JP2005252770A - Electric lamp line communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the defect that it is difficult to easily upgrade a program when a software program of an equipment adapter for controlling electric equipment corresponds to unassumed electric equipment, because the software program is required to be a program that corresponds to all electric equipment whose connection is assumed. <P>SOLUTION: When the power is supplied, identification information of electric equipment 2 to which the equipment adapter 1 itself is connected is acquired, and the identification information is used to download a program from a home gateway 3 to thereby upgrade the program each time the power is supplied, a work required for maintenance is reduced. In addition, since a program scale can be made small by downloading only a program for specific equipment, the memory of the equipment adapter can be saved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a power line communication system that reduces the work required for version upgrade and maintenance of a software program for controlling electrical equipment connected to a network in a communication network that controls electric equipment by communication using a power line. is there.

  In recent years, IT technology has been developed, and various electric devices are connected to a communication network, and an environment in which each device is controlled by remote communication has been established. In general households, home network systems in which home appliances are connected to each other and automatically or remotely controlled for the purpose of energy saving and home security are becoming widespread.

  For devices connected to the network, software is upgraded and maintenance is performed by downloading software from a central management device such as a management server using a public line or a dedicated line. However, in an embedded device that does not have an operation system and cannot be easily updated, such as a personal computer, it is difficult to upgrade or maintain the software after manufacture and shipment.

In a power line communication system using a conventional embedded device, a device for controlling an electrical device is shipped with a control program corresponding to a plurality of electrical devices that are supposed to be connected mounted in a nonvolatile memory. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). However, in the conventional power line communication system, it is necessary to modify the program installed in the equipment after shipment, and when upgrading the version, the shipped device is collected, and an expert who is familiar with the device updates the program. There was a problem that had to be done. In addition, when an unexpected electric device is connected, there is a similar problem when a control program corresponding to the electric device is updated.
JP 2003-283503 A

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-described problems of the conventional technology, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a power line communication system that reduces the work required for version upgrade and maintenance of a software program for controlling an electric device connected to a network. There is to do.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the power line communication system of the present invention is connected to an electrical device that holds its own identification information by a power wire, and controls the electrical device via the power wire, A home gateway that is connected to a device adapter via a power line and supplies the application program required by the device adapter via power line communication, and the device adapter downloads an application program for controlling the electrical device to the home gateway. The configuration is as required.

  With this configuration, the equipment adapter can control the electrical equipment by acquiring identification information held by the electrical equipment and using the information to download a control program corresponding to the electrical equipment from the home gateway.

The second invention is a power line communication system in which the device adapter according to the first invention is provided with a signal transmission unit for transmitting a signal requesting downloading of an application program for controlling the electric device to the home gateway when power supply is started. . With this configuration, the device adapter can automatically transmit a download request signal for an application program that controls the electrical device when it is supplied with power, which improves usability.

  A third invention is a power line communication system in which a volatile memory for storing an application program downloaded from a home gateway is provided in the device adapter of the first invention or the second invention. With this configuration, since the application program is not always stored in the device adapter, the device adapter is compatible with the electrical device connected each time and can be used for general purposes.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is a non-volatile method for storing an initial operation program for transmitting a signal requesting download of an application program for controlling an electric device to a home gateway in any of the device adapters according to the first to third aspects of the invention. A power line communication system provided with a memory.

  With this configuration, the initial operation program necessary for communicating identification information is stored in the non-volatile memory separately from the application program, so that it can be made simple and inexpensive with a small capacity. It can be done without being affected when checking.

  A fifth invention is a power line communication system in which identification information / symbol storage means for storing individual identification numbers or symbols is provided in any of the device adapters of the first invention to the fourth invention. With this configuration, even when a plurality of electrical devices are connected, the device adapter can download a necessary application program and appropriately control it.

  In a sixth aspect based on any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect, the device adapter transmits the individual identification number or symbol stored in the identification information / symbol storage means to the home gateway, The power line communication system downloads an application program corresponding to the individual identification number or symbol to the device adapter.

  With this configuration, the device adapter can accurately download and control the application program even when a plurality of electrical devices are connected.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power line communication system including a plurality of device adapters according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein each device adapter has an identification number / symbol storage means for storing a common identification number or symbol. It is. With this configuration, the device adapter can download and control an application program necessary for each electrical device even if a plurality of groups of electrical devices having different control forms are connected.

  In an eighth aspect based on the seventh aspect, the device adapter transmits the common identification number or symbol stored in the identification number / symbol storage means to the home gateway at the start of power supply, and the home gateway is transmitted The power line communication system downloads an application program to the device adapter only when the identification number or symbol matches a predetermined identification number or symbol stored in advance.

  With this configuration, the device adapter can accurately download and control an application program even if a plurality of groups of electrical devices having different control forms are connected.

