JP2022074303A - Communication device, terminal device, communication system, remote control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a communication device capable of preventing illegal access to a target device via an IP network and allowing transparent and direct remote control of the target device via a mobile communication network without mounting individual control programs which differ for each target device.SOLUTION: A communication device comprises an interface unit to which a target device supporting a general-purpose interface is connected, a network-side communication unit which communicates with a mobile communication network by non-IP communication, and a control unit. When receiving a control command to the target device supporting the general-purpose interface connected to the interface unit by non-IP communication of the network-side communication unit, the control unit transfers a control command to the target device via the interface unit. When receiving response data to the control command from the target device via the interface unit, the control unit controls transfer of response data to the mobile communication network by non-IP communication of the network-side communication unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a communication device, a terminal device, a communication system, a remote control method and a program to which a target device controlled via a mobile communication network can be connected.

Conventionally, a communication device capable of connecting a target device such as a sensor controlled via a mobile communication network is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an interface unit to which a device such as a home appliance is connected, a controller unit that communicates with the device via the interface unit, a protocol control unit that controls the device via the controller unit, and a protocol control. A communication adapter is disclosed that includes a setting verification unit that determines whether the settings of the unit are suitable for the device, and implements an individual program including setting information and a device control protocol for each target device. According to this communication adapter, when it is determined that the settings of the controller unit or the protocol control unit are not compatible with the device, information indicating that the settings of the controller unit or the protocol control unit are not compatible with the device. It is said that it is possible to easily set the communication adapter according to the connected device.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-054428

However, in a conventional communication device such as the communication adapter of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to implement an individual program including setting information and a device control protocol for each target device connected to the communication device. Further, in the conventional communication device, a control method is used in which the control command for the target device transmitted from the external user device or the like that remotely controls the target device is terminated by the communication device, and the target device is transparently transmitted from the external user device or the like. Moreover, it cannot be directly controlled remotely. In addition, the target device may be illegally accessed from the outside via an IP network such as the Internet.

The communication device according to one aspect of the present invention is a communication device to which a remotely controlled target device is connected. This communication device includes an interface unit of the general-purpose interface to which a target device compatible with the general-purpose interface is connected, a network-side communication unit that communicates with a mobile communication network by non-IP communication that does not use an IP (Internet Protocol), and the network side. When a control command for the general-purpose interface-compatible target device connected to the interface unit is received by non-IP communication of the communication unit, the control command is transferred to the target device via the interface unit and the interface unit is transferred. The interface includes a control unit that controls to transfer the response data to the mobile communication network by non-IP communication of the network side communication unit when the response data to the control command is received from the target device.

The terminal device according to another aspect of the present invention is a terminal device capable of communicating via a mobile communication network. This terminal device includes the communication device and a target device connected to the communication device.

A communication system according to still another aspect of the present invention includes the terminal device and a host device that communicates with the terminal device via the mobile communication network. The host device may be a console device, a remote control device, or a server device.

The remote control method according to still another aspect of the present invention is a network that communicates with a mobile communication network by non-IP communication that does not use an IP (Internet Protocol) with the interface unit of the general-purpose interface to which a target device compatible with the general-purpose interface is connected. This is a remote control method using a communication device having a side communication unit. In this remote control method, when a control command for the target device corresponding to the general-purpose interface connected to the interface unit is received by non-IP communication of the network side communication unit, the target device is connected to the target device via the interface unit. When the control command is transferred and the response data to the control command is received from the target device via the interface unit, the response data is transferred to the mobile communication network by non-IP communication of the network side communication unit. Including that.

The program according to still another aspect of the present invention is a network-side communication that communicates with a mobile communication network by non-IP communication that does not use an IP (Internet Protocol) with the interface unit of the general-purpose interface to which a target device compatible with the general-purpose interface is connected. It is a program executed by a computer or a processor provided in a communication device having a unit. When this program receives a control command for the target device corresponding to the general-purpose interface connected to the interface unit by non-IP communication of the network side communication unit, the control command is given to the target device via the interface unit. When the program code for transferring and the response data to the control command are received from the target device via the interface unit, the response data is transferred to the mobile communication network by non-IP communication of the network side communication unit. Includes program code and.

In the communication device, the terminal device, the communication system, the remote control method, and the program, control commands for the target device are transmitted from a host device capable of communicating with the mobile communication network, and response data from the target device. May be transmitted to the host device. The host device may be a console device, a remote control device, or a server device.

In the communication device, the terminal device, the communication system, the remote control method, and the program, the general-purpose interface may be a UART (Universal Synchronous Receiver / Transmitter) interface.

