JP2023111627A - Beacon control system and lighting system - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve the communication environment of a place where a beacon device is installed.SOLUTION: A beacon control system 1 transmits a control signal related to controlling a beacon device 3 to the beacon device 3 that transmits a beacon signal to a receiving terminal 5. The beacon control system 1 includes a first communication unit 121, an identification unit 111, and a second communication unit 122. The first communication unit 121 receives a position detection signal related to position information on a person from at least one position detection device 7. The identification unit 111 identifies the position information on the person based on the position detection signal received by the first communication unit 121. The second communication unit 122 transmits a control signal based on the position information identified by the identification unit 111 to the beacon device 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to beacon control systems and lighting systems, and more particularly to beacon control systems for controlling beacon devices and lighting systems comprising beacon devices.

As an example of the use of beacon signals, the information providing method described in Patent Document 1 is cited. In the information providing method, the information providing electronic tag intermittently transmits a beacon (beacon signal) including the identification information of the electronic tag to the server using public wireless communication. In the information providing method, the server generates information for the owner of the electronic tag using the identification information and position information of the electronic tag, and transmits the information to the information providing electronic tag via public wireless communication. The information providing method uses the information providing electronic tag to transfer information for the owner to the portable information terminal using short-range wireless communication.

WO2019/230434

However, in the information providing method described in Patent Literature 1, when the traffic of beacon signals increases, the communication environment deteriorates and communication congestion may occur.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a beacon control system and a lighting system that can improve the communication environment of a place where a beacon device is installed.

A beacon control system according to one aspect of the present disclosure transmits a control signal related to control of the beacon device to a beacon device that transmits a beacon signal to a receiving terminal. The beacon control system includes a first communication unit, a specific unit, and a second communication unit. The first communication unit receives a position detection signal from at least one position detection device. The position detection signal is a signal relating to position information of a person. The specifying unit specifies the position information of the person based on the position detection signal received by the first communication unit. A said 2nd communication part transmits the said control signal based on the said positional information specified by the said specific|specification part to the said beacon apparatus.

A lighting system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes the beacon device and the lighting fixture. The beacon device is controlled by the beacon control system.

Advantageous Effects of Invention The present disclosure has the advantage of being able to improve the communication environment in places where beacon devices are installed.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an integrated system including a beacon control system according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing how a beacon device controlled by the same beacon control system is incorporated in a lighting fixture. FIG. 3 is an example of an image displayed on the display section of the beacon control system. FIG. 4 is an example of an image displayed on the display section of the beacon control system. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing a first example of the operation of the beacon control system of the same. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a second example of the operation of the beacon control system of the same. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an integrated system including a beacon control system according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 8 is an example of an image displayed on the display unit of the beacon control system according to the third embodiment.

In each embodiment below, a beacon control system and a lighting system of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, each embodiment described below is only a part of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Each of the embodiments described below can be modified in various ways according to design and the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. Also, each drawing described in each embodiment below is a schematic drawing, and the ratio of the size and thickness of each component in the drawing does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio. do not have.

(Embodiment 1)
(overview)
As shown in FIG. 1, at least one (one in FIG. 1) beacon device 3, at least one (one in FIG. 1) receiving terminal 5, and at least one (one in FIG. 1) are used with the beacon control system 1 . In this embodiment, at least one (one in FIG. 1) luminaire 4 and a lighting control system 6 are also used with the beacon control system 1 .

Moreover, the beacon device 3, the lighting fixture 4, and the position detection device 7 constitute the lighting system 2. As shown in FIG. That is, the lighting system 2 includes a beacon device 3 , a lighting device 4 and a position detection device 7 .

A configuration including the beacon control system 1 , at least one lighting system 2 , at least one receiving terminal 5 and the lighting control system 6 is hereinafter referred to as an integrated system 100 .

At least one beacon device 3 and at least one position detection device 7 are installed in the facility. The “facilities” referred to in this disclosure include, for example, residences, stores, office buildings, factories, warehouses, commercial complexes, libraries, museums, museums, amusement facilities, theme parks, parks, airports, train stations, stadiums, hotels, and hospitals, etc. In addition, the "facility" may be, for example, a mobile object such as a ship or a railway vehicle. Also, the "facility" may be an indoor facility or an outdoor facility.

At least one receiving terminal 5 is carried by a user (person) who uses the facility. The number of users may be plural or may be one. A receiving terminal 5 carried by each user receives a beacon signal transmitted from at least one beacon device 3 . The beacon control system 1 identifies the position of the receiving terminal 5 based on the beacon signal received by the receiving terminal 5 . Identifying the position of the receiving terminal 5 corresponds to identifying the position of the user carrying the receiving terminal 5 . Thus, at least one beacon device 3, at least one receiving terminal 5 and beacon control system 1 configure a positioning system for measuring the position of the receiving terminal 5 (user). An object of the present disclosure is to improve the communication environment in a location where at least one beacon device 3 of a positioning system is installed.

Also, at least one position detecting device 7 detects the position of the receiving terminal 5 by a method different from that of the receiving terminal 5 . That is, at least one position detection device 7 detects the position of the receiving terminal 5 without relying on beacon signals.

The beacon control system 1 of this embodiment transmits a control signal for controlling the beacon device 3 to the beacon device 3 that transmits a beacon signal to the receiving terminal 5 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the beacon control system 1 includes a first communication section 121 , a specific section 111 and a second communication section 122 . The first communication unit 121 receives position detection signals from at least one position detection device 7 . A position detection signal is a signal regarding a person's position information. A position detection signal is a signal different from a beacon signal. The specifying unit 111 specifies the position information of the person based on the position detection signal received by the first communication unit 121 . The 2nd communication part 122 transmits the control signal based on the positional information specified by the specific|specification part 111 to the beacon apparatus 3. FIG.

According to this embodiment, the communication environment of the place where the beacon device 3 was installed can be improved by controlling the beacon device 3 based on a person's positional information. For example, for the beacon device 3 that is determined to be less necessary for positioning the receiving terminal 5, communication congestion can be alleviated by stopping transmission of beacon signals or reducing the frequency of transmission.

(detail)
Hereinafter, the integrated system 100 of this embodiment will be described in more detail. In this embodiment, the integrated system 100 includes multiple lighting systems 2 . That is, the integrated system 100 includes multiple beacon devices 3 , multiple lighting fixtures 4 , and multiple position detection devices 7 . Also, the integrated system 100 includes a plurality of receiving terminals 5 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the beacon device 3, the lighting fixture 4, and the position detection device 7 of the lighting system 2 are integrally provided.

(1) Beacon Control System The beacon control system 1 includes a computer system having one or more processors and memory. The beacon control system 1 may be installed in a facility where a plurality of beacon devices 3 are installed, or may be installed in a place away from the facility.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the beacon control system 1 includes a control section 11 , a communication section 12 , a storage section 13 , a display section 14 and an input section 15 .

Control unit 11 includes a processor of a computer system. The functions of the control unit 11 are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in memory, may be provided through an electric communication line such as the Internet, or may be recorded and provided in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card.

Control unit 11 includes specifying unit 111 , determining unit 112 , generating unit 113 , switching unit 114 , and positioning unit 115 . It should be noted that these merely indicate the functions realized by the control unit 11 and do not necessarily indicate a substantial configuration.

The specifying unit 111 specifies the position information of the person based on the position detection signal received by the first communication unit 121 . "Specify the position information of a person" means to obtain the position information of the person and to obtain the position information obtained in advance based on the position detection signal. That is, the specifying unit 111 may obtain the positional information of the person, or the specifying unit 111 may acquire the positional information obtained by a configuration other than the specifying unit 111 .

