JP6770499B2 - Mobile sensor relay terminal and mobile sensor relay control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mobile sensor relay control technique for receiving data wirelessly transmitted from various sensor terminals by a mobile sensor relay terminal and wirelessly relaying the data to a base station device.

In the IoT (Internet of Things) society where various devices are connected to the Internet, it is expected that various sensors will be connected to the network, collect a large amount of data, and analyze the data to extract useful information for humans. Has been done. For example, in the case of a sensor network that collects sensor data such as biological information from medical equipment and health equipment, the sensor relay terminal transfers the sensor data detected by various sensor terminals to a higher-level device such as a server via a gateway device or a communication network. It will be relayed to.

As one of such sensor networks, there is a wireless sensor network in which data wirelessly transmitted from various sensor terminals is received by a mobile sensor relay terminal and wirelessly relayed to a base station device. For example, when relaying biometric information detected by various sensor terminals attached to a human body to a host device, a mobile sensor relay terminal consisting of a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone is used to relay the sensor terminal and the mobile sensor. The distance to the terminal can be minimized, and the power consumption of each battery-powered sensor terminal can be significantly reduced. Therefore, in order to operate the mobile sensor relay terminal for a long period of time, it is necessary to reduce the power consumption of the mobile sensor relay terminal itself.

Conventionally, in a wireless sensor network in which data transmitted wirelessly from each sensor terminal is received by a base station device and transferred to a higher-level device, as a technology for reducing power consumption at each sensor terminal, the sensor terminal performs data communication from a sleep state. A technique has been proposed in which the base station apparatus adaptively changes the data transmission interval for returning to a possible active state according to each transmission traffic (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). As a result, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of each sensor terminal as compared with the case of using a fixed data transmission interval.

Hiroaki Taka et al., "Adaptive Sleep Control for Asynchronous MAC Protocol to Control Transition Timing to Active State", IEICE Journal, Vol. J95-B No. 2, 2012/2

However, such a conventional technique is based on the premise that the data transmission interval in each sensor terminal can be grasped by the base station apparatus and the data transmission interval can be changed.
Therefore, when the above-mentioned prior art is applied to a wireless sensor network using a mobile sensor relay terminal to perform sleep control of the mobile sensor relay terminal, the terminal of each sensor terminal to be relayed by the mobile sensor relay terminal. The type and number of terminals are limited to the case where the base station device is known and the data transmission interval of these sensor terminals can be changed.

On the other hand, when the biometric information detected by various sensor terminals attached to the human body is relayed and transferred by the mobile sensor relay terminal, the sensor terminal to be relayed and transferred by the mobile sensor relay terminal may dynamically change depending on the usage environment. Conceivable. In such a case, since the data transmission interval differs depending on the sensor terminal, the base station device cannot notify the mobile sensor relay terminal of the appropriate data transmission interval, and as a result, the mobile sensor relay terminal cannot be notified. There was a problem that it was not possible to effectively reduce the power consumption of the.

In addition, sensor terminals that detect biometric information are smaller and thinner, and the communication function is significantly reduced in consideration of operating time, so there are many cases where the data transmission interval cannot be changed. In such a case, since it is necessary for each sensor terminal to receive sensor data at an individual fixed data transmission interval, it is not possible to select the optimum data transmission interval for the mobile sensor relay terminal, and as a result, , There is a problem that the power consumption of the mobile sensor relay terminal cannot be effectively reduced.

The present invention is for solving such a problem, and provides a mobile sensor relay control technology capable of effectively reducing power consumption in a mobile sensor relay terminal that wirelessly relays sensor data from each sensor terminal. The purpose is.

In order to achieve such an object, the mobile sensor relay terminal according to the present invention receives sensor data wirelessly transmitted from a plurality of sensor terminals at individual data transmission intervals and wirelessly relays the sensor data to the base station apparatus. A mobile sensor relay terminal that consumes power by suspending the active state and reception of the sensor data based on the specified communication pattern and the continuous reception mode that continues the active state in which the sensor data can be received. A terminal wireless communication module having two operation modes of an intermittent reception mode for switching between a reduced sleep state and a higher-level wireless communication module that wirelessly relays sensor data received by the terminal wireless communication module to the base station device. , The terminal wireless communication module is switched to the continuous reception mode to receive sensor data from the plurality of sensor terminals, and individual data transmission intervals are set for each of the plurality of sensor terminals obtained from the reception time of these sensor data. When the terminal wireless communication module operates in the intermittent reception mode, the terminal wireless communication module is provided with a communication pattern specifying circuit that specifies the including communication pattern for each of the plurality of sensor terminals and switches the terminal wireless communication module to the intermittent reception mode. The active state and the sleep state are switched between the active state and the sleep state in accordance with the arrival timing of the sensor data calculated from the data transmission interval included in the communication pattern.

Further, in one configuration example of the mobile sensor relay terminal according to the present invention, the communication pattern includes at least one of a start offset time and an end offset time, and the terminal wireless communication module is included in the communication pattern. The arrival timing is calculated based on the data transmission interval and at least one of the start offset time and the end offset time.

