Sp1 by performing node setting work in each area A1. As a result, of all the nodes 20 installed in the space Sp1, the multiple nodes 20 assigned to the management group are determined to be management nodes for multiple lower mesh networks. In other words, in Example 2, the number of lower mesh networks corresponds to the number of nodes 20 assigned to the management group.

For example, assume that when a settler B1 is in an arbitrary area A1, there are eight nodes 20 with which the settler B1 can communicate: "a," "b," "c," "d," "e," "f," "g," and "h," and that "a," "c," "e," and "g" are assigned to the management group (group "1") through the allocation process. In this case, the information processing unit 34 executes the first determination process to determine "a," "c," "e," and "g" as management nodes for four different lower mesh networks.

The second determination process is a process for determining, for each of the remaining N-1 groups, all nodes 20 assigned to the corresponding group as belonging nodes that belong to one of the multiple lower mesh networks (first mesh networks). In Example 2, the information processing unit 34 determines, as belonging nodes, one or more nodes 20 that were able to receive a beacon signal via the wireless communication unit 33, i.e., one or more nodes 20 that are capable of communication, and that are assigned to one of the N-1 groups other than the management group.

Then, the information processing unit 34 performs the second determination process in each of all areas A1 in the space Sp1 by performing node setting work in each area A1. As a result, of all nodes 20 installed in the space Sp1, for each of the N-1 groups other than the management group, all nodes 20 assigned to the corresponding group are determined to belong to one of the multiple lower mesh networks.

For example, assume that when a settler B1 is in an arbitrary area A1, there are eight nodes 20 with which the settler B1 can communicate: "a," "b," "c," "d," "e," "f," "g," and "h," and that through the allocation process, "b," "d," "f," and "h" are assigned to one group (group "2") other than the management group (i.e., 2 - 1 = 1). In this case, the information processing unit 34 executes the second determination process to determine that "b," "d," "f," and "h" belong to one of the four lower mesh networks.

Then, upon completion of the allocation process, first determination process, and second determination process, the information processing unit 34 executes an initial setting process (S205). In the initial setting process, the information processing unit 34 transmits setting information to each determined node 20 via the wireless communication unit 33. Each node 20 that receives the setting information via the wireless communication unit 21 stores the setting information in its storage unit. As a result, each node 20 joins the hierarchical mesh network and stops periodically transmitting beacon signals.

This completes the node setting work in area A1 where setter B1 is located. Once the node setting work is complete, setter B1 moves from area A1 to the next area A1 and performs node setting work in that area A1. From here on, setter B1 performs node setting work in all areas A1 in space Sp1, completing the initial setting work.

After completing the initial setup work, the configurator B1 operates the information terminal 30 to cause the information processing unit 34 to execute a confirmation process. The information processing is a process of confirming whether a hierarchical mesh network has been constructed by communicating with each of the multiple nodes 20. Specifically, the information processing unit 34 transmits a control signal including a command to perform confirmation control to each node 20 via the wireless communication unit 33. The confirmation control is, for example, a control to blink the node 20.

If the configurator B1 visually confirms that all nodes 20 are blinking, i.e., if the configurator B1 confirms that confirmation control has been executed on all nodes 20, the configurator can determine that all nodes 20 have joined the hierarchical mesh network and that the hierarchical mesh network has been correctly constructed. On the other hand, if the configurator B1 confirms that some nodes 20 are not blinking, i.e., if the configurator B1 confirms that confirmation control has not been executed on some nodes 20, the configurator can determine that those some nodes 20 have not joined the hierarchical mesh network and that the hierarchical mesh network has not been correctly constructed. In this case, the configurator B1 can simply perform the node configuration work again on those some nodes 20.

Specific examples of the allocation process, first determination process, and second determination process in Example 2 will be described below with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hierarchical mesh network constructed when the number of divisions N = 2 in Example 2. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hierarchical mesh network constructed when the number of divisions N = 3 in Example 2. In the examples shown in each of Figures 9 and 10, the number of nodes 20 installed in space Sp1 is 12. In each of Figures 9 and 10, rectangular frames surrounded by dotted lines represent lower mesh networks. In each of Figures 9 and 10, nodes 20 represented by circles are affiliated nodes, and nodes 20 represented by rectangles are management nodes.

When the division number N = 2, the allocation process randomly assigns the 12 nodes 20 to groups "1" and "2" according to random numbers. Then, as shown in Figure 9, the first determination process determines the six nodes 20 assigned to group "1" (management group) as management nodes for six different lower mesh networks. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 9, an upper mesh network is constructed using the six management nodes assigned to group "1."

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the six nodes 20 assigned to group "2" (a group other than the management group) are determined by the second determination process to belong to one of the six lower mesh networks.

In other words, in the example shown in Figure 9, one of the six lower mesh networks is constructed with the management node corresponding to that lower mesh network and the six affiliated nodes assigned to group "2." Then, in each of the remaining five lower mesh networks, the lower mesh network is constructed with only the corresponding management node.

When the division number N = 3, the allocation process randomly assigns the 12 nodes 20 to groups "1," "2," and "3" according to random numbers. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the first determination process determines the four nodes 20 assigned to group "1" (management group) as management nodes for four different lower mesh networks. In other words, in the example shown in FIG. 10, an upper mesh network is constructed by the four management nodes assigned to group "1."

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the four nodes 20 assigned to group "2" (a group other than the management group) are determined by the second determination process to belong to one of the four lower mesh networks. Similarly, the four nodes 20 assigned to group "3" (a group other than the management group) are determined by the second determination process to belong to one of the four lower mesh networks (excluding the lower mesh network corresponding to group "2").

In other words, in the example shown in Figure 10, one of the four lower mesh networks is constructed by the management node corresponding to that lower mesh network and the four affiliated nodes assigned to group "2." In the other lower mesh network, the management node corresponding to that lower mesh network and the four affiliated nodes assigned to group "3" are constructed. In each of the remaining two lower mesh networks, the lower mesh network is constructed by only the corresponding management node.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of a hierarchical mesh network constructed when 60 nodes 20 are installed in space Sp1 in Example 2. Figure 11 also shows an example of a hierarchical mesh network constructed when the number of divisions N = 2. In Figure 11, the nodes 20 represented by circles are affiliated nodes, and the nodes 20 represented by squares are management nodes.

In the example shown in Figure 11, the division number N = 2, so 30 nodes 20 are assigned to the management group. Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 11, 30 lower mesh networks are constructed, and an upper mesh network is constructed by 30 management nodes. Also, in the example shown in Figure 11, the remaining 30 nodes 20 are affiliated nodes of one of the lower mesh networks. Specifically, one lower mesh network is constructed by one management node represented by a black rectangle and 30 affiliated nodes represented by black circles. Then, in each of the remaining 29 lower mesh networks, the lower mesh network is constructed by only one corresponding management node.

As shown in the examples of Figures 9 and 11, when the division number N = 2, each of the multiple nodes 20 essentially belongs to either one lower mesh network or one upper mesh network. Therefore, when the division number N = 2, the number of mesh networks to which each node 20 can belong is smaller than when the division number N is 3 or more, which has the advantage that a hierarchical mesh network is more likely to be established even when each of the multiple nodes 20 is randomly assigned to N groups.

