JP2005086449A - Terminal device, repeating device, and terminal control system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable operation setting information of terminal devices to be easily and quickly set or changed without requiring expert skill, without errors in a terminal control system having a plurality of kinds of terminal devices connected to a network. <P>SOLUTION: When a terminal device 1 is newly connected to the network to which terminal devices 2 and 3 have been already connected, the terminal device 1 informs the other terminal devices 2 to 4 of this connection. Only the terminal device 2 having the same type as the terminal device 1, out of the terminal devices 2 to 4 sends a reply to the terminal device 1. The terminal device 1 requests the terminal device 2 being a reply source, to transmit operation setting information. The terminal device 2 returns its own operation setting information to the terminal device 1 being the transmission source when receiving the request. The terminal device 1 sets the returned operation setting information as its own operation setting information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a terminal device that can be connected to a network and operates according to operation setting information that defines its own operating conditions, a relay device that relays the terminal device, and terminal control in which a plurality of the terminal devices are connected to the network About the system.

  Lighting equipment, air conditioning equipment, various sensors, switches, monitoring control devices for each equipment, etc., which are arranged in a premises area such as a building, are connected to each other through a communication network as a terminal device. A terminal that can control fixtures, control air conditioning facilities based on temperature sensor measurements, and selectively turn lighting fixtures on and off based on the operation of switches located at various locations. Control systems are known. In such a terminal control system, each terminal device stores operation setting information defining its own operating conditions in a memory, and operates according to this operation setting information. For example, the lighting fixture includes information for specifying a switch for controlling on / off of itself, information for specifying a sensor for dimming control of itself, information for defining a relationship between the output level of the sensor and its output illuminance, etc. Stored as operation setting information.

  In such a terminal control system, in order to set the operation setting information of each terminal device, it is usual to perform setting operations individually for each terminal device using a setting tool. However, in order to complete the setting operation for the entire terminal control system, it is necessary to perform setting operations for the number of terminal devices. As the system scale increases, the time and effort required for the setting operation become enormous. There was a problem. Also, it is necessary to set different operation setting information for each terminal type, such as lighting devices, air conditioning units, sensors, etc., and it is mistaken when the scale of the system increases due to the complexity of the work content. There is also a problem that the possibility of performing the setting becomes high. In the case of incorrect settings, it is necessary to identify the terminal device with the incorrect settings in order to correct it to the normal settings. However, a large amount of work is required for this identification. There was a point.

  It is also possible to envisage a technique for saving labor by enhancing the function of the setting tool and simultaneously performing operation settings of the same content for a plurality of terminals. However, in many cases, it is assumed that it is necessary to develop different setting tools for different terminal control systems, so that there remains a problem to be overcome in the development and maintenance of high-function tools.

  Moreover, the conventionally well-known method which performs operation | movement setting for every terminal equipment, without becoming highly functional is free with respect to each terminal, without depending on the position (namely, positional relationship between terminal equipment) etc. One has the advantage that it can be set. However, since the set contents cannot be grasped from the hardware appearance such as the cable connection state, there is a problem that the setting must be performed and confirmed by a specialist who can operate the setting tool. there were. Furthermore, although there are many cases where operation settings of the same content are often made for terminal devices of the same type at different positions, there is a problem that it is necessary to make individual settings.

On the other hand, in Patent Literature 1, the terminal device newly connected to the network automatically acquires the operation setting information held by the terminal device connected to the network and sets it as its own operation setting information. The technology to do is disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-177531

  However, the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that terminal devices connected to a network are the same type of terminal device, and terminal devices with different terminal types are connected to the network. There is a problem that it cannot be applied to the terminal control system.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and in a terminal control system having a plurality of types of terminal devices connected to a network, setting or changing operation setting information of the terminal devices is not required. An object of the present invention is to provide a terminal device, a relay device, and a terminal control system that can be easily and quickly performed without error.

  In order to solve the above problems and achieve the above object, a first solution means according to the present invention is a terminal device that is connectable to a network and operates according to operation setting information that defines its own operating conditions. A storage unit configured to store terminal type information indicating the terminal type of the mobile phone and to be able to store its own operation setting information; and a connection notification unit configured to transmit the terminal type information to the network when connected to the network; Receiving operation setting information transmitted to the network from a first terminal device different from itself having terminal type information corresponding to the transmitted terminal type information, and setting the received operation setting information to its own operation setting An operation setting information acquisition unit that records information in the storage unit, and a terminal type information that is sent to the network by a second terminal device that is different from itself is the terminal itself When corresponding to a different information and is characterized in that it comprises the operation setting information return unit for transmitting the operation setting information for itself to the network.

  The second solving means according to the present invention is a terminal device that can be connected to a network and operates according to operation setting information that defines its own operating conditions, and stores terminal type information indicating its own terminal type. Together with the storage unit formed to be able to store its own operation setting information, and when the operation setting information stored in the storage unit is changed, the terminal type information and the changed operation setting information are sent to the network A change notification section to be transmitted to the network, and a third terminal device different from itself having terminal type information corresponding to the transmitted terminal type information to receive the changed operation setting information transmitted to the network, and An operation setting information updating unit that updates the operation setting information stored in the unit with the received operation setting information.

  The third solution means according to the present invention can connect a plurality of terminal devices including a fourth terminal device and a fifth terminal device, both of which are terminal devices as the first solution means, and can be connected to a network. A type inquiry unit that is a relay device and receives terminal type information of the fourth terminal device transmitted from the fourth terminal device and transmits the terminal type information to the plurality of terminals; and the transmitted terminal type information And a transmission / reception unit that receives a response from the fifth terminal device having terminal type information corresponding to the operation setting information that instructs the fifth terminal device to output the operation setting information that the fifth terminal device has. And an operation setting information requesting unit for transmitting the output operation setting information to the fourth terminal device.

  The fourth solving means according to the present invention can connect a plurality of terminal devices including a sixth terminal device and a seventh terminal device, both of which are terminal devices as the second solving means, and can be connected to a network. A type inquiry unit that is a relay device, receives terminal type information of the sixth terminal device transmitted from the sixth terminal device, and transmits the terminal type information to the plurality of terminals; and the transmitted terminal type information And a transmission / reception unit that receives a response from the seventh terminal device having terminal type information corresponding to the operation setting information that instructs the sixth terminal device to output the operation setting information that the sixth terminal device has. And an operation setting information requesting unit for transmitting the output operation setting information to the seventh terminal device.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal control system comprising a plurality of terminal devices connected to each other via a network, each of the plurality of terminal devices being either the first or the second It is a terminal device as a solving means.

