JP2019029892A - Radio communication device, radio communication system, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To stably transmit a predetermined number of radio signals or more, which are necessary for control, from a moving body to a communication destination device.SOLUTION: A radio communication system includes: a radio communication device 1 mounted on a first moving body 5; and a control device 3 which controls the movement of the first moving body 5. The radio communication device 1 includes a determination unit and a communication unit. The determination unit determines the number of packets to be transmitted in each control period. The communication unit transmits the determined number of packets in the control period. The control device 3 determines the state of the first moving body 5 by the state of the first moving body 5 which is indicated by the largest number of data among data indicative of the state of the first moving body 5 included in the number of packets.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a wireless communication device, a wireless communication system, and a program.

  A technique for communicating between a moving body and a control device has been conventionally known. For example, a technique is known in which an elevator car and an elevator control device are connected to each other by a tail cord and communicated with the ride car control device. Communication is stable when the car and the control device are connected to each other by a tail cord. However, the longer the up / down stroke, the longer the length of the tail cord and the larger the weight of the tail cord. The capacity of the hoist used for raising and lowering the car must be determined in consideration of the weight of the tail cord itself. Therefore, a method of using wireless communication without using a tail code has been proposed.

Japanese Patent No. 5317500 JP 2006-127447 A JP 2003-37606 A

  However, with the conventional technology, it has been difficult to stably transmit a predetermined number or more of radio signals necessary for control from the moving body to the communication destination device.

  The wireless communication system according to the embodiment is a wireless communication system including a wireless communication device mounted on a first moving body and a control device that controls movement of the first moving body. The wireless communication device includes a determination unit and a communication unit. The determination unit determines the number of the packets transmitted per control period. The communication unit transmits the determined number of packets within the control period. The control device determines the state of the first moving body according to the state of the first moving body indicated by the most data among the data indicating the state of the first moving body included in the number of packets. judge.

The figure which shows the example of the apparatus structure of the radio | wireless communications system of 1st Embodiment. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a wireless communication apparatus according to a first embodiment. The figure which shows the example of a function structure of the control apparatus of 1st Embodiment. The figure for demonstrating the example of operation | movement of the register part of 1st Embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an initial setting process according to the first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating Example 1 of packet transmission control processing according to the first embodiment; 6 is a flowchart illustrating Example 2 of packet transmission control processing according to the first embodiment; The figure which shows the example of an apparatus structure of the radio | wireless communications system of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the example of a function structure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. 9 is a flowchart illustrating Example 1 of packet transmission control processing according to the second embodiment. 9 is a flowchart illustrating Example 2 of packet transmission control processing according to the second embodiment. 9 is a flowchart illustrating Example 3 of packet transmission control processing according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating Example 4 of packet transmission control processing according to the second embodiment; The figure which shows the example of a function structure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus of the modification 1 of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the example of a function structure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus of the modification 2 of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the example of a function structure of the radio | wireless communication apparatus of the modification 3 of 2nd Embodiment. The figure which shows the example of the hardware constitutions of the radio | wireless communication apparatus of 1st and 2nd embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a wireless communication device, a wireless communication system, and a program according to embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First embodiment)
First, an example of a device configuration of the wireless communication system according to the first embodiment will be described.

[Example of device configuration of wireless communication system]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a device configuration of a wireless communication system according to the first embodiment. The wireless communication system according to the first embodiment includes a wireless communication device 1, relay devices 2 a to 2 c, and a control device 3.

  The wireless communication device 1 is mounted on the moving body 5. The type of the moving body 5 may be arbitrary such as riding, sleeping, luggage. In the first embodiment, a case where the moving body 5 is an elevator car will be described as an example. The moving body 5 is moved up and down by a hoisting machine 4 controlled by the control device 3. That is, the example of FIG. 1 shows an example of a wireless communication system applied to an elevator system.

  The relay devices 2a to 2c and the control device 3 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other via a wired communication path such as a bus or a network.

  Hereinafter, when the relay devices 2a to 2c are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as the relay device 2. The number of relay devices 2 is not limited to three and may be arbitrary. In addition, the communication between the relay device 2 and the control device 3 does not necessarily have to be separated separately as shown in FIG.

  The wireless communication device 1 performs wireless communication with the relay device 2. The packet (wireless signal) transmitted from the wireless communication device 1 to the relay device 2 may be arbitrary. The packet transmitted from the wireless communication device 1 to the relay device 2 includes, for example, a safety signal, an audio signal, and a video signal.

  The safety signal is a signal (a signal indicating the safety of the mobile body 5) necessary for causing the mobile body 5 to travel safely. The safety signal of the embodiment includes, for example, information indicating the open / closed state of the door of the moving body 5 and information indicating the open / closed state of the door on each floor. The open / closed state of the door is detected by, for example, a sensor and a relay circuit.

  When receiving the packet from the wireless communication device 1, the relay device 2 transmits data such as a safety signal and a sequence number included in the packet to the control device 3. The relay device 2 transmits data to the control device 3 by serial transmission, for example. The trigger for the relay device 2 to transmit data to the control device 3 is, for example, when a request signal is received from the control device 3.

  Next, an example of a functional configuration of the wireless communication device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[Example of functional configuration of wireless communication device]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the wireless communication device 1 according to the first embodiment. The wireless communication device 1 according to the first embodiment includes a sensor 11, a wireless control unit 12, and a wireless unit 13.

  The sensor 11 acquires sensor information at a predetermined timing. The sensor information may be arbitrary. The sensor information is, for example, information indicating the open / closed state of the door of the moving body 5. The trigger signal for acquiring the sensor information may be a constant periodic signal, for example, or may be a signal that is not necessarily periodic such as a packet transmission timing. Note that the sensor 11 does not necessarily need to be synchronized with the control device 3 even when information is periodically acquired.

