JP2014007607A - Position information management system, radio terminal control method, and management server - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an efficient position information management system.SOLUTION: A position information management system comprises: a communication device which has position information of the communication device; a radio terminal which has identification information and communicates with the communication device; and a management server which manages a position of the radio terminal. The radio terminal comprises: position information reception means which receives position information from the communication device; and identification information transmission means which transmits the identification information of the radio terminal with the received position information to the communication device. The management server comprises: reception means which receives the identification information and the position information from the communication device; management means which manages the position of the radio terminal in association with the reception time on the basis of the identification information and the position information; change means which, if the position of the radio terminal does not change for a predetermined time or longer, prolongs current reception intervals of the position information and transmission intervals of the identification information; and transmission means which transmits the reception intervals of the position information and the transmission intervals of the identification information to the radio terminal.

Description

  The present invention relates to a location information management system, a wireless terminal control method, and a management server.

  Various location information management systems have been proposed in order to grasp and manage the position of a wireless terminal or a person having a wireless terminal or an article in a facility where accurate positioning using GPS or the like is difficult.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a system that reads a passive RF tag attached to a person with a fixed RF reader / writer and notifies the position to another wireless terminal or the like.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a system in which a wireless terminal specifies its own position by replacing an identifier wirelessly transmitted from a nearby transmitter with position specifying information.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a system in which a wireless terminal receives specific information transmitted from a lighting device, and transmits the specific information to a server to identify the position of the wireless terminal.

  However, in the system of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to install a large number of RF readers / writers in order to read passive RF tags having a narrow communication range, which may increase the cost of introducing infrastructure.

  Further, in the system of Patent Document 2, the power consumption of the wireless terminal may increase depending on the communication method between the wireless terminal and the server.

  Further, in the system of Patent Document 3, as in Patent Document 2, power consumption of the wireless terminal is not taken into consideration. In addition, in the server, in order to specify the position of the wireless terminal, it is necessary to search for a position associated with the unique information, which may increase the calculation cost.

  In addition, these Patent Documents 1 to 3 do not disclose a method for efficiently performing setting related to operation timing of a wireless terminal for acquiring position information.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a position information management system and the like that efficiently manage position information and operation settings of wireless terminals.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a position information management system according to the present invention includes a communication apparatus having position information of the communication apparatus, a wireless terminal having identification information and communicating with the communication apparatus, A location information management system having a management server for managing the location of a wireless terminal, wherein the wireless terminal receives location information receiving means for receiving the location information from the communication device, and identification information of the wireless terminal Identification information transmitting means for transmitting to the communication device together with the location information, the management server receiving the identification information and the location information from the communication device, the identification information, and the identification information Management means for managing the position of the wireless terminal together with the reception time according to the position information, and when the position of the wireless terminal does not change for a predetermined time or more, And changing means for changing the transmission interval of the identification information to a longer interval than the present, and transmission for sending the reception interval of the position information and the transmission interval of the identification information changed by the changing means to the wireless terminal The position information receiving means receives the position information according to the reception interval of the position information, and the identification information transmission means transmits the identification information according to the transmission interval of the identification information.

  Further, the location information management method in the present invention includes a communication device having location information of the communication device, a wireless terminal having identification information and communicating with the communication device, and a management server for managing the location of the wireless terminal, A wireless terminal control method in a location information management system comprising: a location information receiving procedure for receiving the location information from the communication device; and identification information of the location of the wireless terminal together with the received location information. An identification information transmission procedure to be transmitted to the communication device, and the management server receives the identification information and the location information from the communication device, and the identification information and the location information. Management procedure for managing the position of the wireless terminal together with the reception time, and the reception interval of the position information and the identification when the position of the wireless terminal does not change for a predetermined time or more A change procedure for changing the transmission interval of the information to an interval longer than the present time, and a transmission procedure for transmitting the reception interval of the position information and the transmission interval of the identification information changed by the changing means to the wireless terminal. The position information reception procedure receives the position information according to the reception interval of the position information, and the identification information transmission procedure transmits the identification information according to the transmission interval of the identification information.

  The management server according to the present invention is a management server that manages the location of the wireless terminal connected to a communication device having location information of the communication device and a wireless terminal having identification information and receiving the location information. And receiving means for receiving the identification information and the position information of the wireless terminal from the communication device, and managing means for managing the position of the wireless terminal together with the reception time by the identification information and the position information. And, if the position of the wireless terminal does not change for a predetermined time or more, a change means for changing the reception interval of the position information and the transmission interval of the identification information to an interval longer than the present time, and the change means changed by the change means Transmission means for transmitting a reception interval of position information and a transmission interval of the identification information to the wireless terminal, the wireless terminal according to the reception interval of the position information, Receiving the location information, the wireless terminal, according to the transmission interval of the identification information, it transmits the identification information.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the positional information management system etc. which perform the management of the positional information on a wireless terminal, and the setting of operation | movement efficiently can be provided.

The figure showing the positional infomation management system in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the network which comprises the positional infomation management system in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the communication apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the management apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The hardware block diagram of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the communication apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the management apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. The functional block diagram of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the information which the communication apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention hold | maintains. The figure showing the example of the information which the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention hold | maintains. The figure showing the example of the format of the positional information which the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention transmits. The figure showing the example of the setting information which the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment of this invention hold | maintains. The figure showing the example of the information which the management server in one Embodiment of this invention hold | maintains. The figure showing the example of the setting information which the management server in one Embodiment of this invention hold | maintains. The figure showing the operation | movement sequence of the positional infomation management system in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the search screen of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the example of the search result screen of the management server in one Embodiment of this invention. The figure showing the functional block diagram of radio terminal 120-2 in this modification. The figure showing the functional block diagram of the management server 160-2 in this modification. The figure which shows an example of the position management information 368-2 in this modification. The figure which shows an example of the location management information log | history 369 in this modification. The figure showing the operation | movement sequence of the positional information management system 1 in this modification. The figure which shows the example of a change of the setting information in this modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1. System 2. 2. Hardware configuration example Function 4. Operation sequence (1. System)
FIG. 1A shows a location information management system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1A includes communication apparatuses 100, 102, 104, and 106, wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124, a management apparatus 140, a management server 160, and a network 180 and a network 190 that include the communication apparatus, the wireless terminal, and the management apparatus. . Here, the network 180 is a wireless network managed by the management device 140. FIG. 1B shows the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106, the wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124, and the management device 140 that constitute the wireless network in FIG. 1A.

  The communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106 are fixed to, for example, a ceiling of a room, and position information (hereinafter referred to as “position information”) such as history information, the number of floors of a building, and a building number related to the fixed position. This is transmitted wirelessly continuously or intermittently. Each communication device has an independent casing and operates by being supplied with power from a previously installed power source, or is incorporated in a lighting fixture such as an LED fluorescent tube and operates with power supplied from the lighting fixture. Each of the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106 transmits position information held by each of the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106 to a predetermined range using a radio signal. The predetermined range is determined by the signal strength of the radio signal used. The communication device is arranged so as to cover an area that is a position management target, and is configured so that the respective areas do not overlap. Or even if it is a case where it overlaps, in the side which receives a positional information, it is comprised so that any one communication apparatus can be determined based on the intensity | strength of a received radio wave. In the example of FIG. 1A, a conical dotted line shown below each communication device represents a predetermined range. As a communication method for transmitting position information, for example, a ground complementary signal (Indoor Messaging System; IMES) can be used.