  Preferably, the terminal system further includes a relay device as a third or fourth solving means interposed between a part of the plurality of terminal devices and the network. .

  The terminal device, the relay device, and the terminal control system of the present invention configured as described above automate the setting of the operation setting information accompanying the new connection of the terminal device to the network, and the already connected terminals whose terminal type information corresponds to each other Since the operation setting information of the device is selected and set as the operation setting information of the newly connected terminal device, it is a system in which a plurality of types of terminal devices are connected to the network, but it is not an operator having specialized skills. In addition, the terminal device can be easily and quickly connected without error.

  In the terminal device, the relay device, and the terminal control system of the present invention, the operation setting information of a plurality of terminal devices whose terminal type information corresponds to each other is changed, and the operation setting information of one of the terminal devices is changed by a user or the like. Thus, it is possible to automatically change the operation setting information of a plurality of terminal devices easily and without error even if not a specialist engineer.

[First Embodiment]
(System configuration)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The terminal control system 101 includes a plurality of terminal devices 1 to 4 connected to a communication network (information communication line; hereinafter referred to as network) N1. FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which four terminal devices 1 to 4 are connected to the network N1 for convenience of explanation. However, the terminal control system 101 is installed in a premises area such as a building, and is typically several tens to More terminal devices are used in a form connected to the network N1. The terminal devices 1 to 4 are, for example, lighting fixtures, air conditioning facilities, various sensors, switches, monitoring control devices for each facility, display terminals that display the operating state of each facility, interface devices for general-purpose personal computers, and the like. The terminal type is included. In the example of FIG. 2, the terminal devices 1 and 2 have the same terminal type A, the terminal device 3 has a terminal type B, and the terminal device 4 has a terminal type C.

  Each of the terminal devices 1 to 4 operates according to operation setting information that defines its own operating conditions. Further, address information for identifying each of the terminal devices 1 to 4 is given after being connected to the network N1 or before product shipment before that. The terminal devices 1 to 4 can perform bidirectional communication with each other through the network N1. In addition, one-to-one communication is performed by specifying address information of a transmission destination (unicast communication mode), and communication to a plurality of partners within a specified range is performed simultaneously in one communication (multicast communication). Mode), it is also possible to perform communication to all terminal devices connected to the network N1 simultaneously in one communication (broadcast communication mode).

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the terminal device 1. The terminal device 1 in FIG. 3 represents the terminal devices 1 to 4, and the remaining terminal devices 2 to 4 are also depicted in the same manner. Each of the terminal devices 1 to 4 (typically described as the terminal device 1 as appropriate) includes a CPU unit (central processing unit) 21, a transmission / reception unit 22, and a storage unit 23. The storage unit 23 is, for example, a rewritable nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and stores terminal type information 24 indicating its own terminal type, and is configured to be able to store its own address information 25 and its own operation setting information 26. Yes.

  Taking an example in which the type of the terminal device is a lighting fixture, the operation setting information 26 includes, for example, information for specifying a switch for controlling on / off of the terminal device, information for specifying a sensor for dimming control of the terminal device, output level of the sensor And information specifying the relationship between the output illuminance and the output illuminance (100%, 30%, 0% output illuminance, etc.). In other words, the operation setting information 26 corresponds to the group setting of a large number of lighting fixtures, the setting of the operation pattern, the operation scene (the situation where the sunset falls from one of the windows, or the case where a suspicious person is detected at night by a sensor. Operation etc.) can be included. In addition, in the example of a lighting fixture that is turned on or off when a given time has passed or a given time has passed, or a lighting fixture having a dimming function, the operation setting information 26 is given by It is also possible to include time and elapsed time, and output illuminance (100%, 30%, 0%, etc.) to be dimmed for each time and elapsed time. In an example in which the type of the terminal device is a switch, the operation setting information 26 includes, for example, information for specifying an object to be controlled when the switch is operated (for example, address information of lighting fixtures, and the same behavior as a group). Group number information set for the purpose of patterning, pattern number information for identifying an operation pattern, pattern information representing an operation pattern), and the like.

  The terminal type information 24 is already stored in the memory when the terminal devices 1 to 4 are shipped as products, for example. The address information 25 is given after or before the terminal devices 1 to 4 are connected to the network N1, as will be described later. The operation setting information 26 is given after the terminal devices 1 to 4 are connected to the network N1, as will be described later. However, some default value (initial value) may be set at the stage of product shipment.

  The transmission / reception unit 22 is an apparatus element that transmits information to the network N1 or receives information from the network N1 by being connected to the network N1. The CPU unit 21 implements various functions of the terminal device 1 while controlling the storage unit 23 and the transmission / reception unit 22 according to a program stored in a program memory (not shown) including a nonvolatile semiconductor memory or the like. FIG. 4 is a block diagram, that is, a functional diagram showing a configuration of the terminal device 1 realized by mounting a program executed by the CPU unit 21 in a program memory. As illustrated in FIG. 4, in addition to the storage unit 23, the terminal device 1 includes a connection notification unit 51, an operation setting information return unit 52, an operation setting information acquisition unit 53, a change notification unit 54, and an operation setting information update unit 55. It has. The operation setting information return unit 52 includes an address information transmission unit 61 and an operation setting information transmission unit 62. The operation setting information acquisition unit 53 includes an address information receiving unit 65, a terminal selection unit 66, an operation setting information request unit 67, and an operation setting information recording unit 68. Further, the change notification unit 54 includes an information transmission unit 71, a reply reception unit 72, and an operation setting information return unit 73. The operation setting information update unit 55 includes an address information return unit 75 and an operation setting information record update unit 76. It has. The functions of these device elements will be described as appropriate in the description of the flowchart described later.