  Next, the operation of the wireless control unit 12 will be described. The wireless control unit 12 includes a time information unit 121, a generation unit 122, a buffer 123, a monitoring unit 124, and a determination unit 125.

  The time information unit 121 inputs time information to the generation unit 122. The time information is not necessarily information indicating time or date and time, and may be a sequence number (counter value) corresponding to the time or date and time. For example, the time information unit 121 increments the sequence number every certain time or every transmission. The case where the sequence number is incremented every predetermined time is, for example, the case where the sequence number is incremented in a sensing cycle from when the wireless communication device 1 is turned on.

  The generation unit 122 generates a packet including sensor information received from the sensor 11 and time information (for example, a sequence number) received from the time information unit 121. The generation unit 122 may have a function of adding a packet header, a footer, and the like according to the wireless unit 13 (wireless device).

  The buffer 123 temporarily stores the packet generated by the generation unit 122. The buffer 123 stores a packet when the wireless unit 13 is processing, for example.

  The monitoring unit 124 monitors the usage amount (remaining amount) of the buffer 123 and the usage amount of the buffer 131 on the wireless unit 13 side, and inputs the usage amount of the buffer 123 and the usage amount of the buffer 131 to the determination unit 125. To do.

  In the example of FIG. 2, the buffer 123 on the wireless control unit 12 side and the buffer 131 on the wireless unit 13 side can be individually monitored, but the buffers 123 and 131 may not be distinguished and monitored. . Therefore, when the monitoring unit 124 cannot monitor the buffers 123 and 131 separately, for example, the monitoring unit 124 monitors the buffers 123 and 131 and the communication path between the buffer 123 and the buffer 131 as one buffer.

  The determination unit 125 determines the number of packets transmitted per control (determination) period T of determination control that determines data (such as the above-described safety signal) included in a plurality of packets by majority vote. More specifically, the determination unit 125 ranges the number of packets transmitted per control period T from the minimum number of packets necessary for determination control to the maximum number of packets that can be transmitted per control period T. To decide on.

  Next, the determination unit 125 determines the transmission timing of packets transmitted within the control cycle T from the number of packets transmitted per control cycle T and the length of the control cycle T. The determination unit 125 determines, for example, the transmission timing of packets transmitted per control cycle T to an interval (equal interval) obtained by dividing the length of the control cycle T by the number of the packets. Further, for example, the determination unit 125 determines the packet transmission timing by transmitting packets for the number of packets transmitted per control cycle T at predetermined intervals from the start timing of the control cycle T. That is, the determination unit 125 determines whether to transmit a packet a plurality of times continuously or to transmit a packet a plurality of times at intervals. In the case of transmitting packets by the number of packets transmitted per control cycle T at predetermined intervals from the start timing of the control cycle T, for example, packets are transmitted in the first half of the control cycle T, and the control cycle T In the latter half, control such as not transmitting a packet becomes possible.

  The determination unit 125 determines the number of packets transmitted per control period T (packet transmission timing) based on, for example, the usage amount of the buffer 123 and the usage amount of the buffer 131. The closer the buffers 123 and 131 are to empty, the shorter the time until a packet is processed and the lower the probability that the buffers 123 and 131 will overflow. Therefore, the number of packets transmitted per control period T is determined by a function of the number of empty buffers 123 and 131, for example. That is, the number of packets that can be transmitted without delay per control cycle T can be increased as the remaining capacity of the buffers 123 and 131 is smaller.

  However, when the determination unit 125 cannot specifically specify the number of empty spaces in the buffers 123 and 131, the determination unit 125 estimates the empty state of the buffers 123 and 131 according to a function of the response time of the packet transmission request. The function of the response time of the packet transmission request is based on the time from when the wireless control unit 12 requests the wireless unit 13 to perform packet transmission processing until the wireless unit 13 completes the packet transmission processing. 131 is a function for estimating the free state of 131. The determination unit 125 determines the number of packets transmitted per control cycle T from the estimated free state.

  On the other hand, the determination of the number of packets transmitted per control cycle T (determination of transmission timing) has certain restrictions. This is determined by the control (determination) cycle T, the processing speed of the wireless control unit 12, the processing speed of the wireless unit 13, and the determination processing method of the control device 3 (determination unit 33). First, the minimum transmission interval Xmin is determined by the processing speed of the wireless control unit 12 and the processing speed of the wireless unit 13. Next, from the minimum transmission interval Xmin and the control period T, the number Nmax = INT (T / Xmin) of packets that can be transmitted per control period T is determined. Here, INT represents an integer part of T / Xmin.

  In addition, the determination unit 33 of the control device 3 employs data in which L (1 <L ≦ K) or more pieces of data coincide with each other by a majority vote using K packets. K is an integer equal to or greater than 3, and represents the number of data read from a register unit 32, which will be described later. For example, K data has consecutive sequence numbers. The minimum number of packets required for the determination process is L. This is because when the data included in the L packets all match, the determination unit 33 can employ the data. For example, in the case of a majority, L = INT (K / 2) +1.

  The determination process determined by majority decision is, for example, a determination process of the state of the moving body 5 (for example, the open / closed state of the door). In the determination process of the state of the moving body 5, first, the reception unit 31 of the control device 3 receives the number of packets determined by the determination unit 125 from the wireless communication device 1 within the control period T. Then, the determination unit 33 of the control device 3 determines the moving body 5 according to the state of the moving body 5 indicated by the most data among the data indicating the state of the moving body 5 included in the number of packets determined by the determining unit 125. The state of is determined.