  The wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124 can receive wireless signals transmitted by the nearest communication device among the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106. In the example of FIG. 1A, each wireless terminal is attached to a rectangular parallelepiped managed object that is a target whose position is to be managed. The wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124 are terminals that can transmit radio waves themselves, such as active tags. Hereinafter, the wireless terminal 120 will be described.

  The wireless terminal 120 is within a range in which a wireless signal from the communication device 100 can be received, and receives position information of the communication device 100 at a predetermined timing. The predetermined timing is, for example, a fixed time interval or a predetermined time. The wireless terminal 120 is normally in a low power consumption state, but returns to a normal operation state in accordance with reception of position information, and returns to a low power consumption state again. The position information of the communication device 100 is received using, for example, IMES. The wireless terminal 120 transmits information including its own identification information such as a network address to the communication apparatus 100 at a predetermined timing together with the received position information. The predetermined timing is, for example, a certain time interval, a predetermined time, or after receiving position information from the communication device. The wireless terminal 120 is normally in a low power consumption state, but returns to a normal operation state in accordance with transmission of identification information and position information, and returns to a low power consumption state again. The identification information and the position information are transmitted through the network 180 by short-range wireless communication such as IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark). In this case, IEEE802.15.4 abbreviated address or IEEE extended (MAC) address can be used as identification information of the wireless terminal 120. The identification information and position information transmitted to the communication device 100 are then transmitted to the management device 140 via the adjacent communication device 102. Note that the transmission / reception operation in the wireless terminal 120 may be performed after a change in acceleration is detected by an acceleration sensor included in the wireless terminal 120.

  In addition, the wireless terminal 120 inquires of the management server 160 about setting information regarding the predetermined timing through the communication device 100. And based on the setting information acquired from the management server 160 through the communication apparatus 100, the said positional information is received or the said identification information and positional information are transmitted. Note that the setting information includes a setting related to the timing at which the wireless terminal 120 inquires about the setting, and the wireless terminal 120 makes the inquiry based on the setting.

  The management device 140 connects the network 180 and the network 190 to each other, and bridges data transmitted from the network 180 side to the network 190. The management device 140 is installed, for example, for each floor of a building or for each room partitioned by walls. When the network 180 is a PAN (Personal Area Network) based on IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) and the network 190 is a LAN based on the IEEE802.3 standard, the communication system is converted between them. If the identification information of the wireless terminal 120 is represented by an IEEE 802.15.4 abbreviated address, it is converted into an IEEE extended address based on the information at the time of PAN configuration and transmitted to the management server 160.

  The management server 160 records the identification information and position information received via the management apparatus 140 together with the reception date and time, and manages the position of the communication apparatus. In the management server 160, management objects related to wireless terminals are recorded in advance. Therefore, the location of the management target can be searched using these pieces of information. The management server 160 also holds setting information regarding the operation of each communication device, and transmits the setting information to each communication device in response to an inquiry from each communication device.

  The network 180 connects the respective communication devices 100, 102, 104, 106, the wireless terminals 120, 122, 124, and the management device 140, for example, a PAN configured by IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards. It is. When the PAN is configured with IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards, the wireless terminal, the communication device, and the management device each have an end device function, a router function, and a coordinator function defined by the ZigBee (registered trademark) standard. . Each communication device and wireless terminal enters the management of the management device at the time of activation, forms a PAN, and determines the minimum path to the management device.

  The network 190 is a network that connects the management apparatus 140 and the management server 160, and is, for example, a LAN defined by the IEEE 802.3 standard.

  As described above, in the location information management system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the wireless terminal can transmit the identification information and the location information to the management server using power that can be communicated with the nearest communication device. it can. Further, the wireless terminal can receive information related to the operation setting from the management server with power sufficient to communicate with the nearest communication device. In addition, it is not necessary to install a new infrastructure for installing the communication device, and the introduction cost can be reduced.

  Note that the location information of the communication device may be provided through the network 180. This eliminates the need for transmission means for transmitting position information such as IMES.

  Further, the wireless terminal may transmit the identification information and the position information to the management apparatus 140 when the management apparatus is present in the vicinity of the communication apparatus that transmitted the position information. Thereby, identification information and position information can be transmitted to the management server by the shortest path.

  Further, the management server function may be integrated into the management server. This eliminates the need for a separate management device.

  The wireless terminal may be a wireless terminal having a function equivalent to an active tag, such as a smartphone, PDA, PC, or smart meter. As a result, it is possible to manage the position information of the existing wireless terminal without attaching a tag.

  Further, in addition to the above-described position information, information for specifying a finer position, such as information representing a section in the room, may be included. As a result, finer location management is possible.

  The location management target may be a person. Thereby, the location of a person can be managed by the system 1.

  The network 180 may be configured using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth LE, ANT, Z-Wave, and the like. This makes it possible to manage position information of various wireless terminals.

  The network 190 may include a plurality of types of networks such as the Internet. This makes it possible to manage the location information of the wireless terminal regardless of the physical location between the network 180 and the management server 160.

(2. Hardware configuration example)
Next, the hardware configuration of the communication device 100, the wireless terminal 120, the management device 140, and the management server 160 included in the location information management system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D.

  FIG. 2A shows a hardware configuration of the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication device 100 includes a CPU 200, a RAM 202, a ROM 204, a position signal transmission control unit 206, a position signal transmission unit 208, a wireless communication control unit 210, a wireless communication unit 212, and a bus 214.

  The CPU 200 executes a program that controls the operation of the communication device 100. The RAM 202 constitutes a work area of the CPU 200 and the like. The ROM 204 stores position information of the communication device 100 in addition to the program executed by the CPU 200. The position signal transmission control unit 206 executes processing for transmitting a positioning signal representing the position information of the communication device 100 via the position signal transmission unit 208. The position signal transmission unit 208 is a device including an antenna that transmits a positioning signal such as IMES. The wireless communication control unit 210 performs wireless communication processing via the wireless communication unit 212. The wireless communication unit 212 is a device that includes an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves conforming to the IEEE802.15.4 standard, for example. A bus 214 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention transmits position information to the wireless terminal 120, receives identification information and position information from the wireless terminal 120, and transmits these information via the management apparatus. Can be sent to the management server.

  As described above, when the position information is transmitted by wireless communication, the position signal transmission control unit 206 and the position signal transmission unit 208 are not necessary.

  FIG. 2B shows a hardware configuration of the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication terminal 120 includes a CPU 220, a RAM 222, a ROM 224, a position signal reception control unit 226, a position signal reception unit 228, a wireless communication control unit 230, a wireless communication unit 232, an acceleration detection control unit 234, an acceleration detection unit 236, and a bus 238. .