In this embodiment, the position detection device 7 is a stationary device, such as a motion sensor or a camera. The specifying unit 111 obtains the position information of the person based on the position detection signal. More specifically, the position sensing signal contains the identification information of the position sensing device 7 . The storage unit 13 stores correspondence between the identification information of the position detection device 7 and the position information of the area where the position detection device 7 detects a person. The specifying unit 111 refers to the identification information included in the position detection signal, and reads the position information of the area where the position detection device 7 detects a person from the storage unit 13 . The identifying unit 111 determines that the location information of the area read from the storage unit 13 matches the location information of the person.

The determining unit 112 determines the control content for controlling the beacon device 3 based on the position information specified by the specifying unit 111 . Furthermore, the determining unit 112 generates a control signal according to the determined control content.

The control signal includes, for example, information for controlling stop and start of beacon signal transmission. In this case, the content of control is content representing the stop or start of beacon signal transmission.

The control signal includes, for example, information for controlling the frequency of transmission of beacon signals. In other words, the control signal includes, for example, information for changing the frequency of transmission of beacon signals. In this case, the control content is the content representing the frequency after the change.

A control signal contains the information for changing the identification information of the beacon apparatus 3, for example. In this case, the control content is the content representing the identification information after the change.

For example, the determination unit 112 determines the details of control as follows. When determining that there is a person in a certain area from the position information of the person specified by the specifying unit 111, the determining unit 112 transmits a beacon signal to the beacon device 3 that transmits the beacon signal to the area. Let Also, for example, when the determination unit 112 determines that there is no person in a certain area from the position information of the person specified by the specifying unit 111, the beacon device 3 that transmits a beacon signal to the area, Stop beacon signal transmission. The details of the process by which the determination unit 112 determines the content of control will be described later.

The generation unit 113 generates a control signal according to the control contents input to the input unit 15 . The switching unit 114 switches the control mode of the control unit 11 between a first mode in which the determining unit 112 generates the control signal and a second mode in which the generating unit 113 generates the control signal. Details of the generation unit 113 will be described later.

The positioning unit 115 identifies the position information of the receiving terminal 5 based on the beacon signal transmitted from the beacon device 3 and received by the receiving terminal 5 . "Specify the position information of the receiving terminal 5" includes calculating the position information of the receiving terminal 5 and acquiring the position information calculated in advance based on the beacon signal. That is, the positioning section 115 may calculate the position information of the receiving terminal 5, or the positioning section 115 may acquire the position information calculated by a configuration other than the positioning section 115. FIG.

In this embodiment, the positioning unit 115 calculates the position information of the receiving terminal 5 based on the beacon signal. More specifically, the positioning unit 115 acquires information on the received signal strength of the beacon signal and identification information of the receiving terminal 5 from the receiving terminal 5 . That is, the information on the received signal strength and the identification information transmitted from the receiving terminal 5 are received by the communication unit 12 , and the positioning unit 115 acquires the information on the received signal strength and the identification information via the communication unit 12 . The beacon control system 1 identifies a plurality of receiving terminals 5 based on the identification information. Positioning section 115 obtains the position of receiving terminal 5 based on the received signal strength of the beacon signal. More specifically, the positioning unit 115 determines the receiving terminal 5 and the receiving terminal 5 based on the received signal strength of the beacon signal transmitted from each of the three or more beacon devices 3 among the plurality of beacon devices 3 and received by the receiving terminal 5. , and each of the three or more beacon devices 3 is determined. Further, positioning section 115 calculates the position information (coordinates, for example) of receiving terminal 5 by three-point positioning using the distance.

The communication unit 12 includes a communication interface device. The communication unit 12 can communicate with the lighting system 2 and the receiving terminal 5 via the communication interface device. “Communicable” as used in the present disclosure means that a signal can be sent and received directly or indirectly via a network, a repeater, or the like, by an appropriate communication method such as wired communication or wireless communication.

The communication section 12 includes a first communication section 121 and a second communication section 122 . The first communication unit 121 receives position detection signals from the plurality of position detection devices 7 . The 2nd communication part 122 transmits the control signal based on the positional information specified by the specific|specification part 111 to the beacon apparatus 3. FIG. That is, the 2nd communication part 122 transmits the control signal produced|generated by the determination part 112 or the production|generation part 113 to the beacon apparatus 3. FIG. The first communication unit 121 and the second communication unit 122 may each have a communication interface, or the first communication unit 121 and the second communication unit 122 may share a communication interface.

The storage unit 13 is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). The storage unit 13 stores information used by the beacon control system 1 . For example, the storage unit 13 stores position information of the person identified by the identification unit 111 . For example, storage part 13 memorizes map information on a facility, and position information on a plurality of beacon devices 3.

Display unit 14 includes a display. The display unit 14 displays the position information of the person specified by the specifying unit 111 . For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the display unit 14 displays position information of a person. 3 and 4, an icon I1 representing a person is displayed at a position corresponding to the position information of the person specified by the specifying unit 111. In FIG. Moreover, the display part 14 displays the positional information on several beacon apparatuses 3 with a person's positional information.

3 and 4 show the position information of only one person, if there are a plurality of receiving terminals 5, the display unit 14 may display the position information of each person.

The input unit 15 has, for example, at least one of buttons, a touch panel, and a touch panel display. The input unit 15 receives an input of control contents related to control of the plurality of beacon devices 3 from the user. The generation unit 113 generates a control signal according to the control contents input to the input unit 15 .

When the display unit 14 includes a touch panel display, this touch panel display may also serve as the input unit 15 .

(2) Lighting System As shown in FIG. 1 , the lighting system 2 includes a beacon device 3 and lighting fixtures 4 . The beacon device 3 is controlled by the beacon control system 1 . The lighting fixtures 4 are controlled by a lighting control system 6 . The lighting system 2 also includes a position detection device 7 , a communication section 22 , a storage section 23 , and a power supply circuit 24 . The communication unit 22 , the storage unit 23 , and the power supply circuit 24 are configurations shared by the beacon device 3 and the lighting fixture 4 .

In this embodiment, the position detection device 7 is, for example, a motion sensor or a camera. That is, at least one (in this embodiment, a plurality of) position detection devices 7 of the integrated system 100 includes at least one of a motion sensor and a camera. In this embodiment, a case where all of the plurality of position detection devices 7 are human sensors will be described as an example. A human sensor is, for example, an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like. In addition, the positioning system including the beacon device 3 and the receiving terminal 5 can obtain the position information of the person (the receiving terminal 5) with higher accuracy than the position detection device 7.

The beacon device 3 includes a controller 31 and a transmitter 32 . Control unit 31 includes one or more processors of the computer system. The control section 31 controls the operation of the transmission section 32 . The transmitter 32 has a communication circuit that transmits a beacon signal. A beacon signal is a radio wave signal. The transmission unit 32 employs, for example, a communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy or WiFi (registered trademark).

The lighting fixture 4 includes a controller 41 and a light source 42 . Control unit 41 includes one or more processors of the computer system. The control unit 41 controls power supplied from the power supply circuit 24 to the light source 42 . The light source 42 includes, for example, light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diodes. Light source 42 emits light.

The communication unit 22 includes a communication interface device. The communication unit 22 can communicate with the beacon control system 1, the receiving terminal 5, and the lighting control system 6 via the communication interface device. The communication unit 22 employs, for example, a communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy or WiFi (registered trademark).

