JP2020043436A - Sensor device, repeater, animal management system, and communication control program - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow a radio communication state with a repeater to be confirmed before attaching it to an industrial animal.SOLUTION: In a sensor device that wirelessly transmits biological information on an animal detected by a sensor via a repeater, a transmission control unit performs transmission control on a communication unit so as to transmit dummy data to the repeater. A response determination unit determines whether there is a response to the dummy data received from the repeater via the communication unit. A notification control unit controls a notification unit to perform notification operation with a difference according to a determination result of whether there is a response from the repeater. Thereby, a radio communication state with the repeater can be confirmed before attaching to an industrial animal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

  The present invention relates to a sensor device, a repeater, an animal management system, and a communication control program.

  At present, there is known a system for acquiring biological information with a sensor device attached to the body of an industrial animal such as a cow, collecting the biological information with a server device of the system via a repeater, and managing the behavior and health of the industrial animal. I have.

  For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-07613) discloses a system for transmitting biological information detected by an activity sensor module attached to an industrial animal such as a cow to a management terminal via a relay. It has been disclosed.

  Here, wireless communication hinders data transmission due to various environmental factors such as climate, temperature, shielding such as buildings, light, and sound. For this reason, it is necessary to find an installation place where the repeater can be wirelessly communicated with the sensor device without a blind spot. At this time, it is necessary to check the wireless communication state between the sensor device and the repeater.

  However, the conventional sensor device has a problem that it is difficult to confirm a wireless communication state between the sensor device and the repeater before the sensor device is attached to an industrial animal. That is, the sensor device mounted on an industrial animal hardly operates the sensor device after being mounted on the industrial animal. For this reason, a function for confirming the state of wireless communication with the repeater is not provided, and this is a factor that makes it difficult to confirm the state of wireless communication with the repeater.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has a sensor device, a relay device, an animal management system, and a communication control device capable of confirming a wireless communication state with a relay device before mounting on an industrial animal. To provide the program.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention is a sensor device that transmits biological information of an animal detected by a sensor via a relay, and transmits dummy data to the relay. A transmission control unit that controls transmission of the communication unit, a response determination unit that determines whether or not there is a response to the dummy data received from the repeater via the communication unit, and a response determination unit that determines whether or not there is a response from the repeater. And a notification control unit that controls the notification unit to perform a notification operation with a difference.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, before mounting | wearing with an industrial animal, it is effective in the ability to confirm the wireless communication state with a relay.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sensor device according to the first embodiment as viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 2 is a side view of the sensor device according to the first embodiment when viewed from the side. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the sensor device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a marker attached to the sensor device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state where the battery box is stored in the storage section of the sensor housing. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a lower cap portion is attached to a bottom portion of a sensor housing in the sensor device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of mounting the sensor device according to the first embodiment on a cow. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating operation switches provided in the sensor device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the operation switches provided in the sensor device according to the first embodiment are covered with a belt. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the sensor device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sensor device according to the second embodiment in a state where the upper surface portion is viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the sensor device according to the second embodiment in a state where the bottom surface portion is viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the sensor device according to the second embodiment in a state where the operation switches are covered with a belt, as viewed from the bottom side. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the sensor device according to the second embodiment in a state where the operation switches are covered with a belt, as viewed from the upper surface side. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of mounting the sensor device according to the second embodiment on a cow. FIG. 16 is a system configuration diagram of the animal management system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 17 is a functional block diagram of a sensor device provided in the animal management system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of an indicator operation in a wireless communication state of the sensor device provided in the animal management system according to the third embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a sensor device and an animal management system according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Appearance configuration)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sensor device according to the first embodiment as viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 2 is a side view of the sensor device according to the first embodiment when viewed from the side. 2A is a side view of the sensor device in a non-transparent state, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the sensor device in a partially transparent state. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the sensor device according to the first embodiment. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 3, the sensor device 1 according to the first embodiment is formed in a “trapezoidal conical shape”. The sensor device 1 roughly includes a sensor housing 11, an upper cap portion 2, and a lower cap portion 3.

  The sensor housing 11 is formed in a trapezoidal conical shape formed of, for example, a plastic member such as polycarbonate. The sensor housing 11 may be formed of another member such as a metal member. The housing 11 is provided inside the sensor housing 11. The storage unit 13 stores, for example, a pack-type battery box 9 that holds four batteries 10. As the battery 10, a primary battery, a secondary battery, a button battery, or the like can be used. Battery 10 also functions as a weight member. Further, the battery 10 and one or more weights such as iron or lead may be used in combination as the weight member.

  In the sensor housing 11, concave notches 5a and 5b formed by notching the upper surface 11a from the side surface to the inner surface are provided at opposing positions on the upper surface 11a. I have. The notches 5a and 5b are wider than the width of the belt 4 so that the belt 4 can be inserted. As the belt 4, for example, a belt made of leather, cloth, nylon, or the like can be used. Further, the mounting member is not limited to the belt 4, and may be, for example, a ring member or a clip member.