Further, in one configuration example of the mobile sensor relay terminal according to the present invention, the communication pattern specifying circuit periodically monitors the data transmission interval based on the reception time of the sensor data, and obtains the data transmission. When the difference between the interval and the data transmission interval included in the communication pattern exceeds a preset allowable range, the data transmission interval included in the communication pattern is corrected.

Further, in one configuration example of the mobile sensor relay terminal according to the present invention, the communication pattern specifying circuit receives a trigger signal from the base station apparatus side while the terminal wireless communication module is operating in the intermittent reception mode. In this case, the terminal wireless communication module is switched to the continuous reception mode, and the communication pattern is respecified.

Further, in one configuration example of the mobile sensor relay terminal according to the present invention, when the terminal wireless communication module receives a priority transfer request from the sensor terminal while operating in the intermittent reception mode, the continuous reception mode The priority sensor data received from the sensor terminal is received, and the upper wireless communication module wirelessly relays the priority sensor data received by the terminal wireless communication module to the base station apparatus. ..

Further, the mobile sensor relay control method according to the present invention is used in a mobile sensor relay terminal that receives sensor data wirelessly transmitted from a plurality of sensor terminals at individual data transmission intervals and wirelessly relays them to a base station device. This is a mobile sensor relay control method, wherein the terminal wireless communication module continues the active state in which the sensor data can be received, and the active state and the sensor data are based on the specified communication pattern. The terminal wireless communication step that operates in one of the two operation modes of the intermittent reception mode in which reception is paused and the sleep state that reduces power consumption is switched to each other, and the upper wireless communication module are the terminal wireless communication module. A higher-level wireless communication step that wirelessly relays the received sensor data to the base station device, and a communication pattern specific circuit switches the terminal wireless communication module to the continuous reception mode to receive sensor data from the plurality of sensor terminals. , The communication pattern including the individual data transmission interval for each of the plurality of sensor terminals obtained from the reception time of these sensor data is specified for each of the plurality of sensor terminals, and the terminal wireless communication module is set to the intermittent reception mode. The terminal wireless communication step includes a communication pattern specific step to be switched, and when operating in the intermittent reception mode, the active is matched with the arrival timing of the sensor data calculated from the data transmission interval included in the communication pattern. It includes a step of switching between the state and the sleep state.

According to the present invention, the terminal wireless communication module is controlled to the active state only during the period when the sensor data is transmitted, and is controlled to the sleep state for the other period. Therefore, the power consumption can be significantly reduced as compared with the case where the terminal wireless communication module is continuously activated.
Further, since the communication pattern of each sensor terminal is specified by the mobile sensor relay terminal based on the actually received sensor data, it is not necessary for the base station device to grasp the data transmission interval of each sensor terminal. Therefore, even in the case where the sensor terminals to be relayed and transferred by the mobile sensor relay terminal dynamically change depending on the usage environment, the sensor data transmitted from these sensor terminals is appropriately received and wirelessly transmitted to the base station device. It becomes possible to transfer.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a wireless sensor network. This is a configuration example of a communication pattern. It is a flowchart which shows the sensor relay control processing which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the communication pattern identification process. It is a sequence diagram which shows the sensor relay control operation example. It is a sequence diagram which shows the sensor data reception operation example. It is a flowchart which shows the data transmission interval correction processing. It is a flowchart which shows the sensor relay control process which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the sensor relay control process which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
First, the wireless sensor network 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a wireless sensor network.
The wireless sensor network 1 transmits a plurality of sensor terminals 20 that wirelessly transmit sensor data obtained by detecting an arbitrary physical quantity with a sensor at individual data transmission intervals, and sensor data wirelessly transmitted from these sensor terminals 20. It includes a mobile sensor relay terminal 10 that receives and wirelessly relays data to the base station device 30.

The base station device 30 is a general wireless base station that operates in a wireless system such as a wireless LAN, receives sensor data wirelessly relayed by the mobile sensor relay terminal 10, and transfers to a higher-level device via a communication network NW. It is a device for relay transfer.
The host device 40 is composed of an information processing device such as a server device as a whole, receives sensor data from the base station device 30, stores the sensor data, and executes preset information processing to obtain desired statistical data or the like. It is a device that generates the data of.

As one of the specific examples of the wireless sensor network 1, there is a wireless data collection system that collects human activity information. In such a wireless data collection system, as the sensor terminal 20, a wearable terminal device that detects biological information, such as an acceleration sensor, a heart rate sensor, a breathing sensor, and a body temperature sensor, is used. Further, the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 may be configured by a general portable information terminal such as a smart phone, or may be configured by a wearable terminal device that wirelessly relays sensor data from the sensor terminal 20.

[Mobile sensor relay terminal]
Next, with reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.
The mobile sensor relay terminal 10 includes an upper wireless communication module 11, a terminal wireless communication module 12, a communication pattern specifying circuit 13, a storage circuit 14, and a battery BT1 as main circuit units.

