JP2011155453A - Radio telemeter device and radio telemeter system equipped with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a radio telemeter device in which a radio master unit with a defective radio circuit is efficiently replaceable. <P>SOLUTION: The radio telemeter device includes the radio master unit 5 and a radio slave machine 6, and conducts radio communication via a specific small-power radio system between the radio master unit 5 and the radio slave machine 6. In the radio telemeter device, the radio master unit 5 includes a nonvolatile memory and a communication means excepting radio communication via the specific small-power radio system, and can read union information as peculiar information used for recognizing a communication opposite party in radio communication via the specific small-power radio system by using the communication means from the nonvolatile memory to the outside. In the radio telemeter device, the radio master unit 5 can write the union information to the nonvolatile memory by using the communication means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a radio telemeter device and a radio telemeter system including the same, and more particularly to a radio telemeter device in which a radio base unit and a radio slave unit perform radio communication of a specific low power radio system and a radio telemeter system including the radio telemeter device.

  In general, in a wireless telemeter system, a wireless master unit and each wireless slave unit perform wireless communication with each other by communicating with each other by exchanging unique information such as an identification code used for recognition of the other party. Communication is ready.

JP 2007-200124 A (summary, paragraph 0036) JP 2000-251187 A (paragraph 0018) JP 2002-10315 A (summary) JP 2000-306187 A (summary)

  However, in the conventional general wireless telemeter system, when a wireless master unit breaks down and it is necessary to replace it with another wireless master unit, the reassembling work is performed again between the replaced wireless master unit and each wireless slave unit. There is a problem that it takes a lot of time and labor.

  Various techniques for solving the above problems have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

  In the wireless telemeter system disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a wireless master device fails and needs to be replaced with another wireless master device, a non-volatile memory storing association information from the failed wireless master device is provided. The system is restored by attaching the non-volatile memory to another wireless master device that has been removed and replaced. However, the wireless telemeter system disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a new problem that a non-volatile memory that can be attached to and detached from the wireless master unit and a mounting portion for mounting the non-volatile memory require extra manufacturing costs. Occurs.

  Further, in the communication system disclosed in Patent Document 2, an identifier (spare ID) of a backup master device (an alternative device in the case where the master device fails) is set in advance in the slave device, so When the slave unit receives a confirmation response including the next spare ID (the identifier of the alternative machine when the spare master unit fails next) from the unit, the slave unit changes the preset spare ID to the master unit ID. At the same time, by changing the preset spare ID to the next spare ID and changing the master unit identifier (parent ID) of the slave unit at the time of the master unit failure, The system can be easily restored without going to the location where the handset is installed. However, in the communication system disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to prepare a spare base unit in advance as an alternative, and the spare base unit is unnecessary if there is no failure of the base unit. There arises a new problem of high costs.

  In addition, in the wireless data communication system disclosed in Patent Document 3, an identification ID of an alternative base station, which is an alternative when the radio base station is in failure, is transmitted to subordinate radio slave stations at predetermined intervals, When a failure occurs in a wireless base station, each wireless slave station connects to an alternative base station, thereby realizing system restoration when the wireless base station fails. However, in the wireless data communication system disclosed in Patent Document 3, it is necessary to prepare an alternative base station in advance, and the alternative base station is unnecessary if there is no failure of the radio base station. A new problem of high costs arises.

  Note that Patent Document 4 discloses a wireless communication system that can be handled without replacing the wireless main unit body by rewriting the contents of the control unit when a failure or specification change occurs in the control unit that controls the operation of the wireless main unit. Although a data collection system is disclosed, Patent Document 4 discloses a reconstruction of a relationship between a wireless master device and a wireless slave device when a wireless master device fails and needs to be replaced with another wireless master device. Is not disclosed at all.

  An object of this invention is to provide the radio | wireless telemeter apparatus which can replace | exchange efficiently the radio | wireless main | base station in which the radio | wireless circuit part failed, and a radio | wireless telemeter system provided with the same in view of said situation.

  In order to achieve the above object, a wireless telemeter device according to the present invention includes a wireless master device and at least one wireless slave device, and the wireless master device and each of the wireless slave devices are wireless devices of a specific low power wireless system. A wireless telemeter device for performing communication, wherein the wireless master unit has a non-volatile memory and a communication means other than the specific low power wireless communication method, and communicates with the specific low power wireless communication device. Can be read from the non-volatile memory to the outside using the communication means, and the edge information can be written from the outside to the non-volatile memory using the communication means. A configuration that can be used.