The storage unit 23 is, for example, RAM or EEPROM. The storage unit 23 stores information used in the lighting system 2 . For example, the storage unit 23 stores identification information of the beacon device 3 and the lighting device 4 . In addition, the identification information of the lighting fixture 4 may be used also as the identification information of the beacon apparatus 3. FIG.

The power supply circuit 24 is a circuit that supplies power to the beacon device 3 , the lighting device 4 and the position detection device 7 . The power supply circuit 24 includes, for example, a conversion circuit that converts AC power from a power supply such as a commercial power supply into DC power.

As shown in FIG. 2, the beacon device 3 is incorporated in the lighting fixture 4. As shown in FIG. Also, the position detection device 7 is incorporated in the lighting fixture 4 . In the present disclosure, "incorporating" is a concept that includes attaching and integrally manufacturing. The lighting fixture 4 includes a fixture body 401 and a cover 402 . The fixture main body 401 is attached to an attachment target such as the ceiling C1. The cover 402 is attached to the instrument body 401 . A cover 402 covers the light source 42 (see FIG. 1). The beacon device 3 is attached to the device main body 401, for example. Moreover, the beacon apparatus 3 is covered with the cover 402, for example. The device main body 401 is configured such that the mounting location of the beacon device 3 is exposed by removing the cover 402 . Therefore, even when retrofitting the beacon device 3 to the lighting fixture 4, the beacon device 3 can be easily attached. Further, the position detection device 7 is attached to the tool main body 401, for example. The position detection device 7 is provided, for example, exposed in the space around the instrument main body 401 .

Moreover, the structure of at least one part of the beacon apparatus 3 is shared with the lighting fixture 4. As shown in FIG. Specifically, the fixture main body 401 of the lighting fixture 4 is a structure of the lighting fixture 4, and is used as an attachment member of the beacon apparatus 3. As shown in FIG. The attachment member of the beacon apparatus 3 is a member for attaching the beacon apparatus 3 to attachment object (ceiling C1). Moreover, the communication part 22, the memory|storage part 23, and the power supply circuit 24 are the structures shared by the beacon apparatus 3 and the lighting fixture 4. FIG.

At least part of the configuration of the position detection device 7 is shared with the lighting fixture 4 . Specifically, the fixture main body 401 of the lighting fixture 4 is used as a mounting member for the position detection device 7 as well as being the structure of the lighting fixture 4 . The mounting member of the position detection device 7 is a member for mounting the position detection device 7 to the mounting target (the ceiling C1).

(3) Receiving Terminal The receiving terminal 5 shown in FIG. 1 is, for example, a mobile phone such as a smart phone, an electronic tag, or a tablet terminal. In this embodiment, a case where the receiving terminal 5 is a smart phone will be described as an example. Receiving terminal 5 includes a computer system having one or more processors and memory.

The receiving terminal 5 has a control section 51 , a communication section 52 and a storage section 53 .

The control unit 51 includes a processor of the computer system. The functions of the control unit 51 are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in memory, may be provided through an electric communication line such as the Internet, or may be recorded and provided in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card.

The control unit 51 performs overall control of the receiving terminal 5 . The control section 51 controls the communication section 52 and the storage section 53 . Also, the control unit 51 measures the received signal strength of the beacon signal received by the communication unit 52 .

The communication unit 52 includes a communication interface device. The communication unit 52 can communicate with the beacon control system 1, the lighting system 2, and the lighting control system 6 via the communication interface device.

The storage unit 53 is, for example, RAM or EEPROM. The storage unit 53 stores information used by the receiving terminal 5 . For example, the storage unit 53 stores identification information of the receiving terminal 5 . Moreover, the memory|storage part 53 has memorize|stored the identification information of the beacon apparatus 3 of at least one part among several beacon apparatuses 3. FIG. The beacon device 3 whose identification information is stored in the storage unit 53 is the valid beacon device 3 . The control unit 51 measures the received signal strength of beacon signals transmitted from valid beacon devices 3 and does not measure the received signal strength of beacon signals transmitted from other beacon devices 3 . That is, when the identification information included in the beacon signal is not stored in the storage unit 53, the control unit 51 does not perform the process of measuring the received signal strength of the beacon signal.

In order to specify the position information of the receiving terminal 5, each of the plurality of beacon devices 3 transmits a beacon signal. The identification information of the beacon device 3 is included in the beacon signal. The communication unit 52 of the receiving terminal 5 receives the beacon signal. The control unit 51 of the receiving terminal 5 measures the received signal strength of the beacon signal received by the communication unit 52 . More specifically, the control unit 51 measures the received signal strength of each of the multiple beacon signals transmitted from the multiple beacon devices 3 .

The communication unit 52 transmits a signal including information on the received signal strength of each of a plurality of beacon signals, identification information of the beacon device 3 corresponding to each received signal strength, and identification information of the receiving terminal 5 to the beacon control system. Call 1. The positioning unit 115 of the beacon control system 1 obtains the position of the receiving terminal 5 based on the received signal strength of each of the plurality of beacon signals. That is, the positioning unit 115 obtains the distance between the receiving terminal 5 and each of the three or more beacon devices 3 based on the received signal strength. Further, positioning section 115 calculates the position information (coordinates, for example) of receiving terminal 5 by three-point positioning using the distance.

(4) Lighting Control System The lighting control system 6 shown in FIG. 1 includes a computer system having one or more processors and memory. The lighting control system 6 may be installed in a facility in which a plurality of beacon devices 3 are installed, or may be installed in a place away from the facility.

The lighting control system 6 includes a control section 61 , a communication section 62 , a storage section 63 and an operation section 64 .

Control unit 61 includes a processor of a computer system. The functions of the control unit 61 are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in memory, may be provided through an electric communication line such as the Internet, or may be recorded and provided in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card.

The control unit 61 performs overall control of the lighting control system 6 . The control section 61 controls the communication section 62 and the storage section 63 .

The control unit 61 also generates a lighting control signal for controlling the operation of the lighting fixture 4 to be controlled. The lighting control signal is transmitted to the lighting fixture 4 to be controlled via the communication unit 62 .

The communication unit 62 includes a communication interface device. The communication unit 62 can communicate with the lighting system 2 and the receiving terminal 5 via the communication interface device.

The storage unit 63 is, for example, RAM or EEPROM. The storage unit 63 stores information used by the lighting control system 6 . For example, the storage unit 63 stores identification information of a plurality of lighting fixtures 4 . Further, for example, the storage unit 63 stores information related to control of the plurality of lighting fixtures 4 . The information related to the control of the plurality of lighting fixtures 4 is, for example, a control schedule representing control details for the plurality of lighting fixtures 4 for each time slot.

The operation unit 64 has, for example, at least one of buttons, a touch panel, and a touch panel display. The operation unit 64 receives input of control details related to control of the plurality of lighting fixtures 4 from the user.

For example, the control unit 61 generates the lighting control signal according to the control schedule stored in the storage unit 63 or the control details input to the operation unit 64 . The lighting control signal includes identification information of the lighting fixture 4 to be controlled and information representing the content of control. Each of the plurality of lighting fixtures 4 acquires the information contained in the lighting control signal when the identification information contained in the lighting control signal matches the identification information of its own device. Moreover, each of the plurality of lighting fixtures 4 discards the information contained in the lighting control signal when the identification information contained in the lighting control signal does not match the identification information of its own. That is, the lighting fixture 4 to be controlled receives the lighting control signal addressed to itself.

