JP2024036391A - Wireless communication device and wiring fixture system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wireless communication device and a wiring fixture system that allow greater flexibility in the installation of access points.

SOLUTION: A wireless communication device 1 includes a wireless communication unit that functions as an access point to perform wireless communication with a communication terminal, a housing 12 that is fixed to a construction surface 300 and houses the wireless communication unit, a cover 13 that covers the front of the housing 12, a setting operation unit 73 that is placed on the front of the housing 12 and receives operations to set functions of the wireless communication unit. The cover 13 is attached to the housing 12 so that it can rotate around an axis portion. The cover 13 can move between a first position where it covers the front surface of the housing 12 and a second position where it exposes the front surface of the housing 12. The setting operation unit 73 is operable when the cover 13 is at the second position.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present disclosure generally relates to a wireless communication device and a wiring device system, and more particularly relates to a wireless communication device and a wiring device system that function as an access point for wirelessly communicating with a communication terminal.

Patent Document 1 discloses a wireless communication device (wireless LAN access point) that wirelessly communicates with a communication terminal (wireless LAN client terminal) such as a smartphone. The wireless communication device described in Patent Document 1 can determine whether to perform transmission beamforming control depending on whether or not the throughput value required by the user on the communication terminal side can be obtained. It is. Patent Document 1 assumes a case where a plurality of communication terminals exist around a wireless communication device.

JP 2019-110375 Publication

In order to realize an access point that can stably connect multiple communication terminals using the above wireless communication equipment, the installation location of the access point is limited by the propagation characteristics of radio waves, etc. There is a problem with the lack of freedom.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above reasons, and it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a wireless communication device and a wiring equipment system in which the degree of freedom in installing an access point is increased.

A wireless communication device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a wireless communication section, a housing, a cover, and a setting operation section. The wireless communication unit functions as an access point that performs wireless communication with a communication terminal. The casing is fixed to a construction surface. The housing accommodates the wireless communication unit. The cover covers the front surface of the housing. The setting operation section is arranged on the front surface of the casing, and receives an operation for setting a function of the wireless communication section. The cover is attached to the housing so as to be rotatable about the shaft. The cover is movable between a first position in which it covers the front surface of the housing and a second position in which it exposes the front surface of the housing. The setting operation section can be operated while the cover is in the second position.

A wiring device system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the wireless communication device and a wiring device. The wiring device is fixed to the construction surface in line with the casing.

According to the present disclosure, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom in installing an access point is increased.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a facility that has introduced a wireless communication device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2A is a front view of the above wireless communication device with a cover attached to the housing. FIG. 2B is a front view of the above wireless communication device with the cover removed from the housing. FIG. 3 is a block diagram conceptually showing the network system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a structure for attaching the wireless communication device to a construction surface. FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing a state in which the above wireless communication device is attached to a construction surface. FIG. 5A is a front view showing one aspect of the wireless communication device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5B is a front view showing another aspect of the wireless communication device same as above. FIG. 6A is a front view showing one aspect of a wiring device system using the above wireless communication device. FIG. 6B is a front view showing another aspect of the above wiring device system. FIG. 7 is a block diagram conceptually showing a network system according to the second embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
(1) Overview An overview of the wireless communication device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

The wireless communication device 1 according to this embodiment is a device that has a function as an access point 101 that performs wireless communication with the communication terminal 2. For example, a communication terminal 2 that performs wireless communication based on a standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) is connected to a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) by being connected to an access point. The wireless communication device 1 has a function as such an access point.

The wireless communication device 1 according to this embodiment includes a wireless communication unit 11 (see FIG. 3), a housing 12 (see FIG. 2B), and a cover 13 (see FIG. 2A). The wireless communication unit 11 functions as an access point 101 that performs wireless communication with the communication terminal 2. The housing 12 is fixed to a construction surface 300 (see FIG. 2B). The housing 12 houses the wireless communication unit 11. The cover 13 covers the front surface 121 of the housing 12.

According to this configuration, since the wireless communication unit 11 that functions as the access point 101 is housed in the housing 12 fixed to the construction surface 300, a space for placing a stationary access point is secured. Even if you don't have one, you can smartly install an access point. Moreover, since the front surface 121 of the casing 12 is covered by the cover 13, the casing 12 can be protected by the cover 13 from dust, moisture, oil, external force, etc. It also doesn't spoil the look. Therefore, according to the wireless communication device 1 according to the present embodiment, the degree of freedom in installing the access point 101 is increased.

Furthermore, the wireless communication device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a wireless communication section 11 and a housing 12. The wireless communication unit 11 functions as one of the plurality of access points 101 in a mesh network including the plurality of access points 101. Each of the plurality of access points 101 performs wireless communication with the communication terminal 2. The housing 12 is fixed to the construction surface 300. The housing 12 houses the wireless communication unit 11.

According to this configuration, since the wireless communication unit 11 that functions as the access point 101 is housed in the housing 12 fixed to the construction surface 300, a space for placing a stationary access point is secured. Even if you don't have one, you can smartly install an access point. Moreover, the wireless communication unit 11 functions as one of the plurality of access points 101 included in the mesh network. That is, the wireless communication unit 11 functions not as a mere access point 101 but as an access point 101 that constructs a mesh network. By constructing the mesh network, if the communication terminal 2 is within the communication range of any of the plurality of access points 101, the communication terminal 2 can be connected to the mesh network. Moreover, even if the communication terminal 2 moves from the communication range of one access point 101 to the communication range of another access point 101, the communication partner of the communication terminal 2 will seamlessly switch between the two access points 101. . Therefore, according to the wireless communication device 1 according to the present embodiment, the degree of freedom of movement of the communication terminal 2 during communication is increased.

(2) Details Hereinafter, the wireless communication device 1, network system 100 (see FIG. 3), wiring device system 200, and network providing method according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

(2.1) Premise In this embodiment, the wireless communication device 1 is fixed to the construction surface 300 of the facility F1 (see FIG. 1). The “construction surface” in the present disclosure refers to the surface of a member to which the wireless communication device 1 is fixed, such as the surface of a structure such as a wall, ceiling, or floor of a building, or a desk, shelf, or counter stand. This includes the surfaces of fixtures (including fittings). The facility F1 in which the wireless communication device 1 is installed is, for example, a residential facility such as a detached house or an apartment complex, or a non-residential facility such as an office, store, school, factory, hospital, or nursing care facility. In this embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that the wireless communication device 1 is an embedded wiring device that is attached to a construction surface 300 that is a wall surface of a detached house.

A “communication terminal” in the present disclosure is a terminal that has a function of wirelessly communicating with the access point 101, and includes, for example, a smartphone, a mobile terminal such as a tablet terminal or a wearable terminal, a personal computer, a computer game machine, equipment, or Home appliances, etc. Examples of home appliances include network televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners. Each of these communication terminals 2 has an operation input function that receives input signals from a touch panel display or an external operation device (keyboard, pointing device, etc.) as a function for accepting human operations. Further, each of these communication terminals 2 has a display function of displaying information on a display, for example, as a function of presenting information to a person.

"Wireless communication" as used in the present disclosure means communication performed in a contactless manner using radio waves as a transmission medium. In this embodiment, the access point 101 (wireless communication device 1) and the communication terminal 2 can communicate bidirectionally. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that the wireless communication between the access point 101 (wireless communication device 1) and the communication terminal 2 is wireless communication based on Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

A "mesh network" as used in the present disclosure refers to a network that includes a plurality of access points 101 and in which the communication terminal 2 can seamlessly connect to the plurality of access points 101. The plurality of access points 101 constructing the mesh network realize seamless switching of the access points 101 that communicate with the communication terminal 2 by communicating and cooperating with each other. As a result, it is possible to expand the communicable range of one mesh network compared to the communicable range of one access point 101. In this embodiment, since the access point 101 (wireless communication device 1) and the communication terminal 2 communicate via Wi-Fi (registered trademark) as described above, the mesh network constructed by the plurality of access points 101 is a mesh network. Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Generally, multiple access points 101 constructing mesh Wi-Fi (registered trademark) have a common SSID (Service Set Identifier) and password (passphrase).

