JP3392135B1 - Data transmission method in home bus system - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate exchange of information of a device beyond a network in a home bus system in which a large number of devices are connected to a network. An address configuration processed by an application and communication middleware is composed of a network ID and a device ID in a network, and a specific router having all connection information on other networks is provided for each network. Under this condition, each device transmits a message to another network only to a specific router, and the specific router establishes an appropriate transmission route.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a so-called home network, and more particularly, to a communication protocol and processing for accurately transmitting data to individual devices provided in a network other than individual devices provided in the network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various and numerous devices are used in homes, buildings, floors and sections of buildings. Therefore, attempts are being made to obtain a better living environment, working environment, energy saving, and work efficiency by integrating and managing these devices through a home network (or home bus system).

Specifically, for example, in each home, air conditioners, refrigerators, fans, heaters for bath water utilizing solar heat, microwave ovens, water heaters, electric guts, warm air blowers, electric clocks, television receivers, Lighting equipment is used, and the time and time when these equipment are used are closely related to each other. It aims to improve and save energy.

More specifically, since hot water from a bath water heater utilizing solar heat can often be used in summer, it is not necessary to raise the automatic temperature setting of the water heater during the bathing time. Set it lower than in winter, if it is an extremely short time to use the microwave oven, even in the summer, you can reduce the power consumption of the entire home by temporarily turning off the air conditioning equipment. It controls the operation output and transmission of the air conditioner in the room.

As another example, in the office, the output of an air conditioner is controlled by sensing the operating state of a device as a heat source that is being operated (used). Time and operation (used)
The unnecessary lighting in the room is stopped based on the position of the installed equipment, and the lighting and air-conditioning equipment in the classroom which is not taught at the university are stopped.

[0006] Further, it is considered and attempted not only to control the start and stop depending on the season and time but also to detect the use situation and to even care for and monitor the infant especially when the home is only for the elderly and parents are absent. Is being done. Specifically, if the toilet door does not open or close for more than a certain time interval, the volume of the TV is too loud, or the operation of various equipment such as air conditioners and heaters is unnatural, it detects an abnormality,
When a child's mobile phone, which uses a telephone line to contact a helper, goes out of the range of the station that manages the neighborhood of the home, the parents are warned to that effect through the screen and voice of the television receiver. And so on.

FIG. 1 shows a connection state of various devices for them.
The concept is shown in.

In the figure, the electric refrigerator 1, the air conditioner 2, the home slag 3, the fluorescent lamp 4, the microwave oven 5, and the electric washing machine 6 are connected to the CPU 10 by the power line 11, thereby forming one (sub) network. is doing. The television receiver 7 and the clock 8 are connected to the CPU 10 by infrared rays 12, thereby forming one (sub) network. The telephone 9 is wirelessly connected to the CPU 10 to form one (sub) network.

In addition to the above, other means such as ultrasonic waves may be used to connect each device, or a plurality of means may be used for connection.

Also, in the network, as shown in this figure, a large number of devices and sub-networks are not radially connected around a single CPU 10, but a controller (not shown) as shown in FIG. ) Or a router (located between a plurality of nets and realizing communication between the networks. In Fig. 1, the CPU plays this role. Depending on the system or device, an IC circuit attached to the device plays this role. Are connected to each other by a router at the end of each of those constituent elements or a device that plays the role of each sub-network, or as shown in FIG. The sub-networks are connected in a hierarchical manner like trees, so to speak.

In the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes a network or a device that is substantially a network, and 30 denotes a router or a device that plays a role thereof.

[0012] Even if it is not so exaggerated, when the television receiver and the VTR are connected, the VTR reads out the time signal in the broadcast wave received by the television receiver for the correct display of the time and is required. It is also used for simple combinations such as various modifications.

Further, in order to effectively exert these networks, various standards and proposals thereof have been established or announced by the Japan Electronic Machinery Manufacturers Association, the Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association, etc. (eg, , ET-2101, JEM-143
9).