(Outline of system operation)
FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of information exchanged between the terminal apparatuses 1 to 4 in order to explain the outline of the operation of the terminal control system 101. FIG. 1A illustrates a terminal control system 101 when the terminal devices 2 to 4 are already connected to the network N1 and the terminal device 1 (corresponding to the second terminal device) is newly connected to the network N1. Shows the operation. On the other hand, FIG.1 (b) has shown operation | movement of the terminal control system 101 when the operation setting information 26 is changed by the user about the terminal device 1 among the terminal devices 1-4 connected to the network N1. . The case where the terminal device 1 is newly connected is, for example, a case where a lighting fixture is newly installed, and the case where the operation setting information 26 of the existing terminal device 1 is changed. For example, when the target device is changed.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, when the terminal device 1 is newly connected to the network N1, a connection notification for notifying that the terminal device 1 is newly connected (that is, newly entering the terminal control system 101) is sent. Send to network N1. This connection notification includes terminal type information 24 and address information 25 of the terminal device 1 itself. The connection notification is transmitted by broadcast communication that does not need to specify a transmission destination. Therefore, the terminal device 1 can transmit a connection notification before acquiring the address information 25 of the other terminal devices 2 to 4.

  In order to enable such communication, the terminal device 1 is provided with its own address information 25 as a preparation after or before the terminal device 1 is newly connected to the network N1. In order to give the address information 25 before the terminal device 1 is connected to the network N1, for example, before product shipment, the operator manually operates, for example, by operating a dip switch (not shown) or using infrared communication. The address information 25 may be set by In order to give the address information 15 after the terminal device 1 is connected to the network N1, a terminal device that automatically assigns address information to each terminal device, for example, a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server, is connected to the network N1. As a result, the terminal control system 101 may be configured so that the address information 25 is automatically given to the terminal device 1 when the terminal device 1 is connected to the network N1. Alternatively, the terminal device 1 uses its own information (for example, dip switch state and identification code) and information of other terminal devices 2 to 4 connected to the network N1 (for example, dip switch state and identification code). By combining them, the address information 25 may be generated by itself. Here, the identification code is a unique code assigned to each product before each terminal device 1 to 4 is shipped as a product, and is assigned to a LAN (Local Area Network) interface device. It corresponds to the MAC address. In addition, in order to enable a terminal device 1 that newly enters to perform broadcast transmission from the beginning, for example, broadcast address information may be predetermined as common to all networks N1.

  For example, when the address information 25 is set after connection, the terminal device 1 sends a connection notification to the network N1 after being connected to the network N1. It may be set when a switch (not shown) is turned on or when power is supplied to the terminal device 1.

  Of the terminal devices 2 to 4 that have received the connection notification, only the terminal device 2 (corresponding to the first terminal device) having the same terminal type information 24 as the terminal type information 24 transmitted by the terminal device 1 is the terminal device 1. Specify the address and reply. The reply signal includes address information 25 of the terminal device 2 that performs the reply. The terminal device 1 that has received the reply signal transmits an operation setting information request for requesting a return of the operation setting information 26 to the terminal device 2 that is a reply source by designating its address. The terminal device 2 that has received the operation setting information request specifies its address and returns its operation setting information 26 to the terminal device 1 that is the transmission source. The terminal device 1 records the returned operation setting information 26 as its own operation setting information 26 in the storage unit 23. Details of the operation of the terminal control system 101 including the case where a plurality of terminal devices having the same terminal type A as the newly connected terminal device 1 are already connected to the network N1 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, among the terminal devices 1 to 4 connected to the network N1, the operation setting information 26 of the terminal device 1 (corresponding to the third terminal device) is changed by the user or the operator. When it is done, the terminal device 1 sends a change notification for notifying that its own operation setting information 26 has been changed to the network N1. This change notification includes terminal type information 24 and address information 25 of the terminal device 1 itself. The change notification is preferably transmitted in the form of broadcast communication in which it is not necessary to specify the transmission destination and one communication is sufficient and the load on the network N1 is low.

  In order to change the operation setting information 26, for example, the user or the worker uses infrared communication or operates another terminal device (for example, a setting device (not shown) or a personal computer) connected to the network N1. It is recommended to perform the change operation manually. The time when the terminal device 1 sends the change notification to the network N1 is, for example, when the operation setting information 26 is changed by any of the methods described above, or a user or an operator is provided in the terminal device 1. It may be set when a notification switch (not shown) is turned on.

  Of the terminal devices 2 to 4 that have received the change notification, only the terminal device 2 having the same terminal type information 24 as the terminal type information 24 sent by the terminal device 1 sends a reply to the terminal device 1 with its address specified. Do. The reply signal includes address information 25 of the terminal device 2 that performs the reply. The terminal device 1 that has received the reply signal designates its address and returns the changed operation setting information 26 to the terminal device 2 that is the reply source. The terminal device 2 that has received the operation setting information 26 updates its own operation setting information 26 stored in the storage unit 23 with the received operation setting information 26. Details of the operation of the terminal control system 101 including the case where a plurality of terminal devices having the same terminal type A as the terminal device 1 whose operation setting information 26 is changed are already connected to the network N1 will be described later.

(Details of system operation)
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing in detail the operation procedure of the terminal control system 101 shown in FIG. FIG. 5A shows the operation of the terminal device 1, and FIG. 5B shows the operation of the terminals 2 to 4. In the flowcharts in FIG. 5 and subsequent figures, communication performed between the apparatuses is indicated by dotted lines for convenience. When the terminal device 1 is connected to the network N1 and its own address information 25 is determined before or after connection, the connection notification unit 51 of the terminal device 1 sends a connection notification to the network N1 in the form of broadcast communication. (Step S1). The connection notification includes its own terminal type information 24 and address information 25. When receiving the connection notification (step S11), the address information sending unit 61 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 compares the transmitted terminal type information 24 with its own terminal type information 24 (step S12). If the terminal type information 24 does not match, the address information sending unit 61 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 completes the processing (step S13). Then, a reply signal is sent to the network N1 (steps S13 and S14). The reply signal includes the address information 25 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 itself. In the example assumed in FIG. 5, since the terminal type information 24 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 matches only that of the terminal device 1, only the terminal device 2 replies.