"Seamless" in this disclosure means seamlessly continuous. That is, even if the communication terminal 2 moves from the communication range of one access point 101 to the communication range of another access point 101, the connection destination of the communication terminal 2 is seamlessly switched between the two access points 101. As a result, the connection state of the communication terminal 2 to the mesh network is maintained seamlessly.

The “communicable range” in this disclosure means a range in which wireless communication with the access point 101 is possible. In other words, if the communication terminal 2 is within the communicable range of a certain access point 101, normal wireless communication is possible with this access point 101. On the other hand, if the communication terminal 2 is outside the communication range of a certain access point 101, normal wireless communication with this access point 101 becomes difficult. The communicable range includes, for example, the signal-to-noise ratio (Signal-Noise Ratio), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), error rate, or transmission speed in wireless communication between the access point 101 and the communication terminal 2. It is defined using the evaluation value expressed. As an example, the range in which the evaluation value representing the SN ratio in wireless communication between the access point 101 and the communication terminal 2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value is the communicable range of the access point 101.

(2.2) Network System Next, the network system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3.

A plurality of access points 101 including the wireless communication device 1 according to this embodiment construct a network system 100 consisting of a mesh network. In other words, the network system 100 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of access points 101 including the wireless communication device 1. This network system 100 constructs a mesh network using these multiple access points 101. That is, the network system 100 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of access points 101 that construct a mesh network. At least one of these multiple access points 101 is the wireless communication device 1 according to this embodiment.

In this embodiment, as an example, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of (five in the example of FIG. 1) access points 101 that constitute a network system 100 (mesh network) are all wireless communication devices 1. That is, the plurality of access points 101 are composed of the plurality of wireless communication devices 1 having the same configuration. Therefore, in the following, unless otherwise specified, the configuration described for one wireless communication device 1 is assumed to be the same configuration for all of the plurality of access points 101.

Here, the plurality of access points 101 constructing the mesh network are configured to be able to communicate with each other. "Communicable" in the present disclosure means that signals can be exchanged directly or indirectly via a network, a repeater, or the like using an appropriate communication method such as wired communication or wireless communication. In this embodiment, the plurality of access points 101 are all connected by wire to the electric wire L1.

That is, in this embodiment, the wireless communication device 1 further includes a wired communication unit 14 (see FIG. 3). The wired communication unit 14 performs wired communication with an access point 101 other than the wireless communication unit 11 among the plurality of access points 101. Thereby, communication between the wireless communication device 1 and another access point 101 is realized by wired communication using the electric wire L1 as a medium. Since the wireless communication unit 11 of the wireless communication device 1 also functions as the access point 101, as a result, communication between the plurality of access points 101 is realized by wired communication. In this embodiment, as an example, the electric wire L1 is a signal line for communication, and more specifically, it is a LAN cable. That is, in this embodiment, the communication method between the plurality of access points 101 constructing the mesh network is a wired LAN method.

In this way, the backhaul for connecting the plurality of access points 101 is realized by a wire (electric wire L1). In other words, the plurality of access points 101 are connected via a wired backhaul, particularly an Ethernet backhaul, to construct a mesh network. Here, as an example, the connection topology between the plurality of access points 101 is a star type. Specifically, one or more access points 101 as slave devices, which will be described later, are directly connected to an access point 101, which will be described later, as a parent device. In this embodiment, since a plurality of slave units are provided, the plurality of slave units are connected to one master unit by the electric wire L1.

Further, in this embodiment, the wired communication unit 14 communicates with another access point 101 by wire through the electric wire L1 arranged on the back side of the construction surface 300. The term "back side of the construction surface 300" as used herein means, when the construction surface 300 is a wall surface, the space behind the wall, more specifically, the space behind the wall. Of course, it is not limited to the back of the wall, but if the construction surface 300 is the floor, the underfloor (space under the floor) is the "back side of the construction surface 300", and if the construction surface 300 is the ceiling surface, it is the attic (space behind the ceiling). is the “back side of the construction surface 300”. In this way, the wired communication unit 14 realizes wired communication using the hidden wiring installed so as to pass through the back side of the construction surface 300 as the electric wire L1. Therefore, even though the plurality of access points 101 constructing the mesh network are connected by wire, the electric wire L1 connecting the plurality of access points 101 is not exposed, and the appearance is good. Moreover, even when connecting multiple access points 101 installed in different rooms, the wire L1 passes through the back side of the construction surface 300, making it possible to connect these multiple access points 101 by wire using the wire L1. It becomes possible. FIG. 1 does not faithfully represent the route that the electric wire L1 actually takes, but only schematically represents the electric wire L1 arranged on the back side of the construction surface 300.

The plurality of access points 101 are distributed and arranged in a plurality of rooms in the facility F1. In the example of FIG. 1, one access point 101 is installed in one room. In this way, by distributing the plurality of access points 101 within the facility F1, it is possible to expand the communication range of the mesh network constructed by the plurality of access points 101. In this embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that the entire facility F1 is included in the communicable range of the mesh network. Thereby, the communication terminal 2 can wirelessly communicate with any one of the plurality of access points 101 constructing the mesh network no matter where in the facility F1, and as a result, it becomes possible to connect to the mesh network.

By the way, the network system 100 as a mesh network is connected to an external network 3 (see FIG. 3) that is different from the mesh network. In this embodiment, as an example, the external network 3 is a public network such as the Internet. Network system 100 is connected to external network 3 via optical line termination device 4 . In the drawings, the optical line terminal device 4 is expressed as "ONU" (Optical Network Unit). The optical line terminal device 4 is installed in the facility F1, and is connected to an optical fiber drawn into the facility F1. The optical line termination device 4 is connected to the external network 3 via an optical line (optical fiber) and mutually converts optical signals and electrical signals. Thereby, the network system 100 is connected to the external network 3 via the optical line terminal device 4 and the optical line (optical fiber).

In this embodiment, the plurality of access points 101 constructing a mesh network are classified as either a master device or a slave device. Only one parent device exists within the mesh network, and one or more slave devices exist within the mesh network. In this embodiment, the mesh network (network system 100) includes one access point 101 as a parent device and a plurality of (four in the example of FIG. 1) access points 101 as slave devices. There is.

The base unit is connected to the external network 3, and one or more slave units are connected to the base unit. Here, the access point 101 (wireless communication device 1) serving as a parent device is connected to the optical line termination device 4, thereby being indirectly connected to the external network 3 via the optical line termination device 4. The access point 101 (wireless communication device 1) serving as a parent device and the optical line termination device 4 are connected by, for example, a LAN cable. In a mesh network, a master device functions as a "router," and slave devices function as a "satellite." Therefore, the SSID and password of one or more child devices are the same as the SSID and password of the parent device. That is, the plurality of access points 101 include a base unit connected to an external network 3 different from the mesh network, and one or more slave units connected to the base unit. The child device uses the same identifier as the parent device (an example is the SSID).

Here, as described above, in this embodiment, a plurality of access points 101 are connected. In this embodiment, since a plurality of slave units are provided, at least the wireless communication device 1 as a base unit has a plurality of slave units for connecting the plurality of slave units with an electric wire L1 (here, a LAN cable). It has a port.

Details will be explained in the section “(2.3) Wireless communication device,” but in this embodiment, the wireless communication device 1 can be used as either a parent device or a child device, and can be used as either a parent device or a child device. It is configured so that it can be switched between the two. Therefore, the wireless communication device 1 used as a plurality of access points 101 has a common configuration. Therefore, in this embodiment, each wireless communication device 1 has a plurality of ports.

