JP2023072040A - Measuring terminal device and remote monitoring system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a measuring terminal device and a remote monitoring system capable of efficiently transmitting sensor data by switching an operation mode according to a situation without impairing a waterproof function.

SOLUTION: In a remote monitoring system, a sensor terminal 10 that is a measuring terminal device includes a non-contact sensor (a trigger sensor) that can change a state from an outside of a waterproof housing 19. A control unit 11 corresponds to ON/OFF of the trigger sensor to switch and set an operation mode for defining sensor data to be transmitted and a transmission schedule, and transmits sensor data in a set transmission format to own it.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a measuring terminal device and a remote monitoring system, and more particularly to a measuring terminal device and a remote monitoring system capable of appropriately changing sensor data transmission operations according to the situation and efficiently transmitting sensor data.

[Description of prior art]
Conventionally, there has been a remote monitoring system (sensor network) in which a sensor is installed on an object to be monitored and remote monitoring is performed using radio.
Such remote monitoring systems are used for various purposes such as outdoor environmental monitoring (temperature, humidity, rainfall, etc.), lighting and air conditioning control in stores, power monitoring in buildings and factories, and automatic operation control.

[Overview of remote monitoring system: Fig. 8]
An outline of a general remote monitoring system will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a remote monitoring system.
As shown in FIG. 8, the remote monitoring system includes sensor terminals 1-1, 1-2, . I have.
The network server 3 and the master station 2 are connected by a network 4 such as a dedicated network or the Internet.

The sensor terminal 1 monitors the state of the monitoring target and transmits sensor data to the master station 2 by wireless communication.
The master station 2 receives and collects sensor data from a plurality of sensor terminals 1 and transmits the data to the network server 3 via the network 4 .
The network server 3 accumulates sensor data received from a plurality of master stations 2 and provides them in response to external requests.

Here, the wireless communication between the sensor terminal 1 and the master station 2 uses a long-distance wireless communication standard called LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) so that a wide range of sensor terminals 1 can be connected to one master station 2. .
Moreover, as a feature of the sensor terminal 1, it is battery-powered so that the installation location is not limited, so it is required to have low power consumption so that it can withstand long-term operation with limited power.
Furthermore, assuming that it will be used outdoors, a waterproof function is important.

LPWA is capable of long-distance wireless transmission while consuming low power, and sensor terminals 1 using LoRa (Long Range) modulation are known. Since the sensor terminal 1 normally does not use the reception function in a communication mode in which upstream communication from the sensor terminal 1 to the master station 2 is the main activity, power consumption can be reduced.

[Configuration of conventional sensor terminal: Fig. 9]
A configuration of a conventional sensor terminal will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a configuration block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional sensor terminal.
As shown in FIG. 9, the conventional sensor terminal 70 includes a control unit 71, an LPWA communication wireless unit 72, a high-speed communication wireless unit 73, a wired communication connector 74, an external sensor 75, and an internal sensor 76. , a battery 77 , a waterproof connector 78 , and a waterproof housing 79 .

The control unit 71 controls the entire apparatus, and collects sensor data and controls communication.
The LPWA communication radio unit 72 performs radio communication by LPWA. Normally, sensor data (sensor information) acquired by the external sensor 75 and the internal sensor 76 is transmitted at a low speed from the LPWA communication radio unit 72 because the amount of information is small.
The high-speed communication radio unit 73 performs high-speed radio communication faster than LPWA by transmitting and receiving FSK-modulated data.

The wired communication connector 74 is connected to a PC (Personal Computer) or the like, and the controller 71 is accessed from the outside for setting and operation.
The external sensor 75 is provided outside the sensor terminal 70 , performs sensing, and outputs sensor data to the control unit 71 .
The internal sensor 76 is a sensor provided inside the sensor terminal 70 and outputs sensing data to the control section 71 .

A battery 77 supplies power to each part.
The waterproof connector 78 connects the external sensor 75 to the sensor terminal 70 and prevents water from entering the sensor terminal 70 .
Each component except the external sensor 75 is built in a waterproof housing 79 .

In the conventional sensor terminal 70, the sensor data from the external sensor 75 and the internal sensor 76 are collected by the control unit 71, and the control unit 71 transmits the sensor data according to, for example, a preset schedule. The data is transmitted from the unit 72 to the master station 2 .

