JP2021027482A - Notification method of monitor information in remote monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a remote monitoring system having a master device, a radio communication system formed by slave units of a plurality of steps radio-communicated with the master unit, and a center device, and notifying monitor information from the slave units to the center device via the master unit, which enables notification of monitoring information from the slave units when all communication routes of the slave units, which try to notify the monitoring information, are disconnected.SOLUTION: A slave unit 2a performs an emergency calling for requesting a reply of an unconditional response to the circumference terminal when a communication route to a master unit 1 is disconnected, and monitor information cannot be notified. The slave unit 2a transmits an emergency notification to a terminal having the best communication condition (it is a slave unit 2b here) from terminals which performed a reply (Fig. 4A). The slave unit 2b performs a representation notification of the monitor information from the slave unit 2a to the master unit 1 via the communication route held by itself (Fig. 4B).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a method of reporting monitoring information in a remote monitoring system.

It has a master unit and a wireless communication system consisting of a multi-stage slave unit that is wirelessly connected to the master unit, and a center device, and has monitoring information (meter reading value of gas meter and water meter, gas) acquired by the slave unit. There is a remote monitoring system that notifies the center device via the master unit (such as a leak alarm and a low battery level alarm) (Patent Document 1).

In this remote monitoring system, the center device and the master unit communicate with each other via a wireless or wired public line, and "master unit, first-stage slave unit, second-stage slave unit, ..., N-stage slave unit". Wireless communication in the wireless communication system composed of "machines" is performed using a specific low power radio or the like.

Each slave unit is arranged so as to form one layer for each distance unit of, for example, about 100 m from the master unit. Further, the number of stages of the slave unit is limited to a certain number (for example, 3 stages) at the stage of system design of the remote monitoring system. In addition, the center device contains a plurality of communication route information composed of a master unit and a slave unit, the number of stages of the slave unit, and the like, and each slave unit contains communication partner information (terminal ID and number of stages of the terminal directly above). The number of stages of the own terminal is saved for each communication route.

The creation of the communication route of the slave unit is carried out as follows, for example. When a slave unit is newly installed, the slave unit first calls to surrounding terminals, that is, broadcasts a route search message to which the terminal ID (identification information) of the own terminal is added. Then, it is checked whether or not there is a response from surrounding terminals (master unit, slave unit) within a predetermined time.

If there is a response within the specified time, select a terminal with good communication conditions from the terminal ID included in the response message, the received electric field strength of the route search message (hereinafter, electric field strength), and the number of stages, and finally one. The above communication route information (communication partner information), that is, the terminal ID and the number of stages of the terminal directly above the communication partner is stored in the storage unit of the own terminal for each communication route.

Further, from the electric field strength and the number of stages acquired at this time, for example, communication route numbers (priority order) such as the first communication route and the second communication route are assigned in ascending order of the number of stages and the electric field strength. Then, a message of a registration request for these communication routes (this message includes the terminal ID of the own terminal, the terminal ID of the terminal immediately above, the number of stages, and the electric field strength) is transmitted to the center device. The center device receives the message of the registration request and registers the communication route.

Sensors such as gas meters, water meters, and gas leak detectors are connected to each slave unit, and the monitoring information generated by these sensors is acquired and via the upper slave unit on the communication route, that is, the upper slave unit. Performs multi-hop communication that reports to the master unit using the slave unit as a relay slave unit.

More specifically, the slave unit that intends to report the monitoring information sends a notification message including the monitoring information and the terminal ID of the own terminal as the reporting route information to the slave unit directly above the first communication route, and sends this. The received slave unit (relay slave unit) also performs the same operation, and transmits the notification message to the center device via the master unit. Here, if the first communication route becomes incommunicable, the communication is switched to the second communication route and re-transmission is performed, and if the second communication route also becomes incommunicable, the third communication route is switched to re-transmission. For example, re-call while switching the communication routes that are held multiple times. When all the held communication routes cannot communicate, recreate a new communication route by the procedure at the time of new installation described above.

JP-A-2010-87761

However, in the process of recreating the conventional communication route, it may not be possible to create a new communication route as described in (1) and (2) below, and as a result, the slave unit that has acquired the monitoring information has the monitoring information. There is a problem that the center device cannot be notified.
(1) The surrounding terminals do not respond to the call from the terminal corresponding to the communication route information held by the surrounding terminal in order to prevent the formation of a loop of the communication route. Therefore, it is not possible to find a higher-level terminal that serves as a new communication route.
(2) Even if there is a terminal that responds to the call, a new communication route cannot be created due to a problem of the higher-level terminal (excess of the number of stages, failure of relay communication).
These problems will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a first example in which a new communication route cannot be created.
In FIG. 7A, when terminals are installed in the order of the master unit 10, the slave unit 20a, and the slave unit 20b, the communication route of the slave unit 20a is only the first communication route to the master unit 10, and the communication route of the slave unit 20b. Is the first communication route to the master unit 10 and the second communication route to the slave unit 20a.