  As described above, the determination unit 125 can transmit a packet at most Nmax times. However, the determination unit 125 can freely reduce the number of packet transmissions up to L times within a range that satisfies the system requirements, and can freely determine the transmission timing. Therefore, for example, when the allowable delay time is equal to or less than the threshold, the generation unit 122 and the determination unit 125 perform control so that the packet is transmitted as soon as possible while making the states of the buffers 123 and 131 efficient. For example, when there is a signal other than a safety signal (for example, a video signal and an audio signal) as a signal transmitted from the mobile body 5, processing for a packet including the signal other than the safety signal (the generation unit 122 and the determination unit) By not performing the processing of 125), a packet including a safety signal can be transmitted as soon as possible. Thus, for example, the response speed of the entire system (the elevator system in the example of FIG. 1) can be improved while reducing the packet loss probability, and thus the reliability of the system can be improved.

  Next, the operation of the wireless unit 13 will be described. The wireless unit 13 includes a buffer 131 and a communication unit 132.

  The buffer 131 temporarily stores the packet received from the wireless control unit 12. The communication unit 132 reads packets from the buffer 131 and broadcasts the number of packets determined by the determination unit 125 within one control cycle T.

  Next, an example of a functional configuration of the control device 3 according to the embodiment will be described.

[Example of functional configuration of control device]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the control device 3 according to the first embodiment. The control device 3 of the first embodiment includes receiving units 31a to 31c, a register unit 32, a determination unit 33, and a control unit 34.

  The receiving unit 31a receives data including the above-described safety signal and the above-described sequence number from the relay device 2a. Similarly, the reception unit 31b receives data including the above-described safety signal, the above-described sequence number, and the like from the relay device 2b. Similarly, the receiving unit 31c receives data including the above-described safety signal, the above-described sequence number, and the like from the relay device 2c.

  Hereinafter, when the receiving units 31a to 31c are not distinguished from each other, they are simply referred to as the receiving unit 31.

  The difference between the time when the data is received by the receiving unit 31 and the time when the data is transmitted by the wireless communication device 1 is not always constant, and varies due to the wireless environment, the load of the relay device 2, and the like. there is a possibility. The load of the relay device 2 is, for example, a load of a radio device mounted on the relay device 2 and a load such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that functions as a control unit of the radio device.

  The register unit 32 absorbs the difference between the time when the data is received by the receiving unit 31 and the time when the data is transmitted by the wireless communication device 1.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the register unit 32 of the first embodiment. When receiving data from the relay device 2, the receiving unit 31 writes the data at an address based on the sequence number included in the data. For example, address 0 corresponds to sequence number N. The storage area at address 0 includes a storage area for data received from the relay apparatus 2a, a storage area for data received from the relay apparatus 2b, and a storage area for data received from the relay apparatus 2c. Data is read according to the determination timing of the determination unit 33. For example, when there is a data read request from the determination unit 33, the register unit 32 reads all data included in the control cycle T. Note that the data in the register unit 32 may be read at every read cycle less than the control cycle T.

  Returning to FIG. 3, if the data read from the register unit 32 is the same if, for example, more than half of the L pieces of K data with consecutive sequence numbers are the same, the matching result is obtained. The determination result is input to the control unit 34.

  Upon receiving the determination result from the determination unit 33, the control unit 34 controls the hoisting machine 4 and the open / closed state of the door on the ground side (each floor) based on the determination result.

  Next, an example of an operation method of the wireless communication device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[Example of operation method]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the initial setting process of the first embodiment. The initial setting process of FIG. 5 is executed when the operation state of the wireless communication device 1 is the initial state S0. The initial state S0 is an operation state immediately after the wireless communication device 1 is activated, for example. First, the determination unit 125 determines the determination method of the control device 3 (determination unit 33) and the control (determination) cycle T of the control device 3 (determination unit 33) (step S1). The determination method is, for example, a method of adopting data in which L (1 <L ≦ K) or more pieces of data match by majority vote using K packets.

  Next, the determination unit 125 determines the minimum number of packets necessary for determination control by the determination method determined by the process of step S1 and an initial value of the number of packets transmitted per control period T (step S1). S2).

  The initial value is determined within a range from the minimum number of packets necessary for determination control to the maximum number of packets that can be transmitted per control period T. The initial value is, for example, an intermediate value between the minimum number of packets necessary for determination control and the maximum number of packets that can be transmitted per control period T. For example, the initial value is the maximum number of packets that can be transmitted per control cycle T.

  When the process of step S2 ends, the operating state of the wireless communication device 1 transitions from the initial state S0 to the normal operating state S3.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a first example of packet transmission control processing according to the first embodiment. The transmission control process in FIG. 6 is executed when the operation state of the wireless communication apparatus 1 is the normal operation state S3. First, the determination unit 125 determines whether or not the remaining amount of the buffers 123 and 131 is smaller than a threshold value (step S11). If the remaining amount is not smaller than the threshold (No at Step S11), the process ends.

  When the remaining amount is smaller than the threshold value (Yes in step S11), the determination unit 125 changes the number of packet transmissions so that the number of packet transmissions is reduced. It is determined whether it is smaller than the minimum number of packets (step S12).

  When it is not smaller than the minimum number of packets required for determination control (No at Step S12), the determination unit 125 decreases the number of transmissions of packets transmitted per control period T (Step S13). The determination unit 125 decreases the number of transmissions of packets transmitted per control period T, for example, by increasing the transmission interval of the control period T.

  When smaller than the minimum number of packets necessary for determination control (step S12, Yes), the determination unit 125 increases the number of packets transmitted per control period T (step S14). The determination unit 125 increases the number of transmissions of packets transmitted per control period T by shortening the transmission interval of the control period T, for example.