[Rewrite Firmware]
In sensor terminals, the firmware may be rewritten for the purpose of improving functions or correcting software bugs.
In the conventional sensor terminal 70, a PC or the like is connected to the wired communication connector 74 to rewrite the firmware.

However, in this method, it is necessary to open the waterproof housing 79, which may deteriorate the waterproof performance.
Moreover, if the sensor terminal 70 is installed in a place where it is difficult to remove it, it will be extremely difficult to remove the sensor terminal 70 and connect the PC to the wired communication connector 74 .

When rewriting firmware using wireless communication, the communication speed of the LPWA wireless unit 72 used for transmitting sensor data is low for low power consumption and long-distance communication. It takes time.

On the other hand, the high-speed communication radio unit 73 has a high communication speed and can be rewritten in a short time.
However, since the firmware rewriting request cannot be received unless the high-speed communication radio unit 73 is activated, the high-speed communication radio unit 73 must be activated all the time, which increases power consumption and consumes batteries. It's early.

[Operation setting of control part]
In the conventional sensor terminal 70, a plurality of sensors are connected and sensor data is frequently input. It is difficult to transmit, and it is necessary to select the center data to be transmitted.
Therefore, the content of the operation such as which sensor data is to be transmitted to the master station 2 and what timing (schedule) to transmit to the master station 2 is set in advance in the control unit 71 .
Then, the control unit 71 transmits the sensor data based on the set contents.

As described above, in a sensor network in which upstream communication is mainly used, it is difficult to control the sensor terminal 70 from the network server side when changing the data transmission interval or changing the type of sensor data to be transmitted. Therefore, when changing the contents of the operation, like rewriting the firmware, the housing 79 is opened, the PC is connected, and the contents of the operation are set again.
Furthermore, in the conventional sensor terminal 70, the data format at the time of sensor data transmission from the sensor terminal 70 to the master station 2 is fixed, and it is necessary to transmit the sensor data efficiently.

[Related technology]
In addition, as conventional technology for collecting or distributing data using wireless communication, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-260770 "Mobile communication system" (Patent Document 1), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-22509 "Interactive information distribution system ” (Patent Document 2).

Patent Document 1 describes collecting information on mobile stations using polling in a mobile communication system for dispatching taxis.
Patent document 2 describes that information is transmitted from a terminal to a host device using a Wi-Fi device, and information is distributed from the host device to a terminal.

JP-A-2005-260770 JP 2018-22509 A

As described above , in conventional sensor terminals, in order to change the sensor data to be sent to the master station and the operation contents such as the transmission schedule, it is necessary to open the housing and connect a PC to make settings. There is a problem that the function may be impaired.
Further, in LPWA communication, since the data size that can be transmitted at one time is small, there is a problem that it is necessary to efficiently transmit a plurality of sensor data.

In Patent Documents 1 and 2, a trigger sensor, which is a non-contact sensor, is provided inside the main body, and when the trigger sensor is turned on, the high-speed communication wireless unit is activated and the firmware is updated with the received firmware data. It is not described to switch the operating mode of sensor data transmission when the trigger sensor is turned on.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a measurement terminal device and a remote monitoring system which can switch operation modes according to the situation and efficiently transmit sensor data without impairing the waterproof function. aim.

The present invention for solving the problems of the above conventional example is a measurement terminal device which is provided with a sensor for detecting the state of an object to be monitored and which wirelessly transmits sensor data detected by the sensor to a higher-level station. A plurality of operation modes that define a low power consumption radio unit used for transmission, a trigger sensor provided in the device to switch on/off states, sensor data to be transmitted and a transmission schedule are stored, and a plurality of operation modes are stored. and a control unit that selects one of the operation modes according to the ON/OFF state of the trigger sensor and transmits sensor data according to the selected operation mode.

Further, the present invention provides the above measurement terminal device, wherein the trigger sensor is provided inside the device and switches the on/off state without contact from the outside of the device, or a sensor provided outside the device and detects It is characterized by being a sensor that switches between ON and OFF states according to data.

Further, according to the present invention, in the measuring terminal device described above, the control section can change the transmission format according to the operation mode.

Further, the present invention provides a remote monitoring system comprising: a measuring terminal device according to any one of the above-described measuring terminal devices; an upper station that receives sensor data from the measuring terminal device and transmits the sensor data via a network; and a server device for receiving and storing the data and for providing the stored sensor data upon request.