In this way, the network system 100 as a mesh network is connected to an external network 3 such as the Internet. Therefore, by being connected to the mesh network, the communication terminal 2 is connected to an external network 3 such as the Internet via the mesh network. In this embodiment, as described above, the entire facility F1 is included in the communication range of the mesh network, so the communication terminal 2 can be connected to the external network 3 via the mesh network no matter where it is located in the facility F1. becomes.

(2.3) Wireless Communication Device Next, the wireless communication device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 3.

As described above, in this embodiment, as an example, the wireless communication device 1 is an embedded wiring device that is attached to the construction surface 300 that is a wall surface of the facility F1 (house). That is, the wireless communication device 1 is a wiring device that is fixed to the construction surface 300 and configured to be connectable to wiring (including the electric wire L1) that passes through the back side of the construction surface 300. In particular, in this wireless communication device 1, the casing 12 is fixed to the construction surface 300 with at least a portion of the casing 12 embedded in the construction hole 301 (see FIG. 4A) formed in the construction surface 300. It is a built-in wiring device.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wireless communication device 1 also has the function of a switch device. Since the wireless communication device 1 is attached to a construction surface 300 made of a wall surface, it constitutes a so-called "wall switch." Therefore, the wireless communication device 1 is inserted between the power source and the load 5 (see FIG. 1). “Insertion” in the present disclosure means insertion between two electrically connected parties, and the wireless communication device 1 is inserted between the power source and the load 5 in a circuit configured with the power source and the load 5. will be electrically connected to. In other words, the load 5 is electrically connected to the power source via the wireless communication device 1.

The power source is, for example, a single-phase 100 V, 60 Hz commercial AC power source (system power source). It is assumed that the load 5 is, for example, a lighting device (lighting fixture) including a light source made of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and a lighting circuit that lights the light source. In this load 5, the light source lights up when power is supplied from the power source. Therefore, the wireless communication device 1 functioning as a switching device switches the supply of power from the power source to the load 5 and the stoppage of power supply by switching conduction/non-conduction between the power source and the load 5 .

Such a wiring device as a switch device (wall switch) is generally installed at a higher position on the construction surface 300 (wall surface) than an outlet or the like. That is, in consideration of its operability, the switch device is often installed at a height that is difficult to hide behind furniture and is easy for a user to operate in a standing position. In this embodiment as well, it is assumed that the wireless communication device 1 functioning as a switch device is installed at a higher position than an outlet or the like. As an example, the wireless communication device 1 is fixed to the construction surface 300 such that the vertical center of the wireless communication device 1 is 110 cm or more and 120 cm or less from the floor surface.

The wireless communication device 1 includes a circuit block 10, a housing 12, and a cover 13, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

The circuit block 10 includes a circuit board (printed wiring board) and various electronic components mounted on the circuit board. Although details will be described later, the circuit block 10 includes at least a wireless communication section 11 (see FIG. 3). The circuit block 10 may include a plurality of circuit boards.

The housing 12 is fixed to the construction surface 300 as described above. The housing 12 accommodates the wireless communication unit 11. Strictly speaking, the housing 12 accommodates the circuit block 10 including the wireless communication section 11, thereby accommodating the wireless communication section 11 together with the circuit block 10. In addition to the circuit block 10, the housing 12 appropriately accommodates internal components such as a terminal board that constitutes a terminal. The housing 12 is made of synthetic resin having electrical insulation properties.

In this embodiment, the casing 12 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is formed to have dimensions comparable to a three-module wiring device. As shown in FIG. 2B, the casing 12 has a front surface 121 that is exposed to the front (indoor side) when the casing 12 is attached to the construction surface 300. Here, the front surface 121 of the housing 12 has a rectangular shape in which the vertical dimension is larger than the horizontal dimension. On the front surface 121 of the housing 12, a switch 71, a display section 72, a setting operation section 73, a setting switch 74, and an operation display section 75, which will be described later, are arranged.

Here, in this embodiment, the casing 12 is integrated with a mounting frame 19 for fixing the casing 12 to the construction surface 300, as shown in FIG. 4A. Furthermore, the switch plate 8 is attached to the attachment frame 19, as shown in FIG. 4A. Here, in this embodiment, the mounting frame 19 and the switch plate 8 are included in the components of the wireless communication device 1. That is, the wireless communication device 1 further includes the mounting frame 19 and the switch plate 8. However, the mounting frame 19 and the switch plate 8 are not necessarily included in the components of the wireless communication device 1, and at least one of the mounting frame 19 and the switch plate 8 is not included in the components of the wireless communication device 1. It's okay. The mounting frame 19 and the switch plate 8 will be described in detail in the section "(2.4) Mounting structure of wireless communication device".

The cover 13 covers the front surface 121 of the housing 12, as described above. Here, the cover 13 has a size and shape that covers the entire front surface 121 of the housing 12. In this embodiment, the cover 13 is made of electrically insulating synthetic resin and is formed into a rectangular plate shape. The cover 13 has a front surface 131 that is exposed forward when the wireless communication device 1 is attached to the construction surface 300, as shown in FIG. 2A. Here, the front surface 131 of the cover 13 has a rectangular shape that is slightly larger than the front surface 121 of the housing 12 .

Further, in this embodiment, the cover 13 is removably attached to the housing 12. 2A shows a state in which the cover 13 is attached to the casing 12, and FIG. 2B shows a state in which the cover 13 is removed from the casing 12. Then, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the cover 13 is attached to the casing 12, the front surface 121 of the casing 12 is covered with the cover 13. As shown in FIG. 2B, when the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12, the front surface 121 of the housing 12 is exposed. That is, the cover 13 is movable between a first position where it covers the front surface 121 of the housing 12 and a second position where the front surface 121 of the housing 12 is exposed. When the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12 as shown in FIG. 2A, the cover 13 is located at the first position, and when the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12 as shown in FIG. 2B, the cover 13 is located at the first position. Located in 2nd position.

Here, the cover 13 also functions as a switch handle. That is, the cover 13 is a movable type that can be displaced relative to the housing 12 while attached to the housing 12, and when the cover 13 receives a user's operation, the wireless communication device 1 functions as a switch device. . In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2B, a switch 71 that can be pressed and operated from the front surface 121 of the housing 12 is arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12. The "push operation" here is an operation of pushing the switch 71 backward. The switch 71 includes, for example, a cantilever-shaped lever formed on a part of the front wall of the housing 12 and a push button switch arranged behind the lever. By pressing the switch 71, the wireless communication device 1 functioning as a switch device switches conduction/non-conduction between the power source and the load 5.

Specifically, the cover 13 has a shaft portion at one end (here, the left end) in the left and right direction when viewed from the front. The cover 13 is attached to the housing 12 so as to be rotatable about the shaft. Further, the cover 13 has an operating portion 132 that protrudes rearward from a portion of its back surface. The operating portion 132 is composed of a protrusion located at a position facing the switch 71. As a result, when the front surface 131 of the cover 13 (particularly the right end on the opposite side of the shaft) is pressed, the cover 13 rotates around the shaft, and the switch 71 is pushed backward by the operating portion 132 of the cover 13. pushed into. In other words, the cover 13 is a piano handle for pressing the switch 71.

In short, the wireless communication device 1 according to the present embodiment further includes a switch 71 that can be pressed from the front surface 121 side of the housing 12. The cover 13 includes an operation section 132 for pressing the switch 71 through the cover 13. According to this configuration, it is possible to operate the switch 71 through the cover 13 when the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12, that is, when the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12. It is.

By the way, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2B, in addition to the switch 71, a display section 72, a setting operation section 73, a setting switch 74, and an operation display section 75 are provided on the front surface 121 of the housing 12. It is located.