  According to such a configuration, when a radio circuit of a radio base unit (a radio circuit that performs radio communication of a specific low-power radio system) fails, an association from the radio base unit in which the radio circuit part has failed to a new radio base unit is established. Since information transfer is performed using a communication means other than the specific low-power wireless communication method, a non-volatile memory that can be attached to and detached from the wireless master unit as in Patent Document 1 and the non-volatile memory are mounted. There is no need to provide a mounting portion, and there is no need to prepare an alternative wireless master device in advance as in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently replace the master unit in which the radio circuit has failed.

  Further, the wireless master device (new wireless master device) sends the communication means directly or indirectly from the other wireless master device (wireless master device in which the radio circuit part has failed) to the non-volatile memory. In the case of using and writing, it is desirable to acquire the unique information of the other wireless master device directly or indirectly from the other wireless master device using the communication means.

  As a result, the new wireless master device can impersonate the wireless master device in which the wireless circuit portion has failed, and performs specific low-power wireless communication with the wireless slave device even during reconfiguration be able to.

  Further, the wireless base unit is directly or indirectly from the other wireless base unit, directly or indirectly from the other wireless base unit and the edge information written to the nonvolatile memory using the communication means. On the basis of the unique information of the other wireless master device acquired using the communication means, the wireless slave device is used to identify the wireless slave device using the unique information of the other wireless master device. Preferably, the specific low power wireless communication is instructed to rewrite the unique information of the other wireless master device stored in the non-volatile memory of the device with the unique information of the wireless master device.

  As a result, it becomes easy to change the device to be joined on the side of the slave unit (change from the radio base unit in which the radio circuit portion has failed to the new radio base unit).

  In order to achieve the above object, a wireless telemeter system according to the present invention includes a wireless telemeter device having any one of the above configurations, and at least one information output device connected to each wireless slave device of the wireless telemeter device. A terminal network control device connected to a radio master unit of the radio telemeter device, a center network control device connected to the terminal network control device via a communication line, and a host computer connected to the center network control device It is set as the structure provided with.

  According to the present invention, when a radio circuit of a radio base unit (a radio circuit that performs radio communication of a specific low-power radio system) fails, information on the association information from the radio base unit in which the radio circuit part has failed to a new radio base unit is displayed. Since the transfer is performed using a communication means other than the specific low power wireless communication, the nonvolatile memory that can be attached to and detached from the wireless master unit as in Patent Document 1 and the mounting for mounting the nonvolatile memory There is no need to provide a unit, and it is not necessary to prepare an alternative wireless master device in advance as in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently replace the master unit in which the radio circuit has failed.

1 is a system schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a radio telemeter system according to the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the circuit structure of the main | base station with which the radio | wireless telemeter system shown in FIG. 1 is provided. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the circuit structure of the subunit | mobile_unit with which the radio | wireless telemeter system shown in FIG. 1 is provided. It is a sequence diagram which shows the sequence of the assembly | work operation | work with a main | base station and a subunit | mobile_unit. It is a figure which shows each format of a match request command message and a match request response message. It is a figure which shows an example of subunit | mobile_unit relationship information. It is a figure which shows an example of parent machine association information. It is a figure which shows each format of the command message and response message in normal data communication. It is a flowchart which shows the restoration processing procedure of the system when the radio | wireless circuit of a main | base station fails. It is a figure which shows each format of a main | base station change command message and a main | base station change response message.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a radio telemeter system according to the present invention. The radio telemeter system shown in FIG. 1 includes a host computer 1, a center network control device (hereinafter abbreviated as C-NCU) 2 connected to the host computer 1, and a terminal network control device (hereinafter abbreviated as T-NCU). 4, a wireless telemeter device having a wireless master device (hereinafter abbreviated as a parent device) 5 and a plurality of wireless slave devices (hereinafter abbreviated as slave devices) 6, and a plurality of meters 7.

  The C-NCU 2 is connected to the T-NCU 4 via a communication line 3 of a communication network including a telephone network, and the T-NCU 4 is connected to the parent device 5 by wire. The parent device 5 and the plurality of child devices 6 perform data communication by wireless communication of a specific low power wireless method.

  In addition, the base unit 5 and the setting unit 8 can perform data communication by communication other than the specific low power wireless method (for example, wired communication, infrared communication, etc.), and the setting unit 8 is for communicating with the base unit 5. A storage unit (not shown) is provided for storing data acquired through communication with the parent device interface (not shown) and the parent device 5.