As shown in FIG. 7B, when the master unit 10 does not respond to the transmission of the slave unit 20a, the slave unit 20a recreates a communication route and retransmits by calling to surrounding terminals.

However, if only the handset 20b exists as a terminal around the handset 20a and the handset 20b holds the second communication route to the handset 20a, the handset 20b does not respond to the call of the handset 20a. (No response to surrounding terminals due to loop avoidance). Therefore, the slave unit 20a cannot create a new communication route.

As shown in FIG. 7C, even if the slave units 20c and 20d exist in the vicinity as the subordinate terminals of the slave unit 20a (terminals having the slave unit 20a as the upper terminal), the slave units 20c and 20d are the slave units. When the communication route to 20a is held, the slave units 20c and 20d do not respond to the call of the slave unit 20a (no response to the surrounding terminals due to loop avoidance). Therefore, the slave unit 20a cannot create a new communication route.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a second example in which a new communication route cannot be created.
As shown in FIG. 8A, when the master unit 10 does not respond to the transmission of the slave unit 20a in the communication route of the master unit 10-slave unit 20a (first stage) -slave unit 20b (second stage), the slave unit 20a Calls to surrounding terminals, and as shown in FIG. 8B, it is assumed that a communication route to the slave unit 20c can be created. In this case, the slave unit 20c, the slave unit 20a, and the slave unit 20b are the first stage, the second stage, and the third stage, respectively. However, the slave unit 20b does not know that the own terminal has reached the third stage.

As shown in FIG. 8C, it is assumed that when the slave unit 20d under the slave unit 20b makes a call to the surrounding terminals, the communication route to the slave unit 20b is found (the slave unit 20b uses its own terminal). Since it is recognized as the second stage, it is assumed that it responded to the call). However, in this case, since the report arrives through the communication route of the slave unit 20d ⇒ slave unit 20b ⇒ slave unit 20a ⇒ slave unit 20c, the slave unit 20c recognizes that the number of stages has been exceeded and cannot relay. That is, the number of stages is actually exceeded, and a communication route cannot be created.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a third example in which a new communication route cannot be created.
As shown in the figure, when the slave unit 20c under the slave unit 20b calls the surrounding terminals in the communication route of the master unit 10-slave unit 20a (first stage) -slave unit 20b (second stage). Even if a communication route to the slave unit 20b is found (when the slave unit 20b responds to the call), if the relay communication of the slave unit 20b ⇒ slave unit 20a or the relay communication of the slave unit 20a ⇒ master unit 10 fails, The communication route of the slave unit 20c cannot be created.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is a master unit, a wireless communication system including a multi-stage slave unit wirelessly connected to the master unit, and a center device. In a remote monitoring system that reports the monitoring information from the slave unit to the center device via the master unit, when all the communication routes of the slave unit that is trying to report the monitoring information cannot communicate, the slave unit It is possible to report the monitoring information of.

The present invention has a master unit, a wireless communication system including a master unit and a plurality of stages of slave units wirelessly connected to the master unit, and a center device, and monitors information from the slave unit to the center device via the master unit. In a remote monitoring system for reporting, this is a reporting method for reporting monitoring information from a slave unit when all communication routes of the slave unit for which monitoring information is to be reported are not possible, and the slave unit is a surrounding terminal. Other than the first step of making an urgent call to request that a response be returned unconditionally, and the terminal that receives the call and holds only the terminal that sent the call as a communication route. The second step in which the terminal returns a response with its own ID, the number of stages, and the received electric field strength of the call, and the slave unit holds the response as a communication route from the terminals that have returned the response. A third step of determining a terminal having good communication conditions other than the terminal that is operating as an emergency destination terminal, a fourth step of the handset transmitting an emergency notification to the emergency destination terminal, and the emergency destination. This is a method of reporting monitoring information in a remote monitoring system having a fifth step in which the terminal reports monitoring information from the slave unit by its own communication route.