  When the address information receiving unit 65 of the terminal device 1 receives a reply signal sent from all or part of the terminal devices 2 to 4 within a given time (step S2), the terminal selecting unit 66 of the terminal device 1 Then, the other party from whom the operation setting information 26 is to be acquired is selected (step S3). The terminal selection unit 66 of the terminal device 1 selects a terminal when a reply signal is sent from only a single terminal device among the terminal devices 2 to 4, and sends reply signals from a plurality of terminal devices. If so, one terminal device is selected from them. The selection is performed, for example, in the order of first-come-first-served basis, the order in which the returned address information 25 comes close to its own, the order in which the returned address information 25 is numerically small, and the like. Next, the operation setting information request unit 67 of the terminal device 1 designates the address of the terminal device selected from the terminal devices 2 to 4, and sends an operation setting information request to the network N1 (step S4). In the example assumed in FIG. 5, since only the terminal device 2 replies, the terminal device 1 transmits an operation setting information request only to the terminal device 2.

  When receiving the operation setting information request (step S15), the operation setting information sending unit 62 of the terminal device 2 reads its own operation setting information 26 from the storage unit 23, and specifies the address of the terminal device 1 that is the transmission source. The read operation setting information 26 is sent to the network N1 (step S16). Thereby, the processing of the terminal device 2 is completed. When receiving the transmitted operation setting information 26 (step S5), the operation setting information recording unit 68 of the terminal device 1 records the received operation setting information 26 in the storage unit 23 as its own operation setting information 26 (step S6). ). Thereby, the process of the terminal device 1 is completed. If the terminal device 1 does not receive a reply signal within the given time in step S2, the terminal device 1 completes the process without setting the operation setting information 26 (step S7). In this case. The terminal device 1 enters the network N1 while holding the operation setting information 26 as a default value recorded in the storage unit 23 at the time of product shipment.

  As described above, the terminal control system 101 automates the setting of the operation setting information 26 associated with the new connection of the terminal device 1 to the network N1, selects the operation setting information 26 of the terminal device 2 that makes the terminal type common, and selects the terminal The operation setting information 26 of the apparatus 1 is set. For this reason, the terminal control system 101 is a system in which a plurality of types of terminal devices 1 to 4 are connected to the network N1. Allows to be done quickly.

  In FIG. 5, the terminal devices 2 to 4 omit steps S14 and S15, the terminal device 1 determines whether or not the operation setting information 26 has been received in step S2, and among the terminal devices that have returned the operation setting information 26 in step S3. One may be selected and steps S4 and S5 may be omitted. That is, in response to the connection notification from the terminal device 1, all the terminal devices that share the same terminal type with the terminal device 1 return their own operation setting information 26, For example, it is also possible to select the one sent from the terminal device with the closest address information 25 and record it in the storage unit 23 as its own operation setting information 26. However, the form shown in FIG. 5 is the only terminal that the terminal device 1 has selected to transmit the operation setting information 26 even if a plurality of terminal devices that share a terminal type with the terminal device 1 are connected to the network N1. Since it is limited to the device, there is an advantage that congestion of the network N1 can be prevented.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing in detail the operation procedure of the terminal control system 101 shown in FIG. FIG. 6A shows the operation of the terminal device 1, and FIG. 6B shows the operation of the terminal devices 2 to 4. When the operation setting information 26 of the terminal device 1 is changed, the information sending unit 71 of the terminal device 1 sends a change notification to the network N1 in the form of broadcast communication, for example (step S21). This change notification includes its own terminal type information 24 and address information 25. When receiving the change notification (step S31), the address information reply unit 75 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 compares the transmitted terminal type information 24 with its own terminal type information 24 (step S32). If the terminal type information 24 does not match, the address information reply unit 75 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 completes the process (step S33). If the terminal type information 24 matches, the address information return unit 75 designates the transmitted address information 25 as the destination address. Then, a reply signal is sent to the network N1 (steps S33 and S34). The reply signal includes the address information 25 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 itself. In the example assumed in FIG. 6, since the terminal type information 24 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 matches only that of the terminal device 1, only the terminal device 2 replies.

  When the reply receiving unit 72 of the terminal device 1 receives the reply signal sent from all or part of the terminal devices 2 to 4 within a given time (step S22), the reply signal is sent from the terminal devices 2 to 4. The sent address information of the terminal device is temporarily recorded in the storage unit 23 separately from its own address information 25 (step S23). Next, the operation setting information return unit 73 of the terminal device 1 designates the address information of the reply source recorded in the storage unit 23 as an address, and sends the changed operation setting information 26 to the network N1 (step S24). ). Thus, the terminal device 1 completes the process. In the example assumed in FIG. 6, since only the terminal device 2 replies, the terminal device 1 transmits the operation setting information 26 only to the terminal device 2.

  In step S24, the operation setting information return unit 73 of the terminal device 1 designates the return source address individually and sends the operation setting information 26 to the network N1 in the form of unicast communication. The operation setting information 26 may be sent to the network N1 in the form of multicast communication for all terminal devices. In this case, since the transmission of the operation setting information 26 is sufficient for one communication regardless of the number of return source terminal devices, the load on the network N1 can be reduced. The operation setting information return unit 73 of the terminal device 1 creates multicast address information for performing multicast communication based on the address information of the return source terminal device temporarily recorded in the storage unit 23.

  When the operation setting information recording / updating unit 76 of the terminal device 2 receives the operation setting information 26 (step S35), the operation setting information 26 stored in the storage unit 23 is rewritten by the received operation setting information 26 (step S36). ). Thereby, the operation setting information 26 of the terminal device 2 is set to be the same as the operation setting information 26 after the change of the terminal device 1 sharing the terminal type. When the process of step S36 ends, the process of the terminal device 2 is completed.

  As described above, the terminal control system 101 automatically changes the operation setting information 26 of the plurality of terminal devices 1 and 2 sharing the same terminal type by changing one of them (the terminal device 1 in the example of FIG. 6). This makes it possible to change the operation setting information 26 of a plurality of terminal devices easily and quickly without error even if not a specialist engineer.

