JP2020191494A - Communication apparatus and communication control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To make it possible to flexibly change the number of operating concentrators depending on environmental variation to reduce costs.SOLUTION: A communication apparatus 82 comprises a transfer unit RP, a gateway unit CR, and a communication control unit. The transfer unit RP communicates with communication terminals EPs with a data sensing function by forming a multi-hop network. The gateway unit CR transmits data from the communication terminal EP belonging to a subordinate network to a host apparatus HES 1. When the transfer unit RP belongs to a first network subordinate to a gateway apparatus differing from the gateway unit CR, the communication control unit makes the gateway unit CR join a second network differing from the first network.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to communication devices and communication control methods.

A smart meter known as an IoT (Internet of Things) device not only measures the power consumption of a consumer, for example, but also has a function as a communication terminal. This type of communication terminal forms a wireless mesh network and transmits data such as a consumer ID (identification information) and power consumption to a higher-level server via, for example, a tree-shaped multi-hop route. In addition, individual data to consumers, software update data, and the like are also transmitted from the server to each communication terminal.

A concentrator (aggregator, gateway) is installed between the communication terminal and the server. The concentrator belongs to one multi-hop group and is responsible for the interface function between the subordinate communication terminal and the server. The network from the concentrator to the server spreads as a WAN (Wide Area Network), while the network from the communication terminal to the concentrator is called a FAN (Field Area Network).

WAN is rarely the network of the owner of the smart meter, and the network of the telecommunications carrier is often used. Whatever network you use, such as a public network such as 3G / LTE® (Long Term Evolution), a fixed telephone network, a mobile communication network, or an optical communication network, is expensive. Therefore, it is desirable to consolidate as many communication terminals as possible into one concentrator and minimize the number of concentrators connected to the WAN. Even if I connect a concentrator to the WAN, I want to be able to connect as many of them as possible to my own network. In this way, there is a need to optimize the number of concentrators.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-86886 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-68286

Electricity demand and the number of consumers fluctuate in a short period of time, and the number and installation locations of communication terminals also change irregularly and frequently. With existing technology, in anticipation of such changes in the environment, it was necessary to allow sufficient margins for server capacity, number of WAN lines, number of concentrators, etc. under the maximum estimated demand. For this reason, the operation with a low operating rate was forced, and the cost burden was large. In addition, it takes a lot of time and effort to investigate the radio wave environment between the communication terminal and the concentrator, which also causes an increase in cost. In addition, workers had to be dispatched to turn the concentrator on and off, which was laborious and costly.

Therefore, the purpose is to provide a communication device and a communication control method capable of flexibly changing the number of operating concentrators in response to environmental changes and thereby reducing costs.

According to the embodiment, the communication device includes a transfer unit, a gateway unit, and a communication control unit. The transfer unit forms a multi-hop network with a communication terminal with a data sensing function to communicate. The gateway unit transmits data from a communication terminal belonging to the subordinate network to a higher-level device. When the transfer unit belongs to the first network under the gateway device different from the gateway unit, the communication control unit joins the gateway unit to the second network different from the first network.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a communication system to which the communication device according to the embodiment can be applied. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-hop network. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an unstable multi-hop network. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the communication device 8 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-hop network formed in the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the communication device 8 in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a communication environment including a plurality of communication devices. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a communication environment after the concentrator unit 83A is started from the state of FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the communication device 8 in the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the communication device 8 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the priority table 19d. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the communication device 8 according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the communication device 8 according to the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a communication system to which the communication device according to the embodiment can be applied. This system is a higher-level device that receives a plurality of smart meters 100 provided for each customer, a communication device 8 that aggregates data sensed by each smart meter 100, and data transmitted from the communication device 8. HES (Head End System) 1 and is included.

For example, the consumer home 200 includes a HEMS (Home Energy Management System) and various home appliances, which are connected to a home LAN (Local Area Network) 300. The smart meter 100 of the consumer home 200 is connected to the home LAN 300 via a wireless or wired line, and senses the amount of electric power consumed by home appliances and the like.

The smart meter 100 constructs a wireless mesh network with other smart meters to form FAN4. The wireless mesh network in FAN4 is constructed by, for example, an optimum route selection algorithm compliant with RPL (IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks) of the international standardization organization IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force). A multi-hop network can be understood as an example of a wireless mesh network.