  Here, the reason why the process of step S14 is performed will be described. When the number of transmissions after the change is smaller than the minimum number of packets necessary for determination control, for example, a case where the number of transmissions is continuously reduced while the communication environment is bad is assumed. For this reason, if the transmission of packets is refrained too much because the current communication environment is poor, there is a possibility that the packet must be transmitted in a situation where the communication environment further deteriorates. Therefore, in the wireless communication device 1 according to the embodiment, the determination unit 125 executes the process of step S14 in order to avoid a situation where a packet must be transmitted in a situation where the communication environment is further deteriorated.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a second example of packet transmission control processing according to the first embodiment. The transmission control process in FIG. 7 is executed when the operation state of the wireless communication apparatus 1 is the normal operation state S3. First, the determination unit 125 determines whether or not the response time of the above-described packet transmission request is greater than a threshold (step S11-2). If the response time is greater than the threshold (step S11-2, Yes), the process proceeds to step S12. If the response time is not greater than the threshold (step S11-2, No), the process ends.

  The description of step S12 to step S14 is the same as in FIG.

  As described above, in the wireless communication device 1 according to the first embodiment, the determination unit 125 determines the number of packets transmitted per control cycle T of determination control for determining data included in a plurality of packets by majority voting. The determination is made within the range from the minimum number of packets required for determination control to the maximum number of packets that can be transmitted per control period T. Then, the communication unit 132 transmits the determined number of packets within the control period T.

  Thus, according to the wireless communication device 1 of the first embodiment, a predetermined number or more packets (wireless signals) necessary for control are stably transferred from the mobile unit 5 to the communication destination device (in the example of the first embodiment, the relay is performed). To device 2).

  As described above, the wireless communication system according to the first embodiment includes the wireless communication device 1 installed on the mobile body 5 (car), the relay device 2 installed on the ground side, and the control device 3. With. The relay device 2 and the control device 3 are connected by a wired cable. The wireless communication device 1 transmits at least the above safety signal and the above sequence number. The control device 3 arranges the data (safety signal and sequence number) received from the plurality of relay devices 2 according to the sequence number. And the control apparatus 3 performs the majority determination of the state (for example, door open / closed state) of the mobile body 5 by the arbitrary number of data below the frequency | count which can be transmitted / received within the control period T. FIG. Therefore, the wireless communication device 1 transmits data equal to or more than the number of data used by the control device 3 for state determination. Specifically, the determination unit 125 of the wireless communication device 1 determines the number of packets to be transmitted per control cycle T of the determination control for determining data included in the plurality of packets by majority voting. It is determined within the range from the minimum number to the maximum number of packets that can be transmitted per control period T.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the description of the second embodiment, the description similar to that of the first embodiment is omitted, and only points different from the first embodiment will be described.

[Example of device configuration of wireless communication system]
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a device configuration of a wireless communication system according to the second embodiment. The wireless communication system according to the second embodiment includes wireless communication devices 1a and 1b, relay devices 2a to 2c, and a control device 3. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that there are two moving bodies 5. In addition, although the example of FIG. 8 shows the case where there are two moving bodies 5, the number of the moving bodies 5 is not limited to two and may be three or more.

  The wireless communication device 1a is mounted on the moving body 5a. The moving body 5a may be arbitrary. In the second embodiment, a case where the moving body 5a is an elevator car will be described as an example. The moving body 5a is moved up and down by a hoisting machine 4a controlled by the control device 3.

  The wireless communication device 1b is mounted on the moving body 5b. The moving body 5b may be arbitrary. In the second embodiment, a case where the moving body 5b is an elevator car will be described as an example. The moving body 5b is moved up and down by a hoisting machine 4b controlled by the control device 3.

  Hereinafter, when the wireless communication devices 1a and 1b are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as the wireless communication device 1. Similarly, when the mobile bodies 5a and 5b are not distinguished, they are simply referred to as the mobile body 5.

  The description of the relay device 2 and the control device 3 is the same as in FIG.

  Next, an example of a functional configuration of the wireless communication device 1 according to the second embodiment will be described.

[Example of functional configuration of wireless communication device]
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the wireless communication device 1 according to the second embodiment. The wireless communication device 1 according to the second embodiment includes a sensor 11, a wireless control unit 12, and a wireless unit 13.

  The description of the sensor 11 is the same as in FIG.

  The wireless control unit 12 includes a time information unit 121, a generation unit 122, a buffer 123, a monitoring unit 124, a determination unit 125, an acquisition unit 126, a measurement unit 127, and a storage unit 128. That is, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that an acquisition unit 126, a measurement unit 127, and a storage unit 128 are added.

  The acquisition unit 126 acquires state information indicating the state of the moving body 5. The state information includes, for example, movement information of the moving body 5 and an open / closed state of the door of the moving body 5. Further, the movement information includes, for example, the position, moving direction, moving speed, and the like of the moving body 5. The movement information of the moving body 5 includes not only the movement information of the moving body 5 on which the apparatus itself is mounted, but also the movement information of other moving bodies 5 such as the adjacent moving bodies 5.

  For example, the acquisition unit 126 may acquire movement information of another moving body 5 from the control device 3 via the relay device 2.

  For example, the acquisition unit 126 may acquire (estimate) movement information of another moving body 5 from the received radio wave intensity acquired by the relay device 2. Specifically, the received radio wave intensity of a packet (for example, a control packet such as a beacon and a data packet including transmission target data) transmitted from the wireless communication device 1 mounted on each mobile unit 5 by the relay device 2. And the received radio wave intensity is transmitted to the wireless communication apparatus 1. Then, the acquisition unit 126 of the wireless communication device 1 estimates the movement information of the other moving body 5 from the received radio wave intensity received from the relay device 2.

  The acquisition unit 126 may acquire the position of the moving body 5 on which the own device is mounted by a sensor (for example, the sensor 11 of the wireless communication device 1) mounted on the moving body 5.

  The measurement unit 127 determines the wireless environment such as the usage status of the channel used for transmission from the received radio wave intensity of the packet, the time required for transmission of the packet, the number of trials of CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collection Aviation), etc. Measure.