According to the present invention, there is provided a measurement terminal device that includes a sensor that detects the state of a monitored object and that wirelessly transmits sensor data detected by the sensor to a higher-level station. a trigger sensor provided in the device for switching on/off states; storing a plurality of operation modes defining sensor data to be transmitted and a transmission schedule; /OFF state, selects one of the operation modes, and transmits sensor data according to the selected operation mode. Since the type and number of sensor data to be transmitted and the transmission schedule can be set, there is an effect that the sensing operation can be performed according to the situation.

Further, according to the present invention, the trigger sensor is provided inside the device, and is a sensor that switches the on/off state without contact from the outside of the device, or is provided outside the device, and responds to the detected sensor data. Since the measurement terminal device is a sensor that switches between ON and OFF states, the desired operation can be performed by properly using the trigger sensor depending on the application.

Further, according to the present invention, since the control unit is the measurement terminal device capable of changing the transmission format according to the operation mode, the transmission format can be changed according to the number and amount of sensor data to be transmitted in the selected operation mode. Therefore, by changing the transmission format, it is possible to efficiently transmit the sensor data without increasing the total amount of data.

Further, according to the present invention, any one of the measuring terminal devices described above, an upper station that receives sensor data from the measuring terminal device and transmits the sensor data via a network, and receives the sensor data transmitted from the higher station and a server device that provides the stored sensor data upon request. In addition, it is possible to appropriately change the operation of sensor data transmission according to the situation, and there is an effect that maintenance and management of the system can be facilitated.

1 is a configuration block diagram of the present sensor terminal; FIG. It is an explanatory view showing a water level monitoring system as an example of this remote monitoring system. It is a state transition diagram of this sensor terminal. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example (1) of operation modes; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example (2) of operation modes; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data transmission format; 4 is a flowchart showing operation mode switching processing; 1 is a schematic diagram of a remote monitoring system; FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional sensor terminal;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Outline of Embodiment]
A measurement terminal device (this measurement terminal device) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a non-contact sensor (trigger sensor) that can be operated from outside the housing. When the communication radio unit is operated and an instruction to rewrite the firmware is received, the received firmware data is used to update the stored firmware. However, by turning on the magnetic sensor with a magnet or the like from the outside, it is possible to drive the wireless unit for high-speed communication, receive and update firmware data by high-speed communication, and it is waterproof because there is no need to open the housing. The firmware can be quickly rewritten without impairing the performance.

In addition, a measurement terminal device according to another embodiment of the present invention (another measurement terminal device) has two types of operation modes corresponding to ON/OFF of the trigger sensor and transmission formats corresponding to each operation mode. In addition to switching and setting the operation mode according to the ON/OFF state of the trigger sensor, the sensor data is transmitted in the set operation format. By activating the trigger sensor, the operation mode of the sensor terminal can be changed, and sensor data can be transmitted efficiently according to the operation mode.

In another measurement terminal device, by changing the operation mode, for example, the number of sensors that transmit sensor data of the same type can be changed, the type of sensor that transmits sensor data can be changed, and the transmission schedule can be changed. is possible.
Also, a remote monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a sensor network including the present measurement terminal device and/or another measurement terminal device.

[Configuration of this measurement terminal device: Fig. 1]
This measurement terminal device (this sensor terminal) is used as the sensor terminal 1 in the remote monitoring system shown in FIG. 8, like the conventional sensor terminal. The master station 2 corresponds to the upper station described in the claims, and the network server 3 corresponds to the server device described in the claims.

The configuration of this sensor terminal will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of the present sensor terminal.
As shown in FIG. 1, the sensor terminal 10 includes a LPWA wireless unit 12, a high-speed communication wireless unit 13, a wired communication connector 14, and an external sensor 15 as components similar to those of the conventional sensor terminal 70. , an internal sensor 16 , a battery 17 , a waterproof connector 18 , and a waterproof housing 19 . Descriptions of the same parts as those of the conventional sensor terminal 70 will be omitted.
A magnetic sensor 21 is provided as a feature of the sensor terminal 10, and the operation of the control section 11 is partially different from the conventional one.
The LPWA radio section 12 corresponds to the low power consumption radio section described in the claims.