Each smart meter 100 transfers the data sensed by each to the communication device 8 via the multi-hop route of the wireless mesh network. The communication device 8 aggregates the sensing data collected from the smart meter 100 belonging to the subordinate multi-hop group and transmits it to the HES 1.

HES1 is, for example, a group of servers provided in a cloud computing system. The HES1 receives the data transmitted from the communication device 8 via the WAN2, processes it, and passes it to the MDMS (Meter Data Management System). The MDMS analyzes the detection data collected from the smart meter 100 and provides information on efficient energy use such as setting of electricity charges for each time and setting of incentives for demand response.

Now, in this type of system, the smart meter 100 is referred to as an endpoint (EP). EP is an example of a communication terminal with a data sensing function. A device that participates in a wireless mesh network together with other EPs and is mainly responsible for data transfer is called a repeater (RP). Further, a device that aggregates data from EP and RP and transmits it to the WAN2 side is called a concentrator (CR). For example, the communication device 8 has a function as a CR.

As shown in FIG. 2, it is assumed that a plurality of endpoints 101 to 106 and a concentrator 31 form a multi-hop group (1). Even if another concentrator 32 is activated at this time, another multi-hop group (2) is not always formed reliably (see FIG. 3). This is because the installation location of the endpoint and the radio wave environment are liable to fluctuate, and the endpoint is not always within the radio wave range of the concentrator 32.

If the communication environment between the concentrator 32 and the endpoint (for example, EP101) is unstable, the multi-hop group (2) is also fragile, and for example, the endpoints 101 to 104 may not be able to be captured from WAN2. Next, an embodiment that can solve such a difficulty will be described in detail.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the communication device 8 according to the first embodiment. The communication device 8 is an embedded computer including a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The processing function described below is realized by operating the processor as a hardware resource according to the program written in the memory. The communication device 8 includes a concentrator unit 8A as an example of a gateway unit and a repeater unit 8B as an example of a transfer unit. It should be noted that this is an example, and there may be other forms of the gateway unit and other forms of the transfer unit. For example, the transfer unit may be a layer 3 switch.
The concentrator unit 8A aggregates the data collected from the EPs and RPs belonging to the subordinate multi-hop network and transmits them to a higher-level device such as HES1 via WAN2. The repeater unit 8B has a function of forming a multi-hop type wireless mesh network with EP in the radio wave range and transferring data. Further, the repeater unit 8B controls the on / off of the concentrator unit 8A.

In FIG. 4, the concentrator unit 8A includes a communication unit 11, a communication control unit 12, a communication control unit 13, a communication unit 14, and a power supply unit 15 as functional blocks according to the embodiment. Of these, the communication unit 11 and the communication control unit 12 are connected to WAN2, and the communication control unit 13 and the communication unit 14 are connected to the FAN4 side.

The communication unit 11 is connected to the WAN 2 by a wired (LINE) communication cable 9 and / or a wireless antenna 10, and transmits the data acquired from the FAN 4 to the WAN side through processing such as protocol conversion. In addition, processing for transmitting the data transmitted from WAN2 to the communication terminal (EP) is also performed.

The communication control unit 12 performs a process for managing, controlling, or storing the data received from the communication control unit 13 on the FAN side, and transmits the data to the communication unit 11. In addition, processing for managing, controlling, and storing the data received from the communication unit 11 is performed, and the data is transmitted to the communication control unit 13.

The communication control unit 13 manages, controls, and stores the data received from the communication control unit 12 on the WAN side, and transmits the data to the communication unit 16 on the FAN side. In addition, the data received from the communication unit 16 is managed, controlled, and stored, and transmitted to the communication control unit 12.

The communication unit 14 has a protocol conversion function for communicating with a communication terminal (EP) belonging to a subordinate multi-hop network, and transfers data to and from the EP via the wireless antenna 7 on the FAN side.
The power supply unit 15 supplies power for operating (operating) the concentrator unit 8A based on the control of the communication control unit 17 of the repeater unit 8B. Here, the power supply unit 15 is independent of the power supply unit 18 that drives the repeater unit 8B. Therefore, the repeater unit 8B can operate even when the concentrator unit 8A is not operating.

