JP2009074906A - Data collector and assembling method of data collector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To house electronic components necessary for collecting environmental information in a housing of a simple structure while enhancing work efficiency. <P>SOLUTION: In this data collector, a plurality of the electronic components necessary for information collection are previously mounted to a fixation plate 40. These electronic components are housed in the housing 31 by slide-inserting the fixation plate 40 thereinto from the bottom side with its edges at both sides sandwiched between rails 33e of the housing 31, respectively. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a data collection device and an assembling method thereof, and more particularly, to a data collection device and an assembling method thereof for collecting surrounding environmental information.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a data collection device that is installed outdoors and collects ambient environment information (such as sunlight, temperature, humidity, and camera images). This type of data collection apparatus accommodates various electronic components inside the housing in order to collect information from detection means such as sensors and cameras, and to perform internal processing related to the collected information.
JP 2007-199368 A

  However, according to the conventional method, the individual electronic components are individually attached to the internal space of the housing, so that the internal shape of the housing becomes complicated, and fixing parts are separately required. When the number of electronic parts is large, there is a disadvantage that workability is deteriorated. In addition, it is necessary to perform wiring between the electronic components after mounting the individual electronic components in the housing, and work is performed in the housing, so that workability is poor. In addition, when individual electronic components are accommodated in or removed from the housing, the individual electronic components must be handled individually, which complicates work.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to accommodate electronic components necessary for collecting environmental information in a housing with a simple structure and to improve workability thereof. It is.

  In order to solve such a problem, the first invention provides a data collection device that collects surrounding environmental information. Such a data collection device includes a plurality of electronic components necessary for collecting environmental information, a fixed plate on which wiring between the electronic components is performed, and a housing that houses the fixed plate. Here, the housing is a cylindrical member having at least a bottom opening, and a pair of groove-like rail portions extending in the axial direction are formed at opposite positions of the inner wall portion. The edge portions are respectively held by the rail portions, and are inserted into the housing by being slid from the bottom side.

  Here, in the first invention, the housing is preferably provided with an antenna unit for transmitting the collected environmental information to the outside and an antenna cover for housing the antenna unit.

  In the first invention, the housing preferably has a bottom plate portion that seals the bottom opening.

  The second invention provides a method of assembling a data collection device for collecting environmental information. In this method of assembling the data collection apparatus, a plurality of electronic components necessary for collecting environmental information are fixed to a fixed plate, and a first step of wiring between the electronic components and a cylindrical shape having at least a bottom portion opened. And a second step for accommodating the fixing plate of the first step inside a housing in which a pair of groove-like rail portions extending in the axial direction is formed at opposite positions of the inner wall portion. . Here, the second step is a step in which the edge portions on both sides of the fixing plate are respectively held between the rail portions and are slid and inserted from the bottom side of the housing.

  Here, in the second invention, before the second step, an antenna unit for transmitting the collected environmental information to the outside and an antenna cover for housing the antenna unit are respectively attached to the upper portion of the housing. A third step may be further included.

  Moreover, it is desirable that the second invention further includes a fourth step of attaching a bottom plate portion for sealing the bottom opening of the housing after the second step.

  When the number of electronic components is large, it is not easy to individually accommodate each electronic component in the housing, but it is only necessary to accommodate a fixed plate in which the electronic components are pre-assembled in the housing. The electronic component can be easily accommodated. In addition, wiring between electronic components in the housing is poor in workability, but it is only necessary to perform wiring between electronic components on a fixed plate before insertion into the housing, so that workability can be improved. it can. In addition, a rail portion corresponding to the fixed plate may be provided inside the housing, and an attachment structure and attachment parts corresponding to individual electronic components are not required, and a simple housing structure can be obtained. Further, when a failure occurs in an electronic component or maintenance, all the electronic components can be handled collectively by removing the fixing plate from the housing, thereby improving workability. it can.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a crop cultivation support system 1 to which a data collection device 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The crop cultivation support system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a farmer computer (hereinafter referred to as “farmer PC”) 2 provided on the farmer's worker side, a data collection device 3 provided on the farmland, and a tabulation / analyzer side. The server 4 is mainly configured. In this crop cultivation support system 1, the farmer PC 2, the data collection device 3, and the server 4 are configured to be able to communicate information with each other via an electric communication line 5 such as the Internet.