Characteristic portions of the sensor terminal 10 will be specifically described.
The magnetic sensor 21 is a non-contact sensor that detects magnetism and outputs sensor data, and is provided inside the waterproof housing 19 of the sensor terminal 10 .

The magnetic sensor 21 constantly detects magnetism and outputs sensor data corresponding to the detected magnetism level. Normally, the output of the magnetic sensor 21 is at L level.
When a magnet is approached from the outside, the magnetic sensor 21 detects magnetism stronger than usual and outputs H level sensor data.

A storage unit (not shown) of the control unit 11 stores one of the plurality of connected sensors as a trigger sensor. Here, the magnetic sensor 21 is stored as the trigger sensor.
The sensor terminal 10 uses the magnetic sensor 21 as a trigger sensor to perform a specific operation. Specifically, when the magnetic sensor 21 is turned on, the control unit 11 turns on the high-speed communication radio unit 13 to rewrite the firmware.
The high-speed communication radio unit 13 transmits and receives FSK-modulated data, and has a higher bit rate than the LoRa-modulated LPWA radio unit 12, enabling high-speed communication.

[Operation of the present sensor terminal 10]
As an operation of the sensor terminal 10, updating of firmware will be described.
The control unit 11 of the sensor terminal 10 monitors the sensor data from the magnetic sensor 21, which is the trigger sensor, and when the sensor data becomes H level (turns on), the high-speed communication radio unit 13 is activated. Control to turn on for a certain period of time.
As a result, the sensor terminal 10 performs high-speed wireless communication with the network server 3, master station 2, or wireless terminal for firmware data transmission, and receives the firmware rewrite request and firmware data.

When the control unit 11 receives the firmware rewrite request from the high-speed communication radio unit 13, the control unit 11 rewrites the firmware with the firmware data received subsequently.
Then, the control unit 11 turns off the high-speed communication radio unit 13 again when the rewriting of the firmware is completed or when a predetermined time has passed since the high-speed communication radio unit 13 was turned on.

In other words, when it becomes necessary to update the firmware in the sensor terminal 10, maintenance personnel bring a magnet close to the waterproof housing 19 to turn on the magnetic sensor 21, which triggers the control unit 11 to turn on the magnetic sensor 21. The high-speed communication radio unit 13 is turned on to receive and update new firmware data.
The mounting location of the magnetic sensor 21 is a location where it can be turned on by bringing a magnet close to it without opening the waterproof housing 19 .

As a result, in the present sensor terminal 10, when updating the firmware, it is not necessary to open the waterproof housing 19 and connect the PC with a wired connector, thereby preventing deterioration of the waterproof function.
Further, since the firmware data is received by the high-speed communication radio unit 13, it can be received in a short time and the firmware can be quickly updated.
Furthermore, since the control unit 11 turns off the high-speed communication radio unit 13 after a certain period of time has passed after turning it on, it is possible to suppress an increase in power consumption.

[Example of water level monitoring system: Fig. 2]
Next, an example of a remote monitoring system using the sensor terminal 10 (this remote monitoring system) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a water level monitoring system as an example of this remote monitoring system.
The water level monitoring system includes this sensor terminal 10, a water level sensor 5, and a master station 2. The master station 2 is connected to the network server 3 shown in FIG.
Then, the water level sensor 5 measures the water level h of the river and outputs it to the control unit 11 of the sensor terminal 10, and the control unit 11 compares the water level h with a preset warning water level hc to determine whether the water level h is When the warning water level hc is exceeded (h>hc), the sensor terminal 10 transmits data indicating that the warning water level has been exceeded to the master station 2 via LPWA communication.

[State transition of sensor terminal 10: FIG. 3]
Next, state transition of the present sensor terminal 10 in the water level monitoring system described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a state transition diagram of the sensor terminal.
As shown in FIG. 3, when the power is turned on and the sensor terminal 10 enters the sensor monitoring state (S301), the sensor terminal 10 monitors the sensor data (water level h). is detected, information indicating that the warning water level has been exceeded is transmitted to the master station 2 by LPWA communication (S311), and when the transmission is completed, the state returns to the sensor monitoring state (S301).
Here, the sensor data is transmitted when the threshold value (warning water level hc) is exceeded, but the water level sensor data may be transmitted periodically or according to a preset schedule.