The display section 72 displays connection information. "Connection information" in the present disclosure is information used when connecting the communication terminal 2 to the wireless communication unit 11, and includes, for example, an SSID and a password as an identifier. The display section 72 is arranged, for example, at the center of the front surface 121 of the housing 12, as shown in FIG. 2B. Therefore, when the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12 , that is, when the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12 , the display section 72 is hidden by the cover 13 . On the other hand, when the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12, that is, when the cover 13 is in the second position exposing the front surface 121 of the housing 12, the display section 72 is exposed and becomes visible. That is, the wireless communication device 1 includes a display section 72 that is disposed on the front surface 121 of the housing 12 and displays connection information used when connecting the communication terminal 2 to the wireless communication section 11. At least when the cover 13 is in the second position, the display section 72 is visible.

Further, in this embodiment, the display section 72 is a sticker affixed to a predetermined area of the front surface 121 of the housing 12. That is, the display section 72 is configured by pasting a sticker on which connection information is printed on the front surface 121 of the housing 12 . Here, it is preferable that a plurality of stickers serving as the display section 72 be packaged with one wireless communication device 1 . That is, as described above, the wireless communication device 1 is configured to be switchable between being used as a master device and a slave device. Since the child device uses the same SSID and password as the parent device, if there are multiple stickers as the display section 72, it can be used for one or more child devices in addition to the parent device. A display section 72 on which the same connection information is displayed is provided. In short, the display unit 72 displays the identifier of the base unit (SSID as an example) when the wireless communication unit 11 functions as a slave unit.

The setting operation section 73 accepts operations for setting the functions of the wireless communication section 11. In this embodiment, as an example, the setting operation section 73 is a slide switch arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12, as shown in FIG. 2B. Therefore, when the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12 , that is, when the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12 , the setting operation section 73 is hidden by the cover 13 . On the other hand, when the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12, that is, when the cover 13 is in the second position exposing the front surface 121 of the housing 12, the setting operation section 73 is exposed and becomes operable. . That is, the wireless communication device 1 includes a setting operation section 73 that is disposed on the front surface 121 of the casing 12 and receives operations for setting the functions of the wireless communication section 11. At least when the cover 13 is in the second position, the setting operation section 73 is operable.

The setting operation section 73 can switch the wireless communication section 11 between three operating modes, for example, normal mode, off mode, and setting mode. The normal mode is a mode in which the function of the wireless communication unit 11 as the access point 101 is enabled. The off mode is a mode in which the function of the wireless communication unit 11 as the access point 101 is disabled. That is, in order to stop the wireless communication of the wireless communication device 1, the off mode may be selected using the setting operation section 73. The setting mode is, for example, a mode for setting connection information, switching between a master device and a slave device, and the like.

The setting switch 74 is a switch for making connection settings. “Connection settings” in the present disclosure refers to settings for establishing wireless communication between the communication terminal 2 and the wireless communication unit 11, in other words, settings performed for connecting the communication terminal 2 to the access point 101. be. In this embodiment, for example, inputting the SSID and password of the wireless communication unit 11 at the communication terminal 2 executes the connection setting. However, some communication terminals 2 do not have a user interface for entering the SSID and password (equipment, etc.), and for such communication terminals 2, connection settings must be made using another method. There is. Specifically, for example, it is possible to establish wireless communication between the communication terminal 2 and the wireless communication unit 11 by operating the access point 101 using a method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) Protected Setup (WPS). It is possible. In this embodiment, as an example, the setting switch 74 is a switch for performing connection settings using WPS. That is, the wireless communication device 1 includes a setting switch 74 for establishing wireless communication between the communication terminal 2 and the wireless communication unit 11.

In this embodiment, the setting switch 74 is a push button switch arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12, as shown in FIG. 2B. Therefore, when the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12, that is, when the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12, the setting switch 74 is hidden by the cover 13. On the other hand, when the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12, that is, when the cover 13 is in the second position exposing the front surface 121 of the housing 12, the setting switch 74 is exposed and becomes operable. That is, the setting switch 74 is arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12. The cover 13 covers the setting switch 74 in the first position and exposes the setting switch 74 in the second position.

The operation display section 75 displays the operation state of the wireless communication section 11. The "operating state" in the present disclosure relates to the operation of the wireless communication unit 11, and is, for example, a state such as not connected, connection completed, communicating, or connection abnormality. In this embodiment, the operation display section 75 is arranged at the upper left corner of the front surface 121 of the housing 12, as shown in FIG. ). The "emission state" here includes, for example, lighting/extinguishing of the operation display section 75, a blinking pattern (flashing cycle), a luminescent color, and the like. Therefore, when the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12 , that is, when the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12 , the operation display section 75 is covered by the cover 13 . On the other hand, when the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12, that is, when the cover 13 is in the second position exposing the front surface 121 of the housing 12, the operation display section 75 is exposed. That is, the wireless communication device 1 includes an operation display section 75 that is disposed on the front surface 121 of the housing 12 and displays the operating state of the wireless communication section 11.

Here, it is preferable that at least a portion of the cover 13 facing the operation display section 75 has light transmittance. "Light transmittance" as used herein means light transmittance or transparency, and means the property of transmitting at least visible light. As a result, even when the cover 13 is attached to the casing 12, that is, when the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the casing 12, the operation display section 75 is visible through the cover 13.

As shown in FIG. 3, the circuit block 10 includes a wireless communication section 11, a wired communication section 14, a processing section 15, a storage section 16, a switching section 17, and a load control section 18. . That is, in this embodiment, the wireless communication device 1 includes a processing section 15, a storage section 16, a switching section 17, and a load control section 18 in addition to the wireless communication section 11 and the wired communication section 14. Since the circuit block 10 is housed in the casing 12, the casing 12 includes not only the wireless communication section 11 but also the wired communication section 14, the processing section 15, the storage section 16, the switching section 17, and the load control section 18. It will be accommodated.

The wireless communication unit 11 functions as the access point 101 that performs wireless communication with the communication terminal 2, as described above. Here, the wireless communication unit 11 communicates with the communication terminal 2 using Wi-Fi (registered trademark). In this embodiment, as an example, the wireless communication unit 11 complies with IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11ac/11n/11a/11g/11b. Furthermore, the wireless communication unit 11 can use both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands at the same time. In particular, in this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 11 functions as one of the plurality of access points 101 in a mesh network including the plurality of access points 101, each of which performs wireless communication with the communication terminal 2.

As described above, the wired communication unit 14 performs wired communication with an access point 101 other than the wireless communication unit 11 among the plurality of access points 101 constructing the mesh network. That is, the wired communication unit 14 realizes communication between the wireless communication unit 11 and other access points 101 by wired communication using the electric wire L1 (here, a LAN cable) as a medium. This realizes a backhaul for connecting multiple access points 101.

The processing unit 15 mainly includes, for example, a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. The microcontroller realizes the function of the processing unit 15 by executing programs recorded in one or more memories with one or more processors. The program may be pre-recorded in a memory, or may be provided recorded on a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card, or may be provided through a telecommunications line. In other words, the above program is a program for causing one or more processors to function as the processing unit 15.

The processing unit 15 controls at least the wireless communication unit 11 and the wired communication unit 14. Then, the processing unit 15 switches the operation mode of the wireless communication unit 11 between normal mode, off mode, and setting mode, for example, in response to the operation of the setting operation unit 73. Furthermore, the processing unit 15 executes connection settings for the wireless communication unit 11, for example, in response to the operation of the setting switch 74.

The storage unit 16 stores information necessary for the operation of the wireless communication device 1. Storage unit 16 includes rewritable nonvolatile memory. In this embodiment, the storage unit 16 stores at least the SSID and password as identifiers. Furthermore, the storage unit 16 also stores information necessary for connecting the plurality of access points 101 to construct a mesh network.