  The farmer-side PC 2 is configured by a general-purpose information processing device such as a personal computer, a mobile phone, or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). This farmer-side PC 2 browses or downloads various information (specifically, collected data) held by the data collection device 3 or the server 4 via the telecommunication line 5 or collects data via the telecommunication line 5. The apparatus 3 can be operated remotely.

  The data collection device 3 is installed in the farmland where the crop is cultivated, and collects information related to farming and the crop on the farmland. The data collection device 3 can perform information communication with the farmer-side PC 2 or the server 4 through the electric communication line 5 by performing wireless communication with an access point (not shown). Details of the data collection device 3 will be described later.

  The server 4 is configured by a general-purpose information processing device such as a workstation. This server receives information detected by the data collection device 3, aggregates the received information in a predetermined format for each farm, and analyzes the aggregated information using an analysis method such as statistical processing. It is possible to extract information related to the optimal growth conditions for the farmland and the crop, and to realize a function of transmitting the totaled information or the extracted information to the farmer PC 2.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of the data collection device 3 according to the present embodiment. The data collection device 3 is mainly composed of a main body unit 30. The main unit 30 includes a housing 31 having a substantially quadrangular prism shape and leg portions 32 that support the housing 31. A part of the leg 32 is embedded in the ground, and the housing 31 (the main unit 30 itself) is installed on the farmland via the leg 32.

  The housing 31 houses therein a plurality of electronic components necessary for information collection, and is mainly composed of a main body portion 33, a bottom plate portion 35, and an antenna cover 36. The main body portion 33 and the bottom plate portion 35 are made of metal from the viewpoint of securing the strength of the data collection device 3, and the antenna cover 36 is made of resin from the viewpoint of not hindering the radio wave characteristics of the antenna. .

  As shown in FIG. 3, the main body 33 is a cylindrical member having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, and includes four side wall portions 33 a to 33 d. In these side wall portions 33a to 33d, the three side wall portions 33a to 33c having a substantially U-shaped cross section are integrally formed with each other, and the remaining side wall portion 33d is formed with respect to these side wall portions 33a to 33c. It is configured to be detachable. Of the three side wall portions 33a to 33c formed integrally with each other, the pair of side wall portions 33b and 33c facing each other has a groove-like shape extending in the axial direction of the main body portion 33 at a corresponding position of the inner wall portion. Rail portions 33e are respectively formed. The pair of rail portions 33e hold the fixing plate 40 by holding the edge portions on both sides of the fixing plate 40 accommodated in the housing 31 (main body portion 33), and the housing 31 (main body portion). 33) guides the slide of the fixing plate 40 that can be inserted and removed. The main body 33 is open at both ends corresponding to the top and bottom.

  The bottom plate portion 35 is disposed on the bottom portion of the main body portion 33, and has a function of sealing the bottom opening of the main body portion 33 and a function of holding the fixing plate 40 accommodated in the housing 31. Further, the bottom plate portion 35 also has a function of connecting the leg portion 32 and the housing 31 described above. On the other hand, the antenna cover 36 is disposed on the upper portion of the main body portion 33 and has a function of sealing the upper opening of the main body portion 33. The antenna cover 36 is configured to correspond in shape to the appearance of the antenna unit 50 (see FIGS. 6 and 7 described later), and has a function of housing the antenna unit 50 and covering it. ing.

  FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing the state of the fixing plate 40 and the electronic component. Individual electronic components accommodated in the housing 31 are fixed to a fixed plate 40, and wiring between the individual electronic components is performed. In the present embodiment, as electronic components necessary for information collection, a CPU board 41 including a wireless card in addition to a CPU and a memory, a data collection board 42 that collects data by acquiring signals from a sensor and a camera, Examples thereof include an AC / DC power supply 43 and a DC / DC power supply 44 that supply power to various electronic components. In addition to this, a noise filter 45 that removes noise of a signal input to the data collection board 42, a surge protector 46 that protects electronic components from abnormal voltages, and a cable that connects to a sensor or camera are physically connected. Examples include a sensor interface 47 and a power interface 48 to which a cable connected to an external power source is physically connected. Furthermore, an external air intake fan 49 and a temperature / humidity sensor 60 are attached to the fixed plate 40. The outside air intake fan 49 is a fan for taking in the outside air for detection to the temperature / humidity sensor 60, and the temperature / humidity sensor 60 is provided in the vicinity of the outside air intake fan 49. The temperature and humidity of the outside air taken in by the fan 49 are detected.

  An opening 30f (see FIG. 2) is formed in the main body 33 of the housing 31. The opening 30 f is formed to take outside air into the housing 31 by the outside air taking-in fan 49 attached to the fixed plate 40. By the way, in order to accurately detect the temperature and humidity of the outside air, it is necessary to detect the air whose height from the ground is within a predetermined range, and therefore the main body 33 according to the detection range. The position of the opening 30f is set. On the other hand, the outside air intake fan 49 has a discharge port (not shown) so that the outside air taken in is discharged outside the housing 31 from the viewpoint of suppressing deterioration of the internal environment of the housing 31 due to the outside air taken in. The fixing plate 40 is disposed so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the formed bottom plate portion 35. For this reason, the housing 31 is provided with a guide pipe 51 (see FIG. 7 described later) for guiding the outside air from the opening 30f to the outside air intake fan 49 (temperature / humidity sensor 60). This induction pipe is formed of a member having excellent heat insulation so that thermal influence does not reach between the taken-in outside air and the inside air of the housing 31.

  A display window 33g (see FIG. 2) is formed in the main body 33 of the housing 31. A display unit 52 (see FIG. 4) is attached to the inside of the main body 33 in correspondence with the display window 33g, and necessary information displayed by the display unit 52 is displayed via the display window 33g. Can be confirmed. The display unit 52 is electrically connected to electronic components such as a CPU board 41 fixed to the fixed plate 40.

  An antenna unit 50 is disposed on the upper portion of the main body 33 of the housing 31. The antenna unit 50 includes an antenna 50a and a plate-like antenna reflection plate 50b. The antenna reflecting plate 50b is attached so as to cover the upper opening of the main body 33, and the antenna 50a is provided in an upright state on the upper surface thereof. The antenna reflecting plate 50b is made of a member having excellent radio wave reflection characteristics, thereby preventing a situation in which radio waves are disturbed by the metal main body 33. The antenna 50 a of the antenna unit 50 is electrically connected to electronic components such as a CPU board 41 that is fixed to the fixing plate 40.

  The main unit 30 having such a configuration is connected to detection means for detecting information on the farmland and the crops in the farmland. In the present embodiment, the detection means corresponds to the temperature / humidity sensors 60 and 61 and the camera unit 62.

  The temperature / humidity sensors 60 and 61 are sensors for detecting temperature and humidity, and a platinum resistance thermometer type (temperature), a capacitive polymer type (humidity), and the like can be used. As described above, the temperature / humidity sensor 60 is fixed to the fixing plate 40 housed in the housing 31, and detects the temperature and humidity in the farmland from the outside air taken in by the outside air taking-in fan 49. As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature / humidity sensor 61 is attached to a column 38 disposed on the farmland independently of the main unit 30, and detects the temperature and humidity on the farmland.

  The camera unit 62 is attached to the column 38 as shown in FIG. The camera unit 62 incorporates an image sensor (not shown) such as a CCD or CMOS sensor, for example, and takes an image of a farmland and a landscape including agricultural products on the farmland and outputs this as an image signal. The camera unit 62 operates by receiving power from a power source such as a solar panel, a 100V power source, a 12V battery, or the like.