Among these circuit units, the upper wireless communication module 11, the terminal wireless communication module 12, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13, and the storage circuit 14 are connected to each other via, for example, the internal bus B. The battery BT1 is composed of a general battery such as a primary battery or a secondary battery, and has a function of supplying an operating power supply to each circuit unit provided in the mobile sensor relay terminal 10.

The upper wireless communication module 11 wirelessly relays the sensor data from the sensor terminal 20 received by the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the base station device 30 based on a general wireless system such as a wireless LAN or Bluetooth (registered trademark). It is a module to do.

The terminal wireless communication module 12 performs short-range wireless communication with each sensor terminal 20 based on Zigbee (registered trademark), Wi-SUN (registered trademark), and a dedicated low-power wireless system, thereby causing these sensor terminals. It is a module that receives sensor data from 20.
The short-range wireless communication used in the terminal wireless communication module 12 includes a general wireless system using electromagnetic waves, a wireless system using sound waves, and a wireless system such as human body communication using an electric field or a magnetic field. You may. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of terminal wireless communication modules 12 may be mounted according to the wireless communication method of the sensor terminal 20 and the number of terminals.

The terminal wireless communication module 12 has a continuous reception mode that continues an active state in which sensor data can be received, and a sleep state that suspends reception of the active state and sensor data based on a specified communication pattern to reduce power consumption. It has two operation modes, an intermittent reception mode for switching between the two.

In addition, the terminal wireless communication module 12 has a function of switching between an active state and a sleep state in accordance with the arrival timing of sensor data calculated from the data transmission interval included in the communication pattern when operating in the intermittent reception mode. It has a function of calculating the arrival timing based on the data transmission interval included in the communication pattern and at least one of the start offset time and the end offset time.

The communication pattern specifying circuit 13 switches the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the continuous reception mode to receive sensor data from a plurality of sensor terminals 20, and individual data for each sensor terminal 20 obtained from the reception time of these sensor data. It has a function of specifying a communication pattern including a transmission interval for each sensor terminal 20 and switching the terminal wireless communication module 12 to an intermittent reception mode.

The storage circuit 14 is composed of a storage device such as a semiconductor memory, and has a function of storing various processing data used for wireless transfer processing of sensor data such as a communication pattern specified by the communication pattern specifying circuit 13.
FIG. 2 is a configuration example of a communication pattern. Here, the data transmission interval P, the start offset time S, and the end offset time E are registered as a set for each sensor terminal ID for identifying the sensor terminal 20.

The data transmission interval P is a data transmission interval at which the corresponding sensor terminal 20 transmits sensor data, and is calculated from the reception time of the sensor data transmitted from the terminal wireless communication module 12.

The start offset time S is a time for specifying the reception start time for returning the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the active state and starting reception in accordance with the arrival timing of the sensor data, and is estimated by the data transmission interval P. The retroactive time from the arrival timing of the sensor data to the reception start time for returning the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the active state is shown.

The end offset time E is a time for specifying the reception end time for ending the data reception in the terminal wireless communication module 12 and shifting to the sleep state after the reception of the sensor data is completed, and is estimated by the data transmission interval P. It shows the elapsed time from the arrival timing of the sensor data to the reception end time of shifting the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the sleep state.

The start offset time S and the end offset time E are based on the variation in the data transmission interval P of the sensor terminal 20, the time required to transmit the sensor data, and the time required to start the terminal wireless communication module 12 to return to the active state. And set it. The start offset time S and the end offset time E may be set as needed, and may be omitted when unnecessary.

[Sensor terminal]
Next, the sensor terminal 20 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The sensor terminal 20 includes a sensor circuit 21, a wireless circuit 22, and a battery BT2 as main circuit units. The battery BT2 is made of a general battery such as a primary battery or a secondary battery, and has a function of supplying an operating power supply to each circuit unit provided in the sensor terminal 20.

The sensor circuit 21 is a sensor that detects an arbitrary physical quantity, and specifically, is composed of sensors such as an acceleration sensor, a heartbeat sensor, a breathing sensor, and a body temperature sensor, and medical devices and health devices that detect biological information. There is.
The wireless circuit 22 uses a preset data transmission interval for sensor data detected by the sensor circuit 21 based on Zigbee (registered trademark), Wi-SUN (registered trademark), and a dedicated low-power wireless system. It is a circuit that wirelessly transmits with P.

[Operation of the first embodiment]
Next, the sensor relay control operation of the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the sensor relay control process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a communication pattern identification process.
The mobile sensor relay terminal 10 starts the sensor relay control process of FIG. 3 in response to a user's instruction to start a sensor data wireless relay operation or power activation.

First, the communication pattern identification circuit 13 sets the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the continuous reception mode (step 100), and executes the communication pattern identification process of FIG. 4 described later (step 101). After that, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 sets the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the intermittent reception mode (step 102).