Upon receiving the lighting control signal, the lighting fixture 4 to be controlled controls the light source 42 according to the lighting control signal. For example, the lighting fixture 4 to be controlled performs switching between lighting and extinguishing of the light source 42 or dimming of the light source 42 according to the lighting control signal. Further, for example, the lighting fixture 4 to be controlled performs toning of the light source 42 according to the lighting control signal.

Further, the control unit 61 may generate the lighting control signal according to the control details input to the receiving terminal 5 by the user.

(5) First example of control of a plurality of beacon devices Next, a first example of control of a plurality of beacon devices 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . The sequence shown in FIG. 5 is merely an example of control according to the present disclosure, and the order of processing may be changed as appropriate, and processing may be added or omitted as appropriate. FIG. 5 shows the operation flow of one beacon device 3 among the plurality of beacon devices 3 . 5 shows the operation flow of one position detection device 7 out of the plurality of position detection devices 7. As shown in FIG.

In order to control a plurality of beacon devices 3, position information of a plurality of people is specified first. That is, each of the plurality of position detection devices 7 tries to detect a person. When the position detection device 7 detects a person (step ST1), it transmits a position detection signal to the beacon control system 1 (step ST2). The position detection signal includes identification information of the position detection device 7 .

The specifying unit 111 of the beacon control system 1 obtains the position information of the person based on the position detection signal (step ST3). For example, the identifying unit 111 determines that the position information of the area where the position detection device 7 detects a person matches the position information of the person.

The determination unit 112 determines the control content for controlling the plurality of beacon devices 3 based on the person's position information obtained by the identification unit 111 (step ST4). The determining unit 112 generates a control signal according to the determined control content.

The 2nd communication part 122 of the beacon control system 1 transmits the control signal produced|generated by the determination part 112 to several beacon apparatus 3 (step ST5). In more detail, the control signal includes identification information of the beacon device 3 to be controlled and information representing the content of control. Each of the some beacon apparatus 3 acquires the information contained in this control signal, when the identification information contained in a control signal corresponds with the identification information of an own machine. Moreover, each of several beacon apparatus 3 discards the information contained in this control signal, when the identification information contained in a control signal does not correspond with the identification information of an own machine. That is, the beacon device 3 to be controlled receives the control signal addressed to itself.

The beacon device 3 to be controlled changes its operating state according to the control signal addressed to itself (step ST6).

As described above, the control signal includes, for example, information for controlling the stop and start of transmission of beacon signals. Upon receiving such a control signal, the beacon device 3 stops or starts transmitting the beacon signal. By stopping transmission of beacon signals for at least some of the beacon devices 3 among the plurality of beacon devices 3, communication congestion at the location where the plurality of beacon devices 3 are installed can be alleviated.

Also, the control signal includes, for example, information for controlling the frequency of beacon signal transmission. Upon receiving such a control signal, the beacon device 3 changes the frequency of transmission of beacon signals. For at least some beacon devices 3 among the plurality of beacon devices 3, by suppressing the frequency of transmission of beacon signals, it is possible to alleviate communication congestion in places where the plurality of beacon devices 3 are installed.

Moreover, a control signal contains the information for changing the identification information of the beacon apparatus 3, for example. Upon receiving such a control signal, the beacon device 3 changes its own identification information. As a result, the beacon signal transmitted from the beacon device 3 includes the changed identification information. Then, the control unit 51 of the receiving terminal 5 determines whether or not the identification information included in the beacon signal is stored in the storage unit 53 . Only when the identification information included in the beacon signal is stored in the storage unit 53, the control unit 51 performs processing for measuring the received signal strength of the beacon signal. By changing the identification information of the beacon device 3, it is changed for each beacon device 3 whether or not the control unit 51 of the receiving terminal 5 performs the process of measuring the received signal strength of the beacon signal. Therefore, for at least a part of the beacon devices 3 among the plurality of beacon devices 3, by using identification information that is not stored in the storage unit 53 as identification information, the amount of information processing of the receiving terminal 5 can be reduced. . That is, by changing the identification information of the beacon device 3, it is possible to switch between the substantially ineffective beacon device 3 that is not used to specify the position information of the receiving terminal 5 and the effective beacon device 3.

Moreover, the determination part 112 determines the combination of the object controlled by a control signal among several beacon apparatuses 3 based on a person's positional information instead of controlling the same beacon apparatus 3 by a control signal every time. For example, when making some beacon devices 3 start transmission of a beacon signal, deciding part 112 determines which beacon device 3 is made to start transmission of a beacon signal based on position information. Further, for example, when reducing the frequency of beacon signal transmission to some beacon devices 3, the determining unit 112 determines which beacon device 3 to reduce the frequency of beacon signal transmission based on the position information. to decide. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG.

Below, the state where beacon device 3 is transmitting a beacon signal is called an ON state, and the state where beacon device 3 stops transmitting a beacon signal is called an OFF state.

3 and 4, the beacon device 3 in the OFF state is illustrated as a white rectangle, and the beacon device 3 in the ON state is illustrated as a dotted rectangle. In addition, in FIGS. 3 and 4, the beacon device 3 in the ON state and the frequency of transmission of the first frequency has a higher dot density than the beacon device 3 in the ON state and the frequency of transmission of the second frequency. making it bigger. The first frequency is higher than the second frequency. In FIG. 3 , a plurality of beacon devices 3 are controlled such that the beacon device 3 in the ON state with the frequency of transmission of the first frequency and the beacon device 3 in the OFF state are alternately arranged.

Based on this situation, the determination unit 112 refers to the person's position information. Here, the number of people is assumed to be one. For example, the determination unit 112 changes the control of the plurality of beacon devices 3 so that the transmission frequency of the on-state beacon devices 3 installed at a location away from the position of the person indicated by the position information is reduced. As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the beacon devices 3 in the ON state installed around the person indicated by the icon I1 maintain the transmission frequency at the first frequency, The beacon device 3 in the state lowers the transmission frequency to the second frequency. Compared with FIG. 3, in FIG. 4, the number of the beacon devices 3 whose transmission frequency is the first frequency is reduced. Thereby, the communication congestion of the place where the several beacon apparatus 3 was installed can be eased.

In addition, when there are multiple people, the determination part 112 should just determine control of the some beacon apparatus 3 based on a some person's positional information, for example. For example, the on-state beacon devices 3 installed around each of a plurality of people maintain the frequency of transmission, and the on-state beacon devices 3 installed in other places reduce the frequency of transmission. may

In addition, the determining unit 112 determines, as described above, the combination of the beacon devices 3 for which the frequency of beacon signal transmission is to be changed, the target to start or stop beacon signal transmission, or the beacon device A combination of objects whose identification information of 3 is to be changed may be determined. For example, at least one of two or more beacon devices 3 installed around a person may start transmitting a beacon signal. Moreover, you may stop transmission of a beacon signal about at least 1 among the two or more beacon apparatuses 3 installed in the place away from a person more than predetermined distance. Moreover, you may change into the identification information memorize|stored in the memory|storage part 53 of the receiving terminal 5 about at least 1 among the 2 or more beacon apparatuses 3 installed in the circumference|surroundings of a person.

When determining the combination of the beacon devices 3 to be controlled, the determination unit 112 may determine the combination according to the density of the beacon devices 3 in a predetermined operating state. The predetermined operating state is, for example, an ON state or a state in which the frequency of beacon signal transmission is greater than a predetermined value. For example, the determining unit 112 may determine the combination such that the density of the beacon devices 3 in a predetermined operating state is smaller than a predetermined threshold value in some areas. The above partial area is, for example, an area that is at least a predetermined distance away from a person.