  Each meter 7 is connected to each slave unit 6, and these meters 7 are microcomputer meters (meters equipped with a microcomputer) that measure the amount of use of electricity, gas, water, and the like, for example. In the configuration example of the present embodiment, there are a plurality of sets of the meter 7 and the slave unit 6, but the wireless telemeter system according to the present invention is not limited to the configuration example of the present embodiment, and the meter 7 and the slave unit 6 are one. It does not matter even if it is only a pair.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a circuit configuration of the parent device 5 included in the wireless telemeter system illustrated in FIG. In the circuit configuration example shown in FIG. 2, the base unit 5 includes a control CPU 501 that has a clock function and a timer function and controls the entire base unit 5, a radio circuit 502 that transmits and receives a specific low-power radio system radio signal, An antenna 503 connected to the radio circuit 502, a T-NCU interface 504 for communicating with the T-NCU 4, a setter interface 505 for communicating with the setter 8, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 506 A RAM (Random Access Memory) 507, a nonvolatile memory 508, an edge button 509, a setting switch 510 for setting a function mode, and a display unit 511 for displaying an operation result. Driven by output.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a circuit configuration of the handset 6 included in the wireless telemeter system illustrated in FIG. 1. In the circuit configuration example shown in FIG. 3, the slave unit 6 includes a control CPU 601 that has a clock function and a timer function and controls the entire slave unit 6, a wireless circuit 602 that transmits and receives a specific low-power wireless system radio signal, An antenna 603 connected to the wireless circuit 602, a meter interface 604 for communicating with the meter 7, a ROM 606, a RAM 607, a non-volatile memory 608, an edge button 609, and a display unit for displaying operation results and the like. 611, and is driven by the electric power of the battery 612.

  Next, the assembling work between the parent device 5 and the child device 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing a sequence of matching work between the parent device 5 and the child device 6.

  When the match button 509 (see FIG. 2) of the parent device 5 is pressed, the parent device 5 enters a waiting state for receiving a request message for a predetermined time. Thereafter, when the edge button 609 (see FIG. 2) of the child device 6 is pressed, the child device 6 has the edge of the format shown in FIG. 5A including the identification code of the local station (child device) and the edge request command. A request command message is transmitted to the base unit 5, and a request for receiving a request for response message for a certain period of time is entered.

  When receiving the marriage request command message, the base unit 5 in the waiting state for receiving the marriage request command message receives the marriage request command message in the format shown in FIG. 5B including the identification code of the local station (master unit) and the marriage request response. After returning the message to the slave unit 6, the terminal name, model, and ID of the slave unit that transmitted the match request command message are specified based on the identification code of the slave unit included in the received match request command message. In association with the identification code of the slave unit included in the received match request command message, new registration or additional registration is performed on the slave unit match information stored in the nonvolatile memory 508. On the other hand, when receiving the match request response message, the slave unit 6 that is waiting for the match request response message receives the master unit's terminal name, model, type, based on the identification code of the master unit included in the received match request response message. The ID is specified, and these are associated with the identification code of the parent device included in the received message request response message, and are newly registered or overwritten in the parent device relationship information stored in the nonvolatile memory 608.

  The series of edge assembly operations described above is repeated for the number of slave units 6 that are associated with the master unit 5. When there are mn slave units 6 that are associated with the master unit 5 (m is a natural number of 1 to 9 and n is an integer of 0 to 9), the master unit 5 is completed when a series of assembly operations is completed. The slave unit association information stored in the non-volatile memory 508 is as shown in FIG. 6, for example, and the master unit association information stored in the nonvolatile memory 608 of each slave unit 6 is as shown in FIG. Become. As a matter of course, if the number of slave units 6 that are associated with the master unit 5 is increased, the time and labor required for the assembly operation are increased.

  Here, FIG. 8A shows a format of a command message transmitted from the parent device 5 to the child device 6 or from the child device 6 to the parent device 5 in the normal data communication. The format of the response message transmitted from the device 6 or the child device 6 to the parent device 5 is shown in FIG.

  If the device that has received the command message or the response message is the parent device 5, the device (parent device) that has received the command message or the response message when the matching operation between the parent device 5 and each child device 6 has been completed. 5) transmits the own station (command message or response message included in the received command message or response message in the identification code registered in the slave unit association information stored in the non-volatile memory 508 It is determined at any time whether there is a device that matches the identification code of the selected device, that is, any one of the slave devices 6). Further, when the device that has received the command message or the response message is the child device 6, if the matching operation between the parent device 5 and each child device 6 has been completed, the device that has received the command message or the response message ( The slave unit 6) has its own station (command message or response message) included in the received command message or response message in the identification code registered in the parent device association information stored in the nonvolatile memory 608. It is determined at any time whether there is a device that matches the identification code of the device that has transmitted the message, that is, the parent device 5).