  The upper cap 2 has a disk shape with a predetermined thickness. The lower surface portion 2b of the upper cap 2 that contacts the upper surface portion 11a (the smaller diameter surface portion) of the trapezoidal conical sensor housing 11 has substantially the same diameter as the upper surface portion 11a of the sensor housing 11. Thus, when the upper cap 2 is attached to the sensor housing 11, the upper cap 2 covers the upper surface 11a of the sensor housing 11. The upper cap 2 and the sensor housing 11 are connected to each other via a connection member such as an adhesive or a screw.

  The upper cap 2 is provided with, for example, a rectangular hole 6 penetrating from the upper surface 2a to the lower surface 2b. The width (length in the lateral direction) of the hole 6 is substantially the same as (or slightly wider than) the width of the belt 4. As described above, the upper cap 2 is attached to the sensor housing 11 so as to cover the upper surface 11a of the sensor housing 11. When the upper cap 2 is attached to the sensor housing 11, the notches 5 a and 5 b provided in the sensor housing 11 and the holes 6 provided in the upper cap 2 allow the sensor housing 11 to be mounted. A belt through hole 23 penetrating from the side surface to the upper surface 2a of the upper cap 2 is formed.

  When the belt 4 is mounted on the sensor device 1 in which the upper cap 2 is mounted on the sensor housing 11, as shown by an arrow A in FIG. The belt 4 is pulled out from the hole 6 of the upper cap 2. Next, as shown by an arrow B in FIG. 2B, the belt 4 pulled out from the hole 6 is inserted through the notch 5b from the hole 6 and pulled out of the sensor housing 11. Thereby, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, the belt 4 is attached to the sensor device 1.

  Also, as can be seen from FIGS. 2A and 2B, the upper cap 2 has a diameter of the upper surface portion 2a larger than that of the bottom surface portion 2b in contact with the sensor housing 11. I have. The outer peripheral portion of the upper cap 2 is provided with a tapered portion 2c which is cut obliquely from the bottom surface portion 2b side to the upper surface portion 2a. For this reason, when the sensor device 1 is mounted on an industrial animal, the belt 4 does not abut on the corners of the upper cap 2, but rather the belt 4 abuts on the tapered portion 2 c of the upper cap 2. Become. Therefore, the inconvenience that the portion of the belt 4 that comes into contact with the upper cap 2 is damaged can be greatly reduced.

  Further, the side surface of the sensor housing 11 is processed to have a smooth tactile sensation. The outer peripheral portions of the upper cap portion 2 and the lower cap portion 3 are processed into rounded shapes by cutting corners. For this reason, even when the sensor device 1 comes into contact with the skin of a worn industrial animal, the sensor device 1 is configured to minimize stress on the industrial animal.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a sensor substrate 12 is provided on the upper cap portion 2. The sensor substrate 12 is provided with a sensor 20 for detecting biological information of an industrial animal. As an example, the sensor 20 may be a three-axis acceleration sensor that detects the movement of an industrial animal, a temperature sensor that detects a body temperature, a pulse sensor that detects a pulse, or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 3, an operation switch 24 is physically and electrically connected to the sensor board 12 via a flexible cable 25. The operation switch 24 has a rectangular shape having an outer shape larger than the hole 6 of the upper cap portion 2. When the upper cap 2 is mounted on the sensor housing 11, the operation switch 24 is pressed by the upper cap 2 toward the sensor housing 11 and is fixed in position. Exposed from 6. That is, when the upper cap 2 is attached to the sensor housing 11, the operation switch 24 is exposed from the concave hole 6 of the upper cap 2.

  The communication unit 21 performs communication compliant with a wireless communication standard called LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) such as LoRaWAN (registered trademark), thereby enabling power saving, wide area, and low cost communication. The communication unit 21 wirelessly transmits the sensor output of the sensor 20 to the terminal device monitored by the breeder in real time, periodically, or intermittently. The breeder monitors the behavior and health status of each individual based on the received sensor output.

(Attached part of sign)
In addition, in the vicinity of the bottom surface portion 11b of the sensor housing 11, there is provided a sign mounting portion 7 which is formed in a concave shape along the side surface portion. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a sign mounted on the mounted portion 7. As shown in FIG. 4, the marker 8 has a ring shape formed of a rubber member. For example, a red marker is for an individual suffering from a disease, and a yellow marker is for an individual requiring careful observation. , And blue labels are color coded, such as for healthy individuals. The diameter of the marker 8 is smaller than the diameter of the mounted part 7. In addition, the width of the marker 8 has substantially the same width as the width of the mounted portion 7. When the marker 8 is mounted on the mounting portion 7, a force is applied in a direction to increase the diameter of the marker 8 formed of a rubber member, and the sensor housing 11 is inserted into the expanded diameter. Then, the marker 8 is aligned with the mounted portion 7, and the hand is released from the marker 8. Thus, the marker 8 attempts to return to the original diameter due to the elastic force of the rubber member. However, while the marker 8 is returning to the original diameter, the diameter of the marker 8 and the diameter of the mounted portion 7 become the same, As shown in FIG. 1, the marker 8 is mounted so as to be fitted to the mounted portion 7.