The switching unit 17 switches the wireless communication unit 11 between a base unit and a slave unit. That is, as described above, the wireless communication device 1 can be used as either a parent device or a child device, and is configured to be switchable between being used as a parent device and a child device. As an example, when the wireless communication device 1 receives a specific operation such as pressing and holding the setting switch 74 while the setting mode is selected on the setting operation section 73, the switching section 17 switches between the base unit and the slave unit. The switching is performed. Of course, a switch (such as a dip switch) for switching between the master device and the slave device may be provided.

In one mesh network, the switching unit 17 is configured for each wireless communication device 1 so that only one wireless communication device 1 becomes a master device and all the remaining one or more wireless communication devices 1 become slave devices. The master/slave unit is selected. When the base unit and slave unit are selected, the base unit's SSID and password are sent to one or more slave units through the backhaul (wire L1), and the slave unit's SSID and password are transmitted to the base unit's SSID and password. It will be made common.

The load control unit 18 controls the load 5 in response to a push operation of the switch 71. In this embodiment, the load control unit 18 includes, for example, a semiconductor switch such as a transistor or a bidirectional thyristor. The wireless communication device 1 includes a pair of terminals, and the load control unit 18 is electrically connected between the pair of terminals. The wireless communication device 1 electronically switches conduction/non-conduction between the power source and the load 5 by electronically controlling the semiconductor switch in the load control unit 18 in response to a push operation of the switch 71. This is a so-called electronic switch. That is, by pressing the switch 71 through the cover 13, the wireless communication device 1 switches between conduction and non-conduction between the power source and the load 5. Thereby, the wireless communication device 1 functions as a switching device that switches the energization state to the load 5.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wireless communication device 1 includes a power supply circuit that generates power for operating the internal circuit (circuit block 10) from the voltage applied to both ends of the semiconductor switch. The power supply circuit is included in the circuit block 10, for example. In other words, the wireless communication device 1 receives the voltage applied between the pair of terminals from the power source as input and generates power for operating the internal circuit. That is, the wireless communication device 1 is a so-called two-wire wiring device that can also secure power for operating the internal circuit with two electric wires connected to a pair of terminals. In such a two-wire wiring device, there is no need to provide a power terminal for supplying power for operating the internal circuit separately from the pair of terminals, and wiring work when installing the wireless communication device 1 is eliminated. It also becomes easier.

(2.4) Mounting structure of wireless communication device Next, the mounting structure of the wireless communication device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B.

In this embodiment, the wireless communication device 1 is an embedded type wiring device as described above, so it is attached to the construction surface 300 (here, a wall surface) using a mounting member 85 such as an embedded type switch box. It is attached. That is, a construction hole 301 is formed in the construction surface 300, and the wireless communication device 1 is attached through the construction hole 301 to a mounting member 85 such as a switch box placed on the back side (behind the wall) of the construction surface 300. It will be done.

The mounting frame 19 is, for example, a mounting frame for a large rectangular interconnection wiring device standardized by Japanese Industrial Standards. In this embodiment, the mounting frame 19 is integrated with the housing 12. Specifically, the mounting frame 19 is formed into a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. The housing 12 and the mounting frame 19 are integrated so that the housing 12 is located inside the mounting frame 19.

The mounting frame 19 is made of synthetic resin, for example. A pair of attachment holes 191 and a pair of plate fixing holes 192 are formed in the attachment frame 19 . The mounting frame 19 is attached to the construction surface 300 by tightening the pair of mounting screws 83 to a mounting member 85 such as a switch box through the pair of mounting holes 191 .

The switch plate 8 includes a decorative plate 81 and a fixed plate 82. That is, in this embodiment, the switch plate 8 is composed of two members: a decorative plate 81 and a fixed plate 82. The switch plate 8 (the decorative plate 81 and the fixed plate 82) is made of synthetic resin, for example.

The fixed plate 82 is fixed to the mounting frame 19. Decorative plate 81 is attached to fixed plate 82 so as to cover the front surface of fixed plate 82. In this way, the decorative plate 81 is indirectly fixed to the mounting frame 19 integrated with the housing 12 via the fixing plate 82. A window hole 801 is formed in the decorative plate 81, and when the switch plate 8 is attached to the mounting frame 19, the front surface 131 of the cover 13 is exposed through the window hole 801.

That is, the switch plate 8 is a frame-shaped member having a window hole 801, and is combined with the mounting frame 19 so that the front surface 131 of the cover 13 is exposed through the window hole 801. In other words, when the mounting frame 19 and the switch plate 8 are assembled, the front surface 131 of the cover 13 is located inside the switch plate 8 (decorative plate 81) (inside the window hole 801) when viewed from the front. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4B, with the switch plate 8 attached to the construction surface 300 together with the housing 12 and the cover 13, the switch plate 8 covers the periphery of the housing 12 and the cover 13, and the mounting The frame 19, the construction hole 301, etc. are not exposed and the appearance is improved.

More specifically, the decorative plate 81 is formed into a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. A window hole 801 is formed in the center of the decorative plate 81, passing through the decorative plate 81 in the front-rear direction. The decorative plate 81 is mechanically coupled to the fixed plate 82 in a removable manner by a snap-fit structure. That is, the decorative plate 81 and the fixing plate 82 are machined by hooking the nails of one of the decorative plate 81 and the fixing plate 82 into the holes of the other by utilizing the elasticity of at least one of the decorative plate 81 and the fixing plate 82. are combined.

Furthermore, the fixing plate 82 is formed into a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. Furthermore, a pair of through holes 821 are formed in the fixing plate 82 . The fixing plate 82 is attached to the mounting frame 19 by tightening the pair of fixing screws 84 into the pair of plate fixing holes 192 of the mounting frame 19 through the pair of through holes 821 .

(2.5) Method of providing a network Next, a method of providing a network (mesh network) according to this embodiment will be described.

The network providing method according to the present embodiment is a method of providing a mesh network constructed by a plurality of access points 101 including the wireless communication device 1 by using the wireless communication device 1 having the configuration as described above. . That is, as described above, the wireless communication unit 11 of the wireless communication device 1 functions as one of the plurality of access points 101 in the mesh network including the plurality of access points 101. Therefore, by installing a plurality of wireless communication devices 1 on the construction surface 300 (wall surface in this case) of the facility F1, a mesh network can be constructed.

More specifically, as explained in the section “(2.4) Mounting structure of wireless communication device”, the wireless communication device 1 is mounted on a construction surface using a mounting member 85 such as an embedded switch box. Attached to 300. In this embodiment, one wireless communication device 1 is installed in one room so that the entire facility F1 is included in the communication range of the mesh network. Here, the electric wire L1 (LAN cable) for connecting the wired communication unit 14 is concealed wiring (preceding wiring) installed so as to pass through the back side of the construction surface 300. Therefore, when fixing the wireless communication device 1 to the construction surface 300, the wireless communication device 1 is connected to the electric wire L1. Thereby, a plurality of wireless communication devices 1 are connected by wire via the electric wire L1. Furthermore, the wireless communication device 1 is also connected to a power source and a load 5.

Then, initial settings such as base/slave device selection are performed in each of the wireless communication devices 1. When the base unit and slave unit are selected, the base unit's SSID and password are sent to one or more slave units through the backhaul (wire L1), and the slave unit's SSID and password are transmitted to the base unit's SSID and password. It will be made common. Furthermore, by pasting a display section 72 (sticker) displaying connection information such as the SSID and password of the base device on the base device and one or more slave devices, the same display section 72 (sticker) on which connection information such as the SSID and password of the base device is displayed is attached to the base device and one or more slave devices. 72 is provided.