According to the present invention, a wireless communication system including a master unit and a plurality of stages of slave units wirelessly connected to the master unit, and a center device are provided, and monitoring information from the slave unit is centered via the master unit. In the remote monitoring system for reporting to the device, the monitoring information from the slave unit can be reported when all the communication routes of the slave unit for which the monitoring information is to be reported cannot communicate.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the remote monitoring system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of a slave unit. It is a figure which shows the first half part of the method of transmitting an emergency call to a center device. It is a figure which shows the latter half of the method of transmitting an emergency call to a center device. It is a figure which shows the 1st method of creating a new communication route. It is a figure which shows the 2nd method of creating a new communication route. It is a figure which shows the 1st example in which a new communication route cannot be created. It is a figure which shows the 2nd example in which a new communication route cannot be created. It is a figure which shows the 3rd example in which a new communication route cannot be created.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
<Configuration of remote monitoring system>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a remote monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
This remote monitoring system is used for automatic meter reading of a gas meter or a water meter, for example, from a center device 100, a master unit 1, and a multi-stage slave unit 2 wirelessly connected to the master unit 1. It has a wireless communication system. In this remote monitoring system, the number of stages of the slave unit in the wireless communication system is limited to three.

Communication between the master unit 1 and the center device 100 is performed via a commercial communication line such as a mobile phone line, and wireless communication in a wireless communication system composed of the master unit 1 and the slave units 2 of the first to third stages. Is performed using a specific low power radio or the like. In the following description, when the master unit and the slave unit are not distinguished, they are referred to as terminals.

Sensors such as a gas meter, a water meter, and a gas leak detector are connected to each slave unit, and each slave unit acquires the monitoring information generated by these sensors and passes through the upper slave unit, that is, the upper slave unit. Using the slave unit as a relay slave unit, the master unit 1 is notified, and further, the center device 100 is notified via the master unit 1.

In FIG. 1, the number of stages of the slave unit in the wireless communication system is set to 3 stages, but there are also configurations with 2 stages and configurations with 5 or more stages. Further, in FIG. 1, each slave unit has one direct terminal, but there is also a configuration in which a plurality of direct terminals are provided.

<Outline configuration of slave unit>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a slave unit in the remote monitoring system shown in FIG.

As shown in the figure, the slave unit 2 has a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a wireless transmission / reception unit 23, an external I / F (interface) unit 24, a display unit 25, and an operation input, each of which is connected to the control unit 21. A unit 26 is provided, and an antenna 27 is connected to the wireless transmission / reception unit 23.

The control unit 21 is composed of, for example, a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits, and controls the entire slave unit 2 and performs arithmetic processing and the like. Further, the control unit 21 includes an emergency destination terminal determining means 211 as a means realized by processing a program and data stored in the storage unit 22. Further, the control unit 21 processes the programs and data stored in the storage unit 22, and causes the slave unit 2 to execute the first to sixth steps described later.

The storage unit 22 includes a non-volatile memory such as a ROM, a rewritable non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, and a volatile memory such as a RAM. Then, the control program necessary for operating the slave unit 2 is stored in the ROM. In addition, the RAM stores each program being executed by the control unit 21 and information (terminal ID, wireless channel, electric field strength, number of stages of own terminal) necessary for executing the programs. In addition, various setting data and the like are stored in the rewritable non-volatile memory. Here, the communication route information management table 221 and the emergency destination terminal information management table 222 are shown. The communication route information management table 221 and the emergency destination terminal information management table 222 will be described later.

The wireless transmission / reception unit 23 performs wireless communication with another slave unit 2 and the master unit 1 by a specific low power radio or the like. External devices such as gas meters and water meters are connected to the external I / F unit 24. The display unit 25 is a user I / F that is composed of LEDs or the like and displays an operating state of the slave unit 2 or the like. The operation input unit 26 includes buttons, switches, and the like, and is a user I / F for inputting predetermined settings and the like for the slave unit 2.

<How to send an emergency call to the center device>
3 and 4 are diagrams showing the first half and the second half of the method of transmitting an emergency call to the center device, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3A, when the terminals are installed in the order of the master unit 1, the slave unit 2a, the slave unit 2b, and the slave unit 2c, the communication route of the slave unit 2a is only the first communication route to the master unit 1. , The communication route of the slave unit 2b is the first communication route to the master unit 1 and the second communication route to the slave unit 2a, and the communication route of the slave unit 2c is the first communication route to the master unit 1 and the slave unit 2b. It is assumed that it is the second communication route to.

As shown in FIG. 3B, when the master unit 1 does not respond to the transmission of an emergency call (gas leak alarm, etc.) by the slave unit 2a, the slave unit 2a cannot communicate with the only communication route, so that the center device 100 I can't report to. At this time, since an emergency situation such as a gas leak has occurred, as shown in FIG. 3C, the slave unit 2a responds unconditionally, regardless of the number of stages or the non-response of surrounding terminals due to loop avoidance. Send a broadcast message to the surrounding terminals to the effect that you want it to be done. Hereinafter, the transmission of this broadcast telegram will be referred to as an "urgent call" (corresponding to the first step) to distinguish it from a normal call.