  When many industrial animals are bred, it is very difficult to grasp and manage the health condition of each individual animal. However, by attaching the marker 8 to the attached part 7 of the sensor device 1 according to the health condition of the industrial animal by color-coding as described above, the past health condition of each individual can be easily recognized. It is possible to continuously observe the condition.

  The marker 8 may be a member other than the rubber member, for example, a cloth member, a vinyl member, a plastic member, a metal member, or the like. Further, the marker 8 may have a shape other than a ring shape, for example, a string shape, or a velcro tape.

  Further, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) may be provided in the mounted portion 7 so that the above-mentioned past health condition or the like is grasped by the color of light emission.

(Sensor device assembly process)
Next, an assembly process of the sensor device 1 will be described. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the sensor device 1. In FIG. 4, first, the sensor substrate 12 is fixed to the upper cap portion 2 with an adhesive or a screw via a packing 13.

  Next, the upper cap 2 to which the sensor substrate 12 is fixed is fixed to the sensor housing 11 with an adhesive or a screw. Thereby, the above-described belt through-holes 23 are formed by the notches 5 a and 5 b provided in the sensor housing 11 and the holes 6 provided in the upper cap 2.

  Next, the battery box 9 is stored in the storage section 13 provided in the sensor housing 11 via a sponge 14 serving as a spacer. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the battery box 9 is stored in the storage unit 13. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the depth of the storage section 13 and the height of the battery box 9 are substantially the same. For this reason, the whole battery box 9 is stored in the storage part 13 in a buried state. When the battery box 9 is stored in the storage section 13, the sensor board 12 and the battery box 9 are electrically connected, and the sensor board 12 can be energized. The storage unit 13 may store a weight such as iron or lead together with the battery box 9. Thus, even when a button battery having a light weight is provided as a battery, an appropriate weight can be given.

  Next, the sponge 15 serving as a spacer is placed on the battery box 9 housed in the housing unit 13, and the lower cap 3 is attached to the bottom surface 11 b of the sensor housing 11 via a packing 16 with an adhesive or a screw. Fix with. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the lower cap portion 3 is attached to the bottom surface portion 11b of the sensor housing 11. The diameter of the lower cap portion 3 is substantially the same as the diameter of the bottom portion 11b of the sensor housing 11. The lower cap portion 3 is attached to the bottom surface portion 11b of the sensor housing 11 so as to cover the battery box 9 stored in the storage portion 13.

  Next, a seal 17 on which, for example, a column for entering a model number, a serial number, and a date of installation is printed is attached to the lower cap portion 3. Then, as described with reference to FIG. 2B, the belt through holes formed by the notches 5 a and 5 b provided in the sensor housing 11 and the holes 6 provided in the upper cap 2. 23, the belt 4 is inserted, and the sensor device 1 is assembled.

(Example of mounting on industrial animals)
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of mounting the sensor device 1 on a cow that is an example of an industrial animal. The example of FIG. 7 is an example in which the sensor device 1 is attached to the neck of the cow by the belt 4 so that the sensor device 1 is positioned below the throat of the cow. In the sensor device 1 of the first embodiment, the battery 10 provided in the battery box 9 functions as a power source, and hardly applies a load to industrial animals, and the sensor housing 1 is fixed at a fixed position. Functions as a moderately heavy weight. 4, the battery box 9 is housed in the sensor housing 11 so as to be located below the substrate 12 on which the sensor 20 is provided (on the lower cap 3 side). For this reason, the center of gravity that is the center of mass of the sensor housing 11 is located below the sensor 20 and near the lower cap 3.

  Therefore, when the sensor device 1 is worn on the cow's neck by the belt 4, the sensor device 1 is pulled downward in the vertical direction (= gravity direction = direction orthogonal to the ground three-dimensionally) due to its own weight and gravity. The device 1 is fixed near the lower part of the cow's throat. Even if the cow moves, even if the sensor device 1 moves around the cow's neck, the mounting position can be returned to the initial position near the lower part of the cow's throat due to its own weight and gravity.

  For this reason, the position of the sensor device 1 can be fixed almost always to a position near the lower part of the cow's throat without applying a large load to the cow. Therefore, even when feeding is performed with the cow's neck fixed with the stanchion, it is possible to prevent the sensor device 1 from interfering with the stanchion and being damaged.