As described above, in Example 2, the information terminal 30 (information processing method) performs node configuration work, including an allocation process, a first determination process, and a second determination process, for all nodes 20 installed in the space Sp1. With this information terminal 30 (information processing method), the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the node configuration work, thereby reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, this information terminal 30 (information processing method) can support the configuration work for building a hierarchical mesh network. Furthermore, this information terminal 30 (information processing method) allows the configurator B1 to easily perform the configuration work even if there is no information, such as a lighting distribution diagram, indicating the placement of each of the multiple nodes 20 in the space Sp1.

[Modification of Example 2]
A modified example of the second embodiment will be described below, and a description of the points common to the modified example of the first embodiment will be omitted.

In Example 2, the information processing unit 34 assigns each of the multiple nodes 20 to one of the N groups according to a random number in the assignment process, but this is not limited to this. For example, in the assignment process, each of the multiple nodes 20 may be assigned to one of the N groups according to the order in which communication is established with the node 20.

For example, assume that when a settler B1 is in an arbitrary area A1, he establishes communication with node 20 in the order of "d," "f," "c," "a," "h," "g," "b," and "e," and assigns these to two groups (i.e., N = 2). In this case, the information processing unit 34 performs the assignment process, for example, according to the order in which the above communications were established, assigning "d," "f," "c," and "a" to group "1" and "h," "g," "b," and "e" to group "2." The information processing unit 34 also performs the assignment process, for example, according to the order in which the above communications were established, alternately assigning "d," "f," "c," "a," "h," "g," "b," and "e" to group "1" and group "2."

Furthermore, for example, the allocation process may assign each of multiple nodes 20 to one of N groups according to the radio wave strength (RSSI value) of the signal transmitted from the node 20.

For example, when a settler B1 is in an arbitrary area A1, the nodes 20 with which communication is possible are arranged in descending order of RSSI value (i.e., signal strength), as follows: "c," "g," "h," "d," "a," "f," "e," and "b," and these are assumed to be assigned to two groups (i.e., N = 2). In this case, the information processing unit 34 performs an assignment process, for example, in descending order of RSSI value, assigning "c," "g," "h," and "d" to group "1" and "a," "f," "e," and "b" to group "2." The information processing unit 34 also performs an assignment process, for example, in descending order of RSSI value, alternately assigning "c," "g," "h," "d," "a," "f," "e," and "b" to group "1" and group "2."

The information processing unit 34 may further perform a presentation process in the setting process. The presentation process is a process of presenting multiple patterns for assigning each of the multiple nodes 20 to one of the N groups in the allocation process. The information processing unit 34 performs the presentation process by, for example, displaying a screen on the display unit 32 that lists multiple patterns for the allocation of each node 20. The setting person B1 performs a selection operation to select a desired pattern from the multiple presented patterns. When the operation reception unit 31 receives the selection operation, the information processing unit 34 assigns each of the multiple nodes 20 to one of the N groups in accordance with the selected pattern.

For example, assume that when a setter B1 is in an arbitrary area A1, there are eight communicable nodes 20: "a," "b," "c," "d," "e," "f," "g," and "h," and that these nodes are assigned to two groups (i.e., N = 2). In this case, the information processing unit 34 executes a presentation process to present, for example, a first pattern and a second pattern. The first pattern is a pattern in which "a," "c," "e," and "g" are assigned to group "1" and "b," "d," "f," and "h" are assigned to group "2" according to, for example, random numbers. The second pattern is a pattern in which "a," "b," "f," and "h" are assigned to group "1" and "c," "d," "e," and "g" are assigned to group "2" according to, for example, random numbers. The setter B1 simply performs a selection operation to select the desired pattern from the first and second patterns displayed on the display unit 32.

In Example 2, the information processing unit 34 may execute the second control process, similar to Example 1, after executing the initial setting process in the node setting work. In this case, one or more affiliated nodes and one or more management nodes determined by the first determination process and the second determination process, i.e., each node 20 that has joined the lower mesh network, are controlled in a visual manner different from that of the other nodes 20. This allows the setting person B1 to visually grasp one or more nodes 20 that have joined the lower mesh network.

In Example 2, the information processing unit 34 executes the confirmation process after the initial setup work is completed, but this is not limited to this. For example, the information processing unit 34 may execute the confirmation process after the initial setup process is executed. In this case, the information processing unit 34 executes the confirmation process in each area A1.

In Example 2, it is assumed that space Sp1 is divided into multiple areas A1, and the setter B1 performs node setting work while moving through each area A1 in turn, but this is not limited to this. For example, the setter B1 may perform node setting work while moving freely within space Sp1 without being aware of the multiple areas A1.

[Summary of Example 2 and its Modifications]
As described above, the information processing method according to the first aspect of the second embodiment is an information processing method executed by a computer for constructing a hierarchical mesh network. The hierarchical mesh network includes a plurality of first mesh networks and a second mesh network configured by a management node belonging to each of the plurality of first mesh networks. The information processing method executes an assignment process (S202), a first determination process (S203), and a second determination process (S204). The assignment process is a process of assigning a plurality of nodes 20 to one of N groups (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 2). The first determination process is a process of determining all nodes 20 assigned to one of the N groups as management nodes of each of the plurality of first mesh networks. The second determination process is a process of determining all nodes 20 assigned to the corresponding group for each of the remaining N-1 groups as nodes belonging to one of the plurality of first mesh networks. The lower mesh network is an example of a first mesh network, and the upper mesh network is an example of a second mesh network.

With this information processing method, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the node configuration work, reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, the information processing method has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the second aspect of Example 2, in the first aspect, the N groups are two groups.

This information processing method reduces the number of mesh networks to which each node 20 can belong compared to when multiple nodes 20 are assigned to three or more groups. This has the advantage that a hierarchical mesh network can be easily established even when multiple nodes 20 are randomly assigned to N groups.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the third aspect of Example 2, in the first or second aspect, the allocation process allocates each of the multiple nodes 20 to one of N groups according to a random number.

This information processing method has the advantage that nodes 20 assigned to the same group are less likely to be concentrated in space Sp1, making it easier to establish a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the fourth aspect of Example 2, in the first or second aspect, the allocation process assigns each of the multiple nodes 20 to one of the N groups in accordance with the order in which communication was established with the node 20.

This information processing method has the advantage that nodes 20 assigned to the same group are less likely to be concentrated in space Sp1, making it easier to establish a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the fifth aspect of Example 2, in the first or second aspect, the allocation process allocates each of the multiple nodes 20 to one of N groups according to the radio wave intensity of the signal transmitted from the node 20.

This information processing method has the advantage that nodes 20 assigned to the same group are less likely to be concentrated in space Sp1, making it easier to establish a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the sixth aspect of Example 2, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, a presentation process is further executed in which a plurality of patterns for assigning each of the plurality of nodes 20 to one of the N groups is presented in the assignment process.

This information processing method has the advantage that by presenting multiple patterns for the allocation of each node 20 to the settlor B1, it is possible to allocate each of the multiple nodes 20 to one of N groups in accordance with the settlor B1's intentions.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the seventh aspect of Example 2, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, a confirmation process is further performed to confirm whether a hierarchical mesh network has been constructed by communicating with each of the multiple nodes 20.

This information processing method has the advantage that the configurator B1 can check whether a hierarchical mesh network has been created, and if it has not, can perform the node configuration work again.