In the communication device, the terminal device, the communication system, the remote control method, and the program, the target device detects a physical quantity to be detected based on the control command and directs the detection result data to the communication device. It may be a sensor that outputs data.

In the communication device, the terminal device, the communication system, the remote control method, and the program, the target device may be a display device that displays based on the control command.

In the communication device, the terminal device, the communication system, the remote control method, and the program, the target device may be a microcomputer device that performs data processing based on the control command.

In the communication device, the terminal device, the communication system, the remote control method, and the program, the target device is a voice recognition device that outputs voice recognition result data to the communication device based on the control command. There may be.

In the communication device, the terminal device, the communication system, the remote control method, and the program, the target device outputs code image reading result data to the communication device based on the control command. It may be a reading device.

In the communication device, the terminal device, the communication system, the remote control method, and the program, the non-IP communication may be low power consumption wide area communication. The low power consumption wide area communication may be a communication conforming to NIDD (Non-IP Data Deployer).

According to the present invention, unauthorized access to the target device via the IP network can be prevented, and the target device can be transmitted through the mobile communication network without implementing a different control program for each target device. Remote control can be performed directly and directly.

An explanatory diagram showing an example of a configuration of a communication system including a terminal device having a communication device (communication board) according to an embodiment. An explanatory diagram showing an example of a data format of control commands and response data transmitted / received between a target device (sensor) connected to a communication device (communication board) and a host device (console) in the communication system according to the embodiment. An explanatory diagram showing an example of transmission / reception of control commands and response data between a host device (console) and a target device (sensor) compatible with the UART interface of the terminal device in the communication system according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The communication device according to the embodiment described in this document is a non-IP communication of a mobile communication network (mobile network) by connecting a control target device (hereinafter referred to as "target device") such as a sensor compatible with a UART interface as a general-purpose interface. It is a communication device that enables remote control via low power consumption wide area communication (NIDD bearer).

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a configuration of a communication system including a terminal device 10 having a communication device (communication board 11) according to the present embodiment. The communication system of the present embodiment is mainly composed of one or more terminal devices 10 and an end user console (hereinafter referred to as "console") 200 as a corporate or individual console device as a host device. .. The console 200 is composed of, for example, one or a plurality of computer devices.

The terminal device 10 of the present embodiment includes a communication board 11 as a communication device (communication device). The terminal device 10 is, for example, an IoT device including a sensor used in various industries such as medical care, agriculture, electric power, water and sewage, automobiles, and transportation, but is not limited thereto. The terminal device 10 may be an IoT device without a sensor, and can be applied to an IoT device having all uses and functions. Further, the terminal device 10 may be a terminal device capable of mobile communication.

A communication module 12 for mobile communication, which is also called a mobile station, is mounted on the communication board 11, and a sensor 16 as a target device to be remotely controlled is connected to the communication board 11. The sensor 16 detects physical quantities such as temperature, rainfall, distance, pressure, speed, acceleration, and fingerprint pattern to be detected based on the received control command, and outputs the detection result data to the communication board 11. By operating the console 200, the end user transparently and directly remotely controls the sensor 16 via the mobile communication network 1 and the communication board 11, and the temperature, the amount of rainfall, and the distance detected by the sensor 16 are determined. Data of detection results of physical quantities such as pressure, velocity, acceleration, and fingerprint pattern can be acquired.

Although the case where the target device is the sensor 16 will be described in the present embodiment, the target device may be a device other than the sensor. For example, the target device connected to the communication board 11 may be a display device, a microcomputer device, a voice recognition device, or a code image reading device.

The display device is, for example, an LED bulletin board, and displays characters and other images based on received control commands. By operating the console 200, the end user transparently and directly remotely controls the display device via the mobile communication network 1 and the communication board 11, and displays characters and other images on the display screen. You can change the display contents, start the display, and stop the display.

The microcomputer device is, for example, a modularized microcomputer for embedding in a device, and performs various data processing and control based on received control commands. By operating the console 200, the end user transparently and directly remotely controls the microcomputer device via the mobile communication network 1 and the communication board 11, and various data processing and control by the microcomputer device, etc. In addition, various data processing and control can be performed by a lower-level device further connected to the microcomputer device.

The voice recognition device is, for example, a voice recognition module that recognizes a voice signal and converts it into character information, and outputs voice recognition result data to the communication board 11 based on a received control command. By operating the console 200, the end user transparently and directly remotely controls the voice recognition device via the mobile communication network 1 and the communication board 11, and the voice recognition result recognized by the voice recognition device is obtained. You can get the data.

The code image reader is, for example, a bar code reader or a two-dimensional code reader that reads a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code image, and outputs the data of the code image reading result to the communication board 11 based on the received control command. do. By operating the console 200, the end user transparently and directly remotely controls the code image reading device via the mobile communication network 1 and the communication board 11, and the code image read by the code image reading device. It is possible to acquire the data of the reading result of.