  In addition, the sensor 20 provided in the sensor device 1 has a front-rear direction, a vertical upper direction and a vertical lower direction of the cow shown in FIG. 7, and a vertical direction (3) with respect to the plane on which FIG. 7 is drawn. The moving speed, the moving amount, the rotating amount, and the like in the left-right direction (direction orthogonal to the dimension) are detected. Then, the communication unit 21 wirelessly transmits the sensor output of the sensor 20 to the terminal device monitored by the breeder. The breeder monitors the behavior and health status of each individual based on the received sensor output.

(Structure to prevent erroneous operation of operation switches and dirt)
Next, a structure for preventing erroneous operation of the operation switch 24 and dirt in the sensor device 1 of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the sensor device 1 without the belt 4 when viewed from the upper surface side. As shown in FIG. 8, the operation switch 24 has an operation button 31 and a light emitting section 32, and these are exposed from the hole 6 of the upper cap section 2. As an example, when the operation button 31 is pressed, the normally separated internal contacts are electrically connected to each other. Further, as the light emitting unit 32, for example, a light emitting diode (LED: Light Emitting Diode) is provided.

  For example, when the operation button 31 is pressed for a predetermined time, the power is turned on / off. When the power is turned on, communication with the server device is started via the repeater (GW: gateway). When communication is normally performed with the server device, the light emitting unit 32 is controlled to be turned off after lighting control for a predetermined time or blinking control for a predetermined time. Since the lighting control or the blinking control of the light emitting unit 32 is a short time such as 10 seconds, for example, power consumption can be reduced.

  The belt 4 is attached to the sensor device 1 shown in FIG. 8, as described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the sensor device 1 with the belt 4 attached. As can be seen from FIG. 9, when the belt 4 is attached to the hole 6 of the upper cap 2 of the sensor device 1, the operation switch 24 that has been exposed up to that time can be covered with the belt 4.

  That is, before attaching the belt 4 to the sensor device 1, the administrator operates the operation switch 24 to turn on the power and confirms the communication state. After confirming that the communication is performed normally, The belt 4 is attached to the hole 6 of the upper cap 2. Thereby, since the operation switch 24 can be covered with the belt 4 (because it can be covered), it is possible to prevent inconvenience that dirt adheres to the operation switch 24 and to contact the industrial animal with the operation switch. 24 can be prevented from being inadvertently operated.

(Effects of the First Embodiment)
As is clear from the above description, the sensor device 1 according to the first embodiment has a structure in which the mass of the sensor housing 11 is located at a position lower than the sensor 20 in the vertical direction with respect to the sensor housing 11. A battery box 9 containing a battery 10 as a weight member is provided so as to locate the center of gravity. Thus, when the sensor housing 11 is mounted on, for example, the neck of an industrial animal, the mounting position can be fixed by hanging the sensor housing 11 from the neck of the industrial animal due to its own weight and gravity. Further, even if the sensor housing 11 moves around the neck due to the movement of the industrial animal, the mounting position can be returned to the initial position such as below the throat of the industrial animal due to the weight of the sensor housing 11 and gravity. . Accordingly, the sensor housing 11 can be fixed at a predetermined position without a large load such as a weight balance and a weight, and a heavy load applied to industrial animals.

  The sensor device 1 has a truncated cone shape as a whole. For this reason, even if it comes into contact with an industrial animal, it can be safely mounted without damaging the skin of the industrial animal. Further, since the lower side of the sensor housing 11 (the side on which the lower cap 3 is mounted) is wide, a heavier weight such as iron or lead can be provided.

  In addition, the sensor housing 11 has a mounted portion 7 for mounting, for example, a color-coded marker 8. For this reason, by attaching the marker 8 of a color corresponding to the health condition or the like of each individual to the attachment portion 7, the health condition or the like of each individual can be recognized at a glance. In addition, by using a sign that does not require electric power such as a rubber member or a cloth member as the sign 8, the power consumption of the battery 10 due to the attachment of the sign 8 can be reduced to zero.

  In addition, by providing the sensor 20 as a motion sensor for detecting the motion of each individual, it is possible to detect the up, down, left, right, and front and rear motions of each individual, thereby enabling fine individual management. Further, since the communication unit 21 wirelessly communicates the sensor output in the LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), it is possible to perform individual management over a wide area with low power consumption.

  Further, since the operation switch 24 is configured to be covered with the belt 4, it is possible to prevent inconvenience that the operation switch 24 is stained and to prevent the operation switch 24 from being erroneously operated by coming into contact with an industrial animal. Can be prevented.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a sensor device according to a second embodiment will be described. Although the sensor device 1 according to the first embodiment described above has an example in which the outer shape has a truncated cone shape, the sensor device according to the second embodiment has an example in which the outer shape has a rectangular box shape. is there. FIG. 10 shows an exploded perspective view of a sensor device 50 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the sensor device 50 according to the second embodiment has a rectangular upper housing 51 and a rectangular lower housing 52 of the same size butted together, so that the entire sensor device 50 is, as it were, a palm. It is shaped like a box. The corners of the housings 51 and 52 are cut out so as to be rounded.

