JP2013191195A - Radio communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent radio communication between radio devices from becoming impossible.SOLUTION: A control unit 1 of a slave TRj controls, if the RSSI value of a radio signal including a regular monitor message is less than a threshold, a notification unit 5 to provide notification of decrease in reception intensity. As a result, before radio communication becomes impossible, measures such as a change of installation sites of a master TR1 and the slave TRj can be promoted, so as to prevent radio communication from becoming impossible.

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless communication system that performs wireless communication between a plurality of wireless devices.

  As a conventional wireless communication system, for example, there is a wireless fire alarm system described in Patent Document 1.

  This conventional example is equivalent to a fire alarm device in which each of a plurality of wireless devices senses a fire and issues an alarm. The wireless device that senses a fire issues an alarm, transmits a radio signal, and receives a radio signal. When other radio devices issue an alarm, all the radio devices issue an alarm in conjunction with each other.

  By the way, in the above conventional example, a radio signal including a periodic monitoring message is transmitted periodically (for example, every 24 hours) from a specific fire alarm (master unit), and other fire alarms ( A radio signal including a response message is returned from the slave unit to the master unit. When a radio signal including a response message is not returned from any of the slave units, the master unit determines that radio communication with the slave unit has been disabled and issues a warning. In addition, when a radio signal including a regular monitoring message is not received for a long period (for example, 48 hours or more), each slave unit determines that radio communication with the master unit has been disabled and issues a warning. . When the parent device or child device issues a warning, for example, if the location of the parent device or child device that issued the warning is changed, wireless communication may be possible again.

JP 2009-251903 A

  However, in the conventional example, a warning is not issued until wireless communication between the parent device and the child device becomes impossible. For example, it is conceivable that the reception intensity decreases as a result of the arrangement (layout) of furniture or the like being changed, and furthermore, the influence of randomly generated noise overlaps with the decrease in reception intensity and wireless communication becomes impossible. In this case, if it is reported in advance that the reception strength has been reduced due to layout changes, etc., wireless communication cannot be performed by taking measures such as changing the installation location of the parent unit or child unit before wireless communication is disabled. It becomes difficult to become.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to make it difficult for wireless communication between wireless devices to be disabled.

  The wireless communication system according to the present invention includes a transmission unit that transmits a radio signal using radio waves as a medium, a reception unit that receives the radio signal, a detection unit that detects occurrence of a predetermined event, and the detection unit that includes the event. Comprising a plurality of radio units including a control unit that transmits the radio signal including a predetermined message from the transmission unit when an error is detected, and a notification unit that performs notification using at least one of sound and light, The control unit of a specific radio unit causes all other radio units to periodically transmit a radio signal including a periodic monitoring message from the transmission unit in a first period, and the control unit of the other radio unit includes A wireless signal including a response message is transmitted from the transmission means when the periodic monitoring message is received, and the other wireless device that has received the response message is determined to be normal, If the response message is not received from any of the wireless devices, the other wireless device is determined to be abnormal, and the notification means notifies the normal or abnormal determination result. The control unit of all the radio units determines that the specific radio unit is abnormal when a period in which the radio signal including the periodic monitoring message is not received by the receiving unit exceeds a predetermined period longer than the first period. The notification means is further notified, and further, when the reception intensity of the radio signal including the regular monitoring message is less than a predetermined threshold value, the notification means is notified that the reception intensity has decreased.

  In this wireless communication system, the wireless device includes an accepting unit that accepts an operation input, and the control unit receives the reception intensity after a predetermined time has elapsed since the latest operation input was accepted by the accepting unit. It is preferable to let the notification means notify the reduction by sound.

  In this radio communication system, the radio includes an accepting unit that accepts an operation input, and the control unit informs the informing unit by light that the reception intensity has decreased, and during the informing of the informing unit. It is preferable that when the operation input is received by the reception unit, the notification unit is notified by sound.

  In this wireless communication system, the control means of all the other wireless devices notifies that the reception strength has decreased when the number of times that the reception strength continues to be less than the threshold exceeds a predetermined number. It is preferable to notify the means.

  In this radio communication system, it is preferable that the control means of all the other radio devices inform the informing means that the reception intensity has decreased when the moving average of the reception intensity is less than the threshold value. .

  In this radio communication system, the control means of all the other radio units obtains a cumulative average of the received intensity, the moving average is less than the threshold value, and a difference between the cumulative average and the moving average When the value becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value, it is preferable to notify the notification means that the reception intensity has decreased.