Further, when the sensor terminal 10 receives a firmware rewrite request via wired communication in the sensor monitoring state (S301), the sensor terminal 10 receives firmware data via wired communication (S321), rewrites the firmware (S322), Return to the sensor monitoring state (S301). Processing S321 and S322 are the same operations as in the conventional art.

Furthermore, as a feature of the present sensor terminal 10, when it detects that the magnetic sensor 21, which is a trigger sensor, is turned on, it activates the radio section 13 for high-speed communication (S331). The magnetic sensor 21 is turned on when maintenance personnel or the like brings a magnet close to it.

Firmware data is received by high-speed wireless communication (S332), and when the reception is completed, the control unit 11 rewrites the firmware (S333). (S334), and returns to the sensor monitoring state (S301).
After a certain period of time has passed since the high-speed wireless communication was activated in state S331, the sensor terminal 10 shifts to state S334 and terminates the high-speed wireless communication (communication timeout).
In this manner, the state transition of the sensor terminal 10 is performed.

[Effects of Embodiment]
According to the sensor terminal 10, a contactless sensor (trigger sensor) whose state can be changed from outside the waterproof housing 19 is provided. When a command to rewrite the firmware is received, the stored firmware is updated with the received firmware data. By turning on the magnetic sensor 21, the high-speed communication radio unit 13 can be driven, and the firmware data can be received and updated by high-speed communication. Therefore, the firmware can be quickly rewritten.

In addition, according to the present sensor terminal 10, there is no need to remove the sensor terminal when rewriting the firmware, and rewriting can be performed while the sensor terminal is installed. It has the effect of shortening the time.

Further, according to the sensor terminal 10, when the control unit 11 has finished rewriting the firmware, or when a certain period of time has passed since the high-speed communication radio unit 13 was turned on, the high-speed communication radio unit 13 is turned off, the high-speed communication radio unit 13, which consumes a large amount of power, is not driven more than necessary, thereby reducing power consumption as much as possible.

[Another embodiment]
Next, a measurement terminal device (another sensor terminal) according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.
Since another sensor terminal has the same configuration as the main sensor terminal 10 described above, it will be described with the same reference numerals, but the operation of the control section 11 is partially different. The control unit 11 of another sensor terminal controls to switch the operation mode when the trigger sensor is turned on.

The operation mode defines the sensor data to be transmitted to the master station 2, the transmission timing, the transmission format, etc. In another sensor terminal, switching between two operation modes is associated with the ON/OFF of the trigger sensor. I'm trying to set it.
Here, it is assumed that mode 1 and mode 2 are provided as operation modes, and the operation mode is switched by turning on/off the trigger sensor. The operation contents of each operation mode are set in advance as an operation mode table and stored in the storage unit inside the control unit 11 .
The trigger sensor is an external sensor or a non-contact sensor and is preset.

[Example of operation mode (1): Fig. 4]
An example (1) of the operation mode in another sensor terminal will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example (1) of operation modes.
The operation mode table shown in FIG. 4 is for the water level monitoring system, and defines sensors for sending data, transmission timings (transmission intervals), and transmission formats corresponding to modes 1 and 2, respectively.

Here, the water level sensor No. 1 is used as a trigger sensor, and the water level sensor No. 1 is off (when the water level data is equal to or lower than the warning water level), the control unit 11 sets mode 1 as the operation mode, and the water level sensor No. 1 is turned off. When 1 is on (when the water level data exceeds the warning water level), mode 2 is set.

The content of the operation mode can be set arbitrarily.
For example, in the case of FIG. 4(a), in the case of mode 1 which is normal, the water level sensor No. Data of only 1 is transmitted to the master station 2, and the transmission timing is set so as to transmit, for example, once an hour (not shown) from the viewpoint of power saving. Also, during normal times, only data indicating "normal" may be transmitted.

In the case of mode 2, which is set at the time of warning, the water level sensor No. 1, which transmits water level data in normal times. 1, water level sensor No. 1 installed at another location. 2, water level sensor No. 3 water level data is also transmitted. That is, when the trigger sensor is turned on, the sensor data is transmitted by increasing the number of sensors of the same type as the previous sensors.
Also, the transmission timing in mode 2 is set more frequently than in mode 1 .