The repeater unit 8B includes a communication unit 16, a communication control unit 17, a memory 19, and a power supply unit 18 as functional blocks according to the embodiment. Of these, the power supply unit 18 supplies power for operating the repeater unit 8B.

The communication unit 16 has a protocol conversion function for communicating with a communication terminal (EP) belonging to the same multi-hop network, and transfers data to and from the EP via the wireless antenna 6 on the FAN side.
The communication control unit 17 has a function of managing, controlling, and storing data transmitted / received from the communication unit 16. Further, the communication control unit 17 is connected to the power supply unit 15 of the concentrator unit 8A, and enables activation control of the concentrator unit 8A from the repeater unit 8B side.

Here, in the embodiment, the multi-hop network under the concentrator unit 8A and the multi-hop network to which the repeater unit 8B belongs are forcibly separated. That is, the communication control unit 17 of the repeater unit 8B and the communication control unit 12 of the concentrator unit 8A operate in cooperation with each other, and control the concentrator unit 8A and the repeater unit 8B so that they belong to different wireless multi-hop groups.

That is, the communication control unit 13 and the communication control unit 17 are for joining the concentrator unit 8A to a second network different from the first network when the repeater unit 8B belongs to a certain multi-hop network (first network). Take control. As a result, the radio section between the concentrator unit 8A and the repeater unit 8B is logically separated.

Since the radio antennas 7 and 6 are close to each other in the same housing, according to the normal multi-hop route construction protocol, the concentrator unit 8A is joined to the same multi-hop group as the repeater unit 8B as soon as it is activated. It ends up. In the embodiment, this is suppressed, and control is performed so that the two belong to different networks.

Specifically, for example, by filtering using a MAC (Media Access Control) address (MAC address filtering), the concentrator unit 8A and the repeater unit 8B can be separated into different multi-hop groups. Alternatively, by using information that can distinguish the concentrator unit 8A and the repeater unit 8B, such as an individual recognition symbol and a serial number, not limited to the MAC address, it is possible to make both belong to different multi-hop networks. Become.

As shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 4, if the communication control unit 13 and the communication control unit 17 are formed on a common substrate, the transmission path of the control signal can be shortened, and the repeater unit 8B controls the concentrator unit 8A. convenient.

The memory 19 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a NAND flash memory, and in addition to a program for operating the communication device 8, the accommodation number upper limit value 19a, the accommodation number lower limit value 19b, the QoS default value 19c, and the priority table. 19d and the data capacity upper limit value 19e are stored.

The accommodation number upper limit value 19a is an upper limit value of the number of EPs that are allowed to belong to the same multi-hop group as the repeater unit 8B, and is stored in advance as a default value.
The lower limit of the number of accommodations 19b is the total lower limit of the number of EPs belonging to the same multi-hop group as the repeater unit 8B and the number of EPs accommodated in the multi-hop group under the concentrator unit 8A. The lower limit of the number of accommodations 19b is also stored in advance as a default value.

The QoS default value 19c is a default value indicating the lower limit of the communication quality (QoS: Quality of Service) between the same multi-hop group as the repeater unit 8B and WAN2. For example, by using the Ping command, the communication quality between the concentrator at the top of the multi-hop network and WAN2 can be evaluated. As the QoS default value 19c, the reply return time for Ping can be used.

The priority table 19d is a connection priority with WAN2 that is predetermined for the concentrator unit at the apex of the multi-hop network to which the repeater unit 8B belongs and the concentrator unit 8A that is a pair of the repeater unit 8B. By setting the priority of your own network higher than that of the rental network, you can promote cost reduction.

The data capacity upper limit value 19e is an upper limit value of the communication capacity between the concentrator unit at the apex of the multi-hop network to which the repeater unit 8B belongs and WAN2.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a multi-hop network formed in the embodiment. In FIG. 5, the communication devices 81, 82, and 83 connected to WAN 2 are provided with a concentrator unit and a repeater unit, respectively. The concentrator unit 81A of the communication device 81 is subordinate to the multi-hop group (1), and EP101, 102, 103, 104 and the repeater unit 82B of the communication device 82 belong to this group. Then, a tree-shaped multi-hop network is formed in which EP104 → EP103 → RP82B → EP102 → EP101 → CR81A are wirelessly connected from the terminal EP104 to the apex concentrator portion 81A.