  In this wireless communication system, the wireless device including the detection unit that detects the occurrence of a fire as the event, the wireless device including the detection unit that measures air quality as the event, and a person in a monitoring area as the event It is preferable that at least any one of the wireless devices is included in the wireless device including the detection unit that detects the presence of the wireless device.

  In the wireless communication system of the present invention, when the reception strength of the wireless signal including the periodic monitoring message is less than a predetermined threshold, the notification means notifies that the reception strength has decreased. In addition, it is possible to prompt the user to take measures such as changing the installation location of the wireless device, and as a result, there is an effect that wireless communication between the wireless devices is not easily disabled.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a wireless communication system (fire alarm system) according to the present invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the control part of the subunit | mobile_unit in the same as the above. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of the control part of the subunit | mobile_unit in the same as the above.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the technical idea of the present invention is applied to a fire alarm system described in a conventional example will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the wireless communication system to which the technical idea of the present invention can be applied is not limited to the fire alarm system, and can be applied to, for example, a security system that detects and notifies the intrusion of a suspicious person.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of the present embodiment, and a fire alarm system is configured by a plurality (only two in the figure) of fire alarm devices TR each corresponding to a wireless device. In the following description, when the fire alarms TR are individually indicated, they are indicated as fire alarms TR1, TR2,..., TRn, and when collectively indicated, they are indicated as fire alarms TR.

  The fire alarm TR includes a control unit 1, a wireless transmission / reception unit 2, an antenna 3, a fire detection unit 4, a notification unit 5, an operation input reception unit 6, a battery power supply unit 7, and the like. The wireless transmission / reception unit 2 transmits / receives a radio signal using a radio wave as a medium in accordance with “radio device for low power security system” defined in Article 6, Paragraph 4, Item 3 of the Radio Law Enforcement Regulations. The antenna 3 emits a radio wave that is a medium of a radio signal and receives a radio wave. The antenna 3 may be either an exposed type exposed from the housing of the fire alarm TR or a built-in type incorporated in the housing. In addition, the fire detection unit 4 detects a fire by detecting smoke, heat, flame, or the like generated with the fire, for example. However, detailed configurations of the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 and the fire detection unit 4 are well known in the art and will not be described in detail.

  The notification unit 5 includes a light-emitting diode (LED) and a speaker, a light-emitting circuit that emits the LED, and a drive circuit that rings the speaker, and is controlled by the control unit 1 as described later to emit a plurality of types of notifications. (LED) and sound (speaker). The operation input receiving unit 6 has one or more switches (for example, push button switches). When the switch is operated, an operation input corresponding to each switch is received and an operation signal corresponding to the operation input is controlled. Output to part 1. The battery power supply unit 7 supplies operation power to each unit using a battery such as a dry battery as a power source.

  The control unit 1 includes a microcomputer (microcomputer), a memory unit 1a, and the like, and realizes various functions to be described later by executing a program stored in the memory unit 1a (or ROM <ROM> not shown). To do. The memory unit 1a includes a rewritable nonvolatile semiconductor memory (for example, a flash memory). Each of the fire alarm devices TR1, TR2,... Is assigned a unique identification code and stored in the memory unit 1a, and the destination of the radio signal and the source fire alarm devices TR1, TR2,. Can be identified.

  For example, when the fire detection unit 4 detects the occurrence of a fire, the control unit 1 sounds an alarm sound from the speaker of the notification unit 5 or an alarm voice message (for example, stored in the memory unit 1a in advance). , “It ’s a fire”, etc.). Further, the control unit 1 causes the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 to transmit a radio signal including a fire alarm message in order to notify the fire alarm in the other fire alarm devices TR together with the notification of the fire alarm. In addition, when the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 receives a wireless signal transmitted from another fire alarm device TR, the control unit 1 controls the notification unit 5 to notify the fire alarm. In other words, the control unit 1 has a function of controlling the notification unit 5 when the fire detection unit 4 detects a fire to notify a fire alarm and transmitting a radio signal including a fire alarm message from the wireless transmission / reception unit 2. Yes.

  Here, in the radio equipment regulation Article 49-17 “Radio equipment of low-power security system radio equipment”, the period during which radio signals may be transmitted continuously (transmission period) is 3 seconds or less. In addition, it is stipulated that a period during which a radio signal should not be transmitted (pause period) provided between the transmission period and the transmission period is 2 seconds or more (see No. 5 of the same article). For this purpose, the control unit 1 causes the wireless signal to be transmitted during the transmission period that complies with the wireless facility rules, and stops the transmission during the suspension period and enables reception.