Furthermore, a program according to an eighth aspect of the second embodiment causes one or more processors to execute an information processing method according to any one of the first to seventh aspects.

With this program, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the node configuration work, reducing the effort required for the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, the program has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, an information terminal 30 according to a ninth aspect of Example 2 includes an information processing unit 34 that executes information processing for constructing a hierarchical mesh network. The hierarchical mesh network includes a plurality of first mesh networks and a second mesh network configured by a management node belonging to each of the plurality of first mesh networks. The information processing unit 34 executes an assignment process (S202), a first determination process (S203), and a second determination process (S204). The assignment process is a process of assigning a plurality of nodes 20 to one of N groups (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2). The first determination process is a process of determining all nodes 20 assigned to one of the N groups as management nodes for each of the plurality of first mesh networks. The second determination process is a process of determining all nodes 20 assigned to the corresponding group for each of the remaining N-1 groups as belonging nodes belonging to one of the plurality of first mesh networks.

With this information terminal 30, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the node configuration work, reducing the effort required for the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, the information terminal 30 has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, the communication system 10 according to the tenth aspect of Example 2 includes an information terminal 30 according to the ninth aspect and a plurality of nodes 20.

With this communication system 10, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the node configuration work, reducing the effort required for the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, the communication system 10 has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, in the communication system 10 according to the eleventh aspect of Example 2, in the tenth aspect, the plurality of nodes 20 includes lighting fixtures.

Such a communication system 10 has the advantage of being able to function as a lighting fixture control system.

[Example 3]
12A and 12B are flowcharts of the third embodiment, in which (a) of Fig. 12 is a flowchart of a first setting process (described later), and (b) of Fig. 12 is a flowchart of a second setting process (described later).

In Example 3, similar to Example 1, the setter B1 moves sequentially through each of the multiple areas A1 in the space Sp1. Then, in each area A1, the setter B1 performs the first node setting work described below instead of the node setting work of Example 1. Also, in Example 3, once the setter B1 has completed the first node setting work in each area A1, he moves to a specific position in the space Sp1 and performs the second node setting work described below. Below, explanations of points common to Examples 1 and 2 will be omitted as appropriate.

Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of the movements of a configurator B1 performing first node configuration work in Example 3. In Example 3, space Sp1 is divided into four areas A1. As shown in Figure 13, in Example 3, configurator B1 starts from area A1 in one of the four corners of space Sp1 (here, the upper left corner) and moves sequentially through the other three areas A1. Then, configurator B1 performs the following first node configuration work in each area A1.

Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the position of a setter B1 performing second node setting work in Example 3. After completing the first node setting work in each area A1, the setter B1 moves to the center of space Sp1 in a planar view, as shown in Figure 14, and performs the second node setting work described below. In other words, in Example 3, the specific position of space Sp1 is the center of space Sp1 in a planar view.

<First node setup work>
The setting person B1 moves to a predetermined position in the area A1 (here, the center of the area A1) and performs an operation to start the first setting process on the information terminal 30. When the operation reception unit 31 receives the operation, the information processing unit 34 starts the first setting process.

As shown in FIG. 12(a), first, the information processing unit 34 determines the number of multiple lower mesh networks (first mesh networks) based on the number of nodes 20 installed in the space Sp1 (S301). In step S301, the setter B1 inputs the number of nodes 20 installed in the space Sp1 using the information terminal 30. The information processing unit 34 then determines the number of multiple lower mesh networks by dividing the input number of nodes 20 by the upper limit of the number of nodes 20 that can belong to one lower mesh network. Note that step S301 only needs to be performed at the start of the first setting process and is not subsequently performed each time the area A1 is moved. In Example 3, the upper limit is stored in advance in the storage unit 35. Note that the upper limit may be set, for example, by the setter B1 inputting it using the information terminal 30.

Next, the information processing unit 34 executes a first determination process (S302). In the first determination process, the information processing unit 34 randomly determines one or more nodes 20 that have been able to receive a beacon signal via the wireless communication unit 33, i.e., one or more nodes 20 that are capable of communication, as nodes that belong to one of multiple lower mesh networks. In other words, the first determination process of Example 3 is a process of determining, in accordance with a random number, each of one or more nodes 20 that are capable of communication as nodes that belong to one of multiple lower mesh networks (first mesh networks). Here, the information processing unit 34 determines, in accordance with a pseudo-random number generated by an appropriate pseudo-random number generation algorithm, each of one or more nodes 20 as nodes that belong to one of multiple lower mesh networks.

For example, assume that when a settler B1 is in an arbitrary area A1, there are eight nodes 20 with which the settler B1 can communicate: "a," "b," "c," "d," "e," "f," "g," and "h," and that these nodes are to be determined as belonging nodes to one of three lower mesh networks: "MN1," "MN2," and "MN3." In this case, the information processing unit 34 executes a first determination process, for example, according to a random number, to determine that "a," "c," and "f" are belonging nodes to "MN1," "e" and "g" are belonging nodes to "MN2," and "b," "d," and "h" are belonging nodes to "MN3."

In the examples shown in Figures 13 and 14, the nodes 20 represented by white circles are nodes to which "MN1" belongs, the nodes 20 represented by black circles are nodes to which "MN2" belongs, and the nodes 20 represented by hatched circles are nodes to which "MN3" belongs. In this way, by the information processing unit 34 performing the first determination process in each area A1, each of the multiple nodes 20 installed in space Sp1 will randomly belong to one of the multiple lower mesh networks.

Next, the information processing unit 34 executes a transmission process (S303). The transmission process is a process of transmitting a signal including affiliation information indicating the lower mesh network (first mesh network) to which the corresponding node 20 belongs to each of one or more nodes 20 with which communication is possible. The affiliation information is, for example, information for distinguishing between multiple lower mesh networks, such as a number assigned to each lower mesh network. Here, the information processing unit 34 transmits a signal including the affiliation information to each node 20 via the wireless communication unit 33. Each node 20 that receives the signal via the wireless communication unit 21 stores the affiliation information in a storage unit. Then, each node 20 periodically transmits a beacon signal including the affiliation information thereafter.

For example, the information processing unit 34 transmits a signal containing affiliation information indicating that "MN1" belongs to nodes "a," "c," and "f" via the wireless communication unit 33. As a result, each of nodes "a," "c," and "f" stores the affiliation information in its memory unit and periodically transmits a beacon signal containing affiliation information indicating that the lower mesh network to which it belongs is "MN1."

<Second node setup work>
The setter B1 moves to a specific position in the space Sp1 (here, the center of the space Sp1) and performs an operation to start the second setting process on the information terminal 30. When the operation reception unit 31 receives the operation, the information processing unit 34 starts the second setting process.

As shown in FIG. 12(b), first, the information processing unit 34 executes an acquisition process (S304). The acquisition process is a process for acquiring affiliation information from each of two or more nodes 20 with which communication is possible. Here, the information processing unit 34 receives, via the wireless communication unit 33, beacon signals periodically transmitted by each of two or more nodes 20 installed within a communication range. As a result, the information processing unit 34 acquires affiliation information from each node 20.

In the example shown in Figure 14, the circular area (area surrounded by a dashed line) with the center of the space Sp1 where the setter B1 is located as its origin is the communication range of the information terminal 30. The information processing unit 34 acquires affiliation information from each node 20 installed within this circular area.