Similarly, the concentrator unit 82A of the communication device 82 is subordinate to the multi-hop group (2), and EP201, 202, 203, 204 and the repeater unit 83B of the communication device 83 belong to this group. Then, a tree-shaped multi-hop network is formed in which EP204 → EP203 → RP83B → EP202 → EP201 → CR82A are wirelessly connected from the terminal EP204 to the apex concentrator portion 82A. The concentrator unit 82A is an example of a gateway device, but the present invention is not limited to this.

The concentrator unit 83A (an example of the gateway unit) of the communication device 83 is subordinate to the multi-hop group (3), and EP301 and 302 belong to this group. Then, a tree-shaped multi-hop network is formed in which EP302 → EP301 → CR83A are wirelessly connected from the terminal EP302 to the apex concentrator unit 83A.
In FIG. 5, it is shown that the concentrator unit and the repeater unit mounted on the same communication device belong to different multi-hop groups.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the communication device 8 in the first embodiment. This flowchart will be described mainly by the repeater unit 83B (communication device 83) shown in FIG. 7.

The repeater unit 83B confirms the number of communication terminals (including EP and RP) accommodated by the concentrator (concentrator unit 82A) that controls the multi-hop network (2) to which the repeater unit 83B belongs (accommodated number: CR_82A). (Step S11). For example, by capturing a transmitted data packet and reading the value of a predetermined field of the packet, the current capacity can be confirmed.

Next, the repeater unit 83B determines whether or not the confirmed accommodation number CR_82A exceeds the accommodation number upper limit value (step S12). If the number of accommodations CR_82A does not exceed the upper limit of the number of accommodations (CR_82A ≦ the upper limit of the number of accommodations) (YES in step S12), step S13 is skipped.

On the other hand, if the accommodation number CR_82A is larger than the accommodation number upper limit value (accommodation number upper limit value <CR_82A) (NO in step S12), the repeater unit 83B turns on the power of the concentrator unit 83A and starts the concentrator unit 83A ( Step S13). As a result, the concentrator unit 83A is connected to WAN2, and a new multi-hop group (3) is formed. The concentrator unit 83A joins the multi-hop group (3) and starts operation under the multi-hop group (3). Then, as shown in FIG. 8, some EPs are switched and accommodated in the concentrator unit 83A. As a result, it is possible to prevent the number of EPs accommodated in the multi-hop group (2) from reaching the limit and causing EPs that cannot enter any multi-hop group.

In FIG. 8, a tree-shaped multi-hop network (3) is formed in which EP302 → EP301 → CR83A are wirelessly connected in this order. The data sensed by EP302 and EP301 is transmitted from the concentrator unit 83A to HES1 via WAN2.

Next, the repeater unit 83B confirms the number of communication terminals accommodated in the concentrator unit 83A (accommodated number: CR_83A), and calculates the total value (CR_83A + CR_82A) of that value and CR_82A. Then, (CR_83A + CR_82A) is compared with the lower limit of the number of accommodations (step S14). If (CR_83A + CR_82A) is equal to or greater than the lower limit of the number of accommodations (lower limit of the number of accommodations ≤ CR_83A + CR_82A) (YES in step S14), the next step S15 is skipped.

On the other hand, if (CR_83A + CR_82A) becomes less than the lower limit of the number of accommodations (lower limit of the number of accommodations> CR_83A + CR_82A) (NO in step S14), the repeater unit 83B turns off the power of the concentrator unit 83A and operates the concentrator unit 83A. Stop (step S15). As a result, the concentrator portion 83A is separated from WAN2, and the environment shown in FIG. 7 is formed again. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the concentrator unit 83A from operating unnecessarily.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the concentrator unit 8A and the repeater unit 8B are mounted on the common communication device 8, and filtering is performed so that they are connected to different wireless multi-hop groups. Then, as many EPs as possible are accommodated in one multi-hop group via the repeater unit 8B. However, when the capacity becomes excessive, the concentrator unit 8A is activated from the repeater unit 8B to form another multi-hop group.

As a result, the EP connected to the repeater unit 8B can be reliably transferred to a new multi-hop group. This is because the repeater unit 8B and the concentrator unit 8A are close to each other.