The communication system of the present embodiment may include a server or a remote control device that acquires detection information of the sensor 16 from the terminal device 10 which is an IoT device including the sensor 16. These servers and remote control devices collect, for example, the detection information detected by the sensor 16 of the terminal device 10, and perform processing for providing a service using the collected detection information. The server and the remote control device may be managed and operated by a mobile communication operator or a service operator that provides the service.

The upload data (also referred to as “response data” or “sensing data”) transmitted from the communication board 11 of the terminal device 10 to the console 200 via the SCS (Service Capacity Server) 100 is the base station 20, MME (Mobile Management). It is relayed to the SCS 100 and sent to the console 200 via the Entry) 40 and the SCEF (Service Capacity Exposure Function) 50.

Further, the download data (also referred to as “control command”) transmitted from the console 200 to the communication board 11 of the terminal device 10 via the SCS 100 is relayed by the SCS 100 and is relayed by the SCS 100 to the terminal via the SCEF 50, the MME 40, and the base station 20. It is sent to the communication board 11 of the device 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the upload data and the download data are variable-length user data containers (/ 19/0/0, / 19/0/1) 301 in which user data such as control commands and response data are stored. It has a data structure 300 to which information such as a header 302, a communication module address 303, a packet type 304, a data length 305, and a check sum 306 is added.

In the communication system of the present embodiment, communication data including control commands in a predetermined format corresponding to, for example, a UART interface is mounted on the terminal device 10 from the console 200 via the mobile communication network 1 by non-IP communication without using IP. It is transmitted to the communication module 12 of the communication board 11. The control command received by the communication module 12 is transferred to the sensor 16 connected to the communication board 11 and used for controlling the sensor 16.

Communication data including control commands transmitted from the console 200 to the communication board 11 of the terminal device 10 via the SCS 100 is relayed by the SCS 100 to the communication board 11 of the terminal device 10 via the SCEF 50, MME 40, and the base station 20. Is sent. This communication data is stored in a designated data container in the user data container, and is communicated using a predetermined communication protocol. In the present embodiment, the example using the LwM2M (Lightweight Machine to Machine) protocol as the communication protocol will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Data communication between the console 200 and the SCS 100 of the mobile communication network 1 is performed via a virtual network of API Manager such as WebAPI (Application Programming Interface) constructed in an IP network such as the Internet.

The mobile communication network 1 that can be included in the configuration of the communication system of the present embodiment mainly includes one or more base stations 20 that wirelessly communicate with the terminal device 10, an MME 40, an SCEF 50, and an SCS 100. .. The SCS 100 includes an SCEF I / F 120 for communicating with the SCEF 50 and an IP I / F 140 for communicating with a host device such as a console 200.

Equipment (nodes) in the mobile communication network 1 such as the base station 20, MME40, SCEF50, and SCS100 may be managed and operated by, for example, a mobile communication operator of the mobile communication network. The SCS 100 may be equipment inside the mobile communication network or equipment outside the mobile communication network. In FIG. 1, for convenience of illustration, only one terminal device 10 is shown, but the number of terminal devices 10 may be two or more.

The communication board 11 as a communication device mounted on the terminal device 10 of the present embodiment includes a communication module 12, a control unit 13 on the main body side, a storage unit 14, and a plurality of interface units corresponding to a plurality of types of interface methods. It has 15A to 15D. A target device such as a sensor 16 can be connected to the interface units 15A to 15D of the communication board 11.

The communication module 12 is a communication device for mobile communication, also called a mobile station, and functions as a communication means for communicating via a mobile communication network. For example, an antenna, a DUP, a base band unit, an amplifier, a storage device, a control device, or the like can be used. It is configured and executes a process for wireless communication with the base station 20 of the mobile communication network. The communication module 12 of the present embodiment is modularized and mounted on the communication board 11, and executes various processing operations by executing the firmware stored in the storage device in the communication module 12. ..

The communication board 11 can perform wireless communication with the base station 20 by a predetermined wireless communication method by the communication module 12 and can be connected to the mobile communication network side, and is a low power consumption wide area communication technology via the mobile communication network. Communication by, for example, a NIDD (Non-IP Data Deliver) communication method belonging to LPWA (Low Power, Wide Area) communication technology can be performed.