  The CPU 220 executes a program that controls the operation of the wireless terminal 120. The RAM 222 constitutes a work area of the CPU 220 and the like. The ROM 224 stores identification information of the wireless terminal 120, position information received from the communication device 100, setting information, and the like in addition to the program executed by the CPU 220. The position signal reception control unit 226 performs processing for receiving a positioning signal representing position information via the position signal reception unit 228. The position signal receiving unit 228 is a device including an antenna that receives a positioning signal such as IMES. The wireless communication control unit 230 executes wireless communication processing via the wireless communication unit 232. The wireless communication unit 232 is a device that includes an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves conforming to, for example, IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The acceleration detection control unit 234 detects a change in acceleration via the acceleration detection unit 236. The acceleration detector 236 is, for example, an acceleration sensor or a motion sensor using inertial force or magnetism. A bus 238 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention can receive location information from the communication device 100 and transmit its own identification information to the communication device 100 together with the location information. In particular, identification information and position information can be efficiently transmitted by performing a transmission or reception operation at a timing when the wireless terminal is moved.

  In addition, when the wireless terminal 120 is an information terminal such as a smartphone or a PC, the wireless terminal 120 includes an input device such as a touch panel, a dial key, a keyboard, and a mouse and a corresponding input control unit that accepts input from the user. Also good. Furthermore, a display device such as a screen and a corresponding display control unit may be provided.

  In addition, when the wireless terminal 120 includes a GPS antenna and a corresponding control unit, it is possible to receive a positioning signal by IMES using the antenna, and it is possible to correspond to the position information management system 1 only by software modification.

  Further, the acceleration detection control unit 234 and the acceleration detection unit 236 are arbitrary components. When the acceleration detection control unit 234 and the acceleration detection unit 236 are not provided, the transmission or reception operation of the wireless terminal 120 is performed at a predetermined interval or time.

  Further, as described above, when the position information is received by wireless communication, the position signal reception control unit 226 and the position signal reception unit 228 are not necessary.

  FIG. 2C shows the hardware configuration of the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The management device 140 includes a CPU 240, a RAM 242, a ROM 244, a wireless communication control unit 246, a wireless communication unit 248, a wired communication control unit 250, a wired communication unit 252, and a bus 254.

  The CPU 240 executes a program that controls the operation of the management apparatus 140. The RAM 242 constitutes a work area of the CPU 240 and the like. The ROM 244 stores programs executed by the CPU 240 and data used by the programs. The wireless communication control unit 246 executes wireless communication processing via the wireless communication unit 248. The wireless communication unit 248 is a device including an antenna that can transmit and receive radio waves conforming to, for example, the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The wired communication control unit 250 executes wired communication processing via the wired communication unit 252. The wired communication unit 252 is a device having a network interface that conforms to, for example, the IEEE 802.3 standard. A bus 254 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention can convert a signal from the network 180 including the communication apparatus 100 and the wireless terminal 120 into a network 190 including the management server 160. When the network 180 configuring the PAN is ZigBee (registered trademark), it can have a coordinator function for managing devices participating in the PAN.

  FIG. 2D shows the hardware configuration of the management server 160 in one embodiment of the present invention. The management server 160 includes a CPU 260, a RAM 262, a ROM 264, an HDD 266, a communication control unit 268, a communication device 270, a display control unit 272, a display device 274, an input control unit 276, an input device 278 and a bus 280.

  The CPU 260 executes a program that controls the operation of the management server 160. The RAM 262 constitutes a work area for the CPU 260 and the like. The ROM 264 stores a program executed by the CPU 260 and data used by the program. The HDD 266 stores information for managing the position of the wireless terminal used in the position information management system 1 or setting information of the wireless terminal. The communication control unit 268 executes communication processing via the communication device 270. The communication device 270 is a device having a network interface that conforms to, for example, the IEEE 802.3 standard. The display control unit 272 controls the content displayed on the display device 274 in accordance with the processing content of the location management program executed on the management server 160. The display device 274 includes a display such as a liquid crystal display or a CRT display. The input control unit 276 processes a signal from an input device 278 such as a keyboard and a mouse that receives an input from the user. A bus 280 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the management server 160 in one embodiment of the present invention can manage the location of the wireless terminal 120 and search for the location of the wireless terminal 120.

  The HDD 266 may be any storage device including a tape drive, or may be a storage area accessible via a network.

  In addition, the management server 160 may include a wireless communication control unit and a wireless communication device included in the management device 140 described above, and may perform processing instead of the management device 140. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide the management device 140 separately.

(3. Function)
FIG. 3A shows a functional block diagram of the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a storage unit 300, a communication unit 304, a control unit 312 and a relay unit 314.

  The storage unit 300 stores the position information 302 of the communication device 100. An example of a table for storing the position information 302 is shown in FIG. FIG. 4 includes items of floor number, latitude, longitude, and building number. The floor number represents the floor number of the building where the communication device 100 is installed. The latitude and longitude represent the latitude and longitude of the position where the communication device 100 is located. The building number represents the building number of the building where the communication device 100 is installed. In the example of FIG. 4, the communication device 100 is located on the 16th floor of a building C of a certain building, and is located at a point where the latitude is 35.459555 and the longitude is 139.3387110.

  The communication unit 304 includes a position information transmission unit 306, a terminal information reception unit 308, and a terminal information transmission unit 310.

  The position information transmitting unit 306 wirelessly transmits the position information 302 including information such as the history information, the number of floors of the building, and the building number continuously or intermittently to the wireless terminal 120 within a predetermined range. The position information 302 is transmitted using, for example, a format defined in IMES.

  The terminal information receiving unit 308 receives identification information and position information transmitted from the wireless terminal 120.

  The terminal information transmission unit 310 transmits the identification information and position information transmitted from the wireless terminal 120 to the management server 160 via the management device 140. When the network 180 is made using the ZigBee (registered trademark) standard, the transmission is performed using routing information held by the communication apparatus 100.

  The control unit 312 controls the operation of the communication device 100. When the communication apparatus 100 configures a PAN using the wireless terminal 120 and the management apparatus 140 and ZigBee (registered trademark), the communication apparatus 100 is controlled to provide a router function.

  The relay unit 314 relays the communication related to the inquiry related to the setting of the wireless terminal 120 received from the wireless terminal 120 to the management server 160. Alternatively, the communication related to the setting information transmitted from the management server 160 in response to the inquiry is relayed to the wireless terminal 120.

  With the above configuration, the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention holds the position information 302, transmits the position information 302 to the wireless terminal 120, receives the identification information and the position information of the wireless terminal 120, and The identification information can be transmitted to the management server through the management device 140. In addition, communication related to the setting between the wireless terminal and the management server can be relayed.

  Note that the position information 302 may include additional information such as the name of the building where the communication apparatus 100 is installed and information indicating a section in the room. As a result, finer location management is possible.

  FIG. 3B shows a functional block diagram of the wireless terminal 120 in an embodiment of the present invention. The wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a storage unit 320, a communication unit 326, an acceleration detection unit 332, a control unit 334, and a setting inquiry unit 336.