When the terminal wireless communication module 12 is set to the intermittent reception mode, the terminal wireless communication module 12 sleeps until the reception start time for the corresponding sensor terminal 20 arrives based on the data transmission interval P included in the communication pattern read from the storage circuit 14. (Step 110: NO).
When the reception start time has arrived (step 110: YES), the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state and starts receiving sensor data (step 111).

Next, the terminal wireless communication module 12 waits until the reception of the sensor data is completed (step 112), and then shifts to the sleep state according to the completion of reception (step 113).
The upper wireless communication module 11 receives the sensor data received from the terminal wireless communication module 12 and wirelessly relays it to the base station apparatus 30 (step 114).
After this, the sensor data wireless relay process returns to step 110.

As a result, the terminal wireless communication module 12 is in the active state only during the period when the sensor data is transmitted, and is in the sleep state during the other periods. Therefore, the power consumption of the terminal wireless communication module 12 can be reduced.
Further, since the communication pattern of each sensor terminal 20 is specified by the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 based on the actually received sensor data, the base station device 30 grasps the data transmission interval P of each sensor terminal 20. It is not necessary to keep the sensor data from the sensor terminal 20 in which the data transmission interval P is fixed, and the sensor data can be accurately relayed wirelessly. For the sensor terminal 20 whose data transmission interval P can be changed, if the data transmission interval P is set to a constant value in advance, the sensor data from the sensor terminal 20 can be accurately wirelessly relayed.

Further, in the communication pattern identification process of FIG. 4, the communication pattern identification circuit 13 uses the sensor data Dx (i) received from the sensor terminal 20x among the sensor data received by the terminal wireless communication module 12 operating in the continuous reception mode. ) Is acquired (step 120), and the reception time Tx (i + 1) of the sensor data Dx (i + 1) received from the sensor terminal 20x is acquired following Dx (i) (step 121). ..

Subsequently, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 calculates the data transmission interval Px = Tx (i + 1) -Tx (i) of the sensor terminal 20x from the difference between these Tx (i) and Tx (i + 1) (step 122). It is stored in the communication pattern of the sensor terminal 20x of the storage circuit 14 (step 123).
In this way, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 calculates the data transmission interval P for each sensor terminal 20 and stores it in the communication pattern.

[Operation example]
Next, an example of the sensor relay control operation of the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of sensor relay control operation.
Here, the three sensor terminals 20A, 20B, and 20C are located under the mobile sensor relay terminal 10, and perform the communication pattern identification process during the period from time T0 to time T1, and each sensor terminal 20A, 20A, An example will be described in which the communication patterns related to the 20B and 20C are specified, and the wireless relay processing of the sensor data from the sensor terminals 20A, 20B and 20C is executed based on these communication patterns after the time T1.

First, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 sets the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the continuous reception mode at time T0. As a result, the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state (ACT), and the data transmission intervals Pa, Pb, and Pc are calculated based on the reception time of the sensor data received from the sensor terminals 20A, 20B, and 20C.
For example, for the sensor terminal 20A, the data transmission interval Pa = Ta2-Ta1 of the sensor terminal 20A is calculated from the sensor data Da1 received at the time Ta1 and the sensor data Da2 following the Da1 received at the subsequent time Ta2. To.

Further, for the sensor terminal 20B, the data transmission interval Pb = Tb2-Tb1 of the sensor terminal 20A is calculated from the sensor data Db1 received at the time Tb1 and the sensor data Db2 following the sensor data Db1 received at the subsequent time Tb2. To.
Further, for the sensor terminal 20C, the data transmission interval Pc = Tc2-Tc1 of the sensor terminal 20A is calculated from the sensor data Dc1 received at the time Tc1 and the sensor data Dc2 following the sensor data Dc1 received at the subsequent time Tc2. To.

In this way, after the data transmission intervals Pa, Pb, and Pc of the sensor terminals 20A, 20B, and 20C are calculated and the respective communication patterns are specified, at time T1, the communication pattern identification circuit 13 uses the terminal radio. Set the communication module 12 to the intermittent reception mode. As a result, after the terminal wireless communication module 12 shifts to the sleep state (SLP), the terminal wireless communication module 12 performs an intermittent reception operation based on the data transmission intervals Pa, Pb, and Pc included in the communication patterns of the sensor terminals 20A, 20B, and 20C. By doing so, the subsequent sensor data is wirelessly relayed to the base station apparatus 30.

For example, for the sensor terminal 20A, the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state (ACT) and receives the sensor data Da3 at the time Ta3 after the time Ta2 to Pa, and after the reception is completed, the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state (ACT). It shifts to the sleep state (SLP). After that, the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state (ACT) at Pa intervals, receives sensor data from the sensor terminal 20A, and then repeats the intermittent reception operation of shifting to the sleep state (SLP). .. Further, these sensor data are sequentially wirelessly relayed to the base station device 30 by the upper wireless communication module 11.