Next, the information processing unit 34 executes a second determination process (S305). The second determination process is a process for determining a management node for each of a plurality of lower mesh networks (first mesh networks) from two or more nodes 20 based on the affiliation information of each of the two or more nodes 20 acquired in the acquisition process. Here, the information processing unit 34 allocates the two or more nodes 20 to each lower mesh network by referencing the affiliation information acquired from the two or more nodes 20. Then, for each lower mesh network, the information processing unit 34 determines a node 20 that satisfies a predetermined condition as the management node for the corresponding lower mesh network.

In Example 3, the predetermined conditions include a first condition that the radio wave strength (RSSI value) of the beacon signal (transmission signal) received by the wireless communication unit 33 is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The threshold value is, for example, an RSSI value equivalent to half the communication distance between the nodes 20. This is because if two nodes 20 belonging to different lower mesh networks each satisfy the first condition, it is considered that these nodes 20 can communicate with each other. In addition, the predetermined conditions include a second condition that, when there are multiple nodes 20 that satisfy the first condition, the RSSI value of the beacon signal is the largest (i.e., the radio wave strength is the strongest).

For example, assume that three nodes 20, "α," "β," and "γ," belonging to an arbitrary lower mesh network are present within the communication range of the information terminal 30. Furthermore, assume that of these three nodes 20, two nodes 20, "α" and "β," have RSSI values of beacon signals received by the wireless communication unit 33 that are equal to or greater than a threshold. In this case, the information processing unit 34 executes a second determination process to determine the node 20 with the highest RSSI value among "α" and "β" as the manager node of the lower mesh network.

In the example shown in Figure 14, of the two or more nodes 20 installed within the communication range of the information terminal 30 (the area surrounded by the dashed line), the node 20 represented by a white rectangle has been determined as the manager node for "MN1," the node 20 represented by a black rectangle has been determined as the manager node for "MN2," and the node 20 represented by a hatched rectangle has been determined as the manager node for "MN3." In this way, the information processing unit 34 executes the acquisition process and the second determination process at a specific position in the space Sp1, thereby determining a manager node for each lower mesh network.

Then, upon completion of the second determination process, the information processing unit 34 executes the initial setting process (S306). In the initial setting process, the information processing unit 34 transmits setting information to each determined node 20 via the wireless communication unit 33. Each node 20 that receives the setting information via the wireless communication unit 21 stores the setting information in its storage unit. As a result, each node 20 joins the hierarchical mesh network and stops periodically transmitting beacon signals.

After completing the initial setup work, the configurator B1 operates the information terminal 30 to cause the information processing unit 34 to execute a confirmation process. The information processing is a process of confirming whether a hierarchical mesh network has been constructed by communicating with each of the multiple nodes 20. Specifically, the information processing unit 34 transmits a control signal including a command to perform confirmation control to each node 20 via the wireless communication unit 33. The confirmation control is, for example, a control to blink the node 20.

If the configurator B1 visually confirms that all nodes 20 are blinking, i.e., if the configurator B1 confirms that confirmation control has been executed on all nodes 20, the configurator can determine that all nodes 20 have joined the hierarchical mesh network and that the hierarchical mesh network has been correctly constructed. On the other hand, if the configurator B1 confirms that some nodes 20 are not blinking, i.e., if confirmation control has not been executed on some nodes 20, the configurator can determine that those some nodes 20 have not joined the hierarchical mesh network and that the hierarchical mesh network has not been correctly constructed. In this case, the configurator B1 can simply perform the first node configuration work or second node configuration work again for those some nodes 20. At that time, the configurator B1 may perform processes such as initialization or setting changes to the nodes 20 as necessary.

As described above, in Example 3, the information terminal 30 (information processing method) performs a first node configuration operation, including a first determination process and a transmission process, in each of multiple areas A1 in the space Sp1, and also performs a second node configuration operation, including an acquisition process and a second determination process, at a specific position in the space Sp1. With this information terminal 30 (information processing method), the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more affiliated nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the first node configuration operation and the second node configuration operation, thereby reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more affiliated nodes and a management node. In other words, this information terminal 30 (information processing method) can support the configuration operation for building a hierarchical mesh network. Furthermore, this information terminal 30 (information processing method) allows the configurator B1 to easily perform the configuration operation even if there is no information, such as a lighting distribution diagram, indicating the location of each of the multiple nodes 20 in the space Sp1.

[Modification of Example 3]
The following describes a modification of Example 3. In the following, a description of the points common to the modifications of Examples 1 and 2 will be omitted.

In Example 3, the space Sp1 and the multiple areas A1 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 14. For example, the space Sp1 and the multiple areas A1 may be the example shown in FIG. 15. FIG. 15 is a plan view showing another example of the space Sp1 and the multiple areas A1. In FIG. 15, the position of the setter B1 corresponds to a specific position in the space Sp1.

In the example shown in Figure 15(a), the space Sp1 is divided into six areas A1 in a grid pattern. In the example shown in Figure 15(a), the specific position of the space Sp1 is the center of the space Sp1 in a planar view, similar to the example shown in Figure 14.

In the example shown in Figure 15(b), the space Sp1 is divided into a total of five areas A1: four areas A1 arranged in a grid pattern and one area A1 located in the center of the space Sp1. In the example shown in Figure 15(b), the specific position of the space Sp1 is the center of the space Sp1 in a planar view, similar to the example shown in Figure 14.

In the example shown in FIG. 15(c), the space Sp1 is L-shaped in a planar view. The space Sp1 is divided into four areas A1. In the example shown in FIG. 15(c), the specific position of the space Sp1 is the center of a rectangle circumscribing the space Sp1 in a planar view. In this way, the specific position of the space Sp1 is not limited to the center of the space Sp1 in a planar view. The specific position of the space Sp1 may be, for example, a position where at least a portion of each of the multiple areas A1 is included in the communication range of the information terminal 30.

In Example 3, the information processing unit 34 acquires affiliation information from each node 20 by receiving a beacon signal periodically transmitted by each of two or more nodes 20 with which communication is possible during the acquisition process of the second setting process. However, this is not limited to this. For example, during the acquisition process, the information processing unit 34 may broadcast a signal including a command requesting affiliation information via the wireless communication unit 33. In this case, upon receiving the signal via the wireless communication unit 21, each of the two or more nodes 20 installed within a range where communication is possible with the information terminal 30 transmits a response signal including the affiliation information to the information terminal 30. This allows the information processing unit 34 to acquire affiliation information from each of the two or more nodes 20. In this case, each of the multiple nodes 20 installed in the space Sp1 may stop the periodic transmission of the beacon signal or change the transmission interval of the beacon signal after completing the transmission process of the first setting process. Note that the periodic transmission of the beacon signal may also be stopped or the transmission interval of the beacon signal may be changed at another time, such as after completing the transmission process of the second setting process.

In Example 3, the information processing unit 34 determines, for each lower mesh network, a node 20 that satisfies predetermined conditions including the first condition and the second condition as the management node in the second determination process of the second setting process; however, this is not limited to this. For example, in the second determination process, the information processing unit 34 may determine, for each lower mesh network, a node 20 that satisfies only the first condition as the management node. Here, if there are multiple nodes 20 that satisfy the first condition, the information processing unit 34 may, for example, randomly select one node 20 from the multiple nodes 20 and determine the selected node 20 as the management node. Also, for example, the information processing unit 34 may display, on the display unit 32, multiple nodes 20 that are candidates for the management node, and allow the setting person B1 to select the desired node 20.