  The lower housing 52 is provided with a battery housing portion 53 and a substrate housing portion 54 which are holes penetrating along the direction of abutment with the upper housing 51, respectively. A battery box 55 is housed in the battery housing 53. In the battery storage unit 53, after the battery box 55 is stored, the lid unit 59 is screwed with a screw 60 via a spacer 58 such as a sponge.

  A sensor board 56 is housed in the board housing section 54 and is screwed with screws 63. The sensor board 56 is electrically connected to the battery box 55 via the connector 61 and the connector 62. An operation switch 64 is connected to the sensor board 56 stored in the board storage section 54 via a flexible cable 65. The operation switch 64 is fixed to the substrate storage portion 54 which is a hole, and is exposed through the substrate storage portion 54.

  The upper housing 51 is fitted and fitted to the lower housing 52 with a spacer 57 such as a sponge placed on a battery box 55 stored in the battery housing portion 54 of the lower housing 52. . As a result, the battery box 55 is held in a fixed state in the sensor device 50.

  FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sensor device 50 according to the second embodiment as viewed from the upper surface side. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the sensor device 50 according to the second embodiment when viewed from the bottom surface side. As can be seen from FIGS. 11 and 12, by fitting the upper housing 51 and the lower housing 52, the belt through holes 66 are formed in the short side surfaces of the rectangular sensor device 50, respectively. You. The belt through hole 66 penetrates the outside of the lower housing 52 through the battery housing part 54, and penetrates outside the lower housing 52 through the board housing part 54.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the sensor device 50 in a state where the belt 70 is inserted through the belt through hole 66 when viewed from the bottom side. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the sensor device 50 in a state where the belt 70 is inserted through the belt passage hole 66 when viewed from the upper surface side. As can be seen from FIGS. 13 and 14, when the belt 70 is attached to the sensor device 50, for example, the belt 70 is inserted into the belt through hole 66 on the battery storage unit 54 side, and is pulled out of the lower housing 52. Next, the belt 70 drawn out of the lower housing 52 is inserted into the belt passage hole 66 on the substrate storage unit 54 side, and is pulled out from the short side surface of the sensor device 50 on the substrate storage unit 54 side. .

  As shown in FIG. 12, the operation switch 64 is exposed to the outside on the bottom side of the sensor device 50. Before attaching the belt 4 to the sensor device 50, the administrator operates the operation button 67 of the operation switch 64 to turn on the power and confirms the communication state based on the light emitting state of the light emitting unit 68 (LED). Then, after confirming that the communication is normally performed, the belt 70 is attached as described above.

(Effect of Second Embodiment)
Thereby, since the operation switch 64 can be covered with the belt 70, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience of the operation switch 64 from being stained and to prevent the operation switch 64 from being erroneously operated by contacting the industrial animal. For example, the same effects as those of the sensor device 1 according to the above-described first embodiment can be obtained.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of mounting the sensor device 50 according to the second embodiment on a cow. As shown in FIG. 15, the sensor device 50 according to the second embodiment is mounted using a belt 70 and a weight member 80 so as to be located near a cow's neck.

(Third embodiment)
Next, an animal management system according to a third embodiment will be described.

(System configuration)
FIG. 16 is a system configuration diagram of the animal management system according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, the animal management system according to the third embodiment includes the sensor device 1 described in the first embodiment (or the sensor device 50 described in the second embodiment) and a relay. (GW: gateway) 200 and a server device 300.

  The sensor device 1 includes a main microcomputer (main microcomputer) 101, a storage unit 102, a power button 103, a behavior analysis sensor 104 (an example of a sensor), a wireless communication module 105, a notification unit 106, and a radio field intensity detection unit 107. I have.

  As the storage unit 102, for example, a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive (HDD), or the like can be used. The storage unit 102 stores a communication control program. The main microcomputer 101 executes the communication control program to perform an operation of indicating a wireless communication state. Further, when the main microcomputer 101 first detects a long press operation of the power button 103 for a predetermined time or more, the main microcomputer 101 shifts to a “destination detection mode” and detects a wireless communication state with the repeater 200. I do. When the main microcomputer 101 detects a long press operation of the power button 103 for a predetermined time or longer, it ends the “destination detection mode” and returns to the normal communication mode.

  For example, when the sensor 20 is a three-axis sensor, the behavior analysis sensor 104 detects the up, down, left, right, and front and rear movements of the cow. The wireless communication module 105 corresponds to the communication unit 21 described above, and performs communication with the repeater 200 in accordance with a wireless communication standard called LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) such as LoRaWAN (registered trademark). In this example, description will be made on the assumption that wireless communication is performed between the sensor device 1 and the repeater 200. However, wired communication may be performed between the sensor device 1 and the repeater 200.