  In addition, the control unit 1 repeatedly counts a predetermined intermittent reception interval with a timer built in the microcomputer, and activates the radio transmission / reception unit 2 every time the count is completed, so that a desired radio wave (a radio transmitted by another fire alarm TR is transmitted). Signal) can be received. If a desired radio wave is not captured, the control unit 1 immediately stops the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 and shifts to a standby state. As a result, the average power consumption is greatly reduced to extend the battery life of the battery power supply unit 7. The radio wave reception check is performed by the control unit 1 based on a received signal strength indication signal (RSSI signal) output from the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 and is a DC voltage signal proportional to the magnitude of the received signal strength. Is going.

  Thus, in the present embodiment as well, as in the conventional example described in Patent Document 1, the fire alarm device TRi (i = 1, 2,..., N) that detects a fire not only notifies the fire alarm but also transmits a radio signal. This is sent to notify the other fire alarm devices TR1 to TRi-1 and TRi + 1 to TRn that a fire has occurred. Then, when the other fire alarm devices TR1 to TRi-1 and TRi + 1 to TRn that have received the radio signals notify the fire alarm, the fire alarm is notified by all the fire alarm devices TR1 to TRn.

  By the way, if low-power radio is used, the wireless communication distance can be sufficiently covered within a normal residential area, so the wireless signal transmitted from the fire-source fire alarm device TR Receiving in TR is usually possible enough. However, as the number of fire alarms TR increases, it may be difficult to always enable wireless communication among all the fire alarms TR. For example, an electronic device that emits electromagnetic noise is installed near the fire alarm TR, and the radio communication of the fire alarm TR is hindered by the electromagnetic noise during the time period when the electronic device is operating. I think that.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, a specific fire alarm device TR1 (hereinafter referred to as a parent device) is installed in a place where it can wirelessly communicate with all other fire alarm devices TR2 to TRn (hereinafter referred to as child devices). ing. Then, the master unit TR1 that has received the radio signal transmitted from any of the slave units TRj (j = 2, 3,..., N) relays the radio signal toward all the slave units TR2 to TRn. All the fire alarms TR1 to TRn can transmit and receive radio signals to and from each other.

  Further, the control unit 1 of the parent device TR1 periodically checks the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 in the first period (for example, 24 hours) in order to confirm whether or not the child device TRj is operating normally (periodic monitoring). A wireless signal including a periodic monitoring message is transmitted after being activated. In each slave unit TRj, the control unit 1 monitors whether or not the fire detection unit 4 has failed and whether or not the battery power supply unit 7 has run out of battery at regular intervals (for example, every hour), and the monitoring results (failures) And whether or not the battery is dead) are stored in the memory unit 1a. When the regular monitoring message is received from the parent device TR1, the control unit 1 of the child device TRj receives a radio signal including a message (response message) for notifying the monitoring result stored in the memory unit 1a. Reply to device TR1. After transmitting the radio signal including the response message, the control unit 1 of the master unit TR1 switches the radio transmission / reception unit 2 to the reception state and receives the radio signal transmitted from each slave unit TRj. If there is a slave unit TRj that does not transmit a wireless signal including a response message within a predetermined time after transmitting a wireless signal including a periodic monitoring message, the control unit 1 of the parent unit TR1 controls the speaker of the notification unit 6 A warning sound is emitted and the light emitting diode is caused to emit light to notify the abnormality (communication impossible) of the slave unit TRj. Alternatively, even when the response message transmitted from any of the slave units TRj notifies the monitoring result that there is a failure or the battery has run out, the control unit 1 of the master unit TR1 has an abnormality (there is a fault, the battery The notification unit 5 is informed that a break has occurred. However, when the control unit 1 of the parent device TR1 and the child device TRj determines that a failure or a battery has run out, the notification unit 5 immediately notifies the occurrence of the abnormality. Note that the normality of the communication path between the parent device TR1 and each child device TRj can always be confirmed by the parent device TR1 periodically monitoring each child device TRj as described above.

  By the way, the periodic monitoring period (first period) described above is set to 24 hours in consideration of the battery life. However, there is a possibility that the radio wave reception environment changes due to the indoor layout change or the like between this periodical monitoring and the next periodical monitoring, and the reception intensity of the radio signal in the slave unit TRj is lowered.