Moreover, the control signal may include information for controlling the plurality of beacon devices 3 individually. In other words, beacon device 3 may be controlled for every one. For example, the frequency of transmission of the beacon device 3 may be changed for each unit.

Alternatively, the control signal may contain information for controlling the plurality of beacon devices 3 for each group. That is, the same control may be performed for two or more beacon devices 3 belonging to the same group. Information for grouping the plurality of beacon devices 3 is stored in the storage unit 13 . Groups may be determined, for example, based on pre-divided areas. In this case, one or more beacon devices 3 belonging to one area may be grouped.

Alternatively, the operation mode of the beacon control system 1 may be switched between a mode in which a plurality of beacon devices 3 are individually controlled by a control signal and a mode in which a plurality of beacon devices 3 are controlled for each group.

(6) Second example of control of a plurality of beacon devices Next, a second example of control of a plurality of beacon devices 3 will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the sequence shown in FIG. 6 is merely an example of control according to the present disclosure, and the order of processing may be changed as appropriate, and processing may be added or omitted as appropriate.

In the first example described above, the determination unit 112 automatically determines the control content of the plurality of beacon devices 3 and generates the control signal. On the other hand, in a 2nd example, the production|generation part 113 determines the content of control of several beacon apparatuses 3 according to a user's input, and produces|generates a control signal. In the present embodiment, the switching unit 114 switches the control mode of the control unit 11 between the first mode in which the determination unit 112 generates the control signal as in the first example, and the first mode in which the generation unit 113 generates the control signal as in the second example. and a second mode that generates However, not limited to this, the control mode of the control unit 11 may be fixed to one of the first mode and the second mode.

Steps ST11 to ST13 in FIG. 6 are the same as steps ST1 to ST3 in FIG. That is, in the second example, when the position detection device 7 detects a person (step ST11), it transmits a position detection signal to the beacon control system 1 (step ST12). The specifying unit 111 of the beacon control system 1 obtains the position information of the person based on the position detection signal (step ST13).

The display unit 14 displays the position information of the person specified by the specifying unit 111 (step ST14). For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the display unit 14 displays an icon I<b>1 as positional information of a person together with map information of facilities and positional information of a plurality of beacon devices 3 .

The user sees information displayed on the display unit 14 . Based on this information, a user determines the control content of several beacon apparatuses 3. FIG. In other words, the display of the person's position information on the display unit 14 prompts the user to determine the control details based on the person's position information. Then, the user inputs the content of control to the input unit 15 . That is, the input unit 15 receives an input of control contents related to control of the beacon device 3 from the user (step ST15).

For example, the user determines the control contents so that the frequency of transmission of the beacon device 3 installed around the person is higher than the frequency of transmission of the beacon device 3 installed at a place away from the person. For example, when the display unit 14 and the input unit 15 are configured by a touch panel display, by touching the icon of the beacon device 3 displayed on the touch panel display, options for the control content of the beacon device 3 are displayed. . The options are, for example, options for selecting the frequency of outgoing calls. The user can select the content of control from options.

The generation unit 113 generates a control signal according to the control content input to the input unit 15 . The communication unit 12 of the beacon control system 1 transmits the control signal generated by the determination unit 112 to the beacon device 3 to be controlled (step ST16), and the beacon device 3 to be controlled transmits the control signal addressed to itself According to the above, the operating state of its own device is changed (step ST17). Thereby, for example, when the user inputs to the input unit 15 so as to reduce the transmission frequency of the beacon device 3, the frequency of the corresponding beacon device 3 is reduced.

The user who inputs the control contents to the input unit 15 may be the user carrying the receiving terminal 5, the person detected by the position detection device 7, or a different person.

(7) Advantages According to the beacon control system 1 of the present embodiment, for example, the beacon device 3 installed in an area where people are preferentially turned on, and a beacon installed in a place away from the area where people are The device 3 can be preferentially turned off. Or the frequency of transmission of the beacon signal by the beacon device 3 installed in the area where a person exists can be made higher than the frequency of transmission of the other beacon devices 3 . As a result, the amount of communication of beacon signals is suppressed in areas away from areas where people are present, so that communication congestion can be alleviated. For example, the beacon device 3 installed in an area where people are present may transmit a beacon signal every 0.1 seconds, and the other beacon devices 3 may transmit a beacon signal every second.

Moreover, it is good also considering the communication system of the lighting fixture 4 as the same communication system as the communication system of the beacon apparatus 3. FIG. Even in such a case, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the communication of the lighting device 4 is blocked by suppressing the amount of communication of the beacon signal. For example, the lighting device 4 communicates with the lighting control system 6 using the Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy communication method, and the beacon device 3 transmits a beacon signal using the Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy communication method. good too.

Moreover, it is good also considering the communication system of the position detection apparatus 7 as the same communication system as the communication system of the beacon apparatus 3. FIG. Even in such a case, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the communication of the position detection device 7 is obstructed by suppressing the amount of communication of the beacon signal. For example, the position detection device 7 communicates with the lighting control system 6 using the Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy communication method, and the beacon device 3 transmits a beacon signal using the Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy communication method. may

In addition, since the communication volume of the beacon signal is ensured in an area where people are present, the possibility that positioning of the receiving terminal 5 will be hindered can be reduced.

Furthermore, the beacon apparatus 3 is incorporated in the lighting fixture 4 in this embodiment. In a facility, a plurality of lighting fixtures 4 are often installed at regular intervals over a wide area. Therefore, by incorporating the beacon device 3 into the lighting device 4, the beacon device 3 can be installed at a position convenient for positioning of the receiving terminal 5 by the beacon signal.

Also, the lighting fixture 4 is installed at a position facing the space so as to irradiate the space with light. Similarly, the beacon device 3 is desirably installed at a position facing the space so as to transmit the beacon signal to the space. By incorporating the beacon device 3 into the lighting fixture 4, the beacon device 3 can be installed at a desired position.

Moreover, by sharing a power supply with the beacon apparatus 3 and the lighting fixture 4, the beacon apparatus 3 can be constructed easily.

Moreover, compared with the case where the beacon apparatus 3 is provided separately from the lighting fixture 4, since the number of apparatuses installed in attachment objects, such as ceiling C1, reduces, the effort of installation can be reduced. Also, the appearance of the ceiling C1 can be improved.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the position detection device 7 is incorporated in the lighting fixture 4 . In a facility, a plurality of lighting fixtures 4 are often installed at regular intervals over a wide area. Therefore, by incorporating the position detection device 7 into the lighting fixture 4 , the position detection device 7 can be installed at a position convenient for the detection of a person by the position detection device 7 .

Also, the lighting fixture 4 is installed at a position facing the space so as to irradiate the space with light. Similarly, the position detection device 7 is desirably installed at a position facing the space in order to detect a person. By incorporating the position detection device 7 into the luminaire 4, the position detection device 7 can be installed at a desired position.

Further, by sharing a power supply between the position detection device 7 and the lighting equipment 4, the position detection device 7 can be easily installed.

In addition, compared to the case where the position detection device 7 is provided separately from the lighting fixture 4, the number of devices to be installed on the mounting target such as the ceiling C1 is reduced, so the installation work can be reduced. Also, the appearance of the ceiling C1 can be improved.