Also, a protocol (communication standard) for that purpose
Etc. are being defined or are being developed.

For this reason, each device (including sensors) may be provided with necessary equipment and functions, for example, a communication processing function, in order to perform appropriate functions in the home network from the time of manufacturing. Of course, it has been done or is being considered.

[0016]

However, when each device or network is connected as shown in FIG. 2A or FIG. 3, the exchange of information between each device becomes a problem.

That is, for example, when the device 1 of the network B shown in FIG. 3 wants to send a message to the device 2 of the network C, first, which router in the network B (whether the router A or the router B) sends the message. Network C
It is necessary to know whether or not the electronic message is delivered to the device 2, and it is necessary to complete the means (communication means) therefor. For this reason, not only the load on the device side but also the load for initial setting on communication becomes large.

Regarding the configuration of the electronic message for that purpose, the electronic message first issued by the device on the network B is as shown in FIG. In this figure, PR is a priority code (code for specifying the priority of a message).

SA is a source physical address {address on the same network (identification code, ID)}.

DA is a destination physical address (address on the same network).

CC is a control code (DATA area format designation code).

BC is a byte count code (DATA
Area size designation).

The FCC is a frame check code (code for error check of message frame).

HD is a header code (SA ', DA'
It is a code for specifying whether or not an equal code exists.

SA 'is a sub-bus transmission source physical address (a physical address of a transmission source device on another network).

DA 'is the physical address of the sub-bus destination (the physical address of the destination device on the other network).

OPC is an operation code (command code).

OPR is an operand code (command content detail defining code).

RHD is routing information (routed GW or router information when passing through a plurality of networks).

In order to properly perform transmission / reception, as shown in the case of FIG.
The address information or identification code (ID) of the device 1 of
It becomes a telegram for designating the address information of the router B (device 3) of the network B by DA and the address information of the device 2 of the network C by DA 'without designating SA', and the response telegram for the telegram is SA. The address information of the router B (device 3) is DA and the address information of the device 1 on the network B is SA, and the address information of the device 2 on the network C is SA ', and DA' is received as a telegram specified as none. Become.

If a device on the sub-network A sends a message to a device on the network C, information passing through the router A and the router B is used as the RHD information as shown in the case 2 of FIG. Had to set.

Therefore, conventionally, in the communication middleware structure of the home bus system as shown in FIG. 5, in order for the communication middleware processing unit to assemble a message based on the information from the application processing unit, the application program creator has to It is necessary to understand the network configuration and also the device address on the network where the other device exists, and to create a telegram configuration that has that information. Furthermore, a gateway (router that passes the telegram) It was necessary to understand all the information in ().
(In the figure, "software" also means "a portion that executes and processes the software.") However, this is actually difficult. In any case, not only each home bus system but also each communication means is limited in each home, and the devices included or possessed are added and deleted one after another. However, it is impossible to make accurate recognition.

In particular, in hospital rooms, nursing homes, etc., there are many identical devices, but the contents of the devices differ from room to room and are fluid.

For this reason, there has been a demand for the development of a technique that allows devices on a network to easily exchange necessary data with each other without requiring such a grasp.

[0035]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving the above problems. The address configuration processed by application software and communication middleware is defined as "network ID" and "in network". It is configured as a "device ID" consisting of a "device ID", and this address information is placed in the DATA area of a message exchanged on the network, and the network ID information is different from the own network ID information. When a message is sent to the device, the message is transmitted with the destination address (DA in the example) on the own network as a specific router address.

In the router, all router information is held, and the address of the next router to be passed is extracted from the network ID information in the DNA of the received message,
It is supposed that the message is transferred to the router. If the received electronic message is addressed to a device on the other network of the router, the electronic message is passed to that device.

Specifically, it has the following configuration.