  Therefore, in each slave unit TRj, the reception intensity (RSSI value) of the radio signal including the periodic monitoring message is compared with a predetermined threshold value, and the comparison result is notified from the notification unit 5. That is, if the notification unit 5 notifies that the reception intensity is less than the threshold value, for example, the location of the parent device TR1 and the child device TRj is changed, so that wireless communication is not easily disabled.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the control unit 1 of the slave unit TRj related to the regular monitoring will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  The control unit 1 of the slave unit TRj performs a radio wave check every time counting of the intermittent reception interval is completed, and confirms whether or not a radio signal including a periodic monitoring message is received by the radio transmission / reception unit 2 (step S1). . When the wireless signal including the periodic monitoring message is not received, the control unit 1 stops the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 and shifts to a standby state, and further, for a predetermined time (for example, 48) from the time when the previous periodic monitoring message is received. It is determined whether or not (time) has elapsed (step S2). Then, if a predetermined time has elapsed since the reception of the last periodic monitoring message, the control unit 1 controls the notification unit 5 to notify the abnormality of the parent device TR1 (step S3). Thereafter, the control unit 1 resumes counting the intermittent reception interval and returns to step S1.

  When the wireless signal including the periodic monitoring message is received by the wireless transmission / reception unit 2, the control unit 1 compares the RSSI value of the wireless signal with a predetermined threshold value (step S4). When the RSSI value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit 1 transmits (replies) a radio signal including a response message from the radio transmission / reception unit 2 to the parent device TR1 (step S5). On the other hand, when the RSSI value is less than the threshold value, the control unit 1 controls the notification unit 5 to notify a decrease in reception strength (step S6), and then transmits a wireless signal including a response message from the wireless transmission / reception unit 2. Transmit (step S5). Further, the control unit 1 transmits a wireless signal including a response message from the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 and then restarts counting the intermittent reception interval, and returns to step S1. The notification unit 5 causes the light emitting diode to emit light, or gives a warning message from the speaker (for example, “The radio wave intensity is low. Please change the location of the main unit or sub unit”). A ringing is notified of a decrease in radio field intensity.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the reception strength of the radio signal including the periodic monitoring message is less than the threshold value, the control unit 1 of the slave unit TRj notifies the notification unit 5 that the reception strength has decreased. As a result, it is possible to prompt the user to take measures such as changing the installation location of the parent device TR1 and the child device TRj before wireless communication is disabled, and wireless communication is unlikely to be disabled.

  In addition, when the periodic monitoring message is transmitted during the user's bedtime (for example, late at night), the notification of the notification unit 5 is highly likely not to be noticed by the user, so the battery of the child unit TRj is wasted. It will be consumed. Therefore, after a predetermined time (for example, 24 × n hours <n = 1, 2, 3,...>) Has elapsed since the latest operation input was received by the operation input receiving unit 6, the control unit of the child unit TRj. It is preferable that 1 notifies the notification unit 5 by sound of a decrease in received intensity. In this way, since the possibility that the notification unit 5 is notified during a time period other than the user's sleeping time period increases, there is an advantage that the user can easily notice.

  Alternatively, the control unit 1 of the slave unit TRj informs the notification unit 5 of light that the reception intensity has decreased, and when an operation input is received by the operation input reception unit 6 during the notification, the notification unit 5 emits a sound. You may be informed. That is, when the operation input is accepted by the operation input accepting unit 6, it is considered that there is a person (user) who has made the operation input accepting unit 6 accept the operation input near the child device TRj. Therefore, when the operation input is received by the operation input receiving unit 6, if the control unit 1 notifies the notification unit 5 with sound, the possibility that the user misses the notification of the notification unit 5 can be reduced. .

  Note that it is conceivable that the reception intensity temporarily decreases due to temporary shielding (for example, when a fire door is closed or a large vehicle such as a truck stops outside the building). Therefore, the control unit 1 of the slave unit TRj notifies the notification unit 5 that the reception strength has decreased when the number of times that the reception strength continues to be less than the threshold exceeds a predetermined number (for example, 3 times). It is preferable to make it. In this way, even if there is a temporary decrease in the reception intensity due to the temporary installation of the shielding object, the possibility that the notification unit 5 will erroneously notify the decrease in the reception intensity is reduced.