Further, when the total capacity of the two multi-hop groups becomes less than the default value, the activated concentrator unit 8A is stopped again. As a result, it is possible to stop the concentrator having a low operating rate, operate resources efficiently, and minimize the running cost. Furthermore, it is not necessary to dispatch workers to the site, and human costs can be reduced.

That is, in the first embodiment, the repeater unit 8B periodically checks the capacity of two adjacent multi-hop groups, and if the capacity is insufficient, the power supply of the concentrator unit 8A directly connected to the repeater unit 8B. Put in. If there is a surplus capacity, the power of the concentrator unit 8A directly connected to the repeater unit 8B should be turned off. By doing so, it is possible to suppress excessive operation of the concentrator, and it is possible to optimize the number of operating concentrators as the EP increases or decreases. That is, it is possible to obtain a unique effect that goes beyond giving the concentrator the function of a repeater.

From these facts, according to the first embodiment, it becomes possible to flexibly change the number of operating concentrators in response to environmental changes, and it is possible to promote reduction of operating costs.
In the above example, the operation / stop of the concentrator unit was controlled by turning the power on / off. Instead of this, the same effect can be obtained by controlling the function of the concentrator unit itself on / off without changing the state of the power supply.
Further, in the first embodiment, it is not always necessary to store the QoS default value 19c, the priority table 19d, and the data capacity upper limit value 19e in the memory 19 in advance. The QoS default value 19c will be described in the third embodiment, the priority table 19d will be described in the fourth embodiment, and the data capacity upper limit value 19e will be described in the fifth embodiment.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the communication device 8 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 9, the parts common to FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and only different parts will be described here.

In FIG. 9, the repeater unit 8D includes a dedicated wireless communication unit 22. Further, the concentrator unit 8C includes a dedicated wireless communication unit 20. The dedicated wireless communication units 20 and 22 form a wireless channel 23 and establish communication between the repeater unit 8D and the concentrator unit 8C.

The communication control unit 17 of the repeater unit 8D and the communication control unit 12 of the concentrator unit 8C communicate with each other via the wireless channel 23 and / or the wired cable 24, and realize control from the repeater unit 8D side to the concentrator unit 8C. In this way, the concentrator unit 8C and the repeater unit 8D may be separated from each other to form a communication line connecting the two. As long as the concentrator unit 8C and the repeater unit 8D are not physically separated from each other, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.
With the configuration shown in FIG. 9, the expansion work can be easily carried out, and the flexibility related to the system operation can be further enhanced. If communication via the wired cable 24 is sufficient, it is not always necessary to form the wireless channel 23. On the contrary, in order to complement the communication with the wired cable 24, the dedicated wireless communication units 20 and 22 may be provided so that the wireless channel 23 can be formed. Alternatively, communication may be performed only on the wireless channel 23. Whether or not the dedicated wireless communication units 20 and 22 are provided can be determined according to the system requirements.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the communication device 8 in the third embodiment. The environment of FIG. 7 is set as the initial state, and the repeater unit 83B (communication device 83) will be mainly described.
In FIG. 10, the repeater unit 83B issues a Ping command to the concentrator unit 82A and confirms the response time (step S21). If the response time is equal to or less than the default upper limit (NO in step S22), step S23 is skipped.
On the other hand, if the response time exceeds the upper limit (YES), it is determined that the QoS of the communication is excessively lower than the QoS default value 19c, and the repeater unit 83B turns on the power of the concentrator unit 83A (step S23). .. As a result, the concentrator unit 83A is activated, and a new multi-hop group (3) is formed (FIG. 8).

By doing so, a part of the EP accommodated in the concentrator unit 82A having reduced QoS can be distributed to another concentrator unit 83A, and the decrease in QoS as a whole can be avoided. That is, in WAN side communication, when a deterioration in communication response speed or a communication error occurs, it is possible to switch to a sound concentrator.

When the switching is completed, the HES1 is notified to that effect, and the HES1 issues a command (command) for resetting the concentrator unit 82A accordingly (step S24). As a result, the concentrator unit 82A is restarted, and it can be expected that the failure will be resolved.

According to the third embodiment, QoS such as communication speed deteriorates, and it is possible to automatically change from a concentrator in which a failure occurs to another concentrator and suppress an error due to a communication status.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the communication device 8 according to the fourth embodiment. The environment of FIG. 7 is set as the initial state, and the repeater unit 83B (communication device 83) will be mainly described.
In FIG. 11, the repeater unit 83B refers to the priority table 19d (FIG. 4) and confirms the communication priority of the concentrator unit 82A and the communication priority of the concentrator unit 83A (step S31).