(Modification 1 of Embodiment 1)
Next, Modification 1 of Embodiment 1 will be described. Configurations similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

The position detection device 7 of Modification 1 is a mobile terminal carried by a user (person). A mobile terminal may be used as the receiving terminal 5 , or the mobile terminal may be separate from the receiving terminal 5 . The mobile terminal is, for example, a mobile phone such as a smart phone, or a tablet terminal. A mobile terminal includes at least one sensor. The at least one sensor includes, for example, at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor. The mobile terminal calculates its own location information using at least one sensor. The location information of the mobile terminal corresponds to the location information of the user who carries the mobile terminal. The specifying unit 111 of the beacon control system 1 acquires a position detection signal including position information of the user (mobile terminal) from the mobile terminal.

According to Modification 1, it is possible to save the trouble of installing the position detection device 7 in the facility.

(Modification 2 of Embodiment 1)
Next, Modification 2 of Embodiment 1 will be described. Configurations similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted. Modification 2 may be implemented in combination with Modification 1 described above.

The identifying unit 111 of Modification 2 determines the position information of the receiving terminal 5 based on the beacon signal transmitted from the beacon device 3 and received by the receiving terminal 5 and the position detection signal received from the position detection device 7. Identify. The beacon control system 1 controls the beacon device 3 with a control signal based on the position information.

More specifically, as in the first embodiment, the positioning unit 115 calculates the position information of the receiving terminal 5 based on the beacon signal. The specifying unit 111 specifies the position information of the receiving terminal 5 based on the position information calculated by the positioning unit 115 and the position detection signal received from the position detection device 7 .

In Modification 2, the reliability of the beacon control system 1 can be improved as compared with the case where the specifying unit 111 specifies the position information of the receiving terminal 5 without using the beacon signal. For example, the specifying unit 111 may specify the position information based on the beacon signal when the process of obtaining the position information of the receiving terminal 5 based on the position detection signal is an error. Further, the specifying unit 111 may correct the location information of the receiving terminal 5 calculated from the beacon signal based on the location detection signal.

(Other Modifications of Embodiment 1)
Other modifications of the first embodiment are listed below. The following modified examples may be implemented in combination as appropriate. Moreover, the following modifications may be realized by appropriately combining at least one of the above-described modification 1 and modification 2.

One or more beacon devices 3 may be included in the beacon control system 1 . That is, the beacon control system 1 may further include the beacon device 3 . In this case, the computer system constituting the beacon control system 1 of Embodiment 1 and the beacon device 3 may be integrated into one device, or the computer system and the beacon device 3 may be provided separately. good too.

At least one position sensing device 7 may be included in the beacon control system 1 . That is, the beacon control system 1 may further include at least one position sensing device 7 . In this case, the computer system constituting the beacon control system 1 of Embodiment 1 and the position detection device 7 may be integrated into one device, or the computer system and the position detection device 7 may be provided separately. may be

Further, the display unit 14 may display the position information of the person by, for example, dots instead of the icon I1. In other words, the display unit 14 may display the positional information of a person using symbols such as dots or icons.

Only some of the lighting fixtures 4 among the plurality of lighting fixtures 4 may share the configuration with the beacon device 3 .

The beacon device 3 may be incorporated only in some lighting fixtures 4 among the plurality of lighting fixtures 4 .

It is not essential that the lighting device 4 and the beacon device 3 correspond to each other on a one-to-one basis as in the first embodiment. For example, two or more beacon devices 3 may be incorporated in one lighting fixture 4 .

Of the plurality of lighting fixtures 4 , only some lighting fixtures 4 may share the configuration with the position detection device 7 .

The position detection device 7 may be incorporated in only some of the lighting fixtures 4 among the plurality of lighting fixtures 4 .

It is not essential that the lighting device 4 and the position detection device 7 correspond to each other on a one-to-one basis as in the first embodiment. For example, two or more position detection devices 7 may be incorporated in one lighting fixture 4 .

The number of beacon devices 3 may not be plural, and may be one.

The number of lighting fixtures 4 may not be plural, and may be one.

The number of receiving terminals 5 may not be plural, and may be one.

The number of position detection devices 7 may not be plural, and may be one.

As described in the first embodiment, the identifying unit 111 may acquire the person's position information obtained by a configuration other than the identifying unit 111 . For example, the position detection device 7 may obtain the position information of the person. In this case, the position detection signal transmitted from the position detection device 7 includes the position information of the person. The position detection signal is received by the communication unit 12, and the specifying unit 111 may extract the position information of the person from the position detection signal.

As described in the first embodiment, positioning section 115 may acquire position information of receiving terminal 5 calculated by a configuration other than positioning section 115 . For example, the receiving terminal 5 may calculate its own location information. In this case, the position information transmitted from the receiving terminal 5 and the identification information of the receiving terminal 5 are received by the communication unit 12 , and the positioning unit 115 acquires the position information via the communication unit 12 . Also, the beacon control system 1 identifies the plurality of receiving terminals 5 based on the identification information.

In Embodiment 1, the receiving terminal 5 determines whether or not to perform the process of measuring the received signal strength of the beacon signal according to the identification information of the beacon device 3 . On the other hand, when the receiving terminal 5 calculates its own position information, the receiving terminal 5 determines whether or not to use the beacon signal for calculating the position information according to the identification information of the beacon device 3. good too. Alternatively, when the positioning unit 115 calculates the position information of the receiving terminal 5, the positioning unit 115 may determine whether to use the beacon signal to calculate the position information according to the identification information of the beacon device 3. .

The positioning unit 115 may calculate the position information of the receiving terminal 5 based on the phase of the beacon signal instead of the received signal strength of the beacon signal. Also, instead of the positioning unit 115, the receiving terminal 5 may calculate its own position information based on the phase of the beacon signal.

It is not essential for the beacon control system 1 to identify the position of the receiving terminal 5 . In other words, the beacon control system 1 does not have to include the positioning section 115 .

Integrated system 100 in the present disclosure includes a computer system. A computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. At least part of the functions of the integrated system 100 in the present disclosure are realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in advance in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through an electric communication line, or may be recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a computer system-readable memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive. may be provided. A processor in a computer system consists of one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large scale integrated circuits (LSIs). The integrated circuit such as IC or LSI referred to here is called differently depending on the degree of integration, and includes integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). In addition, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a logic device capable of reconfiguring the bonding relationship inside the LSI or reconfiguring the circuit partitions inside the LSI may also be adopted as the processor. can be done. A plurality of electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip, or may be distributed over a plurality of chips. A plurality of chips may be integrated in one device, or may be distributed in a plurality of devices. A computer system, as used herein, includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Accordingly, the microcontroller also consists of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits or large scale integrated circuits.

In addition, a plurality of functions integrated in one device in the integrated system 100 may be distributed and provided in a plurality of devices. For example, a plurality of functions of the beacon control system 1 may be distributed and provided in a plurality of devices. Furthermore, at least part of the functions of the integrated system 100, for example, at least part of the functions of the beacon control system 1, may be realized by the cloud (cloud computing) or the like.

Conversely, in Embodiment 1, at least some of the functions of the integrated system 100 distributed over multiple devices may be integrated into one device. For example, functions distributed between the beacon control system 1 and the lighting control system 6 may be integrated into one device.

(Embodiment 2)
Embodiment 2 will be described below with reference to FIG. Configurations similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted. Moreover, each of the above modifications of the first embodiment may also be applied to the second embodiment as appropriate.