  The storage unit 128 stores information. The information stored in the storage unit 128 is environmental information indicating, for example, the installation position of the relay device 2 and the characteristics of the wireless device used in the relay device 2. The characteristics of the radio are information unique to the radio such as how much interference the radio has on other channels when a specific channel is used. The storage unit 128 may store environment information indicating an environment when the relay device 2 is installed, for example.

  In addition, since it is possible that the installation in the hoistway is changed depending on the maintenance situation, it is more desirable to be able to change the environmental information stored in the storage unit 128 later. As a method for changing the environment information, for example, there is a method in which an information terminal is connected to the wireless communication apparatus 1 and the environment information is rewritten from the information terminal. Further, for example, as a method for changing the environment information, there is a method in which the environment information is rewritten from the service center by remotely connecting to the wireless communication apparatus 1 from a service center or the like.

  The determination unit 125 of the second embodiment can determine the number of packets transmitted per the above-described control period T using the state information of the moving body 5 acquired by the acquisition unit 126.

  The determination unit 125 of the wireless communication device 1a includes, for example, the position, moving direction, and moving speed of the moving body 5a (first moving body), and the position of the moving body 5b (second moving body) on which the wireless communication device 1b is mounted. And a time zone in which the radio wave transmitted from the own device and the radio wave transmitted from the wireless communication device 1b interfere with each other based on the moving direction and the moving speed, and a packet transmitted from the communication unit 132 in the time zone. Is reduced to a setting value closer to the above-mentioned minimum number among the plurality of setting values.

  For example, when the door of the moving body 5 is open, the determination unit 125 decreases the number of packets transmitted from the communication unit 132 to a setting value closer to the above-described minimum number among the plurality of setting values.

  Here, an example in which packet transmission control processing is performed using the state information of the mobile unit 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating Example 1 of packet transmission control processing according to the second embodiment. The transmission control process of FIG. 10 is executed when the operation state of the wireless communication device 1 is the normal operation state S3. First, the determination unit 125 determines whether or not the door of the moving body 5 is open (step S11-3).

  Here, the reason for executing the process of step S11-3 will be described. When the moving body 5 stops at the stop floor and the door is open, radio interference outside the hoistway can occur. Further, when the door is open, the hoisting machine 4 is locked, and the necessity for transmitting the above-described safety signal is lower than when traveling. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the packet transmission frequency while the mobile unit 5 is stopped on the stop floor.

  When the door of the moving body 5 is open (step S11-3, Yes), the process proceeds to step S12. When the door of the moving body 5 is not open (step S11-3, No), the process ends.

  The description of step S12 to step S14 is the same as in FIG.

  Note that the generation unit 122 may stop generating a packet for transmitting a safety signal while the moving body 5 is stopped at the stop floor, for example. Thereby, if the transmission processing of the packets already stored in the buffers 123 and 131 is completed, the buffers 123 and 131 can be emptied. As a trigger for returning to the normal transmission state from the state where transmission is stopped or the number of transmissions is reduced, a signal indicating that the buffers 123 and 131 are empty, and the door of the moving body 5 are automatically closed. The timer, the signal from the ground side such as the control device 3, or a combination thereof can be used.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a second example of packet transmission control processing according to the second embodiment. The transmission control process of FIG. 11 is executed when the operation state of the wireless communication apparatus 1 is the normal operation state S3. First, the determination unit 125 determines whether another moving body 5 is approaching (Step S11-4).

  Here, the reason why the process of step S11-4 is executed will be described. It is most desirable that the channel used by the other wireless communication device 1 mounted on the other mobile unit 5 is a different channel and there is no radio wave interference. However, since the number of channels is limited, when there are a plurality of adjacent mobile units 5, some or all of the channels overlap between the wireless communication apparatuses 1 mounted on the adjacent mobile units 5. Can be considered. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the influence of this radio wave interference. When the moving body 5 is an elevator car, a particular problem arises when adjacent cars are close to each other and when the wireless communication device 1 mounted on the adjacent car is connected to the relay device 2 as a communication link. Is established.

  If the channel used for each mobile unit 5 can be allocated, the possibility that radio waves interfere between the wireless communication devices 1 mounted on the mobile unit 5 is small. However, depending on the system requirements and the radio standard used, there are cases where a sufficient channel cannot be secured. If a sufficient channel cannot be secured, there is a high possibility that radio waves interfere between adjacent mobile bodies 5.

  Therefore, when the adjacent mobile body 5 is close, the determining unit 125 determines the channel used by the adjacent mobile body 5, the degree of interference of the radio used by the adjacent mobile body 5 with other channels, And the number of packets transmitted per the above-mentioned control period T is determined by the distance from the mobile unit 5 on which the device is mounted. The determination unit 125 determines, for example, when the adjacent mobile body 5 is close by whether or not the distance to the mobile body 5 is equal to or less than the distance threshold.

  It is expected that the shorter the distance from the other moving body 5, the more the influence of radio wave interference. Therefore, more specifically, when the distance from the mobile unit 5 on which the device is mounted is equal to or smaller than the distance threshold, and the influence of radio wave interference on the channel used by the device is larger than the interference threshold In this case, the possibility of overflow of the buffers 123 and 131 increases. Therefore, the determination unit 125 decreases the number of packets transmitted per control period T when adjacent mobile units 5 are close to each other.

  Further, when communication between the wireless communication device 1 and the relay device 2 becomes impossible, the communication link is disconnected. Therefore, in order for the wireless communication device 1 to communicate with the relay device 2 whose communication link has been disconnected again, it is necessary to reestablish the communication link. In order to establish a communication link, communication using a management packet is required. Therefore, while the wireless communication device 1 establishes a communication link, the wireless communication device 1 can be an interference source for the wireless communication device 1 mounted on the adjacent mobile unit 5.