  The determination as described above makes it possible to prevent interference with other than the target station (equipped device), and stable wireless communication of the specific low power wireless system between the master unit 5 and the slave unit 6 is stable. To do.

  Next, a system restoration process when the radio circuit 502 of the parent device 5 fails will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a system restoration processing procedure when the radio circuit 502 of the base unit 5 fails. FIG. 10A shows the format of the base unit change command message, and FIG. The format of the base change response message is shown. When the radio circuit 502 of the parent device 5 fails, it is necessary to replace the parent device 5 in which the wireless circuit 502 has failed (hereinafter abbreviated as the failed parent device 5) with a new parent device 5.

  When the radio circuit 502 of the master unit 5 fails, first, the data communication between the faulty master unit 5 and the setting device 8 causes the slave unit association information and the identification code of the faulty master unit 5 to be non-volatile. Is read from the memory 508 and written to the storage unit of the setting device 8 via the setting device interface 505 of the failed master device 5 and the parent device interface of the setting device 8 (step S10). As a method for starting data communication between the failed master device 5 and the setting device 8, for example, a method of providing a start button for instructing the failed master device 5 or the setting device 8 to start the data communication, When the parent device 5 and the setting device 8 perform wired communication, a means for detecting a wired connection between the failed parent device 5 and the setting device 8 is provided in the failed parent device 5 or the setting device 8, and the wired connection is established. A method of automatically starting the data communication when detected is considered.

  Subsequently, the slave unit association information is read out from the storage unit of the setting unit 8 by data communication between another base unit 5 to be newly exchanged (hereinafter abbreviated as another base unit 5) and the setting unit 8, and the setting unit 8 and the setter interface 505 of another master unit 5 are written into the non-volatile memory 508 of another master unit 5, and the identification code of the faulty master unit 5 is read from the storage unit of the setter 8 And is written into the RAM 507 of another master unit 5 via the master unit interface of the setter 8 and the setter interface 505 of another master unit 5 (step S20). Examples of a method for starting data communication between another master unit 5 and the setting device 8 include a method of providing a start button for instructing another master device 5 or the setting device 8 to start the data communication, When the parent device 5 and the setting device 8 perform wired communication, a means for detecting a wired connection between another parent device 5 and the setting device 8 is provided in the other parent device 5 or the setting device 8, and the wired connection is performed. A method of automatically starting the data communication when detected is considered.

  Subsequently, the operator operates the setting switch 510 of another parent device 5 so that the setting switch 510 of the other parent device 5 selects the setting of the parent device replacement mode in order to distinguish it from the normal matching work, Thereafter, the edge button 509 of another parent device 5 is pressed (step S30).

  When the border button 509 of another base unit 5 is pressed in the base unit replacement mode setting, the process of step S40 is executed. The processing content of step S40 will be described below.

  Based on the slave unit association information written in the non-volatile memory 508 and the identification code of the faulty master unit 5 written in the RAM 507, another master unit 5 uses the master unit change command in the format shown in FIG. A telegram is transmitted to the handset 6. In the base change command message of the format shown in FIG. 10 (a), the identification code of the faulty base unit 5 is used as the identification code of the own station (see FIG. 8 (a) and FIG. 10 (a)). When the base unit change command message is transmitted, another base unit 5 is impersonating the faulty base unit 5. The content of the command included in the base unit change command message is base unit change. More specifically, the identification code of the original own station (another base unit 5) included in the additional data is set next time. It should be used as the identification code of the base unit 5 that is related to the communication of the above.

  The child device 6 that has received the parent device change command message changes the registration content of the parent device association information based on the identification code (identification code of another parent device 5) included in the additional data of the parent device change command message. That is, the terminal name, model, and ID of the master unit are specified based on the identification code (the identification code of another master unit 5) included in the additional data of the base unit change command message, and these are added to the base unit change command message. In association with the identification code included in the data (the identification code of another parent device 5), the parent device association information stored in the nonvolatile memory 608 is overwritten and registered. Thereafter, the slave unit 6 that has received the base unit change command message transmits a base unit change response message in the format shown in FIG. 10B to another base unit 5, and the other base unit 5 receives the base unit change response message. Receive.