Thus, when the number of pieces of sensor data to be transmitted changes due to mode change, it is not preferable to increase the number of times of transmission to increase the total amount of transmission data. Therefore, in another sensor terminal, the transmission format is changed so as to efficiently allocate a predetermined data length to sensor data, so that many types of sensor data can be transmitted with a fixed data length.
For this reason, a transmission format that enables efficient transmission of sensor data is defined for each operation mode. Examples of transmission formats will be described later.

In addition, in the operation mode table shown in FIG. 4(b), mode 1 is the same as (a), but in mode 2 at the time of warning, the water level sensor No. 1 plus the sensor data of the flow sensor.
In other words, when the trigger sensor is turned on, it additionally transmits sensor data of a different type from that of the previous sensor.

[Example of operation mode (2): Fig. 5]
Furthermore, another operation mode will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example (2) of the operation mode.
FIG. 5 shows an example of an operation mode table in another sensor terminal installed in a place where people gather.
Here, for example, the human sensor is used as the trigger sensor, and when the human sensor is off (when no person is detected), the control unit 11 sets mode 1 as the operation mode, and the human sensor is on. In the case of (when a person is detected), mode 2 is set.

Specifically, when no person is detected, temperature sensor No. 1 is selected as mode 1. When only sensor data of No. 1 is transmitted and a person is detected, temperature sensor No. 1 is sent as mode 2. 1, temperature sensor no. 2. Transmit sensor data of _CO2 sensor and humidity sensor.
Transmission timings and transmission formats are also defined for each mode.

Switching from mode 1 to mode 2 is performed by turning on the trigger sensor, and switching from mode 2 to mode 1 is performed by turning off the trigger sensor. , the control unit 11 may control to return to mode 1.

Similarly, it is possible to use an optical sensor as the trigger sensor. When another sensor terminal is installed in a dark place, maintenance personnel irradiate light to the optical sensor provided in the other sensor terminal to switch the operation mode.

[Example using a non-contact sensor]
As still another example, the magnetic sensor 21 provided inside the waterproof housing 19 may be set as a trigger sensor, and the operation mode may be switched by turning on the magnetic sensor 21 with a magnet by maintenance personnel. is also possible. The magnetic sensor 21 is a non-contact sensor and can be turned on from outside the waterproof housing 19 .

For example, as a result of analyzing aggregated sensor data, when it becomes necessary to change the data transmission interval or sensor data items to be transmitted, it has been difficult to control from the network server 3 or the master station 2 in the past. However, in another sensor terminal, the content of operation can be easily changed by switching the operation mode using the magnetic sensor 21 as a trigger sensor.

In addition, it is equipped with a sensor that generates an electric signal when a specific wireless signal (weak radio wave, etc.) is received, and is configured so that maintenance personnel can turn on the sensor by bringing the device that generates the wireless signal closer to switch the operation mode. It is also possible to

[Example of data transmission format: Fig. 6]
Next, a data transmission format in another sensor terminal will be explained using FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data transmission format.
6(a) and 6(b) respectively show transmission data, and data storage formats are different between (a) and (b).
In both transmission formats (a) and (b), a common data section is provided at the beginning of transmission data, and a sensor data storage section is provided following the common data section.

In the transmission format of another sensor terminal, the format of the common data section is fixed, but the sensor data storage section can be freely rearranged according to the type and number of sensor data to be transmitted, and is defined by the operation mode. A format in which the sensor data storage units are appropriately allocated in advance corresponding to the sensors to which the data is sent is set.

The operation mode tables shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are stored corresponding to the operation modes, and when transmitting the sensor data, the sensor data of the specified sensor is incorporated into the transmission format corresponding to the operation mode and transmitted. do.
Depending on the application, in order to reduce the amount of data to be transmitted, a flag indicating "normal" may be included in the common data portion when normal, and only the common data portion may be sent.
Furthermore, by including transmission format information in the common data portion and transmitting it, the network server can recognize that the transmission format has been changed.

As a result, another sensor terminal can change the transmission format according to the type and number of sensor data to be transmitted, and can transmit in an appropriate transmission format, enabling efficient transmission of sensor data by LPWA. .

[Operation mode switching process: FIG. 7]
Next, operation mode switching processing in another sensor terminal will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the operation mode switching process.
As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 11 of another sensor terminal monitors the state of the trigger sensor (water level sensor, motion sensor, magnetic sensor, etc.), determines whether the trigger sensor is turned on, and S11), if it is not turned on (if No), the process S11 is repeated.