The first aspect of the invention is, first of all, the ID of each device.
Has a two-stage structure of the ID of the network to which it belongs and the ID of the device in the network. Next, the device of each network is located between a plurality of networks when transmitting a message (including a signal message by ultrasonic waves or infrared rays) to a device of another network, and communication between the networks is performed. When there are a plurality of routers that are in charge of the network, the message is transmitted to the specific router anyway, and the specific router transmits the received message to the router that is the optimum transmission route. Therefore, only the specific router of each network needs to know what kind of devices and routers are connected to each network, and the connection relationship between the networks.

In addition, since the ID is written in the DATA area, it is highly versatile.

The second invention, like the first invention, has an ID.
Is configured in two stages, and next, when transmitting a message to a device in another network, the device in each network inquires of a specific router in the own network which device to transmit to. . Then, the electronic message is transmitted to the device indicated by the response to this inquiry.

On the other hand, the specific router has connection information of all networks so that the inquiry can be answered, and the inquiry is made by referring to the connection information. Therefore, it is not necessary to process the message itself, and it is possible to reply without delay even when there is a concentration of inquiries to a specific router.

Next, in any of the inventions, since the main operation is performed by the communication middleware software section, the operator is not burdened with various aspects, and the specific router and its operation can be freely performed later by software. It is also possible to change to.

In addition to the above, it goes without saying that the structure of the electronic message is determined by the protocol.

[0044]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below based on its embodiments.

(First Embodiment) In the present embodiment, each device has a plurality of devices connected to its own network when transmitting a message or necessary information to a device existing in another network. It is assumed that the communication text is sent from the router to a specific router, and the correct communication route is analyzed and processed by this specific router.

FIG. 6A shows an address configuration example of this embodiment, and FIG. 6B shows a telegram configuration example. Note that the source and destination node addresses shown in FIG.
And DNA. As can be clearly seen in this figure, the address configuration treated by the application software and communication middleware shown in FIG. 4 is a device ID composed of a network ID and a device ID in the network.

Further, this address information is (b) in FIG.
As shown in, it is placed in the data area of the telegram exchanged on the network, and the network I
When sending to a device on a network different from D,
The destination address (DA) on the own network is a predetermined telegram which is a specific router on the own network.

Therefore, when a router, in particular, each device that is not a specific router transmits to a device that is not its own network,
It will always be sent to this particular router, except when it is sent to a device on another network to which it is connected.

FIG. 7 shows the configuration of the general equipment other than the router (the portion relating to the present invention centering on the communication middleware portion). In the figure, reference numeral 40 denotes the general equipment as a whole. Four
Reference numeral 1 is the application processing unit. Reference numeral 42 denotes the partner network ID analysis processing unit. 43 is
This is the router information holding unit. Reference numeral 44 is the lower communication processing unit.

The application processing unit 41 generates a message centering on the data to be originally transmitted.

The partner network ID analysis processing unit 42 in the communication middleware software refers to the router information holding unit 43 and determines whether or not the transmission destination is a device of another network. Here, the router information holding unit 43 holds only the information about the device of one network to which the device belongs. If it is addressed to a device in its own network, the message will be sent to the device. Of course, if the device is a router that is not a specific router, the message will be sent to the devices connected to the plurality of networks that are connected to and mediate.

If it is addressed to a device that does not belong to its own network, the electronic message is sent to a specific router of its own network through the lower communication processing section 44.

Next, the processing of this particular router will be described.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a specific router, one of which exists for each network. In this figure, 50 is
It is the router body. Reference numeral 51 is an all-router information holding unit. Reference numeral 52 is a partner network ID analysis processing unit. Reference numerals 53 and 54 are lower communication processing units. Hereinafter, this operation will be described.

When the lower communication processing section 53 receives a message from a device on the network, it sends it to the partner network ID analysis processing section 52. When the message is to a network other than the network, the partner network analysis processing unit 52 refers to the all-router information holding unit 51 holding the information of all routers, and extracts the address of the next router to be passed. , Transfer the message to the router that is the route.
If it is addressed to a device on the other network that constitutes the router, it is transferred to that device.