  When the slave unit association information written in the non-volatile memory 508 of another master unit 5 is as shown in FIG. 6, the other master unit 5 automatically performs the above-described operation on the mn slave units 6. If the above-described operation is completed for all the mn slave units 6, the display unit 511 displays that the reconstruction of the frame is completed and the system is restored, and the process of step S40 is terminated. When the process of step S40 is completed, the system restoration process when the radio circuit 502 of the parent device 5 shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  In the wireless telemeter system shown in FIG. 1, the system restoration process is executed when the wireless circuit 502 of the master unit 5 shown in the flowchart of FIG. Without providing a non-volatile memory and a mounting part for mounting the non-volatile memory, and without preparing an alternative parent device in advance as in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3, You can change the machine. That is, by executing the system restoration process when the radio circuit 502 of the master unit 5 fails as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, the master unit in which the radio circuit fails can be replaced efficiently.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, Of course, a various correction and change can be performed to embodiment mentioned above within the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the slave unit association information read from the faulty master unit 5 and the identification code of the faulty master unit 5 are written to another master unit 5 via the setting unit 8. Instead, the failed master unit 5 and another master unit 5 communicate directly by communication other than the specific low-power wireless communication without going through the setting device 8, and are read from the failed master unit 5. The slave unit association information and the identification code of the failed master unit 5 may be written to another master unit 5 without going through the setting unit 8.

  Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, when the border button 509 of another base unit 5 is pressed in the base unit replacement mode setting, the process of step S40 shown in FIG. 9 is started. The setting device 8 is provided with a button for instructing processing start in step S40 shown in FIG. 9, and when the operator presses the button, the setting device 8 instructs another master unit 5 to start processing in step S40 shown in FIG. You may make it do.

  Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, in the process of step S40 shown in FIG. 9, each slave unit 6 is called and communicated from another master unit 5, but instead, from another master unit 5 to the master unit. The change command and the additional data may be transmitted in a broadcast format, and when the response from each slave unit 6 can be confirmed, the display unit 511 may display that the reconstruction of the match has been completed and the system has been restored. .

  Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the meter 7 is connected to each slave unit 6, but instead, another information output device such as an earthquake detection sensor is connected to each slave unit 6. Also good.

  Further, for example, a setter interface for communicating with the setter 8 and a setting switch for performing switching setting of the function mode are provided in the slave unit 6 and the slave unit interface and the slave unit for communicating with the slave unit 6 are provided. The setting unit 8 may be provided with a storage unit that stores data acquired by communication with the setting unit 8. According to such a configuration, when the slave unit 6 in which the radio circuit 602 has failed is replaced with a new slave unit 6, the slave unit in which the radio circuit has failed can be efficiently replaced. The system restoration processing in this case is substantially the same as the processing in which the parent device 5 and the child device 6 are replaced in the system restoration processing (see FIGS. 9 and 10) when the radio circuit 502 of the parent device 5 fails. Therefore, detailed description is omitted here. The slave unit interface may be the same as or separate from the master unit interface. The storage unit that stores data acquired through communication with the slave unit 6 may be the same as or separate from the storage unit that stores data acquired through communication with the base unit 5.

1 Host computer 2 Center network control unit (C-NCU)
3 Communication line 4 Terminal network control unit (T-NCU)
5 Wireless master device 6 Wireless slave device 7 Meter 8 Setting device 501, 601 Control CPU
502, 602 Radio circuit 503, 603 Antenna 504 T-NCU interface 604 Meter interface 505 Setting device interface 506, 606 ROM
507, 607 RAM
508, 608 Non-volatile memory 509, 609 Edge button 510 Setting switch 511, 611 Display unit 512, 612 Battery

Claims (4)

A wireless telemeter device comprising a wireless master device and at least one wireless slave device, wherein the wireless master device and each of the wireless slave devices perform wireless communication of a specific low power wireless system,
The wireless master unit has a non-volatile memory and a communication means other than the specific low power wireless communication method, and is a unique information used for recognition of a communication partner in the specific low power wireless communication method. Information can be read from the non-volatile memory to the outside using the communication means, and the edge information can be written from the outside to the non-volatile memory using the communication means. .   The wireless master device, when the association information is directly or indirectly written from the other wireless master device to the non-volatile memory by using the communication means, the unique information of the other wireless master device. The wireless telemeter device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless telemeter device is acquired directly or indirectly using the communication unit. The wireless master unit is
The edge information written directly or indirectly from the other wireless master unit to the non-volatile memory using the communication means and the communication means directly or indirectly from the other wireless master unit Based on the acquired unique information of the other wireless master unit,
Using the unique information of the other wireless master device, the unique information of the other wireless master device stored in the non-volatile memory of the wireless slave device is used for the wireless slave device that is associated. 3. The radio telemeter device according to claim 2, wherein an instruction is given by radio communication of the specific low power radio system so as to rewrite the specific information of the machine.   The wireless telemeter device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, at least one information output device connected to each wireless slave device of the wireless telemeter device, and connected to a wireless master device of the wireless telemeter device Terminal network control device, a center network control device connected to the terminal network control device via a communication line, and a host computer connected to the center network control device .

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