The communication module 12 is a Cat. M and Cat. Other communication methods belonging to LPWA communication technology such as NB may be adopted. In addition, Cat. M is LTE Cat. Of 3GPP. M1, LTE Cat. It is a wireless communication method that conforms to the specifications of M2, LTE-M or eMTC, the frequency bandwidth is limited to, for example, 1.4 MHz, the coverage extension of about 15 dB and the maximum communication speed (throughput) of 1 Mbps (upstream) are supported. ing. In addition, Cat. NB is LTE Cat. Of 3GPP. NB1, LTE Cat. It is a wireless communication method that conforms to the specifications of NB2 or NB-IoT, and the frequency bandwidth is limited to a narrow band of, for example, 200 kHz, the coverage is expanded by about 23 dB, and the maximum communication speed (upstream) of 63 kbps (upstream) in the case of NB1. ) Is supported.

The communication module 12 may be provided with a function of communicating using an IP (Internet Protocol) via a mobile communication network like a normal mobile station. However, in this case, it is necessary to mount a processing module for IP communication, which increases the component cost and the manufacturing cost of the communication module 12. When the communication module 12 is mounted on a large number of terminal devices 10 or communication boards 11 on the market, the communication module 12 has only sufficient functions necessary for communication of the NIDD communication method belonging to the above-mentioned LPWA communication technique, and is not necessary for this communication. Those excluding other functions such as IP communication are preferable in terms of cost.

The control unit 13 controls the operation of various components of the communication board 11. The control unit 13 includes, for example, an MPU (micro processing unit), RAM, ROM, etc., although it differs depending on the type of the communication board 11, and is mounted on the communication board 11 together with the communication module 12 as a control module. .. For example, an AT command can be used for communication between the communication module 12 and the control unit 13.

In the communication board 11 of the present embodiment, by configuring the communication module 12 and the control unit 13 as separate modules, it becomes easy to develop and manufacture the communication module 12 and the control unit 13 separately. For example, the communication module 12 can be developed and manufactured by the mobile communication operator, while the control module of the control unit 13 can be developed and manufactured by the service operator. As a result, for the mobile communication operator, the communication module 12 to be combined with the control modules of the plurality of service operators can be shared, and the cost can be reduced. Further, for the service provider, the control unit 13 to be combined with the communication modules of a plurality of mobile communication operators can be shared, and the cost can be reduced.

The control unit 13 is composed of, for example, an MPU or the like, and by executing a control program (hereinafter, also referred to as “control application”) stored in the storage unit 14, for example, predetermined upload data is moved from the communication module 12. It transmits data to the console 200 via the communication network 1, controls the sensor 16 based on the download data received from the console 200 by the communication module 12 via the mobile communication network 1, and performs data processing.

In particular, in the present embodiment, the control unit 13 is a predetermined control program commonly used for controlling a target device compatible with the UART interface such as a plurality of types of sensors 16 corresponding to the UART interface as the general-purpose interface (hereinafter, "UART control general-purpose"). "App".) Is executed. As a result, the control unit 13 controls to transmit the control command received from the console 200 to the communication module 12 via the mobile communication network 1 to the sensor 16 via the UART interface 15B of the general-purpose interface. Further, the control unit 13 controls to receive the response data output from the sensor 16 via the UART interface 15B and transmit the response data from the communication module 12 to the console 200 via the mobile communication network 1.

The storage unit 14 stores software such as programs and various data executed by the control unit 13. In particular, in the present embodiment, the storage unit 14 stores a UART control general-purpose application commonly used for controlling a target device such as a plurality of types of sensors 16 compatible with the UART interface.

The interface units 15A to 15D are provided on the communication board 11 in the terminal device 10. The communication board 11 of the present embodiment includes a U-bus interface 15A, a UART interface 15B, an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) interface 15C, and an I ^2C interface 15D as a plurality of types of interface units. A device (component) such as a sensor 16 mounted on the terminal device 10 is connected to a corresponding interface among the interface units 15A to 15D of the communication board 11. Since the sensor 16 of the present embodiment corresponds to the UART interface 15B, it is connected to the UART interface 15B. The U-bus interface 15A is a communication interface capable of high-speed packet communication with various sensors.

The information detected by the sensor 16 is collected by the console 200 and can be used for a service using the collected detection information.

The base station 20 constitutes a radio access network (RAN), and is also called, for example, an eNodeB (eNB), a gNodeB, or the like, or a macrocell base station, a small cell base station, or the like depending on the size of a cell formed by the base station. Or something. The base station 20 includes, for example, a radio unit (RRH) for transmitting and receiving radio signals and a baseband unit (BBU) for performing digital baseband signal processing. For example, the RRH converts a digital baseband signal received from the BBU into an RF signal, amplifies the power to a predetermined signal level, and transmits the digital baseband signal to the terminal device 10. Further, the RRH converts the RF signal received from the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 into a digital baseband signal and transmits it to the BBU.