  Alternatively, the control unit 1 of the slave unit TRj calculates a moving average of the reception intensity (RSSI value) in each regular monitoring, and if the moving average is less than the threshold value, notifies the notification unit 5 that the reception intensity has decreased. You may be informed. Further, the control unit 1 of the slave unit TRj obtains a cumulative average of the received intensity, the moving average is less than the threshold value, and the deviation (ΔRSSI) between the cumulative average and the moving average is a predetermined upper limit value (for example, 10 dB). When it becomes above, you may make the alerting | reporting part 5 alert | report that the receiving strength fell (refer FIG. 3).

  By the way, in this embodiment, although the fire alarm for houses was illustrated as a radio | wireless machine, the radio | wireless machine which comprises the radio | wireless communications system which concerns on this invention is any of smoke sensing type, a heat sensing type, or a flame sensing type. It is not limited to fire alarms that employ a sensing method. For example, it may be a radio equipped with an air quality sensor that measures air quality such as humidity in the air, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and the concentration of combustion gas (methane, propane, etc.). Alternatively, it may be a wireless device equipped with a human sensor that detects the presence of a person in the monitoring area. The human sensor may be an infrared sensor that measures infrared radiation emitted from the human body, an image analysis technique that detects a person by analyzing an image captured from a monitoring area, or an infrared sensor and an image processor. What is necessary is just to utilize the compound system etc. which use both systems.

  In addition, the wireless communication system is not necessarily composed of one type of wireless device, for example, a wireless device including a fire alarm, a wireless device including an air quality sensor, and a wireless device including a human sensor. Of these, two or three types of wireless devices may be used.

TR Fire alarm (radio)
TR1 master unit (specific radio)
TR2 cordless handset (other radio)
1 Control unit (control means)
2 Wireless transceiver (transmitting means, receiving means)
3 Antenna (transmitting means, receiving means)
4 Fire detector (detection means)
5 Notification part (notification means)

Claims (7)

A transmitting unit that transmits a radio signal using radio waves as a medium; a receiving unit that receives the radio signal; a detecting unit that detects occurrence of a predetermined event; and a predetermined unit when the event is detected by the detecting unit It comprises a plurality of radio units including a control unit that transmits the radio signal including a message from the transmission unit, and a notification unit that performs notification using at least one of sound and light,
The control unit of a specific radio unit causes all other radio units to periodically transmit a radio signal including a periodic monitoring message from the transmission unit in a first period, and the control unit of the other radio unit includes When the periodic monitoring message is received, a wireless signal including a response message is transmitted from the transmission unit, and the other wireless device that has received the response message is determined to be normal, and the wireless signal is transmitted from any other wireless device. If the response message is not received, it is determined that any of the other wireless devices is abnormal, and the notification means notifies the normal or abnormal determination result,
The control means of all the other wireless devices makes the specific wireless device abnormal when a period in which the wireless signal including the periodic monitoring message is not received by the receiving means exceeds a predetermined period longer than the first period. Determining and notifying the notifying means, and further, notifying the notifying means that the reception strength has decreased when the reception strength of the radio signal including the periodic monitoring message is less than a predetermined threshold value. Wireless communication system.   The radio includes an accepting unit that accepts an operation input, and the control unit notifies that the reception intensity has decreased after a predetermined time has elapsed since the latest operation input was accepted by the accepting unit. 2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein said means is notified by sound.   The radio includes an accepting unit that accepts an operation input, and the control unit causes the notifying unit to notify by light that the reception intensity has decreased, and the operation input by the accepting unit during the notifying of the notifying unit. 2. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein when the mobile station is accepted, the notification means is notified by sound.   The control means of all the other radio devices causes the notification means to notify that the reception intensity has decreased when the number of times that the reception intensity continues to be less than the threshold exceeds a predetermined number. The wireless communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the wireless communication system is characterized in that:   The said control means of all the said other radio | wireless machines makes the said alerting | reporting means alert | report that the receiving strength fell, when the moving average of the said receiving strength is less than the said threshold value. 4. The wireless communication system according to any one of 3 above.   The control means of all the other radio units calculates a cumulative average of the reception strength, the moving average is less than the threshold, and a difference between the cumulative average and the moving average is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper limit value. 6. The radio communication system according to claim 5, wherein, when it becomes, the informing means is informed that the reception intensity is reduced.   The wireless device comprising the detection means for detecting the occurrence of a fire as the event, the wireless device comprising the detection means for measuring air quality as the event, and the presence of a person in a monitoring area as the event The wireless communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least any one of the wireless devices is included in the wireless device including a detection unit.

Images