If the trigger sensor is turned on in step S11 (Yes), the control unit 11 switches the operation mode (to mode 2) according to the operation mode table corresponding to the trigger sensor (S12).
By switching the operation mode, the sensor to which data should be sent, the transmission interval, and the data format at the time of transmission are changed.

Then, the control unit 11 monitors the state of the trigger sensor, determines whether it is turned off (S13), and continues monitoring if it is not turned off (No).
If the trigger sensor is turned off in step S13 (Yes), the control unit 11 switches the operation mode back to the original mode (mode 1), and proceeds to step S11.
In this manner, the operation mode switching operation in another sensor terminal is performed.

[Effects of another embodiment]
According to another sensor terminal, the control unit 11 stores two types of operation modes corresponding to ON/OFF of the trigger sensor set arbitrarily in advance and a transmission format corresponding to each operation mode. The operation mode is switched and set according to the on/off state of , and the sensor data is transmitted in the set transmission format. As the operation mode, the sensor data to be transmitted, the transmission schedule, the transmission format, etc. If you set , you can change the operation mode of the sensor terminal by activating the trigger sensor from outside the housing depending on the situation, and you can efficiently transmit sensor data according to the operation mode. .

Furthermore, in the above example, the case where two types of operation modes are provided has been described, but more operation modes are stored in advance and selected from a plurality of operation modes corresponding to ON/OFF of the trigger sensor. You may specify which operation mode to set.
For example, when the trigger sensor is ON, mode 1 is selected, and when it is OFF, mode 2 is selected (mode 1, mode 2). If 3) is determined in advance, it is possible to switch the operation mode with one trigger sensor as in the above example.

Furthermore, if another trigger sensor is used to switch and select a combination of operation modes or to select cyclically, fine sensing operations can be performed according to various situations. There is an effect that it can be easily switched from the outside.

Sensors for condition monitoring mounted on the present sensor terminal 10 and another sensor terminal include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an acceleration sensor, a water level sensor, a GPS sensor, a heat smoke sensor, a _CO2 sensor, a CO sensor, a PM2 .5 sensor, motion sensor, etc.

As the trigger sensor, the sensor terminal 10 uses a non-contact sensor such as a magnetic sensor, an optical sensor, a sensor using weak radio, or the like.
In another sensor terminal, any one of the sensors for state monitoring described above may be set as the trigger sensor, or a non-contact sensor similar to the present sensor terminal 10 may be provided separately from these.

Furthermore, in the above example, the present sensor terminal 10 and another sensor terminal are described as separate devices, but they may be configured integrally.
In other words, it is possible to configure one sensor terminal so that when the trigger sensor is turned on, the wireless unit for high-speed communication is activated, the firmware is updated, and the operation mode is switched.
The trigger sensor corresponding to each action may be the same sensor or different sensors.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is suitable for a measuring terminal device and a remote monitoring system capable of efficiently transmitting sensor data by switching operation modes depending on the situation without impairing the waterproof function.

1, 70, 10... Sensor terminal 2... Master station 3... Network server 5... Water level sensor 11, 71... Control unit 12, 72... Radio unit for LPWA communication 13, 73... Radio unit for high-speed communication 14,74 Wired communication connector 15,75 External sensor 16,76 Internal sensor 17,77 Battery 18,78 Waterproof connector 19,79 Waterproof housing 21 Magnetic sensor

Claims (4)

A measurement terminal device that includes a sensor that detects the state of an object to be monitored and wirelessly transmits sensor data detected by the sensor to a higher station,
a low power consumption radio unit used for transmitting the sensor data;
a trigger sensor provided in the device for switching on/off states;
storing a plurality of operation modes that define sensor data to be transmitted and a transmission schedule; selecting one of the plurality of operation modes according to the on/off state of the trigger sensor; and a control unit that transmits the sensor data according to the selected operation mode. The trigger sensor is provided inside the device to switch on/off states without contact from the outside of the device, or provided outside the device to switch on/off states according to detected sensor data. 2. The measurement terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a sensor for switching between. 3. The measurement terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein said control section can change the transmission format according to the operation mode. a measurement terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ;
a higher station that receives sensor data from the measurement terminal device and transmits it via a network;
and a server device that receives and stores the sensor data transmitted from the upper station, and provides the stored sensor data in response to a request.

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