In Example 3, in the second determination process of the second setting process, the information processing unit 34 may determine, for each of a plurality of lower mesh networks, a management node for that lower mesh network based on the communication performance of one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding lower mesh network with respect to other nodes. Here, communication performance includes, for example, the number of hops required to communicate with other nodes. Communication performance also includes, for example, the success rate of communication with other nodes.

The information indicating the communication performance can be obtained, for example, by the information processing unit 34 executing a communication test process in which each node 20 attempts to communicate with other nodes 20 belonging to the same lower mesh network after completing the first determination process and before executing the second determination process. Each node 20 can then transmit the acquired information indicating the communication performance to the information terminal 30, for example, by including the information in a beacon signal.

In the second determination process, a node with relatively high communication performance is generally determined as the management node. Here, relatively high communication performance means, for example, that the number of hops is relatively small or that the success rate of the communication is relatively high.

For example, when communication is performed using the flooding method in a lower mesh network, the second determination process may determine, for each of multiple lower mesh networks, the node with the smallest maximum number of hops among one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding lower mesh network as the management node for that lower mesh network.

Furthermore, for example, when communication is performed using a routing method in a lower mesh network, the second determination process may determine, for each of multiple lower mesh networks, the node with the smallest total number of hops among one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding lower mesh network as the management node for that lower mesh network.

Furthermore, for example, when communication is performed using both the flooding method and the routing method in a lower mesh network, the second determination process may determine the management node for each of multiple lower mesh networks by comprehensively evaluating the maximum value of the hop count and the total value of the hop count from one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding lower mesh network.

Also, for example, in the second determination process, the success rate of the communication may be evaluated from one or more nodes belonging to each of the multiple lower mesh networks to determine the management node for that lower mesh network.

A specific example of determining a management node based on the above communication performance will be described below using Figure 16. Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram of an example of determining a management node based on communication performance. Here, as shown in Figure 16(a), we will explain that there are five nodes 20, "A," "B," "C," "D," and "E," belonging to an arbitrary lower mesh network. The communication performance of these nodes 20 is shown in Figure 16(b).

In (b) of Figure 16, "Longest" indicates the maximum number of hops required for each node 20 to communicate with other nodes 20, and "Total" indicates the total number of hops required for each node 20 to communicate with other nodes 20. For example, the number of hops required for "A" to communicate with other nodes 20, "B," "C," "D," and "E," are "1," "2," "3," and "2," respectively. Therefore, the "Longest" for "A" is "3," which is the maximum number of these hops, and the "Total" for "A" is "8," which is the total of these hops.

For example, when communication is performed using the flooding method in the lower mesh network shown in Figure 16(a), the second determination process determines "B" or "C", which is the "longest" node, i.e., the node 20 with the smallest maximum number of hops, as the management node for the lower mesh network.

Furthermore, for example, when communication is performed using a routing method in the lower mesh network shown in Figure 16(a), in the second determination process, node "B", which is the node 20 with the smallest "total", i.e., the smallest total value of the number of hops, is determined to be the management node for the lower mesh network.

[Summary of Example 3 and its Modifications]
As described above, the information processing method according to the first aspect of the third embodiment is an information processing method executed by a computer for constructing a hierarchical mesh network. The hierarchical mesh network includes a plurality of first mesh networks and a second mesh network configured by a management node belonging to each of the plurality of first mesh networks. In the information processing method, a first determination process (S302) and a transmission process (S303) are performed in each of a plurality of areas A1 in a space Sp1 in which a plurality of nodes 20 are installed and which is divided into a plurality of areas A1. The first determination process is a process of determining, according to a random number, each of one or more communicable nodes 20 as a node belonging to one of the plurality of first mesh networks. The transmission process is a process of transmitting, to each of the one or more nodes 20, a signal including affiliation information indicating the first mesh network to which the corresponding node 20 belongs. In the information processing method, an acquisition process (S304) and a second determination process (S305) are performed at a specific position in the space Sp1. The acquisition process is a process of acquiring affiliation information from each of two or more communicable nodes 20. The second determination process is a process of determining a management node for each of a plurality of first mesh networks from two or more nodes 20 based on the affiliation information of each of the two or more nodes 20 acquired in the acquisition process. The lower mesh network is an example of a first mesh network, and the upper mesh network is an example of a second mesh network.

With this information processing method, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the first node configuration work and the second node configuration work, reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, the information processing method has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the second aspect of Example 3, in the first aspect, the number of multiple first mesh networks is determined based on the number of nodes 20 installed in the space Sp1.

This information processing method has the advantage of reducing the effort required for the settlor B1 to determine the number of first mesh networks.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the third aspect of Example 3, in the first or second aspect, the second determination process determines, for each of a plurality of first mesh networks, a management node for that first mesh network based on the communication performance of each of one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network with respect to other nodes belonging to that first mesh network.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the fourth aspect of the third embodiment, in the third aspect, the communication performance includes the number of hops required to communicate with other affiliated nodes.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the fifth aspect of Example 3, in the fourth aspect, the second determination process determines, for each of a plurality of first mesh networks, the node with the smallest maximum number of hops from among one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network as the management node for that first mesh network.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the sixth aspect of Example 3, in the fourth aspect, the second determination process determines, for each of a plurality of first mesh networks, the node with the smallest total number of hops from among one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network as the management node for that first mesh network.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the seventh aspect of the third embodiment, in the third or fourth aspect, the communication performance includes the success rate of communication with other affiliated nodes.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the eighth aspect of Example 3, in the first or second aspect, the second determination process determines, for each of a plurality of first mesh networks, the node having the highest radio wave intensity of its transmitted signal from among one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network, as the management node of that first mesh network.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the ninth aspect of Example 3, in any one of the first, second, and eighth aspects, the second determination process determines, for each of a plurality of first mesh networks, from among one or more affiliated nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network, an affiliated node whose transmitted signal has a radio wave strength equal to or greater than a threshold, as the manager node of that first mesh network. The threshold is a radio wave strength equivalent to half the communicable distance between nodes 20.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the tenth aspect of the third embodiment, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the channel used for communication in the multiple first mesh networks is the same as the channel used for communication in the second mesh network.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to build a hierarchical mesh network than when the first mesh network and the second mesh network each use different channels.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the eleventh aspect of the third embodiment, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, a confirmation process is further performed to confirm whether a hierarchical mesh network has been constructed by communicating with each of the multiple nodes 20.

This information processing method has the advantage that the configurator B1 can check whether a hierarchical mesh network has been created, and if it has not, can perform the node configuration work again.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the twelfth aspect of Example 3, in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the specific position is the center of the space Sp1 in a planar view.

This information processing method has the advantage that it is easier to establish communication with at least one node belonging to each lower-level mesh network, making it easier to determine the management node for each lower-level mesh network.

Furthermore, a program according to a thirteenth aspect of the third embodiment causes one or more processors to execute an information processing method according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects.