  In FIG. 6, the terminal device 1 omits steps S22 to S24 and simultaneously transmits the changed operation setting information 26 in step S21, and the terminal devices 2 to 4 omit steps S34 and S35 and are transmitted in step S31. The operation setting information 26 may be received simultaneously. That is, the terminal devices 2 to 4 receive the changed operation setting information 26 sent from the terminal device 1, and when the terminal device 1 and the terminal device 1 share the same terminal type, the terminal devices 2 to 4 themselves use the received operation setting information 26. The operation setting information 26 may be updated. However, in the form shown in FIG. 6, the changed operation setting information 26 is transmitted only to the terminal device that shares the terminal type with the terminal device 1, so the terminal device 3 that does not share the terminal type with the terminal device 1. 4 receives the operation setting information 26 which is unnecessary information, and does not impose a load of temporarily recording in the storage unit 23 separately from its own operation setting information 26 until the processing of steps S32 and S33 is completed. It has the advantage of being finished.

[Second Embodiment]
(System configuration)
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal control system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This terminal control system 102 is different from the terminal control system 101 in that relay devices 11 and 12 are interposed between a plurality of terminal devices 1 to 7. More specifically, in the terminal control system 102, the primary side input / output terminals of the relay device 11 and the relay device 12 are connected to the upper network N4 as a trunk line, and the secondary side input / output terminals are the terminal devices 1 to 4. Is connected to a lower network N2 to which the terminal devices 5 and 7 are connected, and a lower network N3 to which the terminal devices 5 to 7 are connected.

  The terminal devices 5 to 7 are, for example, lighting fixtures, air conditioning equipment, sensors, and the like, as in the examples of the terminal devices 1 to 4. In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the terminal device 5 has the same terminal type A as the terminal device 1, the terminal device 6 has the terminal type B, and the terminal device 7 has the terminal type C. Each of the terminal devices 5 to 7 has the structure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 like the terminal devices 1 to 4. For example, another terminal device 8 that functions as a controller that controls each device below the network N4 may be connected to the network N4. The terminal device 8 has a function of allocating address information to the lower terminal devices 1 to 7 like a DHCP server, for example. Moreover, terminal devices, such as a lighting fixture or a sensor, may be connected also to the network N4.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the relay device 11. The configurations of FIGS. 8 and 9 represent the relay devices 11 and 12, and the configuration of the relay device 12 is also drawn in the same way. Each of the relay devices 11 and 12 (typically described as the relay device 11 as appropriate) includes a CPU unit (central processing unit) 31, transmission / reception units 32 and 33, and a storage unit 34. The storage unit 34 is, for example, a rewritable nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and temporarily stores the address information 25 and the operation setting information 26 of the terminal devices 1 to 4 to be relayed when relaying communication.

  The transmission / reception unit 33 is an apparatus element that is connected to the upper network N4 and transmits information to the network N4 and receives information from the network N4. Similarly, the transmission / reception unit 32 is an apparatus element that is connected to the lower network N2 and transmits information to the network N2 or receives information from the network N2. The CPU unit 31 realizes various functions of the relay device 11 while controlling the storage unit 34 and the transmission / reception units 32 and 33 according to a program stored in a program memory (not shown) including a nonvolatile semiconductor memory or the like. .

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram, that is, a functional diagram showing a configuration of the relay apparatus 11 realized by mounting a program executed by the CPU unit 31 in a program memory. As shown in FIG. 9, the relay device 11 includes a type inquiry unit 36, a return transmission / reception unit 37, a terminal selection unit 38, and an operation setting information request unit 39 in addition to the storage unit 34. The functions of these device elements will be described as appropriate in the description of the flowchart described later.

(Outline of system operation)
10 and 11 are sequence diagrams showing the flow of information exchanged between the terminal devices 1 to 4 via the relay device 11 in order to explain the outline of the operation of the terminal control system 102. FIG. 10 shows the operation when the terminal devices 2 to 4 are already connected to the network N2, and the terminal device 1 is newly connected to the network N2, and FIG. 11 is connected to the network N2. The operation | movement when operation setting information is changed by the user about the terminal device 1 among the terminal devices 1-4 is shown. FIG. 10B shows a modification of FIG. 10A, and FIG. 11B shows a modification of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the terminal device 1 (corresponding to the fourth terminal device) is newly connected to the network N2, and its own address information 25 is determined before connection or after connection. The connection notification is sent to the network N2. The connection notification includes terminal type information 24 and address information 25 of the terminal device 1 itself. The terminal device 1 transmits a connection notification by designating the address of the relay device 11. For this purpose, the terminal device 1 acquires the address information of the relay device 11 from the relay device 11 in advance after being connected to the network N2. Alternatively, the terminal device 1 can also transmit the connection notification in the form of broadcast communication that does not require specifying the transmission destination. When the relay device 11 receives the connection notification, the relay device 11 transmits a type inquiry for inquiring the terminal type to the other terminal devices 2 to 4. The type inquiry includes the terminal type information 24 of the terminal device 1, but may not include the address information 25 of the terminal device 1. This is because, as will be described later, the operation setting information returned to the terminal device 1 is transmitted to the terminal device 1 via the relay device 11, so that the terminal device returning the operation setting information specifies the address of the terminal device 1. It is not necessary.

  The type inquiry may be transmitted in the form of broadcast communication for all the terminal devices 1 to 4 including the terminal device 1. The relay apparatus 11 transmits the type inquiry only to the terminal apparatuses 1 to 4 belonging to its own lower network N2, and does not transmit it to the upper network N4. Therefore, the type inquiry sent by the relay device 11 does not reach the terminal devices 5 to 7 connected to the network N3.

  Of the terminal devices 2 to 4 that have received the type inquiry, only the terminal device 2 (corresponding to the fifth terminal device) having the same terminal type information 24 as the terminal type information 24 transmitted by the terminal device 1 is the relay device 11. Reply to The reply signal includes address information 25 of the terminal device 2 that performs the reply. The relay device 11 that has received the reply signal transmits an operation setting information request for requesting the return of the operation setting information 26 to the terminal device 2 that is a reply source by designating its address. The terminal device 2 that has received the operation setting information request returns its own operation setting information 26 to the relay device 11. The relay device 11 transmits the returned operation setting information 26 to the terminal device 1 by designating its address. The terminal device 1 records the operation setting information 26 sent from the relay device 11 in the storage unit 23 as its own operation setting information 26.