In addition, a soil temperature sensor, a soil moisture sensor, a soil EC sensor, a solar radiation amount sensor, a CO2 sensor, and the like may be connected to the main unit 30 as detection means. Here, the soil temperature sensor is a sensor that detects the soil temperature in the farmland. The soil moisture sensor is a sensor that detects soil moisture in farmland. For example, an electrical resistance type sensor can be used. The soil EC sensor is a sensor that detects the fertilizer content tendency existing in the soil of farmland using electrical conductivity. The solar radiation amount sensor is a sensor for detecting the total solar radiation amount on the ground surface, and a thermocouple type or the like can be used. CO2 sensor is a sensor for detecting the CO ₂ concentration, or the like can be used individual polymer type.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram functionally showing the configuration of the data collection device 3. The data collection device 3 (specifically, the main unit 30) having such a hardware configuration, when viewed functionally, has a data control unit 3a, a data collection unit 3b, a data calculation unit 3c, and data It has a storage unit 3d, a data display unit 3e, a wireless communication control unit 3f, a wireless communication unit 3g, a sensor interface (sensor I / F) unit 3h, and a power supply unit 3i.

  The data control unit 3a performs numerical calculation, information processing, device control, and the like, and comprehensively controls the operation of the data collection device 3. In relation to the present embodiment, the data control unit 3a stores information generated by the data calculation unit 3c in the data storage unit 3d or displays it on the data display unit 3e. In addition, the data control unit 3a reads information stored in the data storage unit 3d and outputs the information to the wireless communication control unit 3f.

  The data collection unit 3b automatically collects sensor signals from various sensors including the temperature / humidity sensors 60 and 61 and image signals from the camera unit 62 through the sensor I / F unit 3h at a preset cycle. To do. The data collected by the data collection unit 3b is output to the data calculation unit 3c.

  The data calculation unit 3c converts a sensor signal (voltage value, etc.) into a predetermined format (for example, temperature) that can be understood by the user for each of various signals output from the data collection unit 3b. By doing so, data (hereinafter referred to as “collected data”) is generated. The collected data generated in the data calculation unit 3c is output to the data control unit 3a.

  The data storage unit 3d has a function of storing collected data. The collected data output from the data calculation unit 3c to the data control unit 3a is stored in the data storage unit 3d by the data control unit 3a. In the data storage unit 3d, for each collected data, together with the data, for example, the time and date when the data is acquired are stored in association with each other.

  The data display unit 3e is controlled by the data control unit 3a to display the collected data output from the data calculation unit 3c and various information such as the current operation status. With this data display unit 3e, the collected data can be browsed in real time and the operation status can be grasped on the farmland.

  The wireless communication control unit 3f collects a predetermined amount of collected data stored in the data storage unit 3d with respect to the data control unit 3a at every predetermined time (for example, collected data not transmitted to the server 4). Request. When the wireless communication control unit 3f acquires the collected data from the data control unit 3a, the wireless communication control unit 3f transmits the collected data to the server 4 by transmitting the collected data to the designated access point via the wireless communication unit 3g. To do. In addition, when the wireless communication control unit 3f receives a collection data transmission request from the farmer-side PC 2 via the wireless communication unit 3g, the wireless communication control unit 3f displays the collected data for a predetermined period specified in the transmission request as the data control unit 3a. To request. When the wireless communication control unit 3f acquires the collected data from the data control unit 3a, the wireless communication control unit 3f transmits the collected data to the designated access point via the wireless communication unit 3g, thereby transmitting the transmission request to the farmer PC 2 that has transmitted the transmission request. The collected data is transmitted.

  The wireless communication unit 3g has an antenna function for performing wireless communication.

  The sensor I / F unit 3h transmits sensor signals from various sensors including the temperature / humidity sensors 60 and 61 and an image signal from the camera unit 62 to the data collection unit 3b.

  The power source unit 3i receives power from a power source such as a solar panel, a 100V power source, and a 12V battery, thereby supplying power to each electronic component and controlling the power state.