  The radio wave intensity detection unit 107 detects the radio wave intensity of the radio wave received from the repeater 200 by the wireless communication module 105 and notifies the main microcomputer 101 of the detected radio wave intensity. The main microcomputer 101 notifies the communication state with the repeater 200 via the notification unit 106 in the transmission destination detection mode.

(Software configuration of sensor device)
FIG. 17 is a functional block diagram of each function realized by the main microcomputer 101 of the sensor device 1 executing the communication control program. As shown in FIG. 17, by executing the communication control program, the main microcomputer 101 executes the button operation detection unit 151, the operation mode switching unit 152, the indicator control unit 153 (an example of the notification control unit), and the communication control unit 154. , The response determining unit 155 and the power saving unit 156 are realized.

  The button operation detection unit 151 is an example of an operation mode detection unit, and detects a pressing operation time of the power button 103. When the button operation detection unit 151 detects the long press operation of the power button 103 for a predetermined time or more, the operation mode switching unit 152 switches the main microcomputer to a destination detection mode for detecting the radio wave intensity of the radio wave from the repeater 200. The operation mode of 101 is shifted. In addition, when the button operation detection unit 151 detects the pressing operation of the power button 103 for less than a predetermined time, the operation mode switching unit 152 detects the biological information of the industrial animal and transmits the information to the server device 300 in the “normal mode”. Then, the operation mode of the main microcomputer 101 is shifted.

  In the transmission destination detection mode, the indicator control unit 153 notifies the communication state with the repeater 200 via the notification unit 106. The communication control unit 154 controls the wireless communication module 105 so as to perform wireless communication with the repeater 200. The response determination unit 155 determines whether or not normal communication is performed based on the radio wave intensity of the wireless communication with the repeater 200 detected by the radio wave intensity detection unit 107. In the transmission destination detection mode, the indicator control unit 153 notifies the communication state with the repeater 200 via the notification unit 106 based on the determination result of the response determination unit 155.

  In this example, the button operation detection unit 151 to the power saving unit 156 are realized by software. However, some or all of them may be realized by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit). Good. Further, the functions realized by the button operation detection unit 151 to the power saving unit 156 may be realized by a communication control program alone, by causing another program to execute a part of the processing, or indirectly using another program. The processing may be executed in a targeted manner.

  Further, the communication control program may be provided by being recorded in a recording medium readable by a computer device such as a CD-ROM or a flexible disk (FD) in a file in an installable format or an executable format. Further, the communication control program may be provided by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-R, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark), and a semiconductor memory. Further, the communication control program may be provided by being installed via a network such as the Internet, or may be provided by being previously incorporated in a ROM or the like in the device.

(Hardware configuration of repeater and server device)
Next, the repeater 200 has a main microcomputer (main microcomputer) 201, a wireless communication module 202, and an Internet communication module 203. The main microcomputer 201 performs wireless communication control with the sensor device 1 and wired communication control (or wireless communication control with the server device 300). The wireless communication module 202 performs wireless communication with the sensor device 1. The internet communication module communicates with the server device 300 via the internet.

  The server device 300 has a database 301 that is a storage unit for storing biological information and analysis results of industrial animals. The biological information of the industrial animal detected by the behavior analysis sensor of the sensor device 1 is analyzed, stored in the database 301 of the server device 300, and used for management.

(Indication operation in wireless communication state)
FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of an indicator operation of the sensor device 1 provided in the animal management system according to the third embodiment in a wireless communication state. The flowchart of FIG. 18 is executed by the main microcomputer 101 of the sensor device 1 based on a communication control program. The flowchart of FIG. 18 is executed before the sensor device 1 is mounted on an industrial animal such as a cow.

(Destination search mode)
That is, when checking the wireless communication state with the repeater 200, the administrator presses and holds the power button 103 of the sensor device 1 for a predetermined time such as 10 seconds or more (step S1). The button operation detection unit 151 illustrated in FIG. 17 determines whether the power button 103 has been pressed and held for a predetermined time or more (step S2). If the button operation detection unit 151 determines that the power button 103 has been pressed and held for a predetermined time or longer (step S2: Yes), the process proceeds to step S3.

  When the button operation detection unit 151 detects a long press operation of the power button 103, the operation mode switching unit 152 checks the wireless communication state with the repeater 200 in step S3. ”, The operation mode of the main microcomputer 102 is switched and controlled.

  Upon transition to the “destination search mode”, the communication control unit 154 waits for a predetermined time, for example, 3 seconds (Step S4), and then periodically transmits the dummy data to the repeater 200 wirelessly. The communication control is performed on 105 (step S5). Then, when receiving the dummy data, the response determination unit 155 determines whether or not there is response data transmitted from the repeater 200 (whether or not there is a response from the repeater 200). The dummy data may be transmitted wirelessly continuously or intermittently.