  Accordingly, when another mobile unit 5 enters a position where communication is expected to occur between the wireless communication device 1 and the relay device 2 suspected of having a broken communication link, the mobile unit 5 is mounted on the mobile unit 5. The probability that the wireless communication apparatus 1 cannot transmit by CSMA / CA increases. If transmission by CSMA / CA is not possible, the packets are accumulated in the buffers 123 and 131. For this reason, the probability that the buffers 123 and 131 will overflow increases while the wireless communication device 1 mounted on another mobile unit 5 establishes a communication link.

  For the reasons described above, the determination unit 125 decreases the number of packets transmitted per control period T when adjacent mobile units 5 are close to each other.

  If another moving body 5 is approaching (step S11-4, Yes), the process proceeds to step S12. If another moving body 5 is not approaching (step S11-4, No), the process ends.

  The description of step S12 to step S14 is the same as in FIG.

  In addition, the determination unit 125 of the second embodiment determines whether or not the line-of-sight environment is between the wireless communication device 1 and the relay device 2 (LOS (Line Of Light) / NLOS (Non Line Of Light)). The number of trials and the received radio wave intensity can also be used to determine the number of packets transmitted per control period T described above.

  Note that the received radio wave intensity measured by the measuring unit 127 is used for predicting the position of the other moving body 5 when the position of the other moving body 5 cannot be acquired. Further, for example, the received radio wave intensity measured by the measuring unit 127 is used when confirming the consistency of the boundary region between the LOS environment (line-of-sight environment) and the NLOS environment (non-line-of-sight environment) afterwards.

  For example, when it is determined that there is a line of sight between the own device and the communication destination device, the determination unit 125 sets the number of packets transmitted from the communication unit 132 closer to the above-mentioned minimum number among a plurality of setting values. Decrease to value.

  Here, an example in which it is determined whether or not the line-of-sight environment is performed and packet transmission control processing is performed will be described with reference to FIG. An example in which packet transmission control processing is performed using the number of CSMA / CA trials will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a third example of packet transmission control processing according to the second embodiment. The transmission control process of FIG. 12 is executed when the operation state of the wireless communication apparatus 1 is the normal operation state S3. First, the determination unit 125 determines whether or not there is a line of sight (step S11-5).

  Here, the reason why the process of step S11-5 is executed will be described. Whether or not it is a line-of-sight environment is determined by the above-described environmental information stored in the storage unit 128, the position of the mobile body 5 on which the device is mounted, and the positions of other mobile bodies 5. More specifically, there are an area specified as the LOS environment from the environment information and an area specified as the NLOS environment from the environment information. In addition, there is an area in which the line-of-sight environment cannot be immediately identified from the environment information, and whether or not it is a LOS environment also depends on the position of the other mobile unit 5.

  There are few packet errors in the LOS environment. Therefore, the determination unit 125 can reduce the number of packet transmissions to a number closer to the minimum number of packets necessary for the determination control of the determination unit 33.

  On the other hand, in the NLOS environment, the packet error rate is higher than in the LOS environment. Therefore, it is necessary to transmit more packets in the NLOS environment than in the LOS environment. Accordingly, the determination unit 125 increases the number of packet transmissions, for example, when the mobile unit 5 on which the own device is mounted is in an area where the mobile unit 5 is necessarily in an NLOS environment. The determination unit 125 also refers to the position of the other moving body 5 when the moving body 5 on which the apparatus is mounted is in an area where whether or not the NLOS environment is changed depends on the position of the other moving body 5. To determine the number of packet transmissions.

  Note that the determination unit 125 determines the line-of-sight environment when the LOS environment is likely to occur at the transmission start timing of the packet within the control period T in consideration of the moving direction of the moving body 5 and the speed of the moving body 5. In some cases, the number of transmissions may be reduced even in an NLOS environment.

  If there is a prospect (step S11-5, Yes), the process proceeds to step S12. When there is no prospect (step S11-5, No), the process proceeds to step S14.

  The description of step S12 to step S14 is the same as in FIG.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a fourth example of packet transmission control processing according to the second embodiment. The transmission control process of FIG. 13 is executed when the operation state of the wireless communication device 1 is the normal operation state S3. First, the determination unit 125 determines whether or not the most recent CSMA / CA trial number is greater than a threshold (step S11-6).

  Here, the reason why the process of step S11-6 is executed will be described. The fact that the number of CSMA / CA trials is larger than the threshold value indicates that there is radio wave interference from another wireless device such as the wireless communication device 1 mounted on another mobile unit 5. When the radio wave interference is large, the probability of packet error is high. Therefore, it is desirable that the number of packets to be transmitted within the control period T is large, but at the same time, it is expected that it takes time to transmit the packets. Therefore, when the number of the latest CSMA / CA trials is larger than the threshold, the determination unit 125 can reduce the number of packet transmissions to a number closer to the minimum number of packets necessary for determination control of the determination unit 33.

  If the most recent CSMA / CA trial number is greater than the threshold (step S11-6, Yes), the process proceeds to step S12. If the most recent CSMA / CA trial number is not greater than the threshold (step S11-6, No), the process ends.

  The description of step S12 to step S14 is the same as in FIG.

  As described above, in the wireless communication device 1 of the second embodiment, the determination unit 125 determines whether or not there is a line-of-sight environment between the wireless communication device 1 and the relay device 2, the number of CSMA / CA trials, and The received radio wave intensity is also used to determine the number of packets transmitted per control period T described above.

  According to the wireless communication device 1 of the second embodiment, since a wider variety of transmission control is possible, more than a predetermined number of packets (wireless signals) necessary for the control, than in the case of the first embodiment, Transmission from the mobile unit 5 to the communication destination device (in the example of the second embodiment, the relay device 2) can be performed more stably.

(Modification 1 of 2nd Embodiment)
Next, Modification 1 of the second embodiment will be described. In the description of the first modification of the second embodiment, the description similar to that of the second embodiment will be omitted, and different points from the second embodiment will be described. In Modification 1 of the second embodiment, a case where a plurality of wireless units 13 (wireless devices) are provided will be described.