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the priority table 19d. In this example, priority 1 is set in the concentrator unit 82A, and priority 2 is set in the concentrator unit 83A. The priority can be set based on criteria such as communication cost or communication quality. The repeater unit 83B controls the on / off of the concentrator units 82A and 83A according to a predetermined priority. At that time, the on / off control of the concentrator units 82A and 83A may be executed via HES1. That is, the repeater unit 83B transmits a message requesting on / off of the concentrator units 82A and 83A to the HES1, and the HES1 controls the on / off of the concentrator units 82A and 83A.

That is, according to the flowchart of FIG. 11, if the priority of the concentrator unit 83A is not 1 (step S32: YES) and the priority of the concentrator unit 82A is 1 (step S33: YES), the repeater unit 83B is the concentrator unit 82A. Turns on and turns off the concentrator unit 83A.

The priority of the concentrator unit 83A is not 1 (step S32: YES), the priority of the concentrator unit 82A is not 1 (step S33: NO), and the priority of the concentrator unit 83A is not 2 (step S34: YES). Even when the priority of the concentrator unit 82A is 2 (step S35: NO), the repeater unit 83B turns on the concentrator unit 82A and turns off the concentrator unit 83A.

In all other cases, the processing procedure is skipped. In short, according to the fourth embodiment, when there are a plurality of WAN side communication methods, the EP accommodating destination can be automatically switched to the concentrator having a high priority. The priority may be set in a number of stages. Thus, according to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to automatically connect to a concentrator having a high priority. At that time, the repeater unit 83B shall instruct the stop of the concentrator unit 82A via HES1.

[Fifth Embodiment]
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the communication device 8 according to the fifth embodiment. The environment of FIG. 7 is set as the initial state, and the repeater unit 83B (communication device 83) will be mainly described.
The repeater unit 83B confirms the communication capacity (data capacity) of the concentrator unit 82A (step S41), and if it exceeds the predetermined upper limit value (data capacity upper limit value 19e), the communication capacity of the multi-hop group (2) increases. It is determined that the default value has been reached (step S42: YES). Then, the repeater unit 83B gives a stop instruction to the concentrator unit 82A via HES1 and remotely turns off the power of the concentrator unit 82A. Further, the repeater unit 83B turns on the power of the concentrator unit 83A (step S43).

By doing so, when the used capacity of the resource is limited in the WAN side communication, it is possible to avoid the situation where the WAN side communication cannot be used due to the excess of the used capacity. That is, by suppressing the communication capacity of the concentrator and switching to the concentrator whose used capacity is not exceeded, it is possible to prevent the communication from being stopped.

[Sixth Embodiment]
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the communication device 8 according to the sixth embodiment. Contrary to FIG. 7, it is assumed that the concentrator unit 83A is communicating with WAN2. Further, it is assumed that the power supply unit 15 (FIG. 4) of the concentrator unit 8A is configured as a secondary power source (battery). A solar power generation device or the like may be connected to the secondary power source. Such a form has a high affinity with a remote data collection system by IoT.

In FIG. 14, the repeater unit 83B confirms the power supply voltage V of the concentrator unit 83A (step S51), and if the power supply voltage V is lower than the predetermined lower limit value (step S52: YES), the power supply of the concentrator unit 82A Is turned on (step S53).

By doing so, when there is a risk of function stop due to a decrease in the power supply voltage, the power supply voltage is automatically switched to a sufficient concentrator. This makes it possible to avoid communication suspension. That is, it is possible to automatically switch from a concentrator that may cause a failure due to a power shortage to another concentrator, and it is possible to suppress a failure due to a power shortage.

As described above, according to each of the above-described embodiments, the number of operating concentrators can be flexibly changed in response to environmental changes, and therefore it is possible to promote reduction of operating costs.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in FIG. 4, a data sensing function may be implemented in the repeater unit 8B so that it can function as an EP. For example, such a form can be considered for a communication device for public facilities.

Further, the method of separating the multi-hop group is not limited to MAC address filtering, and it is also possible to entrust the processing in the upper layer or the lower layer than the MAC layer.