Regarding the sensor terminal 20B, at the time Tb3 after the time Tb2 to Pb, the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state (ACT) and receives the sensor data Db3, and after the reception is completed, the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state (ACT). It shifts to the sleep state (SLP). After that, the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state (ACT) at Pb intervals, receives the sensor data from the sensor terminal 20B, and then repeats the intermittent reception operation of shifting to the sleep state (SLP). .. Further, these sensor data are sequentially wirelessly relayed to the base station device 30 by the upper wireless communication module 11.

Regarding the sensor terminal 20C, the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state (ACT) and receives the sensor data Dc3 at the time Tc3 after the time Tc2 to Pc, and after the reception is completed, the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state (ACT). It shifts to the sleep state (SLP). After that, the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state (ACT) at Pc intervals, receives the sensor data from the sensor terminal 20C, and then repeats the intermittent reception operation of shifting to the sleep state (SLP). .. Further, these sensor data are sequentially wirelessly relayed to the base station device 30 by the upper wireless communication module 11.

Next, an example of sensor data reception operation in the terminal wireless communication module 12 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of sensor data reception operation.
Here, a case of receiving sensor data from an arbitrary sensor terminal 20x will be described. It is assumed that the start offset time Sx and the end offset time Ex are set in the communication pattern of the sensor terminal 20x in addition to the data transmission interval Px.

First, the terminal wireless communication module 12 refers to the communication pattern of the sensor terminal 20x, adds Px to the reception time Tx (i + 1) of the sensor data Dx (i + 1) received immediately before from the sensor terminal 20x, and succeeds. The arrival timing Tx (i + 2) of the sensor data Dx (i + 2) is calculated.
Next, the terminal wireless communication module 12 calculates the time point retroactive from Tx (i + 2) by the start offset time Sx as the reception start time Txs (i + 2) = Tx (i + 2) -Sx, and ends from Tx (i + 2). The time point at which the offset time Ex has elapsed is calculated as the reception end time Txe (i + 2) = Tx (i + 2) + Ex.

After that, the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns its operating state to the active state (ACT) in response to the arrival of the reception start time Txs, and the sensor data from the sensor terminal 20x at the subsequent arrival timing Tx (i + 2). The operation state of the self is shifted to the sleep state (SLP) according to the arrival of the reception end time Tx after that.
As a result, even if the data transmission interval P of the sensor terminal 20 varies, the terminal wireless communication module 12 can be appropriately operated for intermittent reception.

[Effect of the first embodiment]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 switches the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the continuous reception mode to receive the sensor data from each sensor terminal 20, and is obtained from the reception time of these sensor data. A communication pattern including an individual data transmission interval P for each sensor terminal 20 is specified for each sensor terminal 20, the terminal wireless communication module 12 is switched to the intermittent reception mode, and the terminal wireless communication module 12 operates in the intermittent reception mode. At that time, the active state and the sleep state are switched between the active state and the sleep state in accordance with the arrival timing of the sensor data calculated from the data transmission interval P included in the communication pattern.

As a result, the terminal wireless communication module 12 is controlled to the active state only during the period when the sensor data is transmitted, and is controlled to the sleep state for the other period. Therefore, the power consumption can be significantly reduced as compared with the case where the terminal wireless communication module 12 is continuously activated.

Further, since the communication pattern of each sensor terminal 20 is specified by the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 based on the actually received sensor data, the base station device 30 grasps the data transmission interval P of each sensor terminal 20. You don't have to keep it. Therefore, even in the case where the sensor terminals 20 to be relayed and transferred by the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 dynamically change depending on the usage environment, the sensor data transmitted from these sensor terminals 20 is appropriately received and the base station is used. It becomes possible to wirelessly transfer to the device 30.

Further, the wearable sensor terminal 20 that detects biological information has been made smaller and thinner, and the communication function has been significantly reduced in consideration of the operating time. Therefore, the data transmission interval P has been changed. There are many cases where it cannot be done. According to the present embodiment, since the sensor terminal 20 in which the data transmission interval P of the sensor data is fixed is assumed, even if the sensor terminal 20 is wearable, the sensor data is appropriately received and the base station. It becomes possible to wirelessly transfer to the device 30.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a data transmission interval correction process.
In the present embodiment, a case where the data transmission interval P of the sensor terminal 20 is corrected will be described.

In the present embodiment, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 periodically monitors a new data transmission interval Q for each sensor terminal 20 based on the reception time of the sensor data received from each sensor terminal 20, and newly monitors the new data transmission interval Q. It has a function to correct the data transmission interval P included in the communication pattern when the error ε between the data transmission interval Q and the data transmission interval P included in the communication pattern exceeds the preset allowable range β. ..
Other configurations of the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 according to the present embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[Operation of the second embodiment]
Next, the data transmission interval correction process of the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7.
The communication pattern specifying circuit 13 executes the data transmission interval correction process of FIG. 7 when the terminal wireless communication module 12 is set to the intermittent reception mode.

First, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 acquires the reception time Tx (i) of the sensor data Dx (i) received from the sensor terminal 20x among the sensor data received by the terminal wireless communication module 12 (step 200). , The reception time Tx (i + n) of the sensor data Dx (i + n) received from the sensor terminal 20x after n times from Dx (i) is acquired (step 201).

Subsequently, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 newly indicates an average value for n sensor data Dx (i) to Dx (i + n) of the sensor terminal 20x from the difference between these Tx (i) and Tx (i + n). Data transmission interval Qx = {Tx (i + n) -Tx (i)} / n is calculated (step 202), and the error εx = Qx-Px from the data transmission interval Px set in the communication pattern is calculated (step 202). Step 203).

Next, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 compares the absolute value | εx | of the error εx with the preset allowable range β (step 204), and | εx | ≦ β and εx is within the range of β. In the case of (step 204: YES), since the Px correction is unnecessary, a series of data transmission interval correction processes are terminated.

On the other hand, when | εx |> β and εx is out of the β range (step 204: YES), it is necessary to correct Px. By obtaining (positive or negative), the direction dir = sign (εx) of εx is specified (step 205).
After that, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 calculates Px = Px + dir × β after correction by increasing / decreasing Px by β based on the obtained dir (step 206), and relates to the sensor terminal 20x of the storage circuit 14. After storing in the communication pattern (step 207), a series of data transmission interval correction processes are completed.

[Effect of the second embodiment]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 periodically monitors the new data transmission interval Q for each sensor terminal 20 based on the reception time of the sensor data received from each sensor terminal 20. Then, when the error ε between the new data transmission interval Q and the data transmission interval P included in the communication pattern exceeds the preset allowable range β, the data transmission interval P included in the communication pattern is corrected. It was done.
As a result, even if the data transmission interval P gradually changes due to variations and errors in the operating clock of the sensor terminal 20, and further due to the operating environment of the sensor terminal 20, the sensor data transmitted from the sensor terminal 20 can be used. It is possible to receive accurately.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the sensor relay control process according to the third embodiment.
In the first embodiment, a case where the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 executes the communication pattern specifying process when the sensor data wireless relay operation is started has been described as an example. In the present embodiment, a case where the communication pattern specifying process is re-executed according to the trigger signal received from the base station device 30 or the host device 40 will be described.

In the present embodiment, when the terminal wireless communication module 12 receives a trigger signal from the base station device 30 side while the terminal wireless communication module 12 is operating in the intermittent reception mode, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 sets the terminal wireless communication module 12 into the continuous reception mode. It has a function to switch and reidentify the communication pattern.
Other configurations of the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 according to the present embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[Operation of the third embodiment]
Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the sensor relay control operation of the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.
The mobile sensor relay terminal 10 starts the sensor relay control process of FIG. 8 in response to a user's instruction to start a sensor data wireless relay operation or power activation. In FIG. 8, the same or the same steps as in FIG. 3 described above are designated by the same reference numerals.

First, the communication pattern identification circuit 13 sets the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the continuous reception mode (step 100), and executes the communication pattern identification process of FIG. 4 (step 101). After that, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 sets the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the intermittent reception mode (step 102).

When the terminal wireless communication module 12 is set to the intermittent reception mode, the terminal wireless communication module 12 sleeps until the reception start time for the corresponding sensor terminal 20 arrives based on the data transmission interval P included in the communication pattern read from the storage circuit 14. (Step 110: NO).
Here, when the reception start time arrives (step 110: YES), the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state and starts receiving sensor data (step 111).

Next, the terminal wireless communication module 12 waits until the reception of the sensor data is completed (step 112), and then shifts to the sleep state according to the completion of reception (step 113).
The upper wireless communication module 11 receives the sensor data received from the terminal wireless communication module 12 and wirelessly relays it to the base station apparatus 30 (step 114).
After this, the sensor data wireless relay process returns to step 110.

On the other hand, when the terminal wireless communication module 12 is on standby in the sleep state (step 110: NO), the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 confirms whether or not the trigger signal has been received from the base station device 30 side by the upper wireless communication module 11. (Step 300).
Here, if the trigger signal has not been received (step 300: NO), the process returns to step 110. When the trigger signal is received (step 300: YES), the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 returns to step 100. As a result, the communication pattern identification process of FIG. 4 is re-executed and the communication pattern is re-specified.

When the terminal wireless communication module 12 is set to the intermittent reception mode, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 confirms whether the trigger signal is received from the base station apparatus 30 side by the upper wireless communication module 11 (step 300), and triggers. If the signal has been received (step 300: YES), the process returns to step 100. As a result, the communication pattern identification process of FIG. 4 is re-executed and the communication pattern is re-specified.

On the other hand, when the trigger signal is not received (step 300: NO), the terminal wireless communication module 12 corresponds to the sensor terminal 20 based on the data transmission interval P included in the communication pattern read from the storage circuit 14. Waits in the sleep state until the reception start time for the user arrives (step 110: NO).
When the reception start time has arrived (step 110: YES), the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state and starts receiving sensor data (step 111).