Finally, connection settings for connecting to the access point 101 are executed in the communication terminal 2 that connects to the mesh network. That is, for the communication terminal 2 having a user interface such as a smartphone, connection settings are performed by inputting the SSID and password of the base device on the communication terminal 2. Here, as described above, the wireless communication device 1 includes the display section 72 that is disposed on the front surface 121 of the housing 12 and displays connection information used when connecting the communication terminal 2 to the wireless communication section 11. At least when the cover 13 is in the second position, the display section 72 is visible. Therefore, the user can check the connection information (SSID, password, etc.), for example, on the display unit 72 of the wireless communication device 1 installed nearby. For communication terminals 2 that do not have a user interface, connection settings are performed by operating a setting switch 74 for setting connections using WPS.

Through the steps described above, a plurality of wireless communication devices 1 are installed, the plurality of wireless communication devices 1 are connected to each other, and initial settings are performed, thereby constructing the network system 100 as a mesh network. That is, the mesh network is provided by the network providing method described above, and the communication terminal 2 can connect to the mesh network by wirelessly communicating with any of the plurality of access points 101 that construct the mesh network.

(3) Example of use of network system Next, an example of use of the network system 100 according to this embodiment will be described.

In the facility F1 where the network system 100 has been introduced, the mesh network made up of the network system 100 can communicate over a wide area. In particular, in this embodiment, the entire facility F1 is included in the communicable range of the network system 100 as described above, so that the communication terminal 2 can connect to the external network 3 via the mesh network no matter where in the facility F1. It becomes possible to connect to.

Therefore, for example, the user can connect the communication terminal 2 to the external network 3 via the mesh network in the living room on the first floor of the facility F1, or connect the communication terminal 2 to the external network 3 via the mesh network in the bedroom on the second floor of the facility F1. You can connect. Here, for example, in the living room, the communication terminal 2 communicates wirelessly with an access point 101 made up of the wireless communication device 1 installed in the living room, and in the bedroom, it communicates with the access point 101 made up of the wireless communication device 1 installed in the bedroom. Communicate wirelessly. Therefore, compared to the case where only one access point 101 is installed in the facility F1, it is possible to stably connect the communication terminal 2 to the network system 100 (and the external network 3) over a wide area of the facility F1. can.

Further, since the network system 100 is a mesh network, even when a plurality of communication terminals 2 are connected to the network system 100 (and external network 3) at the same time, the connection can be stably made. For example, assume that a first user connects the first communication terminal 2 to the external network 3 via a mesh network in the living room on the first floor of the facility F1. In this case, it is assumed that at the same time, the second user connects the second communication terminal 2 to the external network 3 via the mesh network in the bedroom on the second floor of the facility F1. In this case, the first communication terminal 2 is connected to the wireless communication device 1 (access point 101) installed in the living room, and the second communication terminal 2 is connected to the wireless communication device 1 (access point 101) installed in the bedroom. 101). Therefore, accesses from the communication terminals 2 are distributed to a plurality of wireless communication devices 1, and the communication load on the wireless communication device 1 is reduced compared to a case where accesses are concentrated on one wireless communication device 1.

In short, repeaters are sometimes used as a means to expand the communicable range, but in a mesh network, unlike repeaters, all access points 101 have the same function. Therefore, in the case of a repeater, the communication load tends to be concentrated on one base unit, whereas in a mesh network, the communication load can be distributed, making it easier to realize stable and high-speed communication.

Further, since the network system 100 is a mesh network, the communication terminal 2 can seamlessly connect to multiple access points 101. For example, assume that the user moves from the living room on the first floor of the facility F1 to the bedroom on the second floor of the facility F1 while holding the communication terminal 2. In this case, as the user moves, the communication partner of the communication terminal 2 switches from the wireless communication device 1 (access point 101) installed in the living room to the wireless communication device 1 (access point 101) installed in the bedroom. . However, since these multiple wireless communication devices 1 also have a common SSID and password and construct a mesh network, seamless switching of the access point 101 that communicates with the communication terminal 2 is realized. That is, the communication partner of the communication terminal 2 seamlessly switches from the wireless communication device 1 installed in the living room to the wireless communication device 1 installed in the bedroom. Therefore, even when the communication terminal 2 moves within the facility F1, the communication terminal 2 can be stably connected to the network system 100 (and the external network 3) over a wide range of the facility F1.

(4) Modifications Embodiment 1 is just one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiment 1 can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the objective of the present disclosure can be achieved. Each of the figures described in this disclosure is a schematic diagram, and the ratio of the size and thickness of each component in each figure does not necessarily reflect the actual size ratio. Further, functions equivalent to those of the wireless communication device 1 according to the first embodiment may be realized by a wireless communication method, a (computer) program, a non-temporary recording medium on which the program is recorded, or the like.

Modifications of the first embodiment will be listed below. The modified examples described below can be applied in combination as appropriate.

The wireless communication device 1 according to the present disclosure includes a computer system in the processing unit 15 and the like. A computer system mainly consists of a processor and a memory as hardware. The functions of the wireless communication device 1 in the present disclosure are realized by a processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through a telecommunications line, or may be recorded on a non-transitory storage medium readable by the computer system, such as a memory card, optical disc, hard disk drive, etc. may be provided. A processor in a computer system is comprised of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large scale integrated circuits (LSIs). The integrated circuits such as IC or LSI referred to herein have different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), which is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a logic device that can reconfigure the connections inside the LSI or reconfigure the circuit sections inside the LSI, may also be used as a processor. I can do it. The plurality of electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip, or may be provided in a distributed manner over a plurality of chips. A plurality of chips may be integrated into one device, or may be distributed and provided in a plurality of devices. The computer system herein includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits or large-scale integrated circuits.

Furthermore, it is not an essential configuration for the wireless communication device 1 that at least some of the functions of the wireless communication device 1 are integrated into one housing, and the components of the wireless communication device 1 are integrated into multiple housings. They may be provided in a dispersed manner. For example, the wireless communication section 11 and the load control section 18 may be provided in separate casings. Furthermore, at least some of the functions of the processing unit 15 and the like may be realized by, for example, a server or a cloud (cloud computing).

Further, the connection topology between the plurality of access points 101 is not limited to the star type, and any appropriate connection topology can be adopted. For example, a plurality of access points 101 as slave devices may be connected in a daisy chain to the access point 101 as a parent device. In this case, if the first handset and second handset are connected to the base unit, the first handset is directly connected to the base unit, and the second handset is connected to the first handset. By being directly connected to the slave unit, the second slave unit is indirectly connected to the base unit via the first slave unit. Furthermore, the access point 101 as a parent device and the access points 101 as multiple child devices may be connected to a switching hub. In this case, the plurality of slave units will be indirectly connected to the base unit via the switching hub.

Furthermore, it is not an essential configuration for the wireless communication device 1 to include the wired communication unit 14, and the wired communication unit 14 can be omitted as appropriate. When the wired communication unit 14 is omitted, communication between the wireless communication device 1 and the other access point 101 is realized, for example, by wireless communication. In other words, the plurality of access points 101 are connected via wireless backhaul to construct a mesh network.

Furthermore, it is not an essential configuration of the wireless communication device 1 that the wireless communication device 1 can be used as either a parent device or a slave device. That is, the wireless communication device 1 may function as either a master device or a slave device. In this case, a mesh network is constructed with one wireless communication device 1 functioning as a base device and one or more wireless communication devices 1 functioning as slave devices. Furthermore, in the wireless communication device 1, there may be no distinction between a base unit and a slave unit.

Further, it is not an essential configuration of the network system 100 that a plurality of wireless communication devices 1 (access points 101) as slave devices are provided. In other words, the network system 100 only needs to have at least two access points 101, and in this case, one wireless communication device 1 as a base device and one wireless communication device 1 as a slave device. A mesh network may be constructed by

In addition, the load control unit 18 not only switches the supply of power from the power source to the load 5/stops the power supply, but also controls the amount of power supplied from the power source to the load 5, such as a dimming function. It may have a function. In this case, the wireless communication device 1 has a function as a light control device in addition to or in place of the function as a switch device.