This embodiment is different from Embodiment 1 in that the beacon device 3, the lighting device 4, and the position detection device 7 are provided separately. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, the beacon device 3 and the lighting fixture 4 are each provided with the structure corresponded to the communication part 22, the memory|storage part 23, and the power supply circuit 24 of Embodiment 1 (refer FIG. 1). That is, the beacon device 3 includes the communication unit 33 , the storage unit 34 and the power supply circuit 35 , and the lighting device 4 includes the communication unit 43 , the storage unit 44 and the power supply circuit 45 .

The beacon device 3 further includes a housing, and the housing holds a control unit 31, a transmission unit 32, a communication unit 33, a storage unit 34, and a power supply circuit 35.

Also in this embodiment, like Embodiment 1, the communication environment of the place where the beacon device 3 was installed can be improved by controlling the beacon device 3 based on a person's positional information.

In addition, the beacon device 3, the lighting fixture 4, and the position detection device 7 do not need to be provided as a set, and the beacon device 3, the lighting fixture 4, or the position detection device 7 may be provided independently.

(Embodiment 3)
Embodiment 3 will be described below with reference to FIG. Configurations similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted. Moreover, each of the above modifications of the first embodiment and the second embodiment may be applied to the third embodiment as appropriate.

This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the following points. That is, in this embodiment, the history of the positional information stored in the storage unit 13 is used when determining the control content of the beacon device 3 based on the positional information of the person.

First, the case where the determination part 112 determines the control content of the beacon apparatus 3 (automatically) among the determination part 112 and the production|generation parts 113 is demonstrated.

The location information of the person calculated by the identifying unit 111 is stored in the storage unit 13 . As time elapses, positional information for each hour is accumulated in the storage unit 13 as a history of positional information.

The determination unit 112 determines the control content for controlling the plurality of beacon devices 3 based on the history of the position information of the person stored in the storage unit 13 . For example, the determining unit 112 determines the control content based on the position information up to the current time from a predetermined time before the current time. The determining unit 112 generates a control signal according to the determined control content.

As an example, the history of the positional information of a person includes information on the flow line L1 (see FIG. 8) of the person. In other words, a person's location information history includes a person's moving route.

The determining unit 112 identifies an area where the flow lines L1 are concentrated. For example, the determining unit 112 identifies an area where the density of the flow lines L1 is greater than a predetermined threshold (hereinafter referred to as "dense area"). The determining unit 112 changes the control of the plurality of beacon devices 3, for example, so that the density of the beacon devices 3 in the ON state outside the dense area is reduced. As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, some of the beacon devices 3 installed outside the area where the flow line L1 is dense (as represented by the white rectangle) are in the off state becomes. Compared with FIG. 3, in FIG. 8, the number of beacon devices 3 in the OFF state is increased. Thereby, the communication congestion of the place where the several beacon apparatus 3 was installed can be eased.

In addition, when there are multiple people, the determination part 112 should just determine control of the several beacon apparatus 3 based on the density of several flow lines L1 of several people, for example.

Note that the determination unit 112 determines the combination of the beacon devices 3 to start or stop beacon signal transmission as described above, the target to change the frequency of beacon signal transmission, or the beacon device A combination of objects whose identification information of 3 is to be changed may be determined. For example, for at least one of two or more beacon devices 3 installed in a dense area, the frequency of beacon signal transmission may be increased. Further, the identification information of at least one of the two or more beacon devices 3 installed in the dense area may be changed to the identification information stored in the storage unit 53 of the receiving terminal 5 .

Next, the case where the production|generation part 113 determines the control content of the beacon apparatus 3 (according to a user's input) is demonstrated among the determination part 112 and the production|generation part 113. FIG.

As an example, the history of the location information of a person is displayed on the display unit 14 as a flow line L1 of the person, as shown in FIG. In other words, the display unit 14 displays the moving route of the person. For example, the display unit 14 displays, on a map of the facility, the route of movement of a person during a certain period of time in the past as a flow line L1. The flow line L1 represents, for example, how the receiving terminal 5 moves from a predetermined time before the current time to the current time. Moreover, the display part 14 displays the flow line L1 with the map information of a facility, and the positional information on several beacon apparatuses 3. FIG.

In addition, although FIG. 8 shows only the flow line L1 of one person, when there are a plurality of people, the display unit 14 may display the flow line L1 of each person in an overlapping manner, for example. Also, the flow line L1 may be displayed separately for each person by color coding or the like.

The user sees information displayed on the display unit 14 . Based on this information, a user determines the control content of several beacon apparatuses 3. FIG. That is, by displaying the history of the positional information of the person on the display unit 14, the user is prompted to determine the control details based on the history of the positional information of the person. Then, the user inputs the content of control to the input unit 15 . That is, the input unit 15 accepts an input of control content related to control of the beacon device 3 from the user.

For example, the user turns on the beacon device 3 installed in an area (dense area) where the flow line L1 is dense, and turns off the beacon device 3 installed in a place away from the dense area. Then, determine the control contents. For example, when the display unit 14 and the input unit 15 are configured by a touch panel display, by touching the icon of the beacon device 3 displayed on the touch panel display, options for the control content of the beacon device 3 are displayed. . The option is, for example, an option to select either the on state or the off state. The user can select the content of control from options.

The generation unit 113 generates a control signal according to the control content input to the input unit 15 . The communication unit 12 of the beacon control system 1 transmits the control signal generated by the determination unit 112 to the beacon device 3 to be controlled, and the beacon device 3 to be controlled follows the control signal addressed to the self device. change the operating state of Thereby, for example, when the user inputs to the input unit 15 to turn off a certain beacon device 3, the corresponding beacon device 3 is turned off.

As in the first embodiment, the switching unit 114 switches the control mode of the control unit 11 between the first mode in which the determining unit 112 generates the control signal and the second mode in which the generating unit 113 generates the control signal. You can switch with .

As a modified example of the present embodiment, the display unit 14 is not limited to displaying the positional information of the person as the flow line L1. The display unit 14 may display the person's position information as, for example, a density distribution map. The density distribution map referred to here is, for example, a diagram in which the higher the number of times a person has passed through a place, the higher the numerical value is displayed. The density distribution map may be, for example, a diagram that displays a higher numerical value in a place where a person has stayed longer.

Note that unlike the third embodiment, in the first embodiment, the determining unit 112 determines the control details based only on the latest position information specified by the specifying unit 111 . In other words, in Embodiment 1, the determination unit 112 determines the control details based on instantaneous position information. Here, as a combination of the first embodiment and the third embodiment, the operation mode of the determination unit 112 is an operation mode for determining the control content based on the history of position information, and an operation mode for determining the control content based on the instantaneous position information. It may be possible to switch between an operation mode in which the content of control is determined by the operation mode.

(summary)
The following aspects are disclosed from the embodiments and the like described above.

A beacon control system (1) according to a first aspect transmits a control signal for controlling the beacon device (3) to a beacon device (3) that transmits a beacon signal to a receiving terminal (5). A beacon control system (1) comprises a first communication unit (121), a specification unit (111), and a second communication unit (122). A first communication unit (121) receives a position detection signal from at least one position detection device (7). A position detection signal is a signal regarding a person's position information. A specifying unit (111) specifies position information of a person based on the position detection signal received by the first communication unit (121). A second communication unit (122) transmits a control signal based on the position information specified by the specifying unit (111) to the beacon device (3).

According to said structure, the communication environment of the place where the beacon apparatus (3) was installed can be improved by controlling a beacon apparatus (3) based on a person's positional information.

Moreover, in the beacon control system (1) according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, at least one position detection device (7) includes at least one of a human sensor and a camera.

According to the above configuration, position information of a person can be obtained.