  The storage unit 320 includes identification information 322, position information 324, and setting information 338. The identification information 322 includes information such as the network address of the wireless terminal 120 that can identify the wireless terminal 120 on the location information management system 1. For example, when the network 180 is based on the IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards, an IEEE 802.15.4 abbreviated address or an IEEE extended (MAC) address can be used. The position information 324 is the position information 302 transmitted from the communication apparatus 100. An example of a table for storing the position information 324 is shown in FIG. The configuration is the same as in FIG.

  The setting information 338 includes, for example, settings for timing for receiving position information transmitted from the communication apparatus 100 and timing for transmitting identification information and position information to the communication apparatus 100. The setting information 338 includes a timing for inquiring the setting to the management server 160. An example of a table storing the settings is shown in FIG. 6B.

  FIG. 6B has items of operation mode 1, operation mode 2, operation mode 3, and transmission output. The operation mode 1 defines the timing for receiving the position information transmitted from the communication device 100. The operation mode 2 defines the timing for transmitting identification information and position information to the communication apparatus 100. The operation mode 3 defines the timing for inquiring the setting to the management server 160. The transmission output defines the radio wave transmission output of the wireless terminal 120. Here, “PE” representing a regular operation, “RT” representing a scheduled operation, or “SE” representing performing after reception of position information can be designated as the operation mode. A numerical value specifying a time interval or time can be specified after PE and RT, respectively.

  In the example of FIG. 6B, “PE300” in the operation mode 1 means that position information is received from the communication apparatus 100 once every 300 seconds. Although not shown, for example, when the operation mode 3 is designated as “RT1330”, it means that the setting is inquired to the management server 160 every day at 13:30. Each operation mode can be set independently, but “SE” cannot be specified for operation mode 1. The operation mode 2 is often defined as “SE”. Generally, after receiving the position information, the identification information and the position information are transmitted to the communication device 100 in succession.

  The time interval, time and operation mode designation method and notation method are arbitrary, and are not limited to this example.

  The communication unit 326 includes a position information receiving unit 328 and an identification information transmitting unit 330.

  The position information receiving unit 328 receives the position information 302 transmitted from the communication device 100. The received position information 302 is held in the storage unit 320 of the wireless terminal 120.

  The identification information transmitting unit 330 transmits the position information 324 together with the identification information 322 of the wireless terminal 120 to the communication device 100. The position information 322 is transmitted to the wireless terminal 120 in a format as shown in FIG. 6, for example. In the format of FIG. 5, the floor, latitude, longitude, and building number fields are represented by 9 bits, 21 bits, 21 bits, and 8 bits, respectively, and the corresponding fields of the message received according to the IMES standard are connected. . The representation format of each field conforms to the IMES standard. Actually, in addition to this format, a header and checksum information defined by the communication method are added and transmitted. As a communication method, for example, IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards are used.

  The acceleration detection unit 332 detects a change in acceleration of the wireless terminal 120. The change in acceleration is detected, for example, when the wireless terminal 120 starts moving, when the movement stops, or when a tilt is detected. The detected change in acceleration determines the timing of reception of position information, transmission of identification information and position information, or setting inquiry of the wireless terminal 120 together with or in place of the above-described operation mode setting. Can be used for For example, the reception of the position information is executed at a timing specified in the operation mode 1, but may be executed regardless of the setting of the operation mode when the acceleration detection unit 332 detects a change in acceleration. . The acceleration detection means 332 is an arbitrary component. When the acceleration detection unit 332 does not exist, the timing of receiving the position information of the wireless terminal 120 or transmitting the identification information and the position information is performed according to the setting of the operation mode described above.

  The control unit 334 controls the reception timing of the position information by the position information reception unit 238 and the transmission timing of the identification information 322 and the position information 324 by the identification information transmission unit 330. The transmission / reception timing is determined based on the detection of a change in acceleration by the acceleration detection means 332. Alternatively, it may be determined based on an interval or time preset in the wireless terminal 120. Also, transmission and reception timings may be determined independently of each other. Further, when the wireless terminal 120 forms a PAN with ZigBee (registered trademark) together with the communication device 100 and the management device 140, the control unit 334 controls the wireless terminal 120 to provide an endpoint function.

  The setting inquiry unit 336 makes an inquiry about the setting information 338 to the management server 160 via the communication device 100. The inquiry can be made at a timing specified in the operation mode 3 included in the setting information 338. The setting information transmitted from the management server 160 corresponding to the inquiry is received through the communication unit 326 and stored as setting information 338.

  With the configuration described above, the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention can efficiently receive location information from a communication device and efficiently transmit the location information together with the location information to an identification information communication device. In addition, setting information related to the operation can be acquired from the management server with power sufficient to communicate with the nearest communication device.

  When the wireless terminal 120 is an information terminal such as a smartphone or a PC, an input unit that receives an input from the user or a display unit that presents information to the user may be provided. As a result, it is possible to present identification information or position information to the user and to input or modify identification information or position information from the user.

  FIG. 3C is a functional block diagram of the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 340, a conversion unit 346, and a control unit 348.

  The communication unit 340 includes a reception unit 342 and a transmission unit 344. The receiving unit 342 receives data transmitted from a communication device or a wireless terminal belonging to the network 180. The transmission unit 344 transmits the data converted by the management apparatus 140 to the management server 160 belonging to the network 190. The network 180 is a PAN based on IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards, for example. The network 190 is a LAN based on the IEEE802.3 standard, for example.

  The converting unit 346 converts the data received by the receiving unit 342 from the network 180 into a format compatible with the network 190. The converted data is transmitted to the management server 160 via the network 190 by the transmission unit 344. Here, when the identification information of the wireless terminal 120 included in the data is represented by an IEEE 802.15.4 abbreviated address, it is converted into an IEEE extended address based on the information at the time of PAN configuration.

  The control unit 348 controls the operation of the management device 140. When the management device 140 configures a PAN according to the ZigBee (registered trademark) standard together with the communication device 100 and the wireless terminal 120, the management device 140 is controlled to provide a coordinator function.

  With the above configuration, the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention can bridge communication between the network 180 to which the communication apparatus 100 and the wireless terminal 120 belong and the network 190 to which the management server belongs.

  FIG. 3D shows a functional block diagram of the management server 160 in one embodiment of the present invention. The management server 160 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication unit 360, a storage unit 366, an input unit 370, a display unit 372, and a control unit 374.

  The communication unit 360 includes a reception unit 362 and a transmission unit 364.

  The receiving unit 362 receives the identification information and the position information transmitted from the wireless terminal through the management device 140. The received identification information and position information are stored in the storage means 366.

  The transmission unit 364 includes setting information transmission unit 376, and transmits the position information to the external server or the like when the external server or the like is requested to provide the position information.

  The setting information transmission unit 376 transmits setting information 378 to be described later to the wireless terminal 100 in response to a setting inquiry from the wireless terminal 100. The date and time when the setting information is transmitted can be recorded as one item of setting information 378 to be described later.