The core network included in the mobile communication network is also called EPC (Evolved Packet Core) in LTE / LTE-Advanced, for example, and the base station 20 is connected via a predetermined communication interface. The core network also has various nodes such as MME40 and SCEF50. The core network may have other nodes such as PCRF (Police and Charging Rules Fusion).

The MME 40 is a node that accommodates the base station 20 and performs wireless communication network control, mobility control, handover control, user authentication control, and the like. Based on the user registration information, the MME 40 transfers the data transmitted via the base station 20 to the SCEF 50 that performs the data transfer of the NIDD described later, or the data addressed to the terminal device 10 sent from the SCEF 50. Information such as a reception request is transferred to the base station 20. Further, the MME 40 has a function of collecting and storing information such as communication log information and communication control parameters for each of the communication module 12 and the base station 20 mounted on the communication board 11 of the terminal device 10.

The SCEF50 is a node having an interface for providing a part of 3GPP communication service to a third party application provider. The SCEF 50 performs a data transmission / reception transfer process with the communication board 11 of the terminal device 10 by NIDD, which will be described later. The SCEF 50 may create communication usage data (for example, CDR) for billing for data transmission / reception between the terminal device 10 and the communication board 11 by NIDD.

Further, in the present embodiment, information such as a notification notifying the data communication timing of periodic communication in which the terminal device 10 performs data communication at a predetermined data communication timing is notified from the communication board 11 of the terminal device 10 to the SCEF 50 by, for example, a control channel. Will be done.

Further, in order to reduce power consumption, the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 may suspend power supply to some circuits and put it in a sleep state when waiting for an incoming call. The communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 receives a reception request described later at the time of waiting for an incoming call, supplies power to the entire circuit by using the reception as a trigger, activates a predetermined application, and receives data (from the console 200). It may be controlled to receive the download data (such as the download data of the) and return to the sleep state when the data reception is completed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the communication status information indicating the communication status of the terminal device 10 with the communication module 12 is transferred from the terminal device 10 or the base station 20 to the SCEF 50 via the MME 40. The communication status information is, for example, information such as communication log information and communication control parameters of the terminal device 10 and the base station 20, data communication timing setting information set in the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10, and the like.

The communication system constituting the communication system of the present embodiment supports NIDD. NIDD is a function defined in the 3GPP standard (see, for example, TS23.401 V15.4.0 (2018-06), TS23.682 V15.5.0 (2018-06)) and uses IP. Since it is a non-IP communication that communicates without the need for communication, the communication module 12 mounted on the terminal device 10 is a function that enables data transfer without operating the IP stack or acquiring an IP address. By using this NIDD, secure data transfer is possible without attacks from IP networks that use IP, and since the amount of data transmitted over the mobile communication network is small, the power consumption of the device can be reduced and the weak electric field can be used. It is expected that the communication success rate will be improved.

In order to reduce the load of data processing in the mobile communication network 1, a MEC (Mobile Edge Computing) server that performs a part of data processing in the mobile communication network 1 may be provided inside or near the base station 20. The MEC server may have, for example, a function of managing data transmission timing to the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 located in the cell of the base station 20 corresponding to the server.

Further, the communication system of the present embodiment supports the coverage expansion (CE) of the category M1 (eMTC) and the category NB1 (NB-IoT) so that the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 can communicate in the IoT communication mode. ..

The IoT communication mode is a communication mode for IoT communication with the base station 20, for example, a communication mode compliant with the LTE-Advanced Pro eMTC or NB-IoT standard (see Non-Patent Document 1), or a communication mode. , Is a communication mode of large-scale machine type communication (5G mMTC: massive Machine-Type Communications) proposed in the 5th generation mobile communication.

The broadband communication mode is a communication mode for performing wideband communication with the base station 20 in a broadband communication area narrower than the IoT communication area capable of communicating in the IoT communication mode, and is, for example, a third generation (3G) of mobile communication. ), LTE, LTE-Advanced or LTE-Advanced Pro standard compliant communication mode, or new wireless access technology (5G (New Radio)) communication mode proposed for 5th generation mobile communication. ..

The communication system including the terminal device 10 or the communication board 11 of the present embodiment may be compatible with both the broadband communication mode and the IoT communication mode, or may be compatible with only the IoT communication mode. It may be.

Further, in the communication system of the present embodiment, data transmission from the console 200 to the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 is performed by push communication (a communication method in which the communication module 12 receives the data without transmitting a data acquisition request). It can be carried out. According to such push communication, predetermined download data (data such as control commands) can be transmitted to the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 at a time desired by the console 200 side.

However, in order to reduce power consumption, the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 is in a non-communication state at a non-communication timing that is not a predetermined data communication timing. Therefore, even if the download data is transmitted (push communication) to the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 at the timing when communication is not possible, the data will not be delivered.