  When the response determination unit 155 determines that “response is received (step S6: Yes)” from the repeater 200, the process proceeds to step S7, and the indicator control unit 153 uses the light emitting diode provided in the notification unit 106. (LED) is controlled to blink at a high speed (step S7). The “high-speed blinking control” is lighting driving control for shortening the lighting interval. The administrator recognizes that the wireless communication with the repeater 200 is normally performed by looking at the light emitting diode of the notification unit 106 that is blinking at a high speed.

  On the other hand, if the response determination unit 155 determines that there is no response from the repeater 200 (step S6: No), the process proceeds to step S8, and the indicator control unit 153 is provided in the notification unit 106. The light emitting diode (LED) is controlled to blink at a low speed (step S8). The “low-speed blinking control” is lighting control for increasing the lighting interval. The administrator recognizes that the wireless communication with the repeater 200 is not normally performed by looking at the light emitting diode of the notification unit 106 that is blinking at a low speed.

  Next, when ending the “destination search mode”, the administrator presses and holds the power button 103 again. When the button operation detecting unit 151 detects a long press operation of the power button 103 again, the operation mode switching unit 152 ends the “transmission destination search mode”. Thus, the processing of the flowchart in FIG. 18 ends.

  If the long press operation of the power button 103 is not detected, the process returns to step S4, and the operations of steps S4 to S9 are repeatedly executed.

  Further, in this example, it is determined whether or not wireless communication with the repeater 200 is normally performed based on the presence or absence of the response data transmitted from the repeater 200. However, as shown in FIG. 16, the presence or absence of a response from the repeater 200 may be determined based on the result of the detection of the radio wave intensity by the radio wave intensity detection unit 107 provided in the sensor device 1.

  In this case, the radio wave intensity detection unit 107 detects the radio wave intensity of the radio wave from the repeater 200 and supplies the radio wave intensity to the main microcomputer 101. The response determination unit 155 of the main microcomputer 101 determines that there is a response from the repeater 200 when the radio wave intensity of the radio wave from the repeater 200 detected by the radio wave intensity detection unit 107 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Conversely, the response determination unit 155 of the main microcomputer 101 determines that there is no response from the repeater 200 when the radio wave intensity of the radio wave from the repeater 200 detected by the radio wave intensity detection unit 107 is less than a predetermined value. . Then, as described above, the indicator control unit 153 controls the light emitting diode to blink at a high speed when the determination result of “response” is obtained, and when the determination result of “no response” is obtained. Controls the light emitting diode to blink at a low speed. This allows the user to recognize the state of radio wave alive between the relay 200 and the relay 200.

  Similarly, as shown by a dotted line block in FIG. 16, a radio field intensity detection unit 204 is provided on the repeater 200 side, and the sensor device 1 detects a radio field intensity detection result received from the radio field intensity detection unit 204 of the repeater 200. , The presence or absence of a response from the repeater 200 may be determined.

  In this case, the radio wave intensity detection unit 204 of the repeater 200 detects the radio wave intensity of the radio wave (dummy data) from the sensor device 1 and transmits it to the sensor device 1. The response determination unit 155 of the main microcomputer 101 of the sensor device 1 determines that there is a “response” from the repeater 200 when the radio wave intensity detected by the radio wave intensity detection unit 204 of the repeater 200 is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Conversely, when the radio wave intensity of the radio wave from the repeater 200 detected by the radio wave intensity detection unit 204 of the repeater 200 is less than a predetermined value, the response determination unit 155 of the Is determined. Then, as described above, the indicator control unit 153 controls the light emitting diode to blink at a high speed when the determination result of “response” is obtained, and when the determination result of “no response” is obtained. Controls the light emitting diode to blink at a low speed. This allows the user to recognize the state of radio wave alive between the relay 200 and the relay 200.

(Normal mode)
Next, when recognizing that the wireless communication between the sensor device 1 and the repeater 200 is normal, the administrator presses the power button 103 for a short time immediately before attaching the sensor device 1 to the industrial animal. I do. In the case of such a short-time pressing operation, in step S2, the button operation detecting unit 151 determines that the power button 103 is not long-pressed (step S2: No), and the process proceeds to step S10.

  In step S10, the operation mode switching unit 152 controls to switch the operation mode of the main microcomputer 101 to the normal mode. When the main microcomputer 101 shifts to the normal mode, the behavior analysis sensor 104 detects the biological information of the industrial animal (step S11), and transmits the information from the wireless communication module 105 to the server device 300 via the repeater 200 (step S12). ). Thus, the biological information (and the analysis result) of the industrial animal is stored in the database 301 of the server device 300.

(Sleep operation of main microcomputer)
Note that the power saving unit 156 of the main microcomputer 101 shifts the main microcomputer 101 (the sensor device 1) to the sleep mode except for wireless communication, and controls to stop power supply to unnecessary parts. Thereby, significant power saving can be achieved.