Moreover, the beacon control system (1) according to the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, further comprises a determination unit (112). A decision unit (112) decides control details related to control of the beacon device (3) based on the position information specified by the specification unit (111), and generates a control signal according to the control details.

According to said structure, the control content of a beacon apparatus (3) can be automatically determined.

Moreover, the beacon control system (1) according to the fourth aspect further comprises a storage unit (13) in the third aspect. A storage unit (13) stores a history of location information specified by the specifying unit (111). A determination unit (112) determines control details based on the history stored in the storage unit (13).

According to said structure, a beacon apparatus (3) can be controlled so that convenience becomes higher.

Moreover, in the beacon control system (1) according to the fifth aspect, in the third or fourth aspect, a plurality of beacon devices (3) are provided. A determination unit (112) determines a combination of targets to be controlled by control signals among a plurality of beacon devices (3) based on position information.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to flexibly control a plurality of beacon devices (3) by changing the combination of objects to be controlled.

In addition, the beacon control system (1) according to the sixth aspect further includes a display section (14), an input section (15), and a generation section (113) in the first or second aspect. A display unit (14) displays the position information specified by the specifying unit (111). An input unit (15) accepts an input of control contents related to control of the beacon device (3) from the user. A generation unit (113) generates a control signal according to the control content input to the input unit (15).

According to said structure, a user can determine the control content of a beacon apparatus (3) by himself.

Further, in the beacon control system (1) according to the seventh aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, a plurality of beacon devices (3) are provided. The control signal contains information for individually controlling a plurality of beacon devices (3).

According to said structure, the communication environment of the place where the beacon apparatus (3) was installed can be controlled finely.

Further, in the beacon control system (1) according to the eighth aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, a plurality of beacon devices (3) are provided. A control signal contains the information for controlling a several beacon apparatus (3) for every group.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the amount of information processing of the beacon control system (1).

Further, in the beacon control system (1) according to the ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, the control signal includes information for controlling the stop and start of beacon signal transmission.

According to the above configuration, communication congestion can be alleviated by stopping transmission of the beacon signal depending on the situation.

Further, in the beacon control system (1) according to the tenth aspect, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the control signal includes information for controlling frequency of beacon signal transmission.

According to the above configuration, communication congestion can be alleviated by reducing the frequency of transmission of beacon signals depending on the situation.

Further, in the beacon control system (1) according to the eleventh aspect, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, the control signal includes information for changing the identification information of the beacon device (3).

According to the above configuration, it is possible to change the handling of the beacon signal in the process related to the beacon signal.

Moreover, the beacon control system (1) according to the twelfth aspect further comprises a beacon device (3) in any one of the first to eleventh aspects.

According to said structure, the beacon control system (1) provided with the beacon apparatus (3) can be provided.

In addition, the beacon control system (1) according to the thirteenth aspect further comprises at least one position detection device (7) in any one of the first to twelfth aspects.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a beacon control system (1) with at least one position sensing device (7).

Further, in the beacon control system (1) according to the 14th aspect, in any one of the 1st to 13th aspects, at least a part of the configuration of the at least one position detection device (7) is a lighting fixture (4 ).

According to the above configuration, the number of members can be reduced.

Further, in the beacon control system (1) according to the fifteenth aspect, in any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, the at least one position detection device (7) is incorporated in the lighting device (4) .

According to the above configuration, it is possible to secure an installation space for the position detection device (7).

Further, in the beacon control system (1) according to the sixteenth aspect, in any one of the first to thirteenth aspects, at least one position detection device (7) is a portable terminal carried by a person (for example, receiving terminal 5).

According to said structure, the trouble which installs a position detection apparatus (7) can be saved.

Further, in the beacon control system (1) according to the seventeenth aspect, in any one of the first to sixteenth aspects, at least part of the configuration of the beacon device (3) is shared with the lighting device (4). ing.

According to the above configuration, the number of members can be reduced.

Further, in the beacon control system (1) according to the eighteenth aspect, in any one of the first to seventeenth aspects, the beacon device (3) is incorporated in the lighting equipment (4).

According to said structure, the installation space of a beacon apparatus (3) can be ensured.

Configurations other than the first mode are not essential components of the beacon control system (1), and can be omitted as appropriate.

A lighting system (2) according to a nineteenth aspect includes a beacon device (3) and a lighting fixture (4). A beacon device (3) is controlled by a beacon control system (1) according to the seventeenth or eighteenth aspect.

According to said structure, while installing a lighting fixture (4), a beacon apparatus (3) can be installed and it can be used for calculation of a positional information.

1 Beacon control system 2 Lighting system 3 Beacon device 4 Lighting equipment 5 Receiving terminal 7 Position detection device 13 Storage unit 14 Display unit 15 Input unit 111 Identification unit 112 Determination unit 113 Generation unit 121 First communication unit 122 Second communication unit

Claims (19)

A beacon control system that transmits a control signal related to control of the beacon device to a beacon device that transmits a beacon signal to a receiving terminal,
a first communication unit that receives a position detection signal related to a person's position information from at least one position detection device;
a specifying unit that specifies the position information of the person based on the position detection signal received by the first communication unit;
A second communication unit that transmits the control signal based on the position information specified by the specifying unit to the beacon device,
beacon control system. The at least one position detection device includes at least one of a motion sensor and a camera,
The beacon control system of claim 1. Further comprising a determining unit that determines control content related to control of the beacon device based on the position information specified by the specifying unit and generates the control signal according to the control content,
A beacon control system according to claim 1 or 2. further comprising a storage unit that stores a history of the location information specified by the specifying unit;
The determination unit determines the control details based on the history stored in the storage unit.
A beacon control system according to claim 3. A plurality of the beacon devices are provided,
The determination unit determines a combination of targets to be controlled by the control signal among the plurality of beacon devices based on the position information.
A beacon control system according to claim 3 or 4. a display unit that displays the position information specified by the specifying unit;
An input unit that receives an input of control content related to control of the beacon device from a user;
a generation unit that generates the control signal according to the control content input to the input unit;
A beacon control system according to claim 1 or 2. A plurality of the beacon devices are provided,
The control signal includes information for individually controlling the plurality of beacon devices,
A beacon control system according to any one of claims 1-6. A plurality of the beacon devices are provided,
The control signal includes information for controlling the plurality of beacon devices for each group,
A beacon control system according to any one of claims 1-6. The control signal includes information for controlling the stop and start of transmission of the beacon signal,
A beacon control system according to any one of claims 1-8. The control signal includes information for controlling the frequency of transmission of the beacon signal,
A beacon control system according to any one of claims 1-9. The control signal includes information for changing the identification information of the beacon device,
A beacon control system according to any one of claims 1-10. further comprising the beacon device;
A beacon control system according to any one of claims 1-11. further comprising the at least one position sensing device;
A beacon control system according to any one of claims 1-12. at least a portion of the configuration of the at least one position sensing device is shared with a lighting fixture;
A beacon control system according to any one of claims 1-13. wherein the at least one position sensing device is incorporated into the lighting fixture;
A beacon control system according to any one of claims 1-14. wherein the at least one position sensing device includes a mobile terminal carried by the person;
A beacon control system according to any one of claims 1-13. At least part of the configuration of the beacon device is shared with lighting fixtures,
A beacon control system according to any one of claims 1-16. The beacon device is incorporated in a lighting fixture,
A beacon control system according to any one of claims 1-17. The beacon device controlled by the beacon control system according to claim 17 or 18,
and
lighting system.

Images