Furthermore, the load 5 is not limited to a lighting device that includes a light source made of an LED, but may be a lighting device that includes a light source other than an LED. Furthermore, the load 5 is not limited to a lighting device, and may be a device (including devices, systems, and equipment) such as a ventilation fan, a display device, an electric shutter, an air conditioner, or a security device. Further, the load 5 is not limited to one device, but may be a plurality of devices electrically connected in series or parallel.

Further, the cover 13 only needs to be movable between a first position that covers the front surface 121 of the housing 12 and a second position that exposes the front surface 121 of the housing 12, and is removable from the housing 12. This is not an essential configuration for the wireless communication device 1. For example, the cover 13 may have a rotating shaft at one end in the left-right direction when viewed from the front, and may be supported by the housing 12 so as to be rotatable about this rotating shaft. In this case, the cover 13 can be opened and closed by rotating around the rotation axis. When the cover 13 is closed, the cover 13 is located at a first position that covers the front surface 121 of the housing 12, and when the cover 13 is opened, the cover 13 is located at a first position that exposes the front surface 121 of the housing 12. It will be located in the 2nd position.

Further, the cover 13 only needs to include an operating section 132 for pushing the switch 71 through the cover 13, and it is not essential that the cover 13 as a whole constitute a piano handle for pushing the switch 71. For example, the cover 13 may be a switch handle other than a piano handle, such as a switch handle that performs a seesaw operation. Furthermore, the cover 13 may have a configuration in which a cantilever-shaped operating section is formed in a part thereof, and only this operating section moves to press the switch 71.

Further, it is not essential for the wireless communication device 1 that the portion of the cover 13 that faces the operation display section 75 has optical transparency. In this case, when the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12 , that is, when the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12 , the operation display section 75 is hidden by the cover 13 . On the other hand, when the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12, that is, when the cover 13 is in the second position exposing the front surface 121 of the housing 12, the operation display section 75 is exposed and becomes visible. .

Further, the setting operation section 73 and the setting switch 74 may both be operable at least when the cover 13 is in the second position, and may also be operable when the cover 13 is in the first position. . For example, like the switch 71, the setting switch 74 may be pressed through the cover 13. In this case, when the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12, that is, when the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12, it is possible to operate the setting switch 74 through the cover 13. .

Further, the switch 71 may be assigned different functions depending on when the cover 13 is in the first position and when the cover 13 is in the second position. For example, the switch 71 may have the function of load control when the cover 13 is in the first position, and the switch 71 may have the function of the setting switch 74 when the cover 13 is in the second position. In this case, if the switch 71 is operated with the cover 13 in the second position, the connection setting is executed. In other words, the switch 71 is also used as the setting switch 74. An appropriate sensor can detect whether the cover 13 is in a first position where it covers the front surface 121 of the housing 12 or a second position where the front surface 121 of the housing 12 is exposed. The function of the switch 71 is changed according to the detection result of such a sensor.

In addition, the display section 72 is not limited to a sticker affixed to a predetermined area of the front surface 121 of the casing 12; for example, a name plate or a card, etc. is attached to the front surface 121 of the casing 12 to constitute the display section 72. Good too. Furthermore, the display section 72 may be formed by printing or marking directly on the housing 12, or may be written by hand on the front surface 121 of the housing 12.

Furthermore, the wireless communication between the access point 101 (wireless communication device 1) and the communication terminal 2 is not limited to Wi-Fi (registered trademark), but also includes Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or licensed It may also be a low-power radio (specific low-power radio) that is not required.

(Embodiment 2)
As shown in FIGS. 5A to 6B, the wireless communication device 1A according to the present embodiment differs from the wireless communication device 1 according to the first embodiment in that it does not have a function as a switch device. Hereinafter, configurations similar to those in Embodiment 1 will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

In this embodiment, the cover 13 is not movable but fixed because it does not have a function as a switch handle. That is, although the cover 13 is removably attached to the casing 12, it is not imaginably displaced relative to the casing 12 while it is attached to the casing 12.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A, the wireless communication device 1A includes a sensor 91 on a part of the front surface 131 of the cover 13. Here, as an example, the sensor 91 is a human sensor that detects the presence or absence of a person. Thereby, it is possible to control the wireless communication unit 11 according to the detection result of the sensor 91. For example, if the sensor 91 is a human sensor, when there is no person around the wireless communication device 1A, the wireless communication section 11 can be turned off or placed in a power saving mode such as intermittent operation. 11 can be suppressed.

That is, the wireless communication device 1A includes the sensor 91, and the wireless communication unit 11 operates according to the output of the sensor 91. Here, the sensor 91 is not limited to a human sensor, and may be, for example, a brightness sensor, a vibration sensor, a proximity sensor, a sound sensor, or a combination thereof. For example, when the sensor 91 is a brightness sensor, if the brightness (illuminance) detected by the sensor 91 is below a threshold, the wireless communication device 1A turns off the wireless communication unit 11 or performs intermittent operation, etc. power saving mode.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5B, the wireless communication device 1A includes a USB (Universal Serial Bus) outlet 92 on a part of the front surface 131 of the cover 13. Here, as an example, the USB outlet 92 has one outlet. The USB outlet 92 is a USB receptacle into which a USB plug of a device can be inserted and connected, and is configured to output a 5V DC voltage to the device through the USB plug. That is, the wireless communication device 1A is equipped with a USB outlet.

In particular, the wireless communication device 1A includes a power supply circuit that generates power for operating the internal circuit (circuit block 10). Therefore, by using the operating power generated by this power supply circuit as the output of the USB outlet 92, the circuit size can be reduced compared to the case where the power conversion circuit for the USB outlet 92 is provided separately from the power supply circuit. It is possible to suppress it.

Moreover, in the example of FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, the wireless communication device 1A constitutes the wiring equipment system 200 together with other wiring equipment 201. That is, the wiring device system 200 according to the present embodiment includes a wireless communication device 1A and a wiring device 201. The wiring fixture 201 is fixed to the construction surface 300 in line with the housing 12.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6A, wiring fixture 201 included in wiring fixture system 200 is a single module sized switch device. In this embodiment, two casings 12 of the wireless communication device 1A are formed to have a module size, and are installed inside one switch plate 8, vertically (vertically) aligned with the wiring device 201 (switch device).

In the embodiment of FIG. 6B, wiring fixture system 200 includes two wiring fixtures 201 comprised of one module sized switch device. In this aspect, two wiring devices 201 (switch devices) are arranged side by side in the vertical direction (up and down direction). The housing 12 of the wireless communication device 1A is formed to have the same three module dimensions as in the first embodiment, and is installed inside one switch plate 8 side by side with the two wiring devices 201 in the left and right direction.

However, in the configurations shown in FIGS. 5A to 6B, the wireless communication device 1A may have a function as a switching device. Thus, for example, in the configuration of FIG. 5A, the wireless communication device 1A functions as a switch device with a sensor 91, and in the configuration of FIG. 5B, the wireless communication device 1A functions as a switch device with a USB outlet 92. do.

Further, the wiring equipment 201 included in the wiring equipment system 200 is not limited to a switch device, and may be, for example, an outlet, a sensor device, a timer device, or the like.

The configuration described in Embodiment 2 (including modified examples) can be employed in appropriate combination with the various configurations (including modified examples) described in Embodiment 1. For example, even the wireless communication device 1 according to the first embodiment can be combined with other wiring devices 201 to configure the wiring device system 200.