(Effects of Third Embodiment)
As is clear from the above description, the light emitting diode of the notification unit 106 is driven to blink in accordance with the presence or absence of a response from the repeater 200 as described above. Thereby, before attaching the sensor device 1 to an industrial animal, it is possible to recognize the state of wireless communication with the repeater 200. Therefore, before mounting the sensor device 1 on an industrial animal, the repeater 200 can be installed at an appropriate place. Further, before installing the animal management system on the site, the installation location and the number of the repeaters 200 can be determined, and the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments can be obtained.

  In the above description of the third embodiment, the light emitting diode is driven to blink, but this may be a lighting drive in which the luminance or the emission color is changed.

  In addition, the notification unit 106 may be a display unit of a liquid crystal display unit (LCD or the like), for example, and the indicator control unit 153 may display a numerical value of radio field intensity, an icon such as a pictogram, an indicator, or the like. Alternatively, the notification unit 106 may be a seven-segment display (7-segment display) to display the radio field intensity. Further, the radio wave intensity may be notified by voice or electronic sound. Furthermore, the radio wave intensity may be reported by combining a plurality of the above-described radio wave intensity display modes. In addition, it is desirable to use a display mode (notification mode) in which the battery is not consumed under usage conditions of being attached to an industrial animal.

  Finally, each of the above-described embodiments has been presented by way of example, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Each of the new embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. In addition, each embodiment and modifications of each embodiment are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sensor apparatus 2 Upper cap part 2c Taper processing part 3 Lower cap part 4 Belt 5a Notch part 5b Notch part 6 Hole 7 Attachment part 8 Marker 9 Battery box 10 Battery 11 Sensor housing 11a Upper surface of sensor housing 11b Bottom part of sensor housing 12 Sensor board 13 Storage part 14 Sponge 15 Sponge 17 Seal member 18 Packing 20 Sensor 21 Communication unit 23 Belt through hole 24 Operation switch 25 Flexible cable 31 Operation button 32 Light emitting unit 50 Sensor device 51 Upper housing 52 Lower housing 53 Battery storage unit 54 Substrate storage unit 55 Battery box 56 Sensor substrate 59 Lid 64 Operation switch 65 Flexible cable 66 Belt through hole 67 Operation button 68 Light emitting unit 70 Belt 80 Weight member 101 Main microcomputer 102 Storage unit 1 3 power button 104 behavior analysis sensor 105 wireless communication module 106 notifying unit 107 radio field intensity detection section 200 repeater 201 main microcomputer 202 wireless communication module 203 Internet communication module 300 the server device 301 Database

JP 2018-07613 A

Claims (9)

A sensor device that transmits biological information of an animal detected by a sensor via a relay,
A transmission control unit that controls transmission of a communication unit to transmit dummy data to the repeater,
A response determination unit configured to determine whether or not a response to the dummy data is received from the relay device via the communication unit.
A notification control unit that controls a notification unit to perform a notification operation with a difference in accordance with a determination result of the presence or absence of a response from the repeater. An operation mode detection unit that detects an operation mode of a power button for turning on / off the power,
The response determination unit, when a long press operation of a power button is detected by the operation mode detection unit, determines whether there is a response from the repeater,
The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the notification control unit controls the notification unit so as to perform a notification operation having a difference according to a determination result of the presence or absence of a response from the repeater. 3. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the response determination unit determines whether or not the response is received, based on a radio wave intensity of a radio wave received from the repeater. 4. The notification unit is a light emitting unit,
The notification control unit, when a determination result indicating that there is a response from the repeater is obtained from the response determination unit, controls the light emitting unit to blink at a short lighting interval, and responds to the response from the repeater. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when a determination result indicating that there is no is obtained, the light emitting unit is controlled to blink at a long lighting interval. A power saving unit which stops power supply to unnecessary parts and shifts the sensor device to a sleep mode except when communicating with the repeater, further comprising a power saving unit. The sensor device according to claim 1. A repeater that communicates with a sensor device that detects biological information of an animal with a sensor,
When receiving the dummy data from the sensor device, the relay device includes a communication unit that returns response data for determining whether or not there is a response in the sensor device to the sensor device. A radio field intensity detection unit that detects a radio field intensity of a radio wave from the sensor device,
The relay unit according to claim 6, wherein the communication unit returns the detection output of the radio wave intensity to the sensor device instead of the response data for determining whether or not there is a response in the sensor device. vessel. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A repeater according to claim 6 or 7,
A server device having a storage unit for storing the biological information transmitted from the sensor device via a relay device. A communication control program for causing a computer provided in the sensor device to wirelessly transmit the biological information of the animal detected by the sensor via the repeater,
Said computer,
A transmission control unit that controls transmission of a communication unit to transmit dummy data to the repeater,
A response determination unit configured to determine whether or not a response to the dummy data is received from the relay device via the communication unit.
A communication control program functioning as a notification control unit that controls a notification unit to perform a notification operation with a difference according to a determination result of the presence or absence of a response from the repeater.

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