  As illustrated in FIG. 10B, the terminal device 2 that has received the operation setting information request may specify its address and return its own operation setting information 26 to the terminal device 1. In this case, the relay device 11 merely relays the returned operation setting information 26 to the terminal device 1. In this case, the relay device 11 also transmits the address information 25 of the terminal device 1 that is the return destination to the terminal device 2 together with the operation setting information request. Details of the operation of the terminal control system 102 including the case where a plurality of terminal devices having the same terminal type A as the newly connected terminal device 1 are already connected to the network N2 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, among the terminal devices 1 to 4 connected to the network N2, the operation setting information 26 of the terminal device 1 (corresponding to the sixth terminal device) is changed by the user or the operator. When it is done, the terminal device 1 transmits a change notification for notifying that its own operation setting information 26 has been changed to the relay device 11. The change notification includes terminal type information 24 and address information 25 of the terminal device 1 itself. The terminal device 1 transmits a change notification by designating the address of the relay device 11. Alternatively, the terminal device 1 can also transmit the change notification in the form of broadcast communication that does not require specifying the transmission destination.

  When the relay device 11 receives the change notification, the relay device 11 transmits a type inquiry to the other terminal devices 2 to 4. The type inquiry includes the terminal type information 24 of the terminal device 1, but the address information 25 of the terminal device 1 may not be included for the reasons already described. The type inquiry may be transmitted in the form of broadcast communication for all the terminal devices 1 to 4 including the terminal device 1. The type inquiry sent by the relay device 11 does not reach the terminal devices 5 to 7 connected to the network N3, as in the case of FIG.

  Of the terminal devices 2 to 4 that have received the type inquiry, only the terminal device 2 (corresponding to the seventh terminal device) having the same terminal type information 24 as the terminal type information 24 transmitted by the terminal device 1 is the relay device 11. Reply to The reply signal includes address information 25 of the terminal device 2 that performs the reply. The relay device 11 that has received the reply signal designates the address to the terminal device 1 and transmits an operation setting information request for requesting the return of the changed operation setting information 26. The terminal device 1 that has received the operation setting information request returns the changed operation setting information 26 to the relay device 11. The relay device 11 transmits the returned operation setting information 26 by designating its address to the terminal device 2 that has returned the type inquiry. The terminal device 2 that has received the operation setting information 26 updates its own operation setting information 26 stored in the storage unit 23 with the received operation setting information 26.

  As illustrated in FIG. 11B, the terminal device 1 that has received the operation setting information request may specify its address to the terminal device 2 and return its own operation setting information 26. In this case, the relay device 11 merely relays the returned operation setting information 26 to the terminal device 2. In this case, the relay device 11 also transmits the address information 25 of the terminal device 2 that is the return destination to the terminal device 1 together with the operation setting information request. Details of the operation of the terminal control system 102 including the case where a plurality of terminal devices having the same terminal type A as the terminal device 1 whose operation setting information 26 is changed are already connected to the network N2 will be described later. To do.

(Details of system operation)
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing in detail the operation procedure of the terminal control system 102 shown in FIG. FIG. 12A shows the operation of the relay device 11, FIG. 12B shows the operation of the terminal device 1, and FIG. 12C shows the operation of the terminal devices 2-4. When the terminal device 1 is connected to the network N2 and its own address information 25 is determined before or after connection, the connection notification unit 51 of the terminal device 1 connects by specifying the address of the relay device 11 A notification is sent to the network N2 (step S51). Alternatively, the connection notification unit 51 can also transmit the connection notification in the form of broadcast communication that does not require specifying the transmission destination. The connection notification includes its own terminal type information 24 and address information 25. When receiving the connection notification (step S41), the type inquiry unit 36 of the relay device 11 sends the type inquiry to the network N2 (step S42). The type inquiry includes the terminal type information 24 of the terminal device 1 and designates addresses of all other terminal devices 2 to 4 or all terminal devices connected to the network N2 including the terminal device 1 Broadcast communication is performed so that 1 to 4 can be received.

  When receiving the type inquiry (step S61), the address information sending unit 61 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 compares the terminal type information 24 included in the type inquiry with its own terminal type information 24 (step S62). If the terminal type information 24 does not match, the address information sending unit 61 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 completes the processing (step S63), and if they match, the address of the relay device 11 is designated and a reply signal is sent to the network N2. Is transmitted (steps S63 and S64). The reply signal includes the address information 25 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 itself. In the example assumed in FIG. 12, only the terminal device 2 sends a reply because the terminal type information 24 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 matches that of the terminal device 1 only.

  When the return transmission / reception unit 37 of the relay device 11 receives a reply signal sent from all or part of the terminal devices 2 to 4 within a given time (step S43), the terminal selection unit 38 of the relay device 11 A partner from which the operation setting information 26 is to be acquired is selected (step S44). When a reply signal is sent from only a single terminal device among the terminal devices 2 to 4, the terminal selection unit 38 selects that terminal, and when a reply signal is sent from a plurality of terminal devices Select one terminal device from among them. For example, selection is performed with the first-come-first-served basis or the like as the priority, as in the case of step S3 in FIG. Next, the operation setting information request unit 39 of the relay device 11 designates the address of the terminal device selected from the terminal devices 2 to 4, and sends an operation setting information request to the network N2 (step S45). In the example assumed in FIG. 12, since only the terminal device 2 replies, the relay device 11 transmits an operation setting information request only to the terminal device 2.

  When receiving the operation setting information request (step S65), the operation setting information sending unit 62 of the terminal device 2 reads out its own operation setting information 26 from the storage unit 23, designates the address of the relay device 11, and reads out the operation. The setting information 26 is sent to the network N2 (step S66). Thereby, the processing of the terminal device 2 is completed. When the operation setting information request unit 39 of the relay apparatus 11 receives the transmitted operation setting information 26 (step S46), the operation setting information request unit 39 transmits the received operation setting information 26 to the terminal device 1 (step S47). Thereby, the processing of the relay device 11 is completed. When the operation setting information recording unit 68 of the terminal device 1 receives the operation setting information 26 sent from the relay device 11 within a given time (step S52), the received operation setting information 26 is received by the operation setting information 26 of the terminal device 1 itself. Is recorded in the storage unit 23 (step S53). When the process of step S53 ends, the process of the terminal device 1 is completed.