[Example of functional configuration of wireless communication device]
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the wireless communication device 1 according to the first modification of the second embodiment. The wireless communication device 1 of Modification 1 of the second embodiment includes a sensor 11, a wireless control unit 12, a wireless unit 13a, and a wireless unit 13b.

  The wireless control unit 12 includes a time information unit 121, a generation unit 122, buffers 123a and 123b, monitoring units 124a and 124b, a determination unit 125, an acquisition unit 126, measurement units 127a and 127b, and a storage unit 128.

  The wireless unit 13a includes a buffer 131a and a communication unit 132a. The wireless unit 13b includes a buffer 131b and a communication unit 132b.

  That is, FIG. 14 is different from the case of FIG. 2 in that the function configuration related to the communication function is made redundant. The determination unit 125 determines the number of packets transmitted per control period T, as in the case of the second embodiment. And the determination part 125 memorize | stores more packets in the buffer 123 which is vacant among the buffer 123a and the buffer 123b. Note that the determination unit 125 may store more packets in the more vacant buffers (buffers 123 and 131) in consideration of the remaining amount of the buffer 131 on the wireless unit 13 side.

  In the first modification of the second embodiment, since the states of the buffers 123 and 131 are made efficient in the wireless communication device 1 on the transmission side, the packet loss probability can be reduced, and the reliability of the entire wireless communication system can be reduced. Can be improved. In addition, since a plurality of wireless units 13 are mounted, the communication path may be made redundant by using different communication standards or different frequencies. By making the communication path redundant, the reliability of wireless communication can be improved.

  In the example of FIG. 14, two wireless units 13 are shown, but three or more wireless units 13 may be mounted on the wireless communication device 1.

(Modification 2 of the second embodiment)
Next, Modification 2 of the second embodiment will be described. In the description of the modified example 2 of the second embodiment, the description similar to that of the second embodiment will be omitted, and portions different from those of the second embodiment will be described. In the second modification of the second embodiment, a case where a learning unit is further provided will be described.

  For example, a sensor installed in the mobile body 5 such as the sensor 11 mounted on the wireless communication device 1 may change the value indicated by the influence of aging degradation or the like. Therefore, various evaluation functions used for control by the wireless control unit 12 may become inappropriate. Therefore, a case will be described in which a learning unit is provided that learns the optimum number of packets transmitted per control period T in order to prevent the overflow of the buffers 123 and 131.

[Example of functional configuration of wireless communication device]
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the wireless communication device 1 according to the second modification of the second embodiment. The wireless communication device 1 of Modification 2 of the second embodiment includes a sensor 11, a wireless control unit 12, and a wireless unit 13. The wireless control unit 12 includes a time information unit 121, a generation unit 122, a buffer 123, a monitoring unit 124, a determination unit 125, an acquisition unit 126, a measurement unit 127, a storage unit 128, and a learning unit 129. The wireless unit 13 includes a buffer 131 and a communication unit 132.

  The learning unit 129 includes the remaining amount of the buffers 123 and 131, the position of the moving body 5a (first moving body), the moving direction of the moving body 5a, the moving speed of the moving body 5a, and the moving body 5b equipped with the wireless communication device 1b. Position of (second moving body), moving direction of moving body 5b, moving speed of moving body 5b, received radio wave intensity of packet received from relay apparatus 2 (communication destination apparatus), and number of CSMA / CA trials A setting value indicating the optimal number of packets to be transmitted per control period T is learned using a variable including at least one of.

  The determination unit 125 determines the number of packets transmitted per control period T as a learned setting value in the communication environment indicated by the variable used for learning.

  Note that the learning unit 129 described above can construct a learning system that is closed by the mobile body 5 on which the device is mounted, or can construct a learning system that includes information related to the entire wireless communication system. For example, when the learning unit 129 can acquire a delay or the like on the wireless communication system from the control device 3, the learning unit 129 may construct a learning system including minimizing the delay.

(Modification 3 of 2nd Embodiment)
Next, Modification 3 of the second embodiment will be described. In the description of the modified example 3 of the second embodiment, the description similar to that of the second embodiment is omitted, and different points from the second embodiment will be described. Modified example 3 of the second embodiment shows a case where modified examples 1 and 2 of the second embodiment are combined.

[Example of functional configuration of wireless communication device]
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the wireless communication device 1 according to Modification 3 of the second embodiment. The wireless communication device 1 of Modification 3 of the second embodiment includes a sensor 11, a wireless control unit 12, a wireless unit 13a, and a wireless unit 13b.

  The radio control unit 12 includes a time information unit 121, a generation unit 122, buffers 123a and 123b, monitoring units 124a and 124b, a determination unit 125, an acquisition unit 126, measurement units 127a and 127b, a storage unit 128, and a learning unit 129. Prepare.

  The wireless unit 13a includes a buffer 131a and a communication unit 132a. The wireless unit 13b includes a buffer 131b and a communication unit 132b.

  The description of each functional block is the same as in the first and second modifications of the above-described second embodiment, and will not be repeated. According to the third modification of the second embodiment, even when the functional blocks related to the communication function are made redundant, the optimal number of packets transmitted per control period T described above by including the learning unit 129. Can be learned.

  Finally, an example of the hardware configuration of the wireless communication device 1 according to the first and second embodiments will be described. Note that the hardware configuration of the relay apparatus 2 of the first and second embodiments is the same as the hardware configuration of the wireless communication apparatus 1.

[Example of hardware configuration]
FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the wireless communication device 1 according to the first and second embodiments. The wireless communication device 1 includes a control device 201, a main storage device 202, an auxiliary storage device 203, a display device 204, an input device 205, and a communication device 206. The control device 201, the main storage device 202, the auxiliary storage device 203, the display device 204, the input device 205, and the communication device 206 are connected via a bus 210.