Next, the terminal wireless communication module 12 waits until the reception of the sensor data is completed (step 112), and then shifts to the sleep state according to the completion of reception (step 113).
The upper wireless communication module 11 receives the sensor data received from the terminal wireless communication module 12 and wirelessly relays it to the base station apparatus 30 (step 114).
After this, the sensor data wireless relay process returns to step 300.

[Effect of the third embodiment]
As described above, in the present embodiment, when the terminal wireless communication module 12 receives the trigger signal from the base station apparatus 30 side while operating in the intermittent reception mode, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 causes the terminal wireless communication module 12 to perform. Is switched to the continuous reception mode, and the communication pattern is specified again.
As a result, the communication pattern of the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 can be reset by simply transmitting a trigger signal from the base station device 30 or the host device 40 at an arbitrary timing. Therefore, even when the configuration of the wireless sensor network 1 is changed, for example, the correspondence relationship between the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 and the sensor terminal 20, it is possible to easily and quickly respond.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the sensor relay control process according to the fourth embodiment.
In the present embodiment, a case where the sensor data from the sensor terminal 20 is preferentially wirelessly transferred in the continuous reception mode will be described.

In the present embodiment, when the terminal wireless communication module 12 receives a priority transfer request from the sensor terminal 20 while operating in the intermittent reception mode, the terminal wireless communication module 12 switches to the continuous reception mode and receives the priority sensor data from the sensor terminal 20. It has a function to receive.
The upper wireless communication module 11 has a function of wirelessly relaying the priority sensor data received by the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the base station apparatus 30.

[Operation of the fourth embodiment]
Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the sensor relay control operation of the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.
The mobile sensor relay terminal 10 starts the sensor relay control process of FIG. 9 in response to a user's instruction to start a sensor data wireless relay operation or power activation. In FIG. 9, the same or the same steps as in FIG. 3 described above are designated by the same reference numerals.

First, the communication pattern identification circuit 13 sets the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the continuous reception mode (step 100), and executes the communication pattern identification process of FIG. 4 (step 101). After that, the communication pattern specifying circuit 13 sets the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the intermittent reception mode (step 102).

When the terminal wireless communication module 12 is set to the intermittent reception mode, the terminal wireless communication module 12 sleeps until the reception start time for the corresponding sensor terminal 20 arrives based on the data transmission interval P included in the communication pattern read from the storage circuit 14. (Step 110: NO).
Here, when the reception start time arrives (step 110: YES), the terminal wireless communication module 12 returns to the active state and starts receiving sensor data (step 111).

Next, the terminal wireless communication module 12 waits until the reception of the sensor data is completed (step 112), and then shifts to the sleep state according to the completion of reception (step 113).
The upper wireless communication module 11 receives the sensor data received from the terminal wireless communication module 12 and wirelessly relays it to the base station apparatus 30 (step 114).
After this, the sensor data wireless relay process returns to step 110.

On the other hand, when the terminal wireless communication module 12 is on standby in the sleep state (step 110: NO), it confirms whether the priority transfer request or the priority sensor data indicating the priority transfer request is notified from the arbitrary sensor terminal 20. (Step 400).
Here, if the priority transfer request or the priority sensor data indicating the priority transfer request is not notified (step 400: NO), the process returns to step 110.

When the priority transfer request or the priority sensor data indicating the priority transfer request is notified (step 400: YES), the terminal wireless communication module 12 sets its own operation mode to the continuous reception mode (step 401). ..
Subsequently, the terminal wireless communication module 12 sequentially receives the priority sensor data corresponding to the priority transfer request, and the higher-level wireless communication module 11 sequentially receives the priority sensor data received from the terminal wireless communication module 12, and the base station apparatus. Wireless relay to 30 (step 402).

After that, the terminal wireless communication module 12 confirms whether the priority transfer request has been completed (step 403), and if the priority transfer request has not been completed (step 403: NO), returns to step 402 to perform subsequent priority sensor data. Repeat the wireless relay of.
When the priority transfer request is completed (step 403: YES), the process returns to step 101. As a result, the communication pattern identification process of FIG. 4 is re-executed and the communication pattern is re-specified.

[Effect of the fourth embodiment]
As described above, in the present embodiment, when the terminal wireless communication module 12 receives the priority transfer request from the sensor terminal 20 while operating in the intermittent reception mode, the terminal wireless communication module 12 is switched to the continuous reception mode and is transmitted from the sensor terminal 20. Upon receiving the priority sensor data, the upper wireless communication module 11 wirelessly relays the priority sensor data received by the terminal wireless communication module 12 to the base station apparatus 30.
As a result, the priority sensor data from the sensor terminal 20 is continuously wirelessly relayed to the base station device 30 by the terminal wireless communication module 12 in the continuous reception mode. Therefore, even for the sensor terminal 20 that continuously transmits sensor data in bursts, the mobile sensor relay terminal 10 can wirelessly transfer the sensor data.

[Extension of Embodiment]
Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the structure and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention. In addition, each embodiment can be implemented in any combination within a consistent range.

1 ... Wireless sensor network, 10 ... Mobile sensor relay terminal, 11 ... Upper wireless communication module, 12 ... Terminal wireless communication module, 13 ... Communication pattern specific circuit, 14 ... Storage circuit, BT1 ... Battery, B ... Internal bus, 20 , 20x, 20A, 20B, 20C ... sensor terminal, 21 ... sensor circuit, 22 ... wireless circuit, BT2 ... battery, 30 ... base station device, 40 ... host device, NW ... communication network, P, Px, Pa, Pb, Pc, Q, Qx ... data transmission interval, S, Sx ... start offset time, E, Ex ... end offset time, Dx, Da, Db, Dc ... sensor data, Tx, Ta, Tb, Tc ... reception time (arrival timing) ), Txs ... Reception start time, Txe ... Reception end time, ε, εx ... Error, β ... Allowable range, dir ... Error direction.

Claims (6)

It is a mobile sensor relay terminal that receives sensor data wirelessly transmitted from a plurality of sensor terminals at individual data transmission intervals and wirelessly relays it to a base station device.
The continuous reception mode that continues the active state in which the sensor data can be received is switched between the active state and the sleep state in which the reception of the sensor data is suspended to reduce the power consumption based on the specified communication pattern. A terminal wireless communication module having two operation modes, an intermittent reception mode, and
A higher-level wireless communication module that wirelessly relays sensor data received by the terminal wireless communication module to the base station device, and
The terminal wireless communication module is switched to the continuous reception mode to receive sensor data from the plurality of sensor terminals, and includes an individual data transmission interval for each of the plurality of sensor terminals obtained from the reception time of these sensor data. A communication pattern specifying circuit for specifying a communication pattern for each of the plurality of sensor terminals and switching the terminal wireless communication module to the intermittent reception mode is provided.
When the terminal wireless communication module operates in the intermittent reception mode, the active state and the sleep state mutually change in accordance with the arrival timing of the sensor data calculated from the data transmission interval included in the communication pattern. A mobile sensor relay terminal characterized by switching. In the mobile sensor relay terminal according to claim 1,
The communication pattern includes at least one of a start offset time and an end offset time.
The terminal wireless communication module is a mobile sensor characterized in that the arrival timing is calculated based on the data transmission interval included in the communication pattern and at least one of a start offset time and an end offset time. Relay terminal. In the mobile sensor relay terminal according to claim 1 or 2.
The communication pattern specifying circuit periodically monitors the data transmission interval based on the reception time of the sensor data, and the difference between the obtained data transmission interval and the data transmission interval included in the communication pattern is preset. A mobile sensor relay terminal characterized in that the data transmission interval included in the communication pattern is corrected when the allowable range is exceeded. In the mobile sensor relay terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
When the terminal wireless communication module receives a trigger signal from the base station apparatus side while the terminal wireless communication module is operating in the intermittent reception mode, the communication pattern specifying circuit switches the terminal wireless communication module to the continuous reception mode, and the terminal wireless communication module is switched to the continuous reception mode. A mobile sensor relay terminal characterized by reidentifying the communication pattern. In the mobile sensor relay terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
When the terminal wireless communication module receives a priority transfer request from the sensor terminal while operating in the intermittent reception mode, the terminal wireless communication module switches to the continuous reception mode and receives priority sensor data from the sensor terminal.
The upper wireless communication module is a mobile sensor relay terminal characterized in that the priority sensor data received by the terminal wireless communication module is wirelessly relayed to the base station apparatus. This is a mobile sensor relay control method used in a mobile sensor relay terminal that receives sensor data wirelessly transmitted from a plurality of sensor terminals at individual data transmission intervals and wirelessly relays the sensor data to a base station device.
A continuous reception mode in which the terminal wireless communication module continues an active state in which the sensor data can be received, and a sleep in which reception of the active state and the sensor data is suspended based on a specified communication pattern to reduce power consumption. A terminal wireless communication step that operates in one of two operation modes, an intermittent reception mode that switches between states, and
A high-level wireless communication step in which the high-level wireless communication module wirelessly relays the sensor data received by the terminal wireless communication module to the base station device, and
The communication pattern specific circuit switches the terminal wireless communication module to the continuous reception mode to receive sensor data from the plurality of sensor terminals, and individually for each of the plurality of sensor terminals obtained from the reception time of these sensor data. The communication pattern including the data transmission interval of the above is specified for each of the plurality of sensor terminals, and the terminal wireless communication module is provided with a communication pattern specifying step of switching to the intermittent reception mode.
When operating in the intermittent reception mode, the terminal wireless communication step mutually causes the active state and the sleep state in accordance with the arrival timing of the sensor data calculated from the data transmission interval included in the communication pattern. A mobile sensor relay control method that includes a switching step.

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