(Embodiment 3)
The network system 100A according to the present embodiment is different from the network system 100 according to the first embodiment in that, as shown in FIG. 7, the access points 101 and 102 include wireless devices 6 other than the wireless communication device 1. Hereinafter, configurations similar to those in Embodiment 1 will be given the same reference numerals and descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

In this embodiment, the plurality of access points 101 and 102 include a base unit (access point 102) connected to an external network 3 different from the mesh network, and one or more slave units (access point 102) connected to the base unit. Point 101). The base device (access point 102) is a wireless device 6 different from the wireless communication device 1.

As an example, the wireless device 6 is a stationary access point that functions as a router. One or more access points 101 (wireless communication devices 1) as slave devices are directly connected to the access point 102 (wireless device 6) as a parent device. In this embodiment, since a plurality of slave units are provided, the plurality of slave units are connected to one master unit by the electric wire L1. Thereby, the wired communication unit 14 of the wireless communication device 1 performs wired communication with other access points 101 and 102 through the electric wire L1. Here, the SSID and password of one or more child devices (access point 101) are common to the SSID and password of the parent device (access point 102).

According to the configuration of the present embodiment described above, in constructing the network system 100A as a mesh network, it is not necessary to provide all the access points 101 and 102 with the same wireless communication device 1. That is, by linking the wireless communication device 1 and the wireless device 6, it is possible to construct the network system 100A as a mesh network.

Further, in the present embodiment, the wireless device 6 different from the wireless communication device 1 is used as a base device (access point 102), but is not limited to this, and may be used as a slave device. Furthermore, the network system 100A is not limited to one wireless device 6 but may include a plurality of wireless devices 6.

The configuration described in Embodiment 3 (including modified examples) can be employed in appropriate combination with the various configurations (including modified examples) described in Embodiment 1 or 2.

(summary)
As described above, the wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to the first aspect includes a wireless communication section (11), a housing (12), and a cover (13). The wireless communication unit (11) functions as an access point (101) that performs wireless communication with the communication terminal (2). The housing (12) is fixed to the construction surface (300). The housing (12) houses a wireless communication unit (11). The cover (13) covers the front surface (121) of the housing (12).

According to this aspect, the access point can be installed smartly without securing a space for placing the stationary access point. Moreover, since the front surface (121) of the casing (12) is covered by the cover (13), the casing (12) can be protected from dust, moisture, oil, external force, etc. by the cover (13). Furthermore, the appearance of the construction surface (300) is not easily damaged. Therefore, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom in installing the access point (101) is increased.

In the wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, at least a part of the housing (12) is embedded in the construction hole (301) formed in the construction surface (300). In this state, the housing (12) is fixed to the construction surface (300).

According to this aspect, the amount of protrusion of the casing (12) from the construction surface (300) can be suppressed, and the casing (12) is less likely to get in the way.

The wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, further includes a switch (71) that can be pressed from the front surface (121) side of the housing (12). The cover (13) includes an operation section (132) for pressing the switch (71) through the cover (13).

According to this aspect, the switch (71) can be pressed through the cover (13), and the cover (13) can be used as a switch handle.

In the wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to the fourth aspect, in any of the first to third aspects, the cover (13) has a first position that covers the front surface (121) of the housing (12); It is movable between a second position in which the front surface (121) of the casing (12) is exposed.

According to this aspect, when the cover (13) is in the second position, it is possible to expose the front surface (121) of the housing (12).

The wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to the fifth aspect further includes a display section (72) in the fourth aspect. The display section (72) is arranged on the front surface (121) of the housing (12) and displays connection information used when connecting the communication terminal (2) to the wireless communication section (11). At least when the cover (13) is in the second position, the display section (72) is visible.

According to this aspect, the user can confirm the connection information used when connecting the communication terminal (2) to the wireless communication unit (11) at least with the cover (13) in the second position.

The wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to the sixth aspect further includes a setting operation section (73) in the fourth or fifth aspect. The setting operation section (73) is arranged on the front surface (121) of the housing (12), and receives operations for setting the functions of the wireless communication section (11). At least when the cover (13) is in the second position, the setting operation section (73) is operable.

According to this aspect, the user can set the functions of the wireless communication unit (11) at least with the cover (13) in the second position.

A wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to a seventh aspect is configured to provide a wireless communication device (1, 1A) for establishing wireless communication between a communication terminal (2) and a wireless communication unit (11) in any one of the fourth to sixth aspects. It further includes a setting switch (74).

According to this aspect, wireless communication between the communication terminal (2) and the wireless communication unit (11) can be established by operation on the side of the wireless communication device (1, 1A).

In the wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to the eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, the setting switch (74) is arranged on the front surface (121) of the housing (12). The cover (13) covers the setting switch (74) in the first position and exposes the setting switch (74) in the second position.

According to this aspect, the user can operate to establish wireless communication between the communication terminal (2) and the wireless communication unit (11) while at least the cover (13) is in the second position.

The wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to the ninth aspect is arranged on the front surface (121) of the housing (12) in any one of the first to eighth aspects, and the wireless communication device (1, 1A) is arranged on the front surface (121) of the housing (12), The apparatus further includes an operation display section (75) for displaying.

According to this aspect, the user can check the operating state of the wireless communication unit (11).

The wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to the tenth aspect further includes a sensor (91) in any one of the first to ninth aspects. The wireless communication unit (11) operates according to the output of the sensor (91).

According to this aspect, the operation of the wireless communication unit (11) becomes diverse.

The wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to the eleventh aspect, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, further includes a USB outlet (92).

According to this aspect, power can be supplied from the USB outlet (92).

In a wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to a twelfth aspect, in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the wireless communication unit (11) is configured to include one of the plurality of access points (101, 102) in the mesh network. functions as one. The mesh network includes a plurality of access points (101, 102), each of which performs wireless communication with a communication terminal (2).

According to this aspect, even when the communication terminal (2) moves from near one access point (101, 102) to near another access point (101, 102), the connection destination of the communication terminal (2) is Seamless switching between the two access points (101, 102).

A wiring device system (200) according to a thirteenth aspect includes a wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects and a wiring device (201). The wiring fixture (201) is fixed to the construction surface (300) in line with the casing (12).

According to this aspect, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom in installing the access point (101) is increased.

The configurations according to the second to twelfth aspects are not essential to the wireless communication device (1, 1A) and can be omitted as appropriate.

1, 1A Wireless communication device 2 Communication terminal 11 Wireless communication unit 12 Housing 13 Cover 71 Switch 72 Display unit 73 Setting operation unit 74 Setting switch 75 Operation display unit 91 Sensor 92 USB outlet 101, 102 Access point 121 (of the housing) Front 132 Operation section 200 Wiring equipment system 201 Wiring equipment 300 Construction surface 301 Construction hole

Claims (6)

a wireless communication unit that functions as an access point for wireless communication with a communication terminal;
a casing fixed to a construction surface and accommodating the wireless communication unit;
a cover that covers the front of the casing;
a setting operation section disposed on the front surface of the casing and accepting operations for setting functions of the wireless communication section;
The cover is attached to the housing so as to be rotatable around a shaft,
The cover is movable between a first position that covers the front surface of the casing and a second position that exposes the front surface of the casing,
The setting operation section is operable when the cover is in the second position.
Wireless communication device. a switch that can be pressed from the front side of the casing;
the switch is operable with the cover in the first position and the second position;
The wireless communication device according to claim 1. The switch is assigned different functions when the cover is in the first position and when the cover is in the second position,
The wireless communication device according to claim 2. The function of the switch includes the function of the setting operation section.
The wireless communication device according to claim 3. comprising a sensor that detects whether the cover is in the first position or the second position,
The function of the switch is changed according to the detection result of the sensor.
The wireless communication device according to claim 3 or 4. A wireless communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
a wiring device fixed to the construction surface in line with the casing;
Wiring fixture system.

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