According to a ninth invention, in any one of the first to eighth inventions, the device adapter is provided with an external input switch, and when the external input switch is inputted, the home gateway is requested to download an application program. It is an electric power line communication system which has a signal transmission part which transmits a signal. With this configuration, the request for downloading the application program can be made efficiently by the input of the external input switch only when the electric device is used.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the device adapter sets a delay time until the home gateway transmits a signal requesting download of an application program for controlling the electric device. It is the power line communication system set to a different value by the equipment adapter. With this configuration, each device adapter has a time difference in the request signal for downloading the application program after recovery from the power failure, for example, and stable signal communication can be performed.

  As described above, the power line communication system of the present invention can acquire the latest software program corresponding to the electrical equipment connected to the equipment adapter, and can reduce the work required for software upgrade and maintenance.

(Embodiment 1)
In FIG. 1, the device adapter 1 is a control device that controls the electric device 2 by connecting to the electric device 2 through a power line 31. The home gateway 3 is a control device that is connected to the device adapter 1 by the power line 31 and controls the device adapter 1. The management server 4 is a control device that controls the home gateway 3 by connecting to the home gateway 3 through a public line or a dedicated line 100.

  The device adapter 1 is supplied with power by an identification information / symbol storage means 10a for holding its own identification information and a power plug 30 connected to a power outlet provided on the wall through a power line 31 embedded in a building or the like. When received, it has a communication means 12a as a signal transmission unit for performing power line communication, a non-volatile memory 20a for holding an initial operation program, and a volatile memory 21 for holding an application program corresponding to the connected electric device 2.

  Here, the initial operation program is a program having a function of performing power line communication with the electric device 2 and the home gateway 3, respectively, and does not include a program for controlling the electric device 2. Therefore, the non-volatile memory 20a holds an initial operation program necessary for communicating predetermined information with the electrical device 2 and the home gateway 3, and is separated from the volatile memory 21, so that it has a small capacity and is simple. In addition to being able to reduce the cost, the application program that changes each time the electrical equipment 2 connected to the equipment adapter 1 changes can be maintained in quality without being affected by a check due to a problem.

  The electric device 2 includes an identification information / symbol storage unit 10 b that holds its own identification information, and a communication unit 12 b that performs power line communication using the power line 31. The home gateway 3 communicates with the identification information / symbol storage unit 10c that holds its own identification information, and the power line communication with the power plug 30, and communicates with the management server 4 using the public line or the dedicated line 100. And a program management means 11c for managing application programs downloaded from the management server 4.

After downloading the application program requested from the device adapter 1 from the management server 4, the program management unit 11 c manages it with a storage device that can hold data even when the power supply to the nonvolatile memory 20 c stops. Further, the program management unit 11c has a function of confirming program update to the management server 4 periodically or when there is a request for downloading an application program from the device adapter 1, and holding the latest version of the application program.

  The management server 4 supplies identification information / symbol storage means 10d for holding its own individual identification information, communication means 12d for communicating with the home gateway 3 using the public line or dedicated line 100, and supply to the home gateway 3. It has a program management means 11d for managing the program.

  About the power line communication system comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement is demonstrated using FIG. 2 which shows the control flow.

  First, the device adapter 1 proceeds to S2 when power supply is started in step (hereinafter referred to as S) 1, and automatically performs power line communication from the electrical device 2 connected to the device adapter 1 by the initial operation program. The identification information of the electric device 2 is acquired and checked in S3. Then, the device adapter 1 having acquired the identification information in S3 proceeds to S4 and notifies the home gateway 3 of the identification information of the electric device 2 and the identification information of the device adapter 1 itself.

  The home gateway 3 that has received the notification of the identification information proceeds to S5 and checks the existence of the latest program corresponding to the identification information by the program management unit 11c. And if the newest program according to the identification information of the electric equipment 2 can be selected by S5, it will progress to S6 and will start downloading to the equipment adapter 1. However, if there is no latest program corresponding to the identification information of the electrical device in S5, the home gateway 3 notifies the management server 4 of the identification information in S8, and the process proceeds to S9 to download the program corresponding to the identification information from the management server 4. Then, the process returns to S5. When the download of the program for controlling the electric device 2 is completed, the device adapter 1 proceeds to S7 and becomes a device for controlling the electric device 2 and starts control.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the device adapter 1 that is not preinstalled with a program for controlling the electrical device automatically acquires the application program corresponding to the electrical device after the electrical device 2 is connected, thereby obtaining the electrical device. Since the device is controlled, it is possible to reduce the work required for upgrading the software of the device and for maintenance.

  In addition, the device adapter 1 connected to the electrical device 2 automatically receives an application program when it is supplied with power by a power plug 30 connected to a power outlet provided on the wall through a power line 31 embedded in a building or the like. Convenient to acquire.

  Further, since the device adapter 1 develops the latest program corresponding to the downloaded electric device in the volatile memory 21 and is not always stored in the device adapter 1, when the device adapter 1 is connected to another electric device, the connection is made. It becomes an equipment adapter corresponding to the electrical equipment, and can be used for general purposes. And since only the control program corresponding to each electric equipment is acquired individually, the scale of the software which the apparatus which controls an electric equipment hold | maintains can be reduced, and memory consumption can be reduced.