With this program, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the first node configuration work and the second node configuration work, reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, the program has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, an information terminal 30 according to a fourteenth aspect of Example 3 includes an information processing unit 34 that executes information processing for constructing a hierarchical mesh network. The hierarchical mesh network includes a plurality of first mesh networks and a second mesh network configured by a management node belonging to each of the plurality of first mesh networks. The information processing unit 34 executes a first determination process (S302) and a transmission process (S303) in each of a plurality of areas A1 in a space Sp1 in which a plurality of nodes 20 are installed and which is divided into a plurality of areas A1. The first determination process is a process of determining, according to a random number, each of one or more communicable nodes 20 as a node belonging to one of the plurality of first mesh networks. The transmission process is a process of transmitting, to each of the one or more nodes 20, a signal including affiliation information indicating the first mesh network to which the corresponding node 20 belongs. The information processing unit 34 executes an acquisition process (S304) and a second determination process (S305) at a specific position in the space Sp1. The acquisition process is a process of acquiring affiliation information from each of two or more communicable nodes 20. The second determination process is a process of determining a management node for each of the multiple first mesh networks from two or more nodes 20 based on the affiliation information of each of the two or more nodes 20 acquired in the acquisition process.

With this information terminal 30, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the first node configuration work and the second node configuration work, reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, the information terminal 30 has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, the communication system 10 according to the fifteenth aspect of Example 3 includes an information terminal 30 according to the fourteenth aspect and a plurality of nodes 20.

With this communication system 10, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the first node configuration work and the second node configuration work, reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, the communication system 10 has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, in the communication system 10 according to the sixteenth aspect of Example 3, in the fifteenth aspect, the plurality of nodes 20 includes lighting fixtures.

This type of communication system 10 can function as a lighting fixture control system.

[Example 4]
17A and 17B are flowcharts of Example 4. Fig. 17A is a flowchart of a first setting process (described later), and Fig. 17B is a flowchart of a second setting process (described later).

In Example 4, similar to Example 3, the setter B1 moves sequentially through each of the multiple areas A1 in the space Sp1. Then, in each area A1, the setter B1 performs the first node setting work described below. Also, in Example 4, similar to Example 3, once the setter B1 has completed the first node setting work in each area A1, he moves to a specific position in the space Sp1 and performs the second node setting work described below. Below, explanations of points common to Examples 1 to 3 will be omitted where appropriate.

Figure 18 is a diagram showing an example of the movements of a setter B1 performing first node setting work in Example 4. In Example 4, similar to Example 3, the setter B1 performs the following first node setting work in each area A1.

Figure 19 is a diagram showing an example of the position of a setter B1 performing second node setting work in Example 4. After completing the first node setting work in each area A1, as in Example 3, the setter B1 moves to the center of space Sp1 in a planar view, as shown in Figure 19, and performs the second node setting work described below. In other words, in Example 4, the specific position of space Sp1 is the center of space Sp1 in a planar view.

<First node setup work>
The setter B1 moves to a predetermined position in the area A1 (here, the corner farthest from the center of the space Sp1 among the four corners of the area A1) and performs an operation to start the first setting process on the information terminal 30. When the operation reception unit 31 receives this operation, the information processing unit 34 starts the first setting process.

As shown in FIG. 17(a), the information processing unit 34 first executes a first determination process (S401). In the first determination process, the information processing unit 34 receives a beacon signal transmitted from each of one or more nodes 20 with which communication is possible via the wireless communication unit 33. The information processing unit 34 then determines one or more nodes that belong to the lower mesh network based on the RSSI value of the beacon signal transmitted from each node 20. Here, the range within which the information terminal 30 can communicate roughly corresponds to area A1. Therefore, the information processing unit 34 determines one or more nodes that belong to the lower mesh network of the corresponding area A1 (i.e., area A1 where the configurator B1 is performing the first node configuration work) from one or more nodes 20 installed in area A1. In other words, the first determination process of Example 4 is a process of determining one or more nodes that belong to the lower mesh network (first mesh network) of the corresponding area A1 based on the RSSI value (radio wave intensity) of the beacon signal (signal) transmitted from each of one or more nodes 20 with which communication is possible.

In Example 4, the information processing unit 34 sorts one or more nodes 20 whose RSSI values are equal to or greater than the threshold in descending order of RSSI value (i.e., ascending order of radio wave intensity), and determines the nodes 20 from the first node to the upper limit number as one or more affiliated nodes for the corresponding area A1, with the node 20 with the highest RSSI value being ranked first. Note that if the number of one or more nodes 20 does not reach the upper limit number, the information processing unit 34 determines all of the one or more nodes 20 as one or more affiliated nodes. The threshold may also be adjusted as appropriate, for example, by the setter B1 operating the information terminal 30.

Here, the upper limit is the upper limit of the number of nodes (one or more) that can belong to each area A1, and is the maximum number of nodes 20 that are allowed to belong to one area A1. The upper limit is, for example, a parameter that is stored in advance in the memory unit 35. The upper limit is set, for example, based on the dimensions of the area A1 in a planar view and the spacing at which the nodes 20 are installed. In Example 4, the upper limit is set to 20. Note that the upper limit may be adjusted as appropriate, for example, by the setter B1 operating the information terminal 30.

For example, in the example shown in Figures 18 and 19, the lower mesh network corresponding to the upper left area A1 is "MN1," the lower mesh network corresponding to the lower left area A1 is "MN2," the lower mesh network corresponding to the lower right area A1 is "MN3," and the lower mesh network corresponding to the upper right area A1 is "MN4." In this case, for example, by the information processing unit 34 performing the first determination process in the upper left area A1, one or more nodes to which "MN1" belongs are determined from one or more nodes 20 installed in the upper left area A1. The same applies to the other areas A1.

In this way, by the information processing unit 34 executing the first determination process in each area A1, each of the multiple nodes 20 installed in the space Sp1 will belong to one of the multiple lower mesh networks corresponding to each of the multiple areas A1. In the example shown in Figure 19, the nodes 20 represented by white circles are nodes belonging to "MN1", the nodes 20 represented by black circles are nodes belonging to "MN2", the nodes 20 represented by circles with solid hatching are nodes belonging to "MN3", and the nodes 20 represented by circles with dotted hatching are nodes belonging to "MN4".

Next, the information processing unit 34 executes a transmission process (S402). The transmission process is a process of transmitting a signal including affiliation information indicating the corresponding lower mesh network of area A1 to each of the one or more affiliated nodes determined by the first determination process. The affiliation information is, for example, information for distinguishing between multiple lower mesh networks, such as a number assigned to each lower mesh network. Here, the information processing unit 34 transmits a signal including the affiliation information to each affiliated node via the wireless communication unit 33. Each affiliated node that receives the signal via the wireless communication unit 21 stores the affiliation information in a memory unit. Then, each affiliated node periodically transmits a beacon signal including the affiliation information thereafter.

For example, the information processing unit 34 transmits a signal including affiliation information indicating that "MN1" belongs to one or more affiliated nodes of "MN1" via the wireless communication unit 33. As a result, each affiliated node stores the affiliation information in its memory unit and periodically transmits a beacon signal including affiliation information indicating that the lower mesh network to which it belongs is "MN1."

<Second node setup work>
The setter B1 moves to a specific position in the space Sp1 (here, the center of the space Sp1) and performs an operation to start the second setting process on the information terminal 30. When the operation reception unit 31 receives the operation, the information processing unit 34 starts the second setting process.

As shown in FIG. 17(b), first, the information processing unit 34 executes an acquisition process (S403). The acquisition process is a process for acquiring affiliation information from each of two or more nodes 20 with which communication is possible. Since the acquisition process is the same as the acquisition process in Example 3, a description thereof will be omitted here.