  Here, the individual functions listed as the data control unit 3a, the data calculation unit 3c, the data storage unit 3d, and the wireless communication control unit 3f are executed by the CPU board 41 shown in FIG. The functions listed as the data collection unit 3b are executed by the data collection board 42 shown in FIG. The functions listed as the data display unit 3e are executed by the display unit 52 shown in FIG. 7, and the functions mentioned as the wireless communication unit 3g are executed by the antenna unit 50 shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. . The functions listed as the sensor I / F unit 3h are executed by the sensor interface 47 shown in FIG. The functions mentioned as the power supply unit 3i are executed by the AC / DC power supply 43, the DC / DC power supply 44, and the power supply interface 48 shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the assembly process of the main body unit 30 which comprises the data collection device 3 concerning this embodiment is demonstrated. This assembly process is classified into first to third processes. Here, the guide pipe 51 and the display unit 52 are assembled to the main body 33 of the housing 31.

  In the first step, first, the antenna unit 50 is assembled by fixing the antenna 50a to the antenna reflection plate 50b. Next, the antenna reflector 50b is disposed so as to cover the upper opening of the main body 33, and the antenna unit 50 is attached to the upper portion of the main body 33 by a method such as screwing. Then, the antenna cover 36 is covered from the upper part of the antenna unit 50, and the antenna cover 36 is attached to the upper part of the main body 33 so that the periphery of the antenna unit 50 is covered. The antenna cover 36 is fixed by screws from below the antenna reflecting plate 50b.

  Next, in the second step, the edges of both sides of the fixing plate 40 are respectively held between the opposing rail portions 33 e of the main body portion 33, and the fixing plate 40 is slid and inserted from the bottom side of the housing 31. As a result, the fixing plate 40 is accommodated inside the housing 31. As a premise for inserting the fixing plate 40 into the housing 31, necessary electronic components are fixed to the fixing plate 40, and wiring between the electronic components is performed in advance. That is, at the stage where the fixing plate 40 is slid and inserted into the housing 31, necessary electronic components are already assembled to the fixing plate 40. When the fixing plate 40 is inserted, the antenna unit 50 and the display unit 52 are electrically connected to the CPU board 41. This electrical connection can be easily made by removing the side wall 33 d from the main body 33 even after the fixing plate 40 is inserted into the main body 33.

  In the third step, the bottom plate portion 35 is attached to the bottom portion of the main body portion 33 so as to cover the opening.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, a plurality of electronic components necessary for information collection are assembled in advance on the fixing plate 40, and these electronic components are connected to the rail portions 33 e of the housing 31 at the edges on both sides of the fixing plate 40. Are accommodated in the housing 31 by being slid and inserted from the bottom side.

  According to such a configuration, when the number of electronic components is large, it is not easy to individually accommodate the individual electronic components in the housing 31, but the electronic components are assembled to the fixing plate 40 on which the electronic components are assembled in advance. Therefore, the electronic component can be easily accommodated. In addition, wiring between the electronic components in the housing 31 is poor in workability, but wiring between the electronic components may be performed on the fixed plate 40 before insertion into the housing 31, thereby improving workability. Can be planned. Moreover, the rail part 33e corresponding to the fixing plate 40 may be provided inside the housing 31, and an attachment structure and attachment parts corresponding to individual electronic components are not required, and a simple housing structure can be achieved. Further, when a failure occurs in an electronic component or maintenance, all the electronic components can be handled collectively by removing the fixing plate 40 from the housing 31, thereby improving workability. be able to.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the housing 31 (specifically, the main body 33) is provided with an antenna unit 50 for transmitting the collected environmental information to the outside, and an antenna that houses the antenna unit 50. A cover 36 is attached. For this reason, by inserting the fixing plate 40 from the bottom side of the housing 31, the fixing plate 40 can be inserted and removed without removing the antenna unit 50 and the antenna cover 36. Moreover, since the antenna unit 50 and the antenna cover 36 do not need to be removed each time when the bottom side of the housing 31 is used as an insertion / extraction port for the fixing plate 40, the air tightness on the upper side of the housing 31 can be improved. Thereby, even if it is a case where it installs outdoors, it can be set as the structure which improves the waterproofness inside the housing 31. FIG.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the housing 31 has the bottom plate portion 35 that seals the bottom opening. According to this configuration, the fixed plate 40 that is slid and inserted therein can be held by the bottom plate portion 35.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. The data collection device 3 may perform wired communication other than wireless communication. Further, the data collection device 3 according to the present invention can be used in a system without the server 4 or in a system directly connected to the server 4.