Regarding this point, in the present embodiment, since the data communication timing is managed by the SCEF 50 or the like, if there is data transmission (push communication) from the console 200 to the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 at the communication non-communication timing, the said. The SCEF 50 temporarily holds the download data. Then, at the timing when the predetermined data communication timing is reached, the SCEF 50 transmits the download data to the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10.

Further, even if the data communication timing is predetermined, if the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 cannot communicate with the base station 20, such as when the power of the terminal device 10 is turned off, the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 cannot communicate with the base station 20. Data will not be delivered. In such a case, in the present embodiment, the MME 40 monitors the communication status between the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 and the base station 20, so that when data is transmitted to the communication module 12, the MME 40 is concerned. Notifies the SCEF 50 that communication with the communication module 12 is not possible. As a result, the SCEF 50 temporarily holds the download data, and when the MME 40 notifies that the communication with the communication module 12 is possible, the SCEF 50 receives the download data via the MME 40. It is transmitted to the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10.

The SCS 100 receives the upload data transmitted from the communication module 12 of each terminal device 10 belonging to this communication system via the mobile communication network, and receives the upload data to the console 200 designated by the destination information included in the upload data. It has a function as a relay device for transmission. As shown in FIG. 1, the SCS 100 includes a control unit 110, an I / F 120 for SCEF, a storage unit 130, and an I / F 140 for IP.

The control unit 110 executes various controls and data processing for exerting the functions of the SCS 100. Specifically, the control unit 110 receives, for example, the upload data transmitted from the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 by the NIDD communication method by the SCEF I / F 120, and the received upload data is the IP I / F 140. Performs a transmission process for transmitting to the console 200. Further, the control unit 110 receives the download data transmitted from the console 200 by the IP I / F 140, and transmits the received download data to the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10 by the SCEF I / F 120 by the NIDD communication method. Perform the transmission process to do so.

Further, the control unit 110 receives download data, which is communication data including control commands transmitted from the console 200, by the IP I / F 140, and receives the received download data by the SCEF I / F 120 by the NIDD communication method. A transmission process for transmitting to the communication module 12 of the device 10 is executed.

Since upload data transmitted from the terminal device 10 and download data transmitted to the terminal device 10 are often desired to have high security, it is effective to use a NIDD communication method having high security. .. As described above, the NIDD communication system supported by the communication system of the present embodiment is a communication technology that does not use IP and does not require an IP address, so that there is a low risk of being attacked by a general IP communication system. Secure communication is possible. In addition, by using the NIDD communication method in this way, sufficient security can be ensured without taking other security measures such as encrypted communication, so it is necessary for security measures in other communication methods. Since the amount of data can be reduced, it is expected that the power consumption required for data communication of the device will be reduced and the communication success rate in a weak electric field will be improved.

The SCEF I / F 120 is an interface for communicating with the SCEF 50. It is not necessary to connect the SCS100 and SCEF50 by a non-IP communication method that does not use IP, but when connecting by an IP communication method, sufficient security is achieved by using a private IP or a dedicated line. It is desirable to secure.

The storage unit 130 stores programs such as firmware executed by the control unit 110, various information used for various processes executed by the control unit 110, and various data.

The IP I / F 140 is mainly an interface for communicating with the console 200. Although these consoles 200 and SCS100 are connected by an IP communication method that communicates using IP, it is desired to ensure sufficient security. Therefore, for example, sufficient security is provided by performing authentication so that only the console 200 whose communication is permitted by the client certificate can communicate with the SCS 100, and performing encrypted communication by SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). You may secure it.

Further, the console 200 is a device that transparently and directly remotely controls a target device such as a sensor 16 compatible with the UART interface connected to the terminal device 10 via the mobile communication network 1, and is a device of the terminal device 10. It is a control input / output device that sends a control command to a target device such as a sensor 16 to control it and receives response data from the target device such as the sensor 16.

The host device that remotely controls the target device such as the sensor 16 may be a server device or a remote control device in addition to the console 200. The host device is composed of, for example, one or a plurality of computer devices. The host device may be configured as a cloud system in which a plurality of computer devices are connected via a network. Further, the remote control of the target device such as the sensor 16 may be performed from any two or more host devices of the plurality of host devices such as the console 200 via the mobile communication network 1. Further, the host device such as the console 200 may be operated by a mobile communication operator or a service provider.