Although some embodiments have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

6, 7 ... Wireless antenna, 8 ... Communication device, 8A ... Concentrator section, 8B ... Repeater section, 8C ... Concentrator section, 8D ... Repeater section, 9 ... Communication cable, 10 ... Wireless antenna, 11 ... Communication section, 12 ... Communication Control unit, 13 ... Communication control unit, 14 ... Communication unit, 15 ... Power supply unit, 16 ... Communication unit, 17 ... Communication control unit, 18 ... Power supply unit, 19 ... Memory, 19a ... Maximum number of accommodations, 19b ... Number of accommodations Lower limit value, 19c ... QoS default value, 19d ... Priority table, 19e ... Data capacity upper limit value, 20 ... Dedicated wireless communication unit, 22 ... Dedicated wireless communication unit, 23 ... Wireless channel, 24 ... Wired cable, 31 ... Concentrator, 32 ... Concentrator, 81 ... Communication device, 81A ... Concentrator section, 82 ... Communication device, 82A ... Concentrator section, 82B ... Repeater section, 83 ... Communication device, 83A ... Concentrator section, 83B ... Repeater section, 100 ... Smart meter, 101 ~ 106 ... Endpoint, 200 ... Consumer home, 300 ... Home LAN.

Claims (18)

A transfer unit that forms a multi-hop network with a communication terminal with a data sensing function and communicates with it.
A gateway unit that sends data from communication terminals belonging to the subordinate network to higher-level devices,
A communication device including a communication control unit that joins the gateway unit to a second network different from the first network when the transfer unit belongs to a first network under the gateway device different from the gateway unit. .. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the communication control unit operates the gateway unit when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the communication control unit activates the gateway unit when the number of communication terminals belonging to the first network exceeds a predetermined upper limit value. The communication control unit shuts down the gateway unit when the total number of the number of communication terminals belonging to the first network and the number of communication terminals belonging to the second network becomes less than a predetermined lower limit value. The communication device according to 3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the communication control unit activates the gateway unit when the communication quality between the gateway device and the higher-level device becomes equal to or lower than a default value. The communication control unit sets the gateway unit when the priority of the gateway unit is higher than the priority of the gateway device based on the priority set in advance between the gateway device and the gateway unit. The communication device according to claim 2, which is activated. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the communication control unit activates the gateway unit when the communication capacity between the gateway device and the higher-level device reaches a predetermined value. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the communication control unit activates the gateway unit when the power supply voltage of the gateway device becomes equal to or lower than a default value. The communication control unit performs filtering using the MAC address of the transfer unit and the MAC address of the gateway unit to perform the first network to which the transfer unit belongs and the second network to which the gateway unit belongs. The communication device according to claim 1, which separates and from. Communication control applicable to a communication device including a transfer unit that forms a multi-hop network and communicates with a communication terminal with a data sensing function, and a gateway unit that transmits data from a communication terminal belonging to a subordinate network to a higher-level device. It's a method
When the communication device belongs to a first network under a gateway device different from the gateway unit, the communication device includes a process of joining the gateway unit to a second network different from the first network. Communication control method. The communication control method according to claim 10, wherein the communication device operates the gateway unit when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The communication control method according to claim 11, wherein the communication device activates the gateway unit when the number of communication terminals belonging to the first network exceeds a predetermined upper limit value. 12. The communication device shuts down the gateway unit when the total of the number of communication terminals belonging to the first network and the number of communication terminals belonging to the second network is less than a predetermined lower limit value. The communication control method described in. The communication control method according to claim 11, wherein the communication device activates the gateway unit when the communication quality between the gateway device and the higher-level device becomes equal to or lower than a default value. The communication device activates the gateway unit when the priority of the gateway unit is higher than the priority of the gateway device based on a preset priority between the gateway device and the gateway unit. The communication control method according to claim 11. The communication control method according to claim 11, wherein the communication device activates the gateway unit when the communication capacity between the gateway device and the higher-level device reaches a default value. The communication control method according to claim 11, wherein the communication device activates the gateway unit when the power supply voltage of the gateway device becomes equal to or lower than a default value. The communication device obtains the first network to which the transfer unit belongs and the second network to which the gateway unit belongs by filtering using the MAC address of the transfer unit and the MAC address of the gateway unit. 10. The communication control method according to claim 10.