  The storage unit 366 includes position management information 368 and setting information 378.

  The location management information 368 is information obtained by adding management information such as a reception time to the identification information and location information received from the wireless terminal 120. An example of a table storing the information is shown in FIG. 7A. FIG. 7A includes items of identification information, device name, owned department, latitude, longitude, floor number, building, and reception date and time. The identification information is information such as an IEEE extended address of the wireless terminal 120 that has transmitted the identification information. The latitude, longitude, number of floors, and building correspond to the positional information received together with the identification information. The reception date and time is the date and time when the management server 160 received the information. The device name is the name of the management target to which the wireless terminal 120 that transmitted the information is attached or the device name of the wireless terminal 120. The owned department is a department name that owns the wireless terminal 120 that has transmitted the information. Information on the device name and the owned department is associated with identification information by the management server 160 in advance.

  The setting information 378 defines the timing of reception of position information, the timing of transmission of identification information and position information, the timing of making a setting inquiry, and the transmission output of each wireless terminal. An example of a table that stores the setting information is shown in FIG. 7B. FIG. 7B has items of identification information of the wireless terminal, operation mode 1, operation mode 2, operation mode 3, transmission output, and transmission date and time. The items of operation mode 1, operation mode 2, operation mode 3, and transmission output are the same as those shown in FIG. 6B. The transmission date and time is the date and time when the setting information is transmitted to each wireless terminal.

  The input unit 370 accepts an input from the user so that the user searches for position information.

  The display unit 372 displays on the screen a GUI related to a search screen for the user to search for position information. An example of the search screen is shown in FIG. 9A. In the “location search system” shown in FIG. 9A, based on the information stored in the storage unit 366, the department and device name related to the wireless terminal are displayed in a list on the screen. When the user selects a check box of a device to be searched through the input unit 370, a check mark is added. When all the devices to be searched are checked and the “Execute Search” button is selected, the search is executed and the screen is switched to a result display screen. In the example of FIG. 9A, an example is shown in which the user performs a search for a device called “UCS P3000” owned by “Sales Section 1”. FIG. 9B is an example of the search result screen. When the “execute search” button is selected, the display unit 372 displays a floor plan of “A building 4th floor” where “UCS P3000” is located based on the data stored in the storage unit 366, the device name, Displays the reception date and time.

  The control unit 374 controls the operation of the management server.

  With the above configuration, the management server 160 according to an embodiment of the present invention can manage the location of the wireless terminal and search for the location. In particular, information representing the position of the wireless terminal itself can be directly received and managed, and the amount of calculation for searching for the position can be reduced. In addition, setting information related to the operation of each wireless terminal can be held, and the setting information can be transmitted to each wireless terminal in response to an inquiry.

  The management server 160 has the same functions as the conversion unit 346, the control unit 348, and the reception unit 342 included in the management device 160, and may have the same functions as the management device 160. This eliminates the need to provide the management device 160 individually.

  Further, the location management information 368 stored by the management server 160 includes the date and time when the wireless terminal transmits information together with the information shown in FIG. Information including time taken for arrival of information or electric field strength may be stored. Thereby, position information can be managed under more detailed conditions.

  In addition, the management server 160 may record past location information of the wireless terminal. Thereby, the movement of the wireless terminal can be tracked.

(4. Operation sequence)
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an operation sequence of the location information management system 1 in the embodiment of the present invention in the configuration of FIG. In FIG. 8, when a change in acceleration is detected, the communication apparatus 100 that receives position information and transmits identification information, the wireless terminal 120 that transmits position information to a region to which the communication apparatus 100 belongs, PAN (IEEE802.15.4 and An example of a management apparatus 140 that bridges ZigBee (registered trademark) and a LAN (IEEE802.3) and a management server 160 will be described. It is assumed that the operation mode of the wireless terminal 120 is set as in the example of FIG. 6B. Further, it is assumed that the PAN among the communication device 100, the wireless terminal 120, and the management device 140 has already been established.

  In step S800, the communication apparatus 100 transmits the position information continuously or intermittently using IMES or the like. During this time, the wireless terminal 120 is in the low power consumption state due to the setting of the operation mode, and thus does not receive the position information.

  In step S802, the wireless terminal 120 detects a change in acceleration. The wireless terminal 120 returns from the low power consumption state to the normal operation state.

  In step S804, the wireless terminal 120 receives the position information transmitted from the communication device 100.

  In step S806, the wireless terminal 120 stores the received position information.

  In step S808, the wireless terminal 120 transmits identification information and position information to the communication apparatus 100.

  In step S809, the wireless terminal 120 inquires of the communication apparatus 100 of setting information after receiving position information (S804) based on the setting of FIG. 6B (operation mode 3 “SE”). Although the step S809 is executed after the transmission of the identification information and the position information (S808) in the example of FIG. 8, these may be mixed.

  In step S810, the communication apparatus 100 transmits the identification information and the position information received from the wireless terminal 120 to the management apparatus 140 through the minimum path.

  In step S <b> 811, the communication apparatus 100 relays the setting information received from the wireless terminal 120 to the management apparatus 140.

  In step S812, the management apparatus 140 converts the data transmitted from the network 180 including the identification information and the position information received from the communication apparatus 100 into a format compatible with the network 190.

  In step S813, the management apparatus 140 transmits the identification information and position information converted into a format compatible with the network 190 to the management server 160.

  In step S <b> 814, the management apparatus 140 converts the data transmitted from the network 180 including the inquiry about the setting information received from the communication apparatus 100 into a format compatible with the network 190.

  In step S 815, the management apparatus 140 transmits an inquiry about setting information converted into a format compatible with the network 190 to the management server 160.

  In step S816, the management server 160 registers the identification information and the position information received from the management device together with information on the wireless terminal corresponding to the identification information.

  In step S818, the management server 160 transmits setting information to the management apparatus 140 in response to an inquiry from the wireless terminal 120.

  In step S820, the management apparatus 140 records the transmission date and time related to the transmitted setting information.

  In step S 822, the management apparatus 140 converts the data transmitted from the network 190 including the setting information received from the management server 160 into a format compatible with the network 180.

  In step S824, the management apparatus 140 transmits the setting information converted into a format compatible with the network 180 to the communication apparatus 100.

  In step S826, the communication apparatus 100 relays the setting information received from the management apparatus 140 to the wireless terminal 120.

  In step S828, the wireless terminal 120 stores the setting information received from the communication device 100. Thereafter, the wireless terminal 120 transitions from the normal operation state to the low power consumption state.

  Through the above procedure, the location information management system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention efficiently transmits the identification information and the location information to the nearest communication device by the radio terminal, thereby reducing the power consumption of the radio terminal. Can be suppressed. In addition, since the wireless terminal inquires about the setting information through the nearest communication device, the power consumption of the wireless terminal can be suppressed even when the operation of the wireless terminal is set.

  As described above, the management server 160 may execute the functions of the management apparatus 140 in an integrated manner. In this case, it is not necessary to install a separate management device 140.