In the example shown in Figure 19, the circular area (surrounded by a dashed line) with the center of the space Sp1 where the setter B1 is located as its origin is the communication range of the information terminal 30. The information processing unit 34 acquires affiliation information from each node 20 installed within this circular area.

Next, the information processing unit 34 executes a second determination process (S404). The second determination process is a process for determining a management node for each of multiple lower mesh networks from two or more nodes 20 based on the affiliation information of each of the two or more nodes 20 acquired in the acquisition process. The second determination process is the same as the second determination process in Example 3, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

In the example shown in FIG. 19, of the two or more nodes 20 installed within the communication range of the information terminal 30 (the area surrounded by the dashed line), the node 20 represented by a white rectangle is determined as the manager node for "MN1," the node 20 represented by a black rectangle is determined as the manager node for "MN2," the node 20 represented by a solid-line hatched rectangle is determined as the manager node for "MN3," and the node 20 represented by a dot-hatched rectangle is determined as the manager node for "MN4." In this way, the information processing unit 34 executes the acquisition process and second determination process at a specific position in the space Sp1, thereby determining a manager node for each lower mesh network.

Then, upon completion of the second determination process, the information processing unit 34 executes the initial setting process (S405). Since the initial setting process is the same as the initial setting process in Example 3, a description thereof will be omitted here.

After completing the initial setup work, the configurator B1 operates the information terminal 30 to cause the information processing unit 34 to execute a confirmation process. The information processing is a process of confirming whether a hierarchical mesh network has been constructed by communicating with each of the multiple nodes 20. The confirmation process is the same as the confirmation process in Example 3, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

As described above, in Example 4, the information terminal 30 (information processing method) performs a first node configuration operation, including a first determination process and a transmission process, in each of multiple areas A1 in the space Sp1, and also performs a second node configuration operation, including an acquisition process and a second determination process, at a specific position in the space Sp1. With this information terminal 30 (information processing method), the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the first node configuration operation and the second node configuration operation, thereby reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, this information terminal 30 (information processing method) can support the configuration operation for building a hierarchical mesh network. Furthermore, this information terminal 30 (information processing method) allows the configurator B1 to easily perform the configuration operation even if there is no information, such as a lighting distribution diagram, indicating the location of each of the multiple nodes 20 in the space Sp1.

[Modification of Example 4]
The following describes a modification of Example 4. In the following, a description of the points common to the modifications of Examples 1 to 3 will be omitted.

In Example 4, in the second determination process of the second setting process, the information processing unit 34 may determine, for each of a plurality of lower mesh networks, a management node for that lower mesh network based on the communication performance of one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding lower mesh network with respect to other nodes, as in Example 3. Specific details of the second determination process have already been described in [Variation of Example 3], so they will not be repeated here.

In Example 4, the information processing unit 34 automatically performs the process of determining each of one or more communicable nodes 20 as a node belonging to one of the lower mesh networks in the first determination process of the first node setting work, but this is not limited to this. For example, in the first node setting work, the setting person B1 may turn on each of the nodes 20 installed in the space Sp1 to visually check them, and then, by operating the operation reception unit 31, determine each of the one or more nodes 20 installed in the area A1 in which the setting person B1 is located as a node belonging to the lower mesh network corresponding to that area A1.

[Summary of Example 4 and its Modifications]
As described above, the information processing method according to the first aspect of the fourth embodiment is an information processing method executed by a computer for constructing a hierarchical mesh network. The hierarchical mesh network includes a plurality of first mesh networks and a second mesh network configured by a management node belonging to each of the plurality of first mesh networks. In the information processing method, a first determination process (S401) and a transmission process (S402) are performed in each of a plurality of areas A1 in a space Sp1 in which a plurality of nodes 20 are installed and which is divided into a plurality of areas A1. The first determination process is a process of determining one or more nodes belonging to the first mesh network of the corresponding area A1 based on the radio wave intensity of a signal transmitted from each of one or more communicable nodes 20. The transmission process is a process of transmitting a signal including affiliation information indicating the first mesh network of the corresponding area A1 to each of the one or more affiliation nodes. In the information processing method, an acquisition process (S403) and a second determination process (S404) are performed at a specific position in the space Sp1. The acquisition process is a process of acquiring affiliation information from each of two or more communicable nodes 20. The second determination process is a process of determining a management node for each of a plurality of first mesh networks from two or more nodes 20 based on the affiliation information of each of the two or more nodes 20 acquired in the acquisition process. The lower mesh network is an example of a first mesh network, and the upper mesh network is an example of a second mesh network.

With this information processing method, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the first node configuration work and the second node configuration work, reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, the information processing method has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the second aspect of Example 4, in the first aspect, the second determination process determines, for each of a plurality of first mesh networks, a management node for that first mesh network based on the communication performance of each of one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network with respect to other nodes belonging to that first mesh network.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the third aspect of Example 4, in the second aspect, the communication performance includes the number of hops required to communicate with other affiliated nodes.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the fourth aspect of Example 4, in the third aspect, the second determination process determines, for each of a plurality of first mesh networks, the node with the smallest maximum number of hops from among one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network as the management node for that first mesh network.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the fifth aspect of Example 4, in the third aspect, in the second determination process, for each of a plurality of first mesh networks, the node with the smallest total number of hops among one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network is determined as the management node for that first mesh network.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the sixth aspect of the fourth embodiment, in the second or third aspect, the communication performance includes the success rate of communication with other affiliated nodes.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the seventh aspect of Example 4, in the first aspect, the second determination process determines, for each of a plurality of first mesh networks, the node having the highest radio wave intensity of the transmitted signal from among one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network, as the management node of that first mesh network.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the eighth aspect of Example 4, in the first or seventh aspect, the second determination process determines, for each of a plurality of first mesh networks, from among one or more affiliated nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network, an affiliated node whose transmitted signal has a radio wave strength equal to or greater than a threshold, as the manager node of that first mesh network. The threshold is a radio wave strength equivalent to half the communicable distance between nodes 20.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to establish a second mesh network.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the ninth aspect of the fourth embodiment, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the channel used for communication in the multiple first mesh networks is the same as the channel used for communication in the second mesh network.

This information processing method has the advantage of making it easier to build a hierarchical mesh network than when the first mesh network and the second mesh network each use different channels.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the tenth aspect of the fourth embodiment, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, a confirmation process is further performed to confirm whether a hierarchical mesh network has been constructed by communicating with each of the multiple nodes 20.

This information processing method has the advantage that the configurator B1 can check whether a hierarchical mesh network has been created, and if it has not, can perform the node configuration work again.

Furthermore, in the information processing method according to the eleventh aspect of Example 4, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, the specific position is the center of the space Sp1 in a planar view.

This information processing method has the advantage that it is easier to establish communication with at least one node belonging to each lower-level mesh network, making it easier to determine the management node for each lower-level mesh network.

Furthermore, a program according to a twelfth aspect of the fourth embodiment causes one or more processors to execute an information processing method according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects.