  When the relay apparatus 11 does not receive a reply signal within the given time in step S43, the relay apparatus 11 completes the process without making an operation setting information request or the like. If the terminal device 1 does not receive the operation setting information 26 within the given time in step S52, the terminal device 1 retains the operation setting information 26 recorded in the storage unit 23 at the time of product shipment. , Will enter the network N2.

  As an operation procedure corresponding to FIG. 10B, the operation setting information request unit 39 of the relay device 11 includes the address information 25 of the terminal device 1 to which the operation setting information 26 is to be set together with the operation setting information request in step S45. The operation setting information sending unit 62 of the terminal device 2 that has received the operation setting information request and the address information 25 can be sent to the terminal device 2 selected by the terminal selection unit 38 in step S44, and received in step S66. By specifying the address information 25, the own operation setting information 26 can be transmitted to the terminal device 1. At this time, the relay device 11 merely relays the operation setting information 26 sent from the terminal device 2 to the terminal device 1 in steps S46 and S47.

  As described above, similarly to the terminal control system 101, the terminal control system 102 automates the setting of the operation setting information 26 associated with the new connection of the terminal device 1 to the network N2, and the terminal device 2 having a common terminal type. The operation setting information 26 is selected and set as the operation setting information 26 of the terminal device 1. For this reason, the terminal control system 102 is a system in which a plurality of types of terminal devices 1 to 4 are connected to the network N2. Allows to be done quickly. Furthermore, even if a plurality of terminal devices having the same terminal type as the terminal device 1 are connected to the network N2, the terminal control system 102 transmits the operation setting information 26 to the only terminal device selected by the relay device 1. Therefore, the network N2 can be prevented from being congested. Furthermore, since a part of the functions of the terminal device 1 that newly enters (FIG. 5A) is shared by the relay device 11, the processing functions that each terminal device 1 to 4 should prepare for new entry are reduced. Is done.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing in detail the operation procedure of the terminal control system 102 shown in FIG. 13A shows the operation of the relay device 11, FIG. 13B shows the operation of the terminal device 1, and FIG. 13C shows the operation of the terminal devices 2-4. When the operation setting information 26 of the terminal device 1 is changed, the information sending unit 71 of the terminal device 1 sends a change notification to the network N2 by designating the address of the relay device 11 (step S81). Alternatively, the information sending unit 71 can also send the change notification in the form of broadcast communication that does not require specifying the transmission destination. The change notification includes its own terminal type information 24 and address information 25. When receiving the change notification (step S71), the type inquiry unit 36 of the relay device 11 sends the type inquiry to the network N2 (step S72). The type inquiry includes the terminal type information 24 of the terminal device 1, and designates the addresses of all other terminal devices 2 to 4, or all the terminal devices connected to the network N2 including the terminal device 1. Broadcast communication is performed so that 1 to 4 can be received.

  When receiving the type inquiry (step S91), the address information reply unit 75 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 compares the terminal type information 24 included in the type inquiry with its own terminal type information 24 (step S92). If the terminal type information 24 does not match, the address information return unit 75 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 completes the processing (step S93). If they match, the address information reply unit 75 specifies the address of the relay device 11 and sends a reply signal to the network N2. Is transmitted (steps S93 and S94). The reply signal includes the address information 25 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 itself. In the example assumed in FIG. 13, since the terminal type information 24 of the terminal devices 2 to 4 matches only that of the terminal device 1, only the terminal device 2 replies.

  When the return transmission / reception unit 37 of the relay device 11 receives the reply signal sent from all or part of the terminal devices 2 to 4 within a given time (step S73), the return signal transmission / reception unit 37 stores the address signal 25 included in the reply signal. The data is temporarily recorded in the unit 34 (step S74). Next, the operation setting information request unit 39 of the relay device 11 designates the address of the terminal device 1 and sends an operation setting information request to the network N2 (step S75). When the reply receiving unit 72 of the terminal device 1 receives the operation setting information request within the given time (step S82), the operation setting information returning unit 73 of the terminal device 1 receives the changed operation setting information 26. The read operation setting information 26 is read out from the storage unit 23, the address of the relay device 11 is designated, and sent to the network N2 (step S83). Thus, the terminal device 1 completes the process.

  When the operation setting information request unit 39 of the relay device 11 receives the transmitted operation setting information 26 (step S76), the operation setting information request unit 39 transmits the received operation setting information 26 to the terminal device 2 (step S77). Thereby, the processing of the relay device 11 is completed. When the operation setting information record update unit 76 of the terminal device 2 receives the operation setting information 26 (step S95), the operation setting information 26 stored in the storage unit 23 is rewritten by the received operation setting information 26 (step S96). . Thereby, the operation setting information 26 of the terminal device 2 is set to be the same as the operation setting information 26 after the change of the terminal device 1 sharing the terminal type. When the process of step S96 ends, the process of the terminal device 2 is completed.

  When the relay apparatus 11 does not receive a reply signal within the given time in step S73, the relay apparatus 11 completes the process without making an operation setting information request or the like. If the terminal device 1 does not receive the operation setting information request within the given time in step S82, the terminal device 1 completes the process without transmitting the operation setting information 26.

  As an operation procedure corresponding to FIG. 11B, the operation setting information request unit 39 of the relay device 11 reads the address information 25 of the terminal device 2 to which the operation setting information 26 should be transmitted from the storage unit 34 in step S75. It can be sent to the terminal device 1 together with the operation setting information request. When the reply receiving unit 72 of the terminal device 1 receives the operation setting information request and the address information 25, the operation setting information returning unit 73 of the terminal device 1 In S83, by specifying the received address information 25, the operation setting information 26 after the change can be transmitted to the terminal device 2. At this time, when there are a plurality of terminal devices to be transmitted, the operation setting information return unit 73 of the terminal device 1 may perform a plurality of transmissions in a unicast communication mode, but in a multicast communication mode. A single transmission may be performed. In any form, the relay device 11 merely relays the operation setting information 26 sent from the terminal device 1 to the destination terminal device in steps S76 and S77.