The host device such as the console 200 is, for example, a host device for an IoT platform provided by a service provider. The host device may be a host device for providing a service that collects and utilizes upload data from the terminal device 10 such as various sensors. Further, the host device may be, for example, a host device for providing a service that collects and utilizes upload data from a terminal device 10 such as various sensors mounted on a moving body such as an automobile.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of transmission / reception of control commands and response data between the console 200 according to the embodiment and the sensor 16 corresponding to the UART interface of the terminal device 10. In FIG. 3, when the end user operates the console 200, the console 200 transparently and directly remotely controls the UART interface compatible sensor 16 via the mobile communication network 1 and the communication board 11, and the sensor 16 is controlled. An example of acquiring the detection result data is shown.

In FIG. 3, when the end user operates the console 200 so as to remotely control the sensor 16 and acquire the detection result data, the console 200 corresponds to the control command for acquiring the detection result data of the sensor 16. The PULL command, which is an API command, is transmitted to the SCS100 of the mobile communication network 1 via the virtual network of the API Manager such as WebAPI constructed in the IP network such as the Internet.

The communication data including the PULL command has the data format shown in FIG. 2 described above, and is the data area 0 of the object instance 0 of the data container "Binary App Data Controller" (object 19) defined according to the LwM2M protocol (hereinafter "/ 19"). Notated as "/ 0/0").

When the SCS100 of the mobile communication network 1 receives the PULL command from the console 200, the Wlte command of the LwM2M protocol corresponding to the PULL command is specified by the module address in the command by the NIDD communication method compliant with NB-IoT. Transfer to the communication module 12 of the communication board 11. The communication data including the Write command has the above-mentioned data format of FIG. 2, and is set in the Data area 0 (/ 19/0/0) of the object instance 0 of the data container (object 19).

When the communication module 12 of the communication board 11 receives the Write command from the SCS 100 of the mobile communication network 1, the communication module 12 transmits the Write command as an AT command to the control unit 13. The control unit 13 controls that the UART control general-purpose application is started and the Write command received by the AT command is transmitted to the sensor 16 via the UART interface 15B and the RX line as a capture command corresponding to the UART interface. .. The communication data including the capture command has the above-mentioned data format of FIG.

By relaying the control commands (PULL command, Write command, capture command) via the mobile communication network 1, the console 200 transparently and directly detects the sensor 16 so as to request the detection result data. 16 can be remotely controlled.

When the sensor 16 receives the capture command from the communication board 11, the sensor 16 transmits a response including the detection result data stored in the sensor 16 to the communication board 11 via the TX line. The response, including the response data, has the data format of FIG. 2 described above.

When the control unit 13 of the communication board 11 receives the response transmitted from the sensor 16 via the UART interface 15B, the control unit 13 transmits the received response to the communication module 12 by an AT command. The communication module 12 transmits a Notify command of the LwM2M protocol including the response data received by the AT command from the control unit 13 to the SCS 100 of the mobile communication network 1. The Notify command has the above-mentioned data format of FIG. 2, and is set in the Data area 1 (/ 19/0/1) of the object instance 0 of the data container (object 19).

When the SCS100 of the mobile communication network 1 receives a Notify command from the communication module 12 of the communication board 11, the Notify command is used as a GET command via an API Manager virtual network such as WebAPI built on an IP network such as the Internet. Transfer to console 200. The GET command has the above-mentioned data format of FIG. 2, and is set in the Data area 1 (/ 19/0/1) of the object instance 0 of the data container (object 19).

When the console 200 receives a GET command from the SCS 100 of the mobile communication network 1, the console 200 can acquire the response data included in the data area of the GET command as the detection result data of the sensor 16.

By relaying the response data (response, Notify command, GET command) via the mobile communication network 1, the console 200 transparently and directly controls the sensor 16 so as to acquire the detection result data of the sensor 16. It can be controlled remotely.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent unauthorized access to the target device such as the sensor 16 via the IP network, and the mobile communication network without implementing a different control program for each target device. The target device can be transparently and directly remotely controlled via 1.

For communication between the mobile communication network 1 and the communication module 12 of the terminal device 10, a communication method of LPWA communication technology other than the NIDD communication method may be used, but update data for which high security is desired. Therefore, it is preferable to adopt a highly secure NIDD communication method as in the present embodiment.

The processing process described in the present specification and the components of the communication device (communication board), the terminal device, the server device, and the communication system can be implemented by various means. For example, these processes and components may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

Regarding hardware implementation, the process and components are described in an entity (for example, various wireless communication devices, various base station devices such as eNodeB and gNode, control unit, communication module, storage unit, hard disk drive device, or optical disk drive device). Means such as a processing unit used to realize the above are one or more application-specific ICs (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs). ), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), processor, controller, microcontroller, microprocessor, electronic device, other electronic unit, computer, or electronic device designed to perform the functions described herein. , May be implemented in their combination.