With this program, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the first node configuration work and the second node configuration work, reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, the program has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

In addition, an information terminal 30 according to a thirteenth aspect of Example 4 includes an information processing unit 34 that executes information processing for constructing a hierarchical mesh network. The hierarchical mesh network includes a plurality of first mesh networks and a second mesh network configured by a management node belonging to each of the plurality of first mesh networks. The information processing unit 34 executes a first determination process (S401) and a transmission process (S402) in each of a plurality of areas A1 in a space Sp1 in which a plurality of nodes 20 are installed and which is divided into a plurality of areas A1. The first determination process is a process of determining one or more nodes that belong to the first mesh network of the corresponding area A1 based on the radio wave intensity of a signal transmitted from each of one or more nodes 20 that can communicate. The transmission process is a process of transmitting a signal containing affiliation information indicating the first mesh network of the corresponding area A1 to each of the one or more nodes. The information processing unit 34 executes an acquisition process (S403) and a second determination process (S404) at a specific position in the space Sp1. The acquisition process is a process of acquiring affiliation information from each of two or more communicable nodes 20. The second determination process is a process of determining a management node for each of the multiple first mesh networks from two or more nodes 20 based on the affiliation information of each of the two or more nodes 20 acquired in the acquisition process.

With this information terminal 30, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the first node configuration work and the second node configuration work, reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, the information terminal 30 has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, the communication system 10 according to the fourteenth aspect of Example 4 includes an information terminal 30 according to the thirteenth aspect and a plurality of nodes 20.

With this communication system 10, the configurator B1 can automatically determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node that belong to the lower mesh network simply by instructing the information terminal 30 to start the first node configuration work and the second node configuration work, reducing the effort required of the configurator B1 to determine one or more belonging nodes and a management node. In other words, the communication system 10 has the advantage of being able to support the configuration work required to build a hierarchical mesh network.

Furthermore, in the communication system 10 according to the fifteenth aspect of the fourth embodiment, in the fourteenth aspect, the plurality of nodes 20 includes lighting fixtures.

This type of communication system 10 can function as a lighting fixture control system.

(Other embodiments)
Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

Examples 1 to 4 of the above-described embodiments should not be recognized as independent examples, but as interrelated examples, and the present invention includes inventions that can be realized by any combination of the contents described in Examples 1 to 4.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a communication system was described that assumes that one lower mesh network includes only one management node, but one lower mesh network may also include multiple management nodes.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, it was explained that nodes before joining the mesh network periodically transmit beacon signals. However, the communication system may be configured so that only nodes that receive wireless communication signals from an information terminal transmit signals equivalent to beacon signals. In other words, the communication system is not limited to systems in which nodes automatically transmit beacon signals.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, one information terminal was used to construct the hierarchical mesh network, but multiple information terminals may also be used in combination.

Furthermore, the communication method between devices described in the above embodiment is just an example. The communication method between devices is not particularly limited.

Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the processing performed by a specific processing unit may be performed by another processing unit. Furthermore, the order of multiple processes may be changed, or multiple processes may be performed in parallel. Furthermore, some of the processes included in the flowcharts of the above embodiments may be omitted, or new processes may be added to the flowcharts of the above embodiments.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, each component may be realized by executing a software program appropriate for that component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

Furthermore, each component may be realized by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. Furthermore, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit. Each component may be realized by a logic circuit such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as a system, device, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. They may also be realized as any combination of a system, device, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

For example, the present invention may be realized as the communication system or information terminal of the above-described embodiments, or as an information processing method executed by a computer such as an information terminal. The present invention may also be realized as a program for causing a computer to execute such an information processing method, or as a non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded. Such programs include application programs for causing a computer such as a general-purpose information terminal to function as the information terminal of the above-described embodiments.

In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that would occur to those skilled in the art, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Communication system 20 Node 21 Wireless communication unit 30 Information terminal 31 Operation reception unit 32 Display unit 33 Wireless communication unit 34 Information processing unit 35 Storage unit A1 Area B1 Setter Sp1 Space

Claims (15)

1. An information processing method for constructing a hierarchical mesh network, executed by a computer, comprising:
The hierarchical mesh network includes a plurality of first mesh networks and a second mesh network configured by a management node belonging to each of the plurality of first mesh networks;
The information processing method includes the step of:
a first determination process for determining one or more nodes that belong to the first mesh network in a corresponding area based on radio wave strength of a signal transmitted from each of the one or more nodes that can communicate;
a transmitting process of transmitting a signal including affiliation information indicating a first mesh network of the corresponding area to each of the one or more affiliation nodes;
The information processing method includes, at a predetermined position in the space,
an acquisition process of acquiring the affiliation information from each of two or more nodes that can communicate with each other;
and executing a second determination process of determining the management node of each of the plurality of first mesh networks from the two or more nodes based on the affiliation information of each of the two or more nodes acquired in the acquisition process.
Information processing methods. In the second determination process, for each of the plurality of first mesh networks, the management node of the first mesh network is determined based on communication performance of each of one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network with respect to other nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network.
The information processing method according to claim 1 . The communication performance includes the number of hops required to communicate with the other affiliated nodes.
The information processing method according to claim 2 . In the second determination process, for each of the plurality of first mesh networks, a node having the smallest maximum value of the number of hops among one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network is determined as the management node of the first mesh network.
The information processing method according to claim 3 . In the second determination process, for each of the plurality of first mesh networks, a node having the smallest total value of the number of hops among one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network is determined as the management node of the first mesh network.
The information processing method according to claim 3 . The communication performance includes a success rate of communication with the other belonging nodes.
The information processing method according to claim 2 . In the second determination process, for each of the plurality of first mesh networks, a node having the highest radio wave intensity of a transmission signal from one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network is determined to be the management node of the first mesh network.
The information processing method according to claim 1 . In the second determination process, for each of the plurality of first mesh networks, a node having a radio wave intensity of a transmission signal equal to or greater than a threshold is determined as the management node of the corresponding first mesh network, from among one or more nodes belonging to the corresponding first mesh network;
The threshold is a radio wave intensity corresponding to half the communication distance between the nodes.
The information processing method according to claim 1 or 7. The channel used for communication in the plurality of first mesh networks is the same as the channel used for communication in the second mesh network.
3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2. and further performing a confirmation process to confirm whether the hierarchical mesh network has been established by communicating with each of the plurality of nodes.
3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2. The predetermined position is the center of the space in a plan view.
3. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2. one or more processors,
Executing the information processing method according to claim 1 or 2,
program. an information processing unit that executes information processing for constructing a hierarchical mesh network;
The hierarchical mesh network includes a plurality of first mesh networks and a second mesh network configured by a management node belonging to each of the plurality of first mesh networks;
The information processing unit performs the following in each of a plurality of areas in a space in which a plurality of nodes are installed and which is divided into a plurality of areas:
a first determination process for determining one or more nodes that belong to the first mesh network in a corresponding area based on radio wave strength of a signal transmitted from each of the one or more nodes that can communicate;
a transmitting process of transmitting a signal including affiliation information indicating a first mesh network of the corresponding area to each of the one or more affiliation nodes;
The information processing unit is configured to:
an acquisition process of acquiring the affiliation information from each of two or more nodes that can communicate with each other;
and executing a second determination process of determining the management node of each of the plurality of first mesh networks from the two or more nodes based on the affiliation information of each of the two or more nodes acquired in the acquisition process.
Information terminal. an information terminal according to claim 13;
the plurality of nodes,
Communication system. The plurality of nodes includes lighting fixtures.
15. The communication system of claim 14.