  Note that the display device 204 and the input device 205 may not be provided. When the display device 204 and the input device 205 are not provided, for example, the state of the wireless communication device 1 is confirmed by connecting an information terminal or the like.

  The control device 201 executes the program read from the auxiliary storage device 203 to the main storage device 202. The control device 201 is one or more processors such as a CPU, for example. The main storage device 202 is a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The auxiliary storage device 203 is a memory card, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or the like.

  The display device 204 displays information. The display device 204 is a liquid crystal display, for example. The input device 205 receives input of information. The input device 205 is a hardware key, for example. Note that the display device 204 and the input device 205 may be a liquid crystal touch panel that has both a display function and an input function. The communication device 206 communicates with other devices.

  A program executed by the wireless communication apparatus 1 is an installable or executable file, and is a computer-readable storage such as a CD-ROM, a memory card, a CD-R, and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). It is stored on a medium and provided as a computer program product.

  The program executed by the wireless communication apparatus 1 may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. The program executed by the wireless communication device 1 may be provided via a network such as the Internet without being downloaded.

  The program executed by the wireless communication device 1 may be provided by being incorporated in advance in a ROM or the like.

  The program executed by the wireless communication device 1 has a module configuration including functions that can be realized by the program among the functions of the wireless communication device 1.

  The functions realized by the program are loaded into the main storage device 202 when the control device 201 reads the program from a storage medium such as the auxiliary storage device 203 and executes it. That is, the function realized by the program is generated on the main storage device 202.

  Note that some of the functions of the wireless communication device 1 may be realized by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit). The IC is a processor that executes dedicated processing, for example.

  When each function is realized using a plurality of processors, each processor may realize one of the functions or two or more of the functions.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wireless communication apparatus 2 Relay apparatus 3 Control apparatus 4 Hoisting machine 5 Mobile body 11 Sensor 12 Radio | wireless control part 13 Radio | wireless part 31 Reception part 32 Register part 33 Judgment part 34 Control part 121 Time information part 122 Generation part 123 Buffer 124 Monitoring part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 125 Determination part 126 Acquisition part 127 Measurement part 128 Storage part 129 Learning part 131 Buffer 132 Communication part 201 Control apparatus 202 Main storage apparatus 203 Auxiliary storage apparatus 204 Display apparatus 205 Input apparatus 206 Communication apparatus 210 Bus

The wireless communication system according to the embodiment is a wireless communication system including a wireless communication device mounted on a first moving body and a control device that controls movement of the first moving body. The wireless communication device includes a determination unit and a communication unit. The determination unit determines the number of packets transmitted per control cycle to be smaller as the remaining capacity of the buffer storing the packets is smaller . The communication unit transmits the determined number of packets within the control period. The control device determines the state of the first moving body based on data indicating the state of the first moving body included in the number of packets.

Claims (10)

A wireless communication system comprising a wireless communication device mounted on a first mobile body and a control device that controls movement of the first mobile body,
The wireless communication device determines a number of packets transmitted per control cycle;
A communication unit for transmitting the determined number of packets within the control period;
The control device includes: the first mobile unit according to the state of the first mobile unit indicated by the most data among the data indicating the state of the first mobile unit included in the number of packets. Determine the state,
Wireless communication system. The number of packets is equal to or less than the maximum number of packets that can be transmitted per control period.
The wireless communication system according to claim 1. The number of packets is equal to or greater than the minimum number necessary for the determination of the control device.
The wireless communication system according to claim 1 or 2. The wireless communication device further includes a buffer for storing the packet,
The number of the packets is smaller as the remaining amount of the buffer is smaller.
The wireless communication system according to claim 1. The determination unit is transmitted from the own device based on the position, moving direction, and moving speed of the first moving body, and the position, moving direction, and moving speed of the second moving body on which another wireless communication device is mounted. Predicting a time zone in which a radio wave transmitted from another radio communication device interferes with the number of packets transmitted in the time zone closer to the minimum number among a plurality of setting values. Decrease to the set value,
The wireless communication system according to claim 3. When it is determined that there is a line of sight between the own device and the communication destination device, the determination unit decreases the number of packets to be transmitted to the setting value closer to the minimum number among a plurality of setting values. ,
The wireless communication system according to claim 3. The first moving body is an elevator car;
The determination unit, when the door of the car is open, reduces the number of packets transmitted to the setting value closer to the minimum number among a plurality of setting values;
The wireless communication system according to claim 3. The wireless communication apparatus includes a remaining amount of the buffer, a position of the first moving body, a moving direction of the first moving body, a moving speed of the first moving body, and another wireless communication apparatus mounted with the wireless communication apparatus. 2 moving body position, moving direction of the second moving body, moving speed of the second moving body, received radio wave intensity of the packet received from the communication destination device, and CSMA / CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access). A learning unit that learns a setting value indicating the optimal number of packets to be transmitted per control period using a variable including at least one of the number of trials of / Colliance Avidance),
The determining unit determines the number of the packets transmitted per control cycle as the learned setting value in the communication environment indicated by the variable.
The wireless communication system according to claim 4. A wireless communication device mounted on a mobile body,
A determining unit that determines the number of packets transmitted per control period;
A communication unit for transmitting the determined number of packets within the control period;
With
The number of packets includes data indicating the state of the mobile body, and the mobile body indicates the state of the mobile body included in the number of packets according to the state of the mobile body indicated by the most data. The state of
Wireless communication device. Computer
A determining unit that determines the number of packets transmitted per control period;
A communication unit for transmitting the determined number of packets within the control period;
Function as
The number of packets includes data indicating the state of the moving body, and the number of packets indicating the state of the moving body included in the number of packets depends on the state of the moving body indicated by the most data. The state is determined,
program.

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