  In addition, since the device adapter 1 holds an initial operation program necessary for communicating identification information with the electric device 2 and the home gateway 3 in the nonvolatile memory 20a and is separated from the volatile memory 21, the device adapter 1 has a small capacity. In addition to being simple and inexpensive, the application program that changes each time the electric device 2 connected to the device adapter 1 changes can maintain the quality without being affected by a check due to a problem.

In this embodiment, only one device adapter 1 connected to the home gateway 3 has been described. However, even if there are a plurality of device adapters 1, it is possible to expect the same effect as that of this embodiment. And
The plurality of device adapters 1 is a comparison between device adapters connected to electrical devices having different control forms, for example, home appliances that require complex control such as microwave ovens and televisions, and ON / OFF of lighting fixtures, electric locks, etc. In addition to the numbers or symbols that are the individual identification information described in the above embodiment, the device adapter connected to the facility device that may be simple control can be replaced with the identification information / symbol as the common identification information number or symbol. Similarly, in the home gateway 3, common identification information other than individual identification information is also stored in the identification information / symbol storage means 10 c, and the application program is used only when both identification information matches. Can be downloaded to the device adapter to identify the electrical devices with different control forms step by step. It is possible to obtain a beam.

  The device adapter 1 is a method of automatically downloading an application program necessary for the connected electrical device from the home gateway 3 when receiving power supply. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and FIG. As shown in the figure, an external input switch 5 is provided in the device adapter 1, and when the external input switch 5 is closed and a signal is input artificially, a signal for requesting download of an application program from the home gateway 3 is transmitted by the communication means 12a. Even if it is a manual method of transmitting, it is possible to expect the same effect as the present embodiment.

  Furthermore, in the control of the electric device 2 by the device adapter 1, when a power failure occurs and then the power failure is restored, a plurality of device adapters 1 connected to the home gateway 3 are simultaneously connected to the home gateway 3. It is conceivable to access and request the required software download. At this time, it is expected that signal collision occurs between each device adapter 1 and the home gateway 3 and communication is not established.

  As a countermeasure, a method is used in which a delay is generated in the timing of accessing the home gateway 3 from the identification information held in the identification number / symbol storage means 10a possessed by each device adapter 1 and communication is established by avoiding signal collision. May be.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, by downloading the necessary software from the home gateway 3 when the device adapter 1 supplies power, the work required for upgrading the software and maintaining the device adapter 1 can be reduced.

  The power line communication system of the present invention can reduce the work required for software upgrade and maintenance, and is useful for a communication network system for controlling electric devices using power line communication.

The figure which shows the whole structure of the power line communication system in Embodiment 1 of this invention. In the power line communication system according to the first embodiment, after the device adapter is turned on, the flowchart until the control of the connected electrical device is started.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Apparatus adapter 2 Electrical apparatus 3 Home gateway 4 Management server 5 External input switch 10a, 10c Identification information and symbol memory | storage means 12a Communication means (signal transmission part)
20 Nonvolatile memory 21 Volatile memory 31 Power line

Claims (10)

A device adapter connected to an electric device holding its own identification information by a power line and controlling the electric device via the power line, and a software connected to the device adapter by a power line, and the device adapter being required And a home gateway that supplies the program by power line communication, and the device adapter requests the home gateway to download an application program for controlling the electric device. 2. The power line communication system according to claim 1, wherein the device adapter includes a signal transmission unit that transmits a signal requesting download of an application program for controlling the electrical device to the home gateway when power supply is started. 3. The power line communication system according to claim 1, wherein the device adapter has a volatile memory for storing an application program downloaded from the home gateway. The power line communication according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the device adapter includes a non-volatile memory that stores an initial operation program that transmits a signal requesting the home gateway to download an application program that controls the electric device. system. The power line communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the device adapter has identification information / symbol storage means for storing individual identification numbers or symbols. The device adapter transmits the individual identification number or symbol stored in the identification information / symbol storage means to the home gateway, and the home gateway downloads an application program corresponding to the individual identification number or symbol to the device adapter. The power line communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The power line communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a plurality of device adapters are provided, and each device adapt has an identification number / symbol storage means for storing a common identification number or symbol. The device adapter transmits the common identification number or symbol stored in the identification number / symbol storage means to the home gateway at the start of power supply, and the home gateway sends the transmitted identification number or symbol to the predetermined stored in advance. The power line communication system according to claim 7, wherein the application program is downloaded to the device adapter only when it matches the identification number or symbol. The device adapter includes an external input switch, and when the external input switch is input, the device adapter includes a signal transmission unit that transmits a signal requesting download of an application program to the home gateway. A power line communication system according to claim 1. 10. The device adapter according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a delay time until a signal requesting download of an application program for controlling an electric device is transmitted to the home gateway is set to a different value for each device adapter. The power line communication system described.

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