  As described above, similarly to the terminal control system 101, the terminal control system 102 changes the operation setting information 26 of the plurality of terminal devices 1 and 2 that share the same terminal type in one place (in the example of FIG. 13). It is automatically performed by changing the terminal device 1), thereby enabling the operation setting information 26 of a plurality of terminal devices to be easily and quickly changed without error even if not a specialist engineer. Furthermore, since the terminal control system 102 transmits the changed operation setting information 26 only to the terminal device that shares the terminal type with the terminal device 1, the terminal devices 3 and 4 that do not share the terminal type with the terminal device 1 The advantage that it is not necessary to apply the load of temporarily storing the operation setting information 26 as unnecessary information in the storage unit 23 separately from the own operation setting information 26 until the processing of steps S92 and S93 is completed. Have Furthermore, since a part of the function (FIG. 6A) of the terminal device 1 in which the operation setting information 26 is changed is shared to the relay device 11, each of the terminal devices 1 to 4 for changing the operation setting information 26. The processing functions that should be prepared are reduced.

[Modification]
(1) In each of the above-described embodiments, the example in which the operation setting information 26 is exchanged between the terminal device 1 and the terminal device 2 in which the terminal type information 24 matches is shown. However, the operation setting information 26 may be exchanged not only between terminal devices with the same terminal type information 24 but also between terminal devices with which the terminal type information 24 corresponds to each other. That is, instead of determining whether or not the terminal type information 24 to be compared in step S13 in FIG. 5, step S33 in FIG. 6, step S63 in FIG. 12, or step S93 in FIG. It may be determined whether or not they correspond. For example, even if the terminal type information 24 may not be completely matched due to different product model numbers among a plurality of lighting devices that do not interfere even if the terminal type information 24 is shared, the terminal type information 24 exists. If the ranges are identical, the terminal type information 24 may correspond to each other, and the operation setting information 26 may be exchanged between the lighting devices. To what extent the terminal type information 24 matches is determined to be “corresponding” may be set in advance for each terminal type information 24.

  (2) In the second embodiment, the relay apparatus 11 transmits the type inquiry only to the terminal apparatuses 1 to 4 belonging to its lower network N2, and does not transmit it to the upper network N4. On the other hand, it is also possible to implement a mode in which the relay device 11 transmits a type inquiry to all of the terminal devices 1 to 8 connected to the upper network N4.

It is a sequence diagram of the terminal control system by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the terminal control system by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the terminal device of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure based on the function of the terminal device of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the detailed operation | movement procedure of the terminal control system of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the detailed operation | movement procedure of the terminal control system of FIG. It is a block diagram of the terminal control system by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the relay apparatus of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure based on the function of the relay apparatus of FIG. It is a sequence diagram of the terminal control system of FIG. It is a sequence diagram of the terminal control system of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the detailed operation | movement procedure of the terminal control system of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the detailed operation | movement procedure of the terminal control system of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 to 8 Terminal devices 11 and 12 Relay device 23 Storage unit 24 Terminal type information 25 Address information 26 Operation setting information 37 Return transmission / reception unit 38 Terminal selection unit 39 Operation setting information request unit 51 Connection notification unit 52 Operation setting information return unit 53 Operation Setting information acquisition unit 54 Change notification unit 55 Operation setting information update unit 61 Address information transmission unit 62 Operation setting information transmission unit 65 Address information reception unit 66 Terminal selection unit 67 Operation setting information request unit 68 Operation setting information recording unit 71 Information transmission unit 72 Reply receiving unit 73 Operation setting information returning unit 75 Address information returning unit 76 Operation setting information record updating unit 101, 102 Terminal control system N1 to N4 network

Claims (6)

A terminal device that can be connected to a network and operates according to operation setting information that defines its own operating conditions,
A storage unit configured to store terminal type information indicating its own terminal type and store its own operation setting information;
A connection notification unit that sends the terminal type information to the network when connected to the network;
Receiving operation setting information transmitted to the network from a first terminal device different from itself having terminal type information corresponding to the transmitted terminal type information, and using the received operation setting information as its own operation setting information; An operation setting information acquisition unit to record in the storage unit,
An operation setting information return unit for transmitting its own operation setting information to the network when the terminal type information transmitted to the network by the second terminal device different from itself corresponds to its own terminal type information; A terminal device comprising the terminal device. A terminal device that can be connected to a network and operates according to operation setting information that defines its own operating conditions,
A storage unit configured to store terminal type information indicating its own terminal type and store its own operation setting information;
A change notification unit for sending the terminal type information and the changed operation setting information to the network when the operation setting information stored in the storage unit is changed;
The operation setting information received by the third terminal device different from itself having the terminal type information corresponding to the transmitted terminal type information is sent to the network, and the operation setting stored in the storage unit is received. An operation setting information update unit that updates information with the received operation setting information. A relay device capable of connecting a plurality of terminal devices including the fourth terminal device and the fifth terminal device, both of which are the terminal devices according to claim 1, and connectable to a network,
A type inquiry unit that receives the terminal type information of the fourth terminal device sent from the fourth terminal device and transmits the terminal type information to the plurality of terminals;
A return transmission / reception unit for receiving a response from the fifth terminal device having terminal type information corresponding to the transmitted terminal type information;
An operation setting information request unit that makes an operation setting information request to instruct the fifth terminal device to output operation setting information of the fifth terminal device and transmits the output operation setting information to the fourth terminal device. A relay device comprising: A relay device capable of connecting a plurality of terminal devices including the sixth terminal device and the seventh terminal device, both of which are terminal devices according to claim 2, and connectable to a network,
A type inquiry unit that receives the terminal type information of the sixth terminal device sent from the sixth terminal device and transmits the terminal type information to the plurality of terminals;
A return transmission / reception unit for receiving a response from the seventh terminal device having terminal type information corresponding to the transmitted terminal type information;
An operation setting information requesting unit that makes an operation setting information request for instructing the sixth terminal device to output operation setting information of the sixth terminal device and transmits the output operation setting information to the seventh terminal device. A relay device comprising:   A terminal control system comprising a plurality of terminal devices connected to each other via a network, each of the terminal devices being the terminal device according to claim 1.   The terminal control system according to claim 5, further comprising a relay device according to claim 3, which is interposed between a part of the plurality of terminal devices and the network.

Images