  If the wireless terminal does not include the acceleration detection unit 332, step S802 is not executed, and the reception of the position information in step S804 can be performed at a predetermined time or at a predetermined interval. The subsequent processing is the same as steps S806 to S828.

[Modification]
Next, a modified example will be described. As described above, the storage unit 366 of the management server 160 has the setting information 378 (for example, FIG. 3D). Specifically, the setting information 378 includes items of wireless terminal identification information, operation mode 1, operation mode 2, operation mode 3, transmission output, and transmission date and time (for example, FIG. 7B). Among these, the operation mode 1 defines the timing for receiving the position information transmitted from the communication device 100. The operation mode 2 defines the timing for transmitting identification information and position information to the communication apparatus 100. The operation mode 3 defines the timing for inquiring the setting to the management server 160. The transmission output defines the radio wave transmission output of the wireless terminal 120.

  The management server 160 notifies the setting information 378 for each wireless terminal in response to an inquiry from the wireless terminal. When receiving the setting information 378 from the management server 160, the wireless terminal stores the setting information 378 (for example, FIG. 6B). Then, the wireless terminal controls the operation of its own terminal according to the contents specified in the stored setting information 378.

  As described above, the setting information 378 defines the reception timing of the location information, the transmission timing of the identification information and the location information, the timing for inquiring the setting, and the transmission output of the wireless terminal.

  On the other hand, as described above, the wireless terminal 120 is normally in a low power consumption state, but in accordance with the setting information 378 (for example, the operation mode 1 that specifies the timing for receiving the position information), the wireless terminal 120 receives the position information. At the same time, it returns to the normal operation state and returns to the low power consumption state again. The reason for this operation is to save the remaining battery power. The power consumption of the wireless terminal 120 may be less than that in the normal operation state in the low power consumption state. Therefore, the wireless terminal 120 does not always enter the normal operation state, but transitions to the normal operation state only when necessary, and transitions to the low power consumption state when it is not necessary, thereby reducing the power consumption of the battery. Plan.

  Here, the wireless terminal 120 frequently transitions to a normal operation state. For example, the wireless terminal 120 receives position information from the communication apparatus 100, transmits identification information and position information to the communication apparatus 100, and sets to the management server 160. The more you ask, the more power you consume. Conversely, the longer the standby time for transitioning to the low power consumption state, the lower the power consumption, resulting in saving of the remaining battery power.

  Therefore, the management server according to the present modification uses the setting information 378 for each wireless terminal notified to the wireless terminal to control the operation of the wireless terminal from the viewpoint of power saving, thereby saving the remaining battery power. To.

  Specifically, for example, for a wireless terminal in which the position where the wireless terminal is located does not change so frequently, position information is received from the communication device 100 at a very short interval, or identification information and It can be said that there is no need to transmit the position information or inquire of the management server 160 about the setting. Therefore, the management server 160 uses the setting information 378 for such wireless terminals 120 to receive position information from the communication apparatus 100, transmit identification information and position information to the communication apparatus 100, In addition, control is performed so as to increase the interval for inquiring the setting to the management server 160.

  As a result, the wireless terminal transitions to the low power consumption state and waits longer, so the power consumption is reduced, and as a result, the power consumption of the battery can be reduced. This will be described in detail below.

(Function of the wireless terminal 120-2)
FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of the wireless terminal 120-2 in the present modification. Compared to FIG. 3B, the wireless terminal 120-2 includes a battery remaining amount detection unit 337 in addition to the storage unit 320, the communication unit 326, the acceleration detection unit 332, the control unit 334, and the setting inquiry unit 336. In addition to the identification information 322, the position information 324, and the setting information 338, the storage unit 320 includes battery remaining amount information 339.

  The remaining battery level detection means 337 detects the remaining battery level of the wireless terminal. The detected remaining battery level of the wireless terminal is stored in the storage unit 320 as remaining battery level information 339. The remaining battery level information 339 can represent the remaining battery level, for example, 50%, 10%, etc. when the full battery state is expressed as 100%. Of course, in addition to the relative value such as%, the remaining battery level can be expressed by an absolute value (numerical value) for displaying the remaining battery level.

  In this modification, the identification information transmission unit 330 transmits the remaining battery information 339 together with the identification information 322 and the position information 324 of the wireless terminal 120 to the communication device 100. Then, the information is finally transmitted to the management server via the management device.

(Function of the management server 160-2)
FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of the management server 160-2 in this modification. Compared to FIG. 3D, the management server 160-2 includes a setting information changing unit 375 in addition to the communication unit 360, the storage unit 366, the input unit 370, the display unit 372, and the control unit 374. The storage unit 366 includes position management information 368-2, setting information 378, and position management information history 369.

  First, the receiving unit 362 of the communication unit 360 receives the battery remaining amount information 339 in addition to the identification information and the position information transmitted from the wireless terminal through the management device 140. The received identification information, position information, and battery remaining amount information 339 are stored in the storage unit 366.

  FIG. 12 shows an example of the location management information 368-2 in this modification. Compared to FIG. 7A, the position management information 368-2 is information obtained by adding management information such as reception time to the identification information, the position information, and the battery remaining amount information 339 received from the wireless terminal 120. is there. That is, the battery remaining amount information 339 of the wireless terminal 120 is newly included.

  FIG. 13 shows an example of the position management information history 369 in this modification. In the figure, the past history of the location management information of each wireless terminal 120 identified by the identification information “002673abcdef01” and “002673abcdef02” is shown. In short, the location management information history 369 is a history of location management information 368-2 including identification information, location information, and battery remaining amount information 339 received from the wireless terminal 120.

  The position management information 368-2 is updated to new position management information every time the identification information, the position information, and the battery remaining amount information 339 are received from the wireless terminal 120. For example, the location management information 368-2 in FIG. 12 is updated to the latest location information and remaining battery information of the wireless terminal 120 specified by the identification information “002673abcdef01” and “002673abcdef02”. For this reason, every time an update is performed, the old record is overwritten, but the old record is stored (saved) separately as the position management information history 369.

  The location management information history 369 is also updated each time the identification information, the location information, and the battery remaining amount information 339 are received from the wireless terminal 120. The reception timing is determined by the setting information 378. In FIG. 13, the wireless terminal 120 specified by the identification information “002673abcdef01” follows the operation mode 1 “RT1330” and the operation mode “SE” every day at 13:00. In 30 minutes, reception of position information and transmission of position information, identification information, and battery remaining amount information are executed, and the management server 160-2 receives these position information, identification information, and remaining battery amount information. I understand. Further, the wireless terminal 120 specified by the identification information “002673abcdef02” receives position information and receives position information and identification information every 300 seconds (5 minutes) according to operation mode 1 “PE300” and operation mode 2 “SE”. It is understood that the management server 160-2 has received the position information, the identification information, and the battery remaining amount information.

  Based on the position management information history 369, the setting information changing unit 375, for example, receives the position information (operation mode 1), the transmission timing of the identification information, the position information, and the battery remaining amount information (operation mode 2), The validity of the timing for inquiring the setting (operation mode 2) is determined, and the timing is changed to a more appropriate timing if necessary. Details of this point will be described later.