As shown in FIG. 3D, the handset 2b that has received the "emergency call" has its own ID, the number of stages (example: 0 to 3; here 1), and the "emergency call" to the handset 2a. A response message to which the received electric field strength (example: 1 to 7; 7 in this case) is added is returned to the slave unit 2a (corresponding to the second step). However, a terminal that has only a communication route to the terminal that made the "emergency call" does not respond because it cannot send to the center device even if it responds. In the case of FIGS. 3A and 3B, there is no terminal having only a communication route to the handset 2a, which is the terminal that made the "urgent call".

As shown in FIG. 4A, the handset 2a is an emergency destination terminal based on the number of stages (0 to 3) and the electric field strength (1 to 7) from among the terminals that responded to the "emergency call". The determination means 211 determines the emergency destination terminal (corresponding to the third step) and notifies the terminal (corresponding to the fourth step). Here, since the purpose of the emergency destination terminal is to allow the emergency call from the slave unit 2a to reach the center device, the slave unit 2a communicates from the terminals other than the terminals held as the communication route. Decide on a terminal with good conditions. That is, for example, the terminal having the best communication conditions (the terminal having the lowest number of stages and the highest electric field strength) is preferentially determined.

In FIG. 4A, since the terminal held by the slave unit 2a as the communication route is the master unit 1, the slave unit 2a does not use the master unit 1 as the emergency destination terminal even if there is a response from the master unit 1. In this way, the reason for excluding the terminal held as a communication route is that as a result of all communication routes including that communication route being unable to communicate, an "urgent call" was made, so that terminal is urgent. This is because there is a high possibility that communication will be disabled again if the terminal is used as the destination terminal.

This emergency destination terminal is stored as a separate management from the communication route created by making a normal call to surrounding terminals. That is, the communication route created by making a normal call is managed by the communication route information management table 221 and the emergency destination terminal is managed by the emergency destination terminal information management table 222. Hereinafter, the notification to the emergency destination terminal is referred to as "emergency notification". Here, the handset 2b is determined as the emergency destination terminal.

Since the terminal that made the "urgent call" has only a communication route that cannot be transmitted to the center device 100, and it is necessary to recreate a new communication route separately (the terminal that made the "emergency call"). As the communication route, the communication route to the terminal that received the "emergency notification" is judged to be the best (priority)), and among the communication routes held by the terminal that received the "emergency notification", "emergency" If there is a communication route to the terminal that made the "call", the communication route is deleted (corresponding to the sixth step). In the case of FIG. 4A, the second communication route of the slave unit 2b is deleted. The reason is that when the communication route of the slave unit 2a is recreated, the slave unit 2b becomes the communication route of the slave unit 2a to prevent a loop from being formed.

Tables 1 and 2 below show the communication routes of the handset 2b that received the "emergency notification". Here, Table 1 shows before the deletion of the communication route to the slave unit 2a that made the "urgent call", and Table 2 shows after the deletion.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the handset 2b that has received the "emergency notification" makes a notification via the communication route it holds, in the same way as its own notification (hereinafter, the notification corresponding to this fifth step is "". It is called "proxy report"). In addition, as with the self-report, even if the proxy report fails, if multiple communication routes are held, the center device 100 can be notified by reporting while switching the communication routes. Become. An image of a proxy notification telegram reaching the center device 100 is shown in FIG. 4C.

If the slave unit 2b that has received the "emergency notification" cannot notify the center device 100 by the communication route that it owns, as shown in FIG. 4D, again (also in the slave unit 2b), "emergency" By making a "call", the center device 100 can be notified. An image of the proxy notification telegram that reaches the center device 100 is shown in FIG. 4E.

<First method of creating a new communication route>
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a first method of creating a new communication route.
As shown in FIG. 5A, in the installation environment of the master unit 1, the slave unit 2a, and the slave unit 2b, the communication route of the slave unit 2a is only the first communication route to the master unit 1, but the master unit 1-slave unit Communication is not possible between 2a. The communication route of the slave unit 2b is only the first communication route to the master unit 1 (the slave unit 2b had a second communication route to the slave unit 2a, but it was deleted because it received an "emergency notification"). Suppose it was.