The all-router information processing section 51 conceptually holds the information on the connection relations of all the networks and all the routers as shown in FIG. 3 in the table format shown in FIG. 9A.

Therefore, when a message is transmitted to a specific device on a certain network, it is possible to determine through which route the message can be transmitted.

FIG. 9A is a list of routers of the device 3 belonging to the network B of FIG. 3 and connected to the network C.

In FIG. 9A, if the destination network is A, the device (router) 4 of network B
If the network is D, it can be passed to the device (router) 2 of the network B, and if it is the network C, it can be passed to the network C 4 to which it is connected.

FIG. 9B is a flow chart showing the contents of the determination of the transmission destination of the router at this time. When this specific router receives a message from a device of network B, if the destination is a device of the same network, it forwards it to the corresponding device, and if it is another network, it will connect to it or to the device of the same network. It is passed to the device 4 of the connected network C. If the destination is myself, of course, it will not be transferred anywhere, and the data of the message will be processed by myself.

On the other hand, the same procedure is repeated for the electronic message transferred to another network, and finally it is delivered to the recipient.

(Second Embodiment) According to the present embodiment, each router becomes an optimum route to the device of the destination of the message in response to the inquiry of the destination of the message from the device. The device on the network to which it belongs is notified as the destination.

In the first embodiment described above, since each device temporarily transmits the message itself to the specific router on the network, all the devices are switched to other networks when starting a new network or router. Depending on the amount of information sent to the device connected to the device, the amount of information in the message, etc., the processing load on this particular router may increase. Therefore, the present embodiment is different in that each device directly transmits the message itself to the most suitable device (or router).

FIG. 10A shows the configuration of each device of this embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 411 is a message body creating unit in the application processing unit. Reference numeral 421 is a destination network ID determination unit. Reference numeral 431 is a specific router inquiry unit. Reference numeral 441 is a destination device transmission unit.

FIG. 10B is a flow chart when the electronic message is transmitted from the device.

The operation of this device will be described below with reference to FIGS.

(B1) The message body creating section 411 creates a message as shown in FIG. 6 (b).

(B2) Destination network ID judging section 4
The device 21 looks at the destination network ID of the message and determines whether it is a device in its own network, a device in the network to which the device to which it is connected, or a device in another network. For example, it is transmitted to the corresponding device (b4).

If it is a device on the network to which the device to which it is connected belongs, the electronic message is passed to the device (b4).

(B3) If the device is another network,
Ask the specific router which device in the local network it should send to.

(B4) A message is transmitted to the corresponding device based on the reply to the inquiry.

Even in each device that has received the message, although the message is not created (b), the same process is performed, and the message finally reaches the device of the network of the original transmission destination.

FIG. 11 shows the configuration of the specific router in this embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a specific router. In the figure, reference numeral 521 is a transmission destination device determination unit. 53
Reference numeral 1 is a reception unit. Reference numeral 541 is a notification unit.

When the receiving section 531 receives an inquiry accompanied by the notification of the ID of the destination network from the device,
This is notified to the destination device determination unit 521.

The destination device determining unit 521 refers to the all router information connecting unit 51 to determine to which device the message should be passed. Then, this is notified to the notification unit 541.
The notification unit 541 notifies the device of the inquiry destination of the ID of the device to which the electronic message is to be passed.

As described above, the home bus system can be operated without causing a processing wait and a delay due to the concentration of processing by a specific router.

Although the present invention has been described above based on some embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these. That is, for example, the following may be performed.

1) If the transmission destinations are the same network, each device directly transmits without passing through a specific router.

2) Depending on the device, the partner device, means and data to be transmitted / received are also determined. Therefore, the specific router is different depending on the means for transmitting infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, power lines, and the like. Alternatively, some devices have a function as a specific router.

3) Depending on the contents to be transmitted, such as TV and VTR, each device directly transmits.