(Operation sequence)
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an operation sequence of the location information management system 1 in the present modification.

  In step S800, the communication apparatus 100 transmits the position information continuously or intermittently using IMES or the like. During this time, the wireless terminal 120-2 does not receive the position information because it is in a low power consumption state due to the setting of the operation mode.

  In step S802, the wireless terminal 120-2 detects a change in acceleration. Alternatively, when it corresponds to the position information reception timing (according to the operation mode 1), the wireless terminal 120 returns from the low power consumption state to the normal operation state.

  In step S804, the wireless terminal 120-2 receives the position information transmitted from the communication device 100.

  In step S806, the wireless terminal 120-2 stores the received position information.

  In step S807-1, the wireless terminal 120-2 (remaining battery level detection means 337) detects the remaining battery level.

  In step S807-2, the wireless terminal 120-2 stores the detected remaining battery level as the remaining battery level information 337.

  In step S808, the wireless terminal 120-2 transmits the identification information, the position information, and the battery remaining amount information 337 to the communication device 100. The transmission timing follows the operation mode 2. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, when the operation mode 2 held by the wireless terminal 120-2 is “SE”, the transmission timing is after reception of the position information.

  In step S809, the wireless terminal 120-2 makes an inquiry for setting information to the communication apparatus 100 after receiving position information (S804) based on the setting (operation mode 3 “SE”) in FIG. 6B. The step S809 is executed after the transmission of the identification information and the position information (S808) in the example of FIG. 14, but these may be mixed.

  In step S810, the communication apparatus 100 transmits the identification information, the position information, and the battery remaining amount information 337 received from the wireless terminal 120-2 to the management apparatus 140 through the minimum path.

  In step S811, the communication apparatus 100 relays the inquiry about the setting information received from the wireless terminal 120-2 to the management apparatus 140.

  In step S 812, the management device 140 converts the data transmitted from the network 180 including the identification information, the position information, and the battery remaining amount information 337 received from the communication device 100 into a format compatible with the network 190.

  In step S813, the management apparatus 140 transmits the identification information, the position information, and the battery remaining amount information 337 that have been converted into a format compatible with the network 190 to the management server 160.

  In step S <b> 814, the management apparatus 140 converts the data transmitted from the network 180 including the inquiry about the setting information received from the communication apparatus 100 into a format compatible with the network 190.

  In step S 815, the management apparatus 140 transmits an inquiry about setting information converted into a format compatible with the network 190 to the management server 160.

  In step S816, the management server 160 registers the identification information, the position information, and the battery remaining amount information 337 received from the management apparatus in the position management information 368-2 together with the wireless terminal information corresponding to the identification information (for example, FIG. 12). At the same time, the location management information history 369 is updated (for example, FIG. 13). Specifically, information registered in the position management information 368-2 may be stored cumulatively as the position management information history 369.

  In step S817, the management server 160 (setting information changing unit 375), based on the position management information history 369, for example, transmission of position information reception timing (operation mode 1), identification information, position information, and battery remaining amount information. The validity of the timing (operation mode 2) and the timing for inquiring the setting (operation mode 2) are determined, and the timing is changed to a more appropriate timing as necessary. This point will be described in detail below.

  First, the setting information changing unit 375 refers to the setting information of the wireless terminal specified by the received identification information. For the wireless terminal specified by the identification information “002673abcdef02”, reference is made to the operation mode 1 “PE300”, the operation mode 2 “SE”, and the operation mode 3 “SE” in the setting information 338 of FIG. 7B. Thus, in the case of the wireless terminal specified by the identification information “002673abcdef02”, the position information is obtained every 300 seconds (5 minutes) according to the operation mode 1 “PE300”, the operation mode 2 “SE”, and the operation mode 3 “SE”. It can be seen that the reception of the position information, the transmission of the position information, the identification information, and the battery remaining amount information are executed, and the inquiry of the setting information is executed.

  Next, the setting information changing unit 375 refers to the current (latest) battery remaining amount information of the wireless terminal. If the remaining battery information is lower than the predetermined threshold, the process proceeds to try to change the setting information based on the location management information history 369. The threshold value is defined in advance by an administrator or the like. Here, if the threshold value is 30%, the current (latest) battery remaining amount information of the wireless terminal specified by the identification information “002673abcdef02” is 29% (for example, FIG. 12). The threshold value is lower than 30%.

  On the other hand, if the remaining battery level information is higher than the predetermined threshold, it is determined that the remaining battery level is sufficient at the present time, and the setting information is notified without changing the setting information (S818). .

  Next, when the current (latest) battery remaining amount information of the wireless terminal is lower than a predetermined threshold, the setting information changing unit 375 refers to the position management information history 369 of the wireless terminal. For example, in the case of the wireless terminal specified by the identification information “002673abcdef02”, the location management information history 369 in FIG. 13 is referred to. The management server 160-2 receives position information, and receives position information, identification information, and remaining battery information every 300 seconds (5 minutes) from the wireless terminal specified by the identification information “002673abcdef02”. I understand that.

  Next, the setting information changing unit 375 confirms the change (transition) of the position information in the position management information history 369. For example, in the location management information history 369 of FIG. 13, in the case of the wireless terminal specified by the identification information “002673abcdef02”, the location information is received every 300 seconds, but at least during the last 6 times (300 × 5 = 1500 seconds), it can be seen that there is no change in the position information. This indicates that the wireless terminal is located at the same position and has not moved. In such a case, the setting information changing unit 375 changes the operation mode “PE300” to, for example, “PE1500” in the setting information of the wireless terminal specified by the identification information “002673abcdef02”.

  That is, the position information reception timing (operation mode 1) of the wireless terminal is currently 300 seconds, but is slightly shorter in 300 seconds for a wireless terminal that does not move for at least 1500 seconds. Possible (may be a little longer). Therefore, the regulation is changed so that the interval of the position information reception timing (and hence transmission timing) becomes longer than the current 300 seconds (see, for example, FIG. 15).

  When the changed setting information is reflected to the wireless terminal, the wireless terminal receives the position information according to the timing specified in the changed setting information, and transmits the identification information, the position information, and the battery remaining amount information. Also inquire about settings. Since the interval of position information reception timing (and hence transmission timing) becomes longer after the change than before the change, the power consumption of the battery can be reduced.

  It is assumed that the radio terminal is based on the location management information history 369, more frequently, more specifically, on the assumption that the location is not likely to change at intervals of about 300 seconds. Therefore, for example, if the position information is received about every 1500 seconds longer than 300 seconds, the identification information, the position information, and the remaining battery information are transmitted, and the setting inquiry is made, the management server 160-2 It is possible to grasp and manage the location information of the wireless terminal sufficiently adequately.

  In addition, after changing the setting information, if it is determined from the position management information history 369 that the position of the wireless terminal is not likely to change even every about 1500 seconds, the wireless terminal further receives the position information reception timing ( As a result, the regulation can be changed so that the interval of transmission timing is longer than 1500 seconds.