The control from the center device 100 (master unit 1 ⇒ slave unit 2b ⇒ slave unit 2a) or the operation of the slave unit 2a makes a normal call to the terminals around the slave unit 2a. Since the slave unit 2b can respond to the call from the slave unit 2a, the slave unit 2a can have a communication route to the slave unit 2b as shown in FIG. 5B. That is, a communication route from the slave unit 2a ⇒ slave unit 2b ⇒ master unit 1 can be established, and the center device 100 can be notified.

If there is a slave unit 2a in the second communication route of the slave unit 2b, in other words, if it is not deleted when the "emergency notification" is received, the control from the center device 100 (master unit 1⇒ After deleting the communication route of the slave unit 2a from the communication route of the slave unit 2b by the slave unit 2b) or the like, a normal call is made to surrounding terminals by controlling from the center device 100 or operating the slave unit 2a (2). Step processing) is necessary.

<Second method of creating a new communication route>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second method of creating a new communication route.
As shown in FIG. 6A, in the installation environment of the master unit 1, the slave unit 2a, the slave unit 2b, and the slave unit 2c, the communication route of the slave unit 2a is only the communication route to the master unit 1, but the master unit 1- Communication is not possible between the slave units 2a, and the communication route of the slave unit 2b is only the communication route to the master unit 1, but communication is not possible between the master unit 1 and the slave unit 2b. Therefore, it is assumed that the communication route of the slave unit 2c is only the first communication route to the master unit 1 (the slave unit 2c has a second communication route to the slave unit 2b, but the slave unit 2c is in a deleted state).

By controlling from the center device 100 (master unit 1 ⇒ slave unit 2c ⇒ slave unit 2b) or operating the slave unit 2b, a normal call is made to the terminals around the slave unit 2b. The slave unit 2c can respond to the call from the slave unit 2b. Further, since communication is not possible between the master unit 1 and the slave unit 2a, a communication route to the slave unit 2a cannot be created as the communication route of the slave unit 2b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, the slave unit 2b has only the first communication route to the slave unit 2c as the communication route. In this case, a communication route from the slave unit 2b ⇒ slave unit 2c ⇒ master unit 1 can be established, and the center device 100 can be notified.

Subsequently, by controlling from the center device 100 (master unit 1 ⇒ slave unit 2c ⇒ slave unit 2b ⇒ slave unit 2a) or operating the slave unit 2a, a normal call is made to the terminals around the slave unit 2a. Since the slave unit 2b can respond to the call from the slave unit 2a, as shown in FIG. 6C, the slave unit 2a can have a first communication route to the slave unit 2b as a communication route. Become. In this case, a communication route can be established from the slave unit 2a ⇒ slave unit 2b ⇒ slave unit 2c ⇒ master unit 1, and the center device 100 can be notified.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above when the slave unit 2a transmits an emergency call such as a gas leak alarm, the present invention can also be applied to a case where normal monitoring information (meter reading value, etc.) is transmitted.

1 ... Master unit, 2a to 2d ... Slave unit, 21 ... Control unit, 23 ... Wireless transmission / reception unit, 100 ... Center device, 211 ... Emergency destination terminal determination means 221 ... Communication route information management table 222 ... Emergency destination terminal information Management table.

Claims (3)

It has a master unit and a wireless communication system consisting of a multi-stage slave unit that is wirelessly connected to the master unit and a center device, and remote monitoring that reports monitoring information from the slave unit to the center device via the master unit. In the system, it is a reporting method that reports the monitoring information from the slave unit when all the communication routes of the slave unit that is trying to report the monitoring information are unable to communicate.
The first step of making an urgent call for the handset to unconditionally return a response to surrounding terminals, and
Among the terminals that have received the call, the terminals other than the terminals that hold only the terminal that has transmitted the call as a communication route return a response to which the ID, the number of stages, and the received electric field strength of the call are added. Steps and
The third step of determining as the emergency destination terminal a terminal having good communication conditions other than the terminal held as the communication route from the terminals to which the slave unit has returned the response.
The fourth step in which the slave unit sends an emergency notification to the emergency destination terminal, and
The fifth step in which the emergency destination terminal reports the monitoring information from the slave unit by its own communication route, and
A method of reporting monitoring information in a remote monitoring system that has. In the method of reporting monitoring information in the remote monitoring system according to claim 1,
The second step is a method of reporting monitoring information in a remote monitoring system, in which a terminal having the lowest number of stages or a terminal having the highest received electric field strength is determined as an emergency destination terminal. In the method of reporting monitoring information in the remote monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2.
A method of reporting monitoring information in a remote monitoring system having a sixth step of deleting a slave unit that has made an emergency call from terminals held by the emergency destination terminal as a communication route.

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