Also, for firmware and / or software implementation, each part used to implement the components is code for a program (eg, procedure, function, module, instruction, etc.) that performs the functions described herein. ) May be implemented. In general, any computer / processor readable medium that clearly embodies the firmware and / or software code is a means such as a processing unit used to implement the steps and components described herein. May be used to implement. For example, firmware and / or software code may be stored in memory and executed by a computer or processor, for example in a control device or storage device. The memory may be mounted inside the computer or processor, or it may be mounted outside the processor. Further, the firmware and / or software code may be, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), or an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM). ), Flash memory, floppy (registered trademark) discs, compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), magnetic or optical data storage devices, etc. good. The code may be executed by one or more computers or processors, or the computers or processors may be made to perform functional embodiments described herein.

Further, the medium may be a non-temporary recording medium. Further, the code of the program may be read and executed by a computer, a processor, or another device or device machine, and the format thereof is not limited to a specific format. For example, the code of the program may be any of source code, object code, and binary code, or may be a mixture of two or more of these codes.

Also, the description of the embodiments disclosed herein is provided to allow one of ordinary skill in the art to manufacture or use the present disclosure. Various amendments to this disclosure will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art and the general principles defined herein are applicable to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be recognized in the broadest range consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

1: Mobile communication network 10: Terminal device 11: Communication board 12: Communication module 13: Control unit 14: Storage units 15A to 15D: Interface unit 16: Sensor 20: Base station 40: MME
50: SCEF
100: SCS
110: Control unit 120: I / F for SCEF
130: Storage unit 140: IP I / F
200: Console

Claims (14)

A communication device to which a remotely controlled target device is connected.
The interface unit of the general-purpose interface to which the target device compatible with the general-purpose interface is connected,
A network-side communication unit that communicates with a mobile communication network by non-IP communication that does not use IP (Internet Protocol),
When a control command for the general-purpose interface-compatible target device connected to the interface unit is received by non-IP communication of the network-side communication unit, the control command is transferred to the target device via the interface unit. When the response data to the control command is received from the target device via the interface unit, the control unit controls to transfer the response data to the mobile communication network by non-IP communication of the network side communication unit.
A communication device characterized by being provided with. In the communication device of claim 1,
The control command for the target device is transmitted from the host device capable of communicating with the mobile communication network, and is transmitted.
A communication device characterized in that response data from the target device is transmitted to the host device. In the communication device of claim 1 or 2,
The general-purpose interface is a communication device characterized by being a UART (Universal Synchronous Receiver / Transmitter) interface. In the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The non-IP communication is a communication device characterized by low power consumption wide area communication. In the communication device of claim 4,
The low power consumption wide area communication is a communication device compliant with NIDD (Non-IP Data Deployer). A terminal device that can communicate via a mobile communication network.
A terminal device comprising the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and a target device connected to the communication device. In the terminal device of claim 6,
The target device is a terminal device that is a sensor that detects a physical quantity of a detection target based on the control command and outputs the detection result data to the communication device. In the terminal device of claim 6,
The target device is a terminal device that displays based on the control command. In the terminal device of claim 6,
The target device is a terminal device that is a microcomputer device that performs data processing based on the control command. In the terminal device of claim 6,
The target device is a terminal device characterized by being a voice recognition device that outputs voice recognition result data to the communication device based on the control command. In the terminal device of claim 6,
The target device is a terminal device that is a code image reading device that outputs data of a reading result of a code image to the communication device based on the control command. A communication system comprising the terminal device according to any one of claims 6 to 11 and a console device that communicates with the terminal device via the mobile communication network. A remote control method using a communication device having an interface unit of the general-purpose interface to which a target device compatible with a general-purpose interface is connected and a network-side communication unit that communicates with a mobile communication network by non-IP communication that does not use IP (Internet Protocol). And
When a control command for the general-purpose interface-compatible target device connected to the interface unit is received by non-IP communication of the network-side communication unit, the control command is transferred to the target device via the interface unit. When,
When the response data to the control command is received from the target device via the interface unit, the response data is transferred to the mobile communication network by non-IP communication of the network side communication unit.
A remote control method characterized by including. In a computer or processor provided in a communication device having an interface unit of the general-purpose interface to which a target device compatible with a general-purpose interface is connected and a network-side communication unit that communicates with a mobile communication network by non-IP communication that does not use IP (Internet Protocol). The program to be executed
To transfer the control command to the target device via the interface unit when a control command for the general-purpose interface compatible target device connected to the interface unit is received by non-IP communication of the network side communication unit. Program code and
When the response data to the control command is received from the target device via the interface unit, the program code for transferring the response data to the mobile communication network by the non-IP communication of the network side communication unit and the program code.
A program characterized by including.

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