  On the other hand, if the position of the wireless terminal changes again every about 1500 seconds from the position management information history 369, the position of the position information reception timing (and thus the transmission timing) is changed to 1500. The rule can be changed to be shorter than seconds. As a result, the management server 160-2 receives the location information frequently, transmits identification information, location information, and battery remaining amount information, and makes a setting inquiry. Even if a radio terminal frequently moves, it is possible to appropriately grasp and manage the position information of the radio terminal by shortening the interval of the position information reception timing (and hence the transmission timing). However, when the regulation is changed so that the position information reception timing (and hence transmission timing) interval is shorter than 1500 seconds, it may be limited to the case where the remaining battery capacity is secured to a predetermined threshold value or more. This is because when the remaining battery level is low, the accuracy of the position information can be ensured, but on the other hand, it promotes battery consumption.

  Incidentally, on the basis of the position management information history 369, the extent to which the interval of the position information reception timing (and hence the transmission timing) should be made longer / shorter can be appropriately determined by the administrator or the like. For example, the average change time of position information can be taken and the average change time interval can be adopted. Further, as described above, the non-change time interval of the latest position information can be taken and the non-change time interval can be adopted. In addition, the position information reception timing (and hence transmission timing) can be lengthened / shortened only in a specific time zone such as at night.

  If the setting information changing unit 375 determines that it is not necessary to change the interval of the position information reception timing (and thus the transmission timing), the setting information is not changed in S817. Then, return to 14 again.

  In step S818, the management server 160-2 transmits setting information to the management apparatus 140 in response to an inquiry from the wireless terminal 120-2.

  In step S820, the management apparatus 140 records the transmission date and time related to the transmitted setting information (see, for example, FIG. 15).

  In step S822, the management apparatus 140 converts the data transmitted from the network 190 including the setting information received from the management server 160-2 into a format compatible with the network 180.

  In step S824, the management apparatus 140 transmits the setting information converted into a format compatible with the network 180 to the communication apparatus 100.

  In step S826, the communication apparatus 100 relays the setting information received from the management apparatus 140 to the wireless terminal 120-2.

  In step S828, the wireless terminal 120-2 stores the setting information received from the communication device 100. Thereafter, the wireless terminal 120-2 transitions from the normal operation state to the low power consumption state.

  Needless to say, the wireless terminal 120-2 operates thereafter according to the setting information received from the communication apparatus 100. In the above example, the wireless terminal 120-2 receives position information from the communication device 100 every 1500 seconds instead of every 300 seconds, transmits identification information, position information, and remaining battery information, Queries the setting.

  As described above, according to the present modification, the management server 160-2 controls the operation of the wireless terminal 120 in accordance with the change (transition) status of the position information of the wireless terminal 120. When the position information of the wireless terminal 120 is not frequently changed, the wireless terminal 120 is controlled to use the setting information so as to increase the interval of the position information reception timing (and thus the transmission timing) of the wireless terminal 120. The power consumption of 120 batteries can be reduced. The management server 160-2 controls the position information reception timing (and hence transmission timing) interval of the wireless terminal 120 in accordance with the change of the position information of the wireless terminal 120, so that the position information management system 1 According to this, it is still possible to properly grasp and manage the position information of the wireless terminal.

100, 102, 104, 106 Communication device 120, 120-2, 122, 124 Wireless terminal 140 Management device 160, 160-2 Management server 180 Network 190 Network

Japanese Patent No. 4620410 JP 2010-159980 A International Publication No. 2005/086375

Claims (6)

A position information management system comprising: a communication apparatus having position information of the communication apparatus; a wireless terminal having identification information and communicating with the communication apparatus; and a management server for managing the position of the wireless terminal,
The wireless terminal is
Position information receiving means for receiving the position information from the communication device;
Identification information transmitting means for transmitting the identification information of the wireless terminal together with the received position information to the communication device;
The management server
Receiving means for receiving the identification information and the position information from the communication device;
Management means for managing the position of the wireless terminal together with the reception time by the identification information and the position information;
When the position of the wireless terminal does not change for a predetermined time or more, changing means for changing the reception interval of the position information and the transmission interval of the identification information to an interval longer than the present time;
Transmission means for transmitting the reception interval of the position information and the transmission interval of the identification information changed by the changing means to the wireless terminal,
The position information receiving means receives the position information according to a reception interval of the position information,
The identification information transmitting means transmits the identification information according to a transmission interval of the identification information;
A location information management system characterized by The wireless terminal has battery remaining amount detecting means for detecting the remaining amount of battery,
The identification information transmitting means transmits the battery remaining amount to the communication device;
The receiving means receives the remaining battery level from the communication device,
The changing unit is configured to change the reception interval of the position information and the transmission interval of the identification information when the remaining battery level of the wireless terminal is less than a predetermined amount;
The position information management system according to claim 1. The changing means is a case where the remaining battery level of the wireless terminal is greater than a predetermined amount, and when the position of the wireless terminal changes each time position information is received, the reception interval of the changed position information And changing the transmission interval of the identification information to an interval shorter than the present time,
The position information management system according to claim 2. The wireless terminal has inquiry means for inquiring the management server about the reception interval of the position information and the transmission interval of the identification information via the communication device,
The transmitting means transmits the reception interval of the position information and the transmission interval of the identification information to the wireless terminal in response to the inquiry;
The position information management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Wireless terminal control method in a positional information management system comprising a communication device having position information of the communication device, a wireless terminal having identification information and communicating with the communication device, and a management server for managing the position of the wireless terminal Because
The wireless terminal is
A location information receiving procedure for receiving the location information from the communication device;
An identification information transmission procedure for transmitting the identification information of the wireless terminal together with the received position information to the communication device;
The management server
A receiving procedure for receiving the identification information and the position information from the communication device;
A management procedure for managing the location of the wireless terminal together with the reception time by the identification information and the location information;
When the position of the wireless terminal does not change for a predetermined time or more, a change procedure for changing the reception interval of the position information and the transmission interval of the identification information to an interval longer than the present time;
A transmission procedure for transmitting the reception interval of the position information and the transmission interval of the identification information changed by the changing means to the wireless terminal;
The location information reception procedure receives the location information according to a reception interval of the location information,
The identification information transmission procedure includes transmitting the identification information according to a transmission interval of the identification information.
A wireless terminal control method. A communication device having position information of the communication device, a management server that has identification information, is connected to a wireless terminal that receives the position information, and manages the position of the wireless terminal;
Receiving means for receiving the identification information and the position information of the wireless terminal from the communication device;
Management means for managing the position of the wireless terminal together with the reception time by the identification information and the position information;
When the position of the wireless terminal does not change for a predetermined time or more, changing means for changing the reception interval of the position information and the transmission interval of the identification information to an interval longer than the present time;
Transmission means for transmitting the reception interval of the position information and the transmission interval of the identification information changed by the changing means to the wireless terminal,
The wireless terminal receives the location information according to a reception interval of the location information,
The wireless terminal transmits the identification information according to a transmission interval of the identification information;
Management server characterized by

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