  Moreover, in each embodiment mentioned above, although the data collection device 3 collects the information regarding a farmland and the crop in this farmland, this invention is not limited to this, Generally collects outdoor environmental information widely It can be applied as a data collection device.

The block diagram which shows the whole structure of the crop cultivation assistance system 1 to which the data collection device 3 is applied. The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the data collection device 3 typically Sectional drawing which shows the housing 31 of the data collection device 3 typically Side view schematically showing states of fixing plate 40 and electronic component Functional block diagram of the configuration of the data collection device 3 Explanatory drawing of the assembly process of the main body unit 30 which comprises the data collection device 3. Explanatory drawing of the assembly process of the main body unit 30 which comprises the data collection device 3.

Explanation of symbols

1 Crop development support system 2 PC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Data collection device 3a Data control part 3b Data collection part 3c Data operation part 3d Data storage part 3e Data display part 3f Wireless communication control part 3g Wireless communication part 3h Sensor I / F part 3i Power supply part 4 Server 5 Electric communication line 30 Main body Unit 31 Housing 32 Leg portion 33 Main body portion 33a Side wall portion 33b Side wall portion 33c Side wall portion 33d Side wall portion 33e Rail portion 30f Opening 33g Display window 35 Bottom plate portion 36 Antenna cover 38 Support column 40 Fixing plate 41 CPU board 42 Data collection board 43 AC / DC power supply 44 DC / DC power supply 45 Noise filter 46 Surge protector 47 Sensor interface 48 Power supply interface 49 Fan for taking in outside air 50 Antenna unit 50a Antenna 50b Antenna reflector 51 Induction pipe 52 Display Knit 60 temperature and humidity sensor 61 temperature and humidity sensor 62 camera unit

Claims (6)

In a data collection device that collects ambient environmental information,
A plurality of electronic components necessary for collecting the environmental information are fixed, and a fixing plate on which wiring between the electronic components is performed,
A housing for accommodating the fixing plate therein,
The housing is a cylindrical member having at least a bottom opening, and a pair of groove-like rail portions extending in the axial direction are formed at opposing positions of the inner wall portion,
The data collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixing plate is housed in the housing by having both side edges sandwiched between the rail portions and slidingly inserted from the bottom side.   The data according to claim 1, wherein an antenna unit for transmitting the collected environmental information to the outside and an antenna cover for housing the antenna unit are attached to the housing. Collection device.   The data collection device according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a bottom plate portion that seals the bottom opening. In an assembly method of a data collection device for collecting environmental information,
A first step of fixing a plurality of electronic components necessary for collecting the environmental information to a fixed plate, and wiring between the electronic components;
The first step fixing plate is accommodated in a housing in which a pair of groove-like rail portions extending in the axial direction is formed at opposite positions of the inner wall portion, and is a cylindrical member having at least a bottom opening. And a second step to
The method of assembling a data collection device, wherein the second step is a step of holding the edge portions of both sides of the fixed plate between the rail portions and slidingly inserting them from the bottom side of the housing. .   Before the second step, a third step of attaching an antenna unit for transmitting the collected environmental information to the outside and an antenna cover for accommodating the antenna unit on the upper part of the housing, respectively. 5. The method of assembling a data collection device according to claim 4, further comprising:   The assembly of the data collection device according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising a fourth step of attaching a bottom plate portion for sealing a bottom opening to the bottom portion of the housing after the second step. Method.

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