4) The connection relation of each network is not two-dimensional but three-dimensional and multidimensional. Specifically, the air conditioner belongs to the air conditioning network and the electricity saving network. Therefore, there are a plurality of transmission routes for electronic messages.

5) The configuration of the network and equipment is not multi-stage but multi-stage. That is, there are higher-level networks made up of several networks, lower-level devices for each complex device, etc., and these also have IDs according to the layers. Then, a specific router is also present in the host network or the device, and the processing according to the present invention is performed. As a result, it is used not only for HBC in each home for the elderly care, but also for the location of multiple homes and helpers only for the old, each hospital room, ward and nurse station etc. There is.

6) Various communication protocols and identification codes for each device have been studied and proposed at present. Therefore, the configuration other than that disclosed in this specification is adopted.

7) The specific router also has a function of giving an identification code to a newly joined network or device. Furthermore, it is not a router with a built-in device but a device dedicated to the router function.

[0086]

As can be seen from the above description, in the present invention, it is not necessary for each device or router to grasp the network configuration, and the cost is reduced accordingly.

The ID of the destination network and device
Need only be written in the data area, and as a result, the application program creator does not need to know the network configuration and create a message with that information, which makes the creation of the message easy.

Also, since the specific router is inquired about the transmission destination within its own network and the electronic message is sent to the corresponding device, congestion of the specific router is eliminated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration example of a conventional home bus.

FIG. 2 is a configuration example of another conventional home bus.

FIG. 3 is a configuration example of a home bus targeted by the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a telegram in a conventional home bus system.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a communication middleware structure of a home bus system.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a basic concept (a) of the present invention and a configuration (b) of a telegram using it.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a device transmission system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a transmission system of a specific router for each network.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the contents (a) of the correspondence table of the destination network of a specific router for each network and the device to be transferred, and the procedure (b) of selecting the transfer destination device.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a device transmission system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a specific router according to a second embodiment of this invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 refrigerator 2 air conditioners 3 moat gotta 4 lighting equipment 5 microwave oven 6 washing machine 7 Television and VTR 8 clocks 9 telephones 10 CPU 11 power lines 12 infrared 13 radio 20 sub-network 30 routers 40 General equipment 41 Application processing unit (software) 411 Telegram body creation section 42 Destination Network ID Analysis Processing Unit 421 destination network ID determination unit 43 Router information storage 431 Specific router inquiry section 44 Lower communication processing unit 441 destination device transmitter 50 specific routers for each network 51 All router information storage 52 Destination Network ID Analysis Processing Unit 521 destination device determination unit 53 Lower communication processing unit 531 Reception Department 54 Lower communication processing unit 541 Notification unit

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --Continued from the front page (56) References JP-A-5-75618 (JP, A) JP-A-10-224348 (JP, A) JP-A-11-112543 (JP, A) JP-A-11- 168492 (JP, A) JP 62-216542 (JP, A) JP 62-216449 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04L 12/00-12 / 66 H04L 13/00-13/18 H03J 9/00-9/06 H04Q 9/00-9/16 G06F 13/00

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A data transmission method in which a device connected to a first network among a plurality of networks transmits data, wherein a device connected to any one of the plurality of networks is identification information of a network to which the device is connected. And a device connected to the first network,
One of the router devices connected to the network is a specific router device, and all the data to the device having the identification information of the network different from the identification information of the own network is transmitted to the specific router device. How to send data. 2. A device connected to the first network, if the network identification information of the transmission destination device is the same as the identification information of its own network, the device directly transmits the data to the transmission destination device. The data transmission method according to claim 1, wherein: 3. A device connected to a first network of a plurality of networks, wherein a device connected to any one of the plurality of networks has identification information of a network to which it connects, The device connected to the network of
One of the router devices connected to the network is a specific router device, and all data to the device having network identification information different from its own network identification information is transmitted to the specific router device. . 4. The device connected to the first network, if the network identification information of the transmission destination device is the same as the identification information of its own network, transmits the data directly to the transmission destination device. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that: