JP4289208B2 - Wireless relay device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a relay device that relays a wireless network to a wired network or a wireless network.

  Systems that connect home-use portable information devices, mobile phones, AV (Audio Visual) home appliances, white goods home appliances, and various sensor devices using a network have already been released as home network systems. ing. In addition, a system for connecting equipment devices, personal computers, various sensor devices, etc. in a building using a network has already been introduced as a building management system. In such a system, sensor devices that operate independently by battery or in-house power generation (vibration power generation, solar power generation, etc.) without receiving power supply from an AC 100V power plug are installed at various locations in a house or building. There is a great demand for measuring various data and transmitting them wirelessly to the home control device or building control device, for example, to measure the temperature distribution in the building or to detect intruders. However, since the current consumption of sensor devices with such communication functions needs to be extremely small, it is common to suppress communication output in order to reduce the current consumption required for communication. Since the distance is shortened, it is often very difficult to make radio waves reach directly to the sensor device and the home control device or the building control device.

  For this reason, access points that relay a wired network between the wireless network with the sensor device and the home control device or the building control device have been installed everywhere within the reach of the radio waves from the sensor device. Alternatively, each of such sensor devices has an ad hoc network communication function, and these sensor devices relay the wireless network to finally reach the home control device or the building control device. The latter technique is disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3, for example.

JP-A-8-097821 JP2003-174452 JP 2000-341323 A

  However, the method of installing the access points everywhere has a problem of high cost because it is necessary to purchase and install a dedicated access point. In addition, in the methods as disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3, it is necessary to install such an ad hoc network communication function in all sensor devices, and it is necessary to relay data unrelated to itself. For this reason, there is a problem that the current consumption becomes large and it is expensive to add a communication function for this purpose.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a wireless relay device that relays a wireless network of sensor devices at a low cost without using a dedicated access point.

  The main invention of the present invention that achieves the above object is a wireless relay device, which is a means for connection with home appliances or building equipment, a communication means for transmitting and receiving messages between the first network, and a reception means Means for controlling the home appliance or building equipment according to the request instructed in the request message and creating a response message; means for controlling this; communication means for transmitting / receiving a message to / from the second network; It is assumed that there are means for holding information of the received message and means for reading out the held information and creating a response message in accordance with the request instructed by the request message received from the first network.

  Further, as an invention for reducing the processing of the wireless relay device, command data composed of a plurality of element data transmitted from the first information processing apparatus is received by sequentially receiving the element data. A first command receiving unit; a second command receiving unit configured to receive command data composed of a plurality of element data transmitted from the second information processing apparatus by sequentially receiving the element data; and A state transition pattern storage unit that stores a state transition pattern of processing in each command data interpretation process; and in each command data interpretation process, the element data is processed one by one in order, A state transition unit that transitions the state of processing in the interpretation process according to the state transition pattern every time one process is performed , And further comprising a control unit for executing control determined according to the state determined ultimately by the state transition section.

  According to the present invention, since the wireless relay device itself has both a function of relaying a plurality of networks and a function of controlling home appliances and in-building devices, a special dedicated wireless relay device is not installed. A system can be provided at low cost.

  Also, according to the present invention, the wireless relay device changes the state every time the element data constituting the message is processed in the order of reception. Therefore, the wireless relay device only needs to include a memory having a storage device for storing only a part of the plurality of element data constituting the message. And cost reduction.

  Further, according to the present invention, the wireless relay device sequentially receives element data and processes the received element data one by one. Thereby, for example, the wireless relay device can proceed with the interpretation of the message while receiving each element data. Also, the wireless relay device can start the process of interpreting the previous message without waiting for the message to be received. Accordingly, it is possible to shorten the message interpretation processing time of the wireless relay device.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wireless relay device that can connect a sensor device having a wireless network communication function to a wired network or another wireless network at low cost.

  Examples of the present invention will be described below.

  FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a home network system including a lighting device, an air conditioner, a heated toilet seat, a digital pen, and an entrance electric lock incorporating the wireless relay device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. is there. This system is managed by the center server 1 that remotely manages various network devices installed in each user's home, the network 2 that connects the center server 1 and each user's home, and the center server 1 on the go or in the home. The mobile phone 6 is used for browsing various information and each user's house. In addition, each user home system includes a home control device 310 as an information processing device, a home security device 3 that performs home security management, and an operation that serves as a user interface for operating various home appliances via the home control device 310. The terminal 4, the illumination 10 incorporating the wireless relay device of the present invention, the air conditioner 11, the heating toilet seat 12, the digital pen 13, the entrance electric lock 14, and a battery or a self-generating function such as vibration power generation or solar power generation Window opening / closing sensor 21, human sensor 22, temperature sensor 23, badge 24, pulse meter 25, and vibration sensor 26, and these devices can communicate with each other via network 309 and wireless network 5 as shown in the figure. It is connected to the.

  The control device 310 is a device for controlling and monitoring various devices installed in the user's home. Specifically, the control device 310 can be a computer such as a personal computer having a CPU and a memory, a dedicated terminal for home automation, and an intercom device. The network 309 can use networks of various communication methods such as wireless communication such as infrared rays and radio waves, or wired communication such as a twisted pair cable and a power line. The network 5 is a wireless communication system network capable of communication with low current consumption such as infrared rays and weak wireless.

  In FIG. 1, the lighting 10 receives information from the window opening / closing sensor 21 and the human sensor 22, holds this information, and responds to an inquiry from the home security device, for example, to thereby return home security. Can be useful. In FIG. 1, only one lighting 10 is shown. However, for example, such a lighting 10, a window opening / closing sensor 21, and a human sensor 22 may be placed in each room in the house to realize a home security system in the entire house. . In addition to the window opening / closing sensor 21 and the human sensor 22, a security sensor, a vibration sensor, or the like may be used.

  In FIG. 1, the air conditioner 11 can receive information from the temperature sensor 23 and perform temperature control of the air conditioner 11 according to the temperature in the room, which can be used for comfort control. Further, by holding this information in the air conditioner 11 and responding to this in response to an inquiry from the home control device 310, the temperature of the room can be measured remotely. In FIG. 1, only one air conditioner 11 is written. However, for example, such an air conditioner 11 and a temperature sensor 23 may be placed in each room in the house to perform comfortable air conditioning throughout the house. The information of the human sensor 22 may be taken into the air conditioner 11 and the output may be controlled according to the presence / absence of a person to save energy.

  In FIG. 1, the heating toilet seat 12 receives personal information from a badge 24 carried by a person, and since the heating toilet seat and the badge can directly communicate with each other, the heating toilet seat 12 can be used for position confirmation as to whether or not it is in the toilet room. In FIG. 1, the heating toilet seat and the badge communicate with each other, but it is also possible to determine where the person carrying the badge is currently located by communicating with the badge and the lighting of each room and the air conditioner.

  In FIG. 1, the digital pen 13 can also receive information from the pulse meter 25 and send it to the home control device 310 together with the data described by the digital pen 13. For example, an interview table may be written with a digital pen, a pulse value may be captured as part of the interview data, and transmitted to the home control device 310. Further, various sensors such as a sphygmomanometer, a blood glucose level sensor, and a thermometer may be used instead of the pulse meter 25.

  In FIG. 1, the entrance electric lock 14 receives information from the vibration sensor 26, and the security sensor is abnormal when the vibration sensor attached to the entrance door continuously reacts with the entrance key closed. The home security device 3 can be notified of an abnormality.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the illumination 10 to which the wireless relay device of the present invention is applied. The lighting 10 includes the wireless relay device 301 and the lighting body 308 of the present invention. The lighting 10 is operated by inserting a male plug into the female plug portion of the AC power plug 31 in the house and receiving power supply. Communicate using the network 309 and communicate with the window opening / closing sensor 21 using the wireless network 5. Moreover, as shown in the figure, a female plug of an AC power supply plug may be provided, and when a male plug of another household electrical appliance 15 is inserted, power may be supplied thereto.

In the present embodiment, the lighting device 308 connected to the wireless relay device 301 is shown as an example of a lighting device, but this is not limited to the lighting device, and instead of the lighting device, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, etc. White goods, sensors, equipment such as doors and switches, AV equipment such as televisions, and the like can also be used. An air conditioner 11, a heating toilet seat 12, a digital pen 13, and an electric lock 14 in FIG. 1 are connected to an air conditioner, a heating toilet seat, a digital pen, and an electric lock instead of lighting. As the sensor, a temperature sensor, motion sensor, humidity sensor, a vibration sensor, an illuminance sensor, carbon dioxide sensor, a gas leak sensor, a current sensor, voltage sensor, such as a power sensor, it is possible to use different ones. Further, when a current sensor is connected, the current consumption of the relay device main body may be measured, or the current consumption of a device connected to the female power plug may be measured. The measured data may be held by the protocol processor or may be transmitted to the home control device at an arbitrary timing.

  In this embodiment, for example, wireless communication such as an infrared remote control interface is performed between the wireless relay device 301 and the lighting device body 308 so that the wireless relay device 301 and the lighting device 308 are physically separated from each other. It may be arranged. Further, the wireless relay device 301 may be detachably attached to the lighting device 308. In FIG. 2, the wireless relay device 301 is separated from the lighting device 308, but may be built in the lighting device 308.

  FIG. 3 shows the internal configuration of the wireless relay device 301 of the present invention. The wireless relay device 301 includes network modules 302 and 342, a protocol processor 303, a power circuit 304, antennas 305 and 345, a male power plug 331, a female power plug 332, and an interface 306. The wireless relay apparatus 301 can control the lighting device 308 via a network by connecting to the lighting device 308 so as to be communicable.

  The network module 302 is connected to the antenna 305 and performs wireless communication with the network 309. The network module 302 has a buffer memory (element data storage unit) 311 and stores data received from the network 309 in the buffer memory 311. In this embodiment, the buffer memory 311 included in the network module 302 has a storage capacity of 1 byte. When the wireless relay device 301 receives a packet from the network 309, the network module 302 receives data byte by byte and stores the received 1 byte data in the buffer memory 311.

  The network module 342 is connected to the antenna 345 and performs wireless communication with the wireless network 5. The network module 302 includes a buffer memory (element data storage unit) 351 and stores data received from the wireless network 5 in the buffer memory 351. In this embodiment, the buffer memory 351 provided in the network module 342 has a storage capacity of 1 byte. When the wireless relay device 301 receives a packet from the wireless network 5, the network module 342 receives data byte by byte and stores the received 1 byte data in the buffer memory 351.

  The protocol processor 303 controls the network module 302 and the network module 342, and performs transmission / reception control of packets (command data) with respect to the network 309 and the wireless network 5. When receiving a packet from the network module 302, the protocol processor 303 receives the data received by the network module 302 and stored in the buffer memory 311 one byte at a time, and similarly when receiving a packet from the network module 342. The data 342 received and stored in the buffer memory 351 is received byte by byte. The protocol processor 303 includes a processor 321, a fixed memory 322, and a variable memory 323 inside. The fixed memory 322 is a non-volatile memory such as a ROM or a flash memory that stores programs and data. The variable memory 323 is a memory such as a RAM in which the processor 321 appropriately stores data. The processor 321 implements functions such as command data interpretation processing (to be described later) and control for lighting the lighting device 308 by reading the program stored in the fixed memory 322 into the variable memory 323 and executing the read program. To do.

  The power supply circuit 304 receives power from the male power plug 331 and supplies power to each unit on the wireless relay device wireless relay device 301 such as the processor 303, the network module 302, the network module 342, and the female power plug 332.

  The antenna 305 transmits / receives data to / from the network 309 by emitting an electric signal output from the network module 302 as a radio wave or receiving a radio wave and inputting it as an electric signal to the network module 302. .

  The antenna 345 transmits / receives data to / from the wireless network 5 by emitting an electric signal output from the network module 342 as a radio wave, or receiving a radio wave and inputting it as an electric signal to the network module 342. is there.

  The interface 306 mutually converts the electrical signal of the processor 321 and the electrical signal of the lighting device 308. In this embodiment, the interface 306 is a switch that controls on / off of the power source of the lighting device 308 by the electrical signal. The lighting device 308 is a lighting device and is a general home appliance. The processor 321 can switch the lighting device 308 on and off by controlling the interface 306.

  Note that in this embodiment, the wireless relay device 301 is connected to the network 309 by the antenna 305. However, by using an infrared light emitting device and an infrared light receiving device instead of the antenna 305, a combination of infrared light reception and infrared output is used. It is also possible to configure an infrared wireless network. Further, the wireless relay device 301 can be connected to a communication path using an electrical signal such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or a public telephone line by using a network connector instead of the antenna 305. Moreover, it can also be set as the form directly connected with the control apparatus 310 by using a serial communication interface, a USB interface, an infrared remote control interface etc. instead of the antenna 305 of the wireless relay apparatus 301. FIG.

  In this embodiment, the interface 306 is a switch for controlling on / off of the power supply of the lighting device 308. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is connected to the lighting device 308 such as a serial communication interface, a USB interface, and an infrared remote control interface. Then, it may be an interface for controlling the lighting device 308 by transmitting a command. For example, the processor 321 may transmit a command for controlling the lighting device 308 via the interface 306, and the lighting device 308 may receive the command and perform operations such as turning on and off the switch.

  In addition, for example, the interface 306 can be used for wireless communication such as an infrared remote control interface, and the wireless relay device 301 and the lighting device 308 can be arranged at physically separated positions. Further, the wireless relay device 301 may be detachably attached to the lighting device 308. For example, by attaching the wireless relay device 301 to a device that is not considered to be controlled via the network, the device can be controlled via the network.

  In the present embodiment, a network connector can be used instead of the antenna 345 so that it can be connected to a communication path using an electrical signal such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or a public telephone line. Further, by using a serial communication interface, a USB interface, an infrared remote control interface, or the like instead of the antenna 345 of the wireless relay device 301, it is possible to directly connect the control device 310 to various home appliances and building equipment crises. . In that case, the network module 342 may be built in the protocol processor 303.

  FIG. 4 shows the internal configuration of the window opening / closing sensor 21 in FIG. The window opening / closing sensor 21 includes a network module 351, a protocol processor 354, a power supply circuit 353, an antenna 352, a nonvolatile memory 355, and an opening / closing sensor 356.

  The network module 351 is connected to the antenna 352 and performs wireless communication with the wireless network 5.

  The protocol processor 354 detects the state of the open / close sensor 356 and controls the network module 351 periodically or when the state of the open / close sensor 356 changes, for example, and the state information and information in the nonvolatile memory 355. Is generated and transmitted to the wireless network 5.

  The power supply circuit 353 includes a battery, a button battery, a vibration power generation device, a solar power generation device, and the like, and supplies power to these components such as the protocol processor 354, the network module 351, the nonvolatile memory 355, and the open / close sensor 356. To do. The antenna 352 transmits / receives data to / from the network 309 by emitting an electric signal output from the network module 351 as a radio wave, or receiving a radio wave and inputting it as an electric signal to the network module 351. .

  The antenna 345 transmits / receives data to / from the wireless network 5 by emitting an electric signal output from the network module 342 as a radio wave, or receiving a radio wave and inputting it as an electric signal to the network module 342. is there.

  The nonvolatile memory 355 stores the communication address, installation location, ID information, and the like of the window opening / closing sensor 21.

  The open / close sensor 356 detects, for example, opening / closing of a window.

In FIG. 4, the internal configuration of the window opening / closing sensor has been described as an example, but the opening / closing sensor portion may be replaced with another sensor. For example, the human sensor 22 may be configured instead of the human sensor, the temperature sensor 23 instead of the temperature sensor, the pulse meter 25 instead of the pulse sensor, and the vibration sensor 25 instead of the vibration sensor. Further, the form may be a stationary type or may be carried by a person such as a wristband, a ring or a pendant. Moreover, it is good also as the badge 24 which is built in a badge case as it is without attaching a sensor and carried by the person who enters a building or the person in a home.
=== Description of Processing ===
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing performed when the wireless relay device 301 is activated in the present embodiment. The processing shown in this flowchart is realized by the processor 321 reading out the program stored in the fixed memory 322 to the variable memory 323 and executing it.

In step 401, it sends a reset signal to the network module 302 and 342, a network module 302 and 342 to initialize. In step 402, the network modules 302 and 342 are inquired as to whether or not a packet has been received. If no packet has been received, the process returns to step 402. If a packet is received by any network module, the process proceeds to step 406. In step 406, a current state (hereinafter referred to as an execution state position) in a state transition pattern described later is changed to a state 501. In step 403, 1-byte data (one character) of the packet arriving at the network module 302 is received from the network module 302. In this embodiment, one character is described as one byte of data, but one character may be data of any length such as 16 bits, 24 bits, or 32 bits. In step 404, the state shown in FIG. 3 to be described later is transitioned according to the contents of the received one character. In step 405, it is determined whether the received one character is the last character of the packet. If the received character is the last character of the packet, the process returns to step 402. If the received character is not the last character, the process proceeds to step 403 and the above processing is repeated.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a transition pattern of the state of processing performed in step 404 of FIG. Reference numerals 501 to 516 denote states in the state transition pattern. The state transition pattern is expressed by an algorithm included in the program executed by the processor 321 described above. That is, the state transition pattern is stored in the fixed memory 322 (state transition pattern storage unit) as the program. Information indicating the position of the current state on the state transition pattern is stored in an execution state position storage area 703 described later. In step 404 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, the processor 321 executes only one process corresponding to a state stored in an execution state position storage area 703, which will be described later, and the state is changed according to the state transition pattern shown in FIG. Transition. The processing corresponding to the state is realized, for example, by the processor 321 reading the program stored in the fixed memory 322 in advance in association with each state into the variable memory 323 and executing it. Further, a table in which each state, one character to be received, and a transition destination state are associated with each other may be stored in the fixed memory 322, and the processor 321 may refer to the table as appropriate. Of course, in the program executed by the processor 321, the process executed according to each state and the received character and the destination of the state transition may be incorporated as a conditional branch.

  Details of processing in each state will be described below.

  In the states 506, 510, 514, 517, and 519 indicated by the notation “A” in FIG. 6, processing is simply performed to transition the current state to the next state. For example, when the execution state position is the state 506, only the process of changing the execution state position to the state 507 is performed. Similarly, when the execution state position is state 510, only the process of changing the execution state position to state 511 is performed. In states 503, 504, 505, 507, 508, 511 and 512 indicated by “B” in FIG. 6, the state to be shifted next is determined according to the content of the received character. For example, if the execution state position is state 505 and the content of the received one character is “01”, processing for changing the execution state position to state 506 is performed. If the content of the received one character is “02”, processing for changing the execution state position to state 510 is performed. If the content of the received one character is “03”, processing for changing the execution state position to state 514 is performed. If the content of the received one character is “04”, processing for changing the execution state position to state 517 is performed. If the content of the received one character is “05”, processing for changing the execution state position to state 519 is performed. When the content of the received one character is other than that, processing for changing the execution state position to the state 516 is performed.

  Similarly, when the execution state position is state 503, if the content of the received one character is “00”, processing for changing the execution state position to state 504 is performed. When the content of the received one character is other than that, processing for changing the execution state position to the state 516 is performed.

  In states 501 and 502 indicated by the notation “C” in FIG. 6, the received character is stored in a predetermined memory area of the variable memory 323, and a process of transitioning to the next state is performed. In which part of the memory area the received character is stored depends on the state. For example, in the state 501, the received one character is stored in an area 701 which is a first byte of a source address storage area described later, and in the state 502, an area 702 which is a second byte of a source address storage area described later. , Respectively. For example, when the execution state position is the state 501, the received one character is stored in the area 701 that is the first byte of the transmission source address storage area, and the execution state position is changed to the state 502. Similarly, when the execution state position is the state 502, the received one character is stored in the area 702 which is the second byte of the transmission source address storage area, and the execution state position is changed to the state 503.

  A state 516 indicated by “D” in FIG. 6 is a state without a state transition destination, and does not perform any processing. When the execution state position becomes state 516, the command processing device 301 skips the remaining characters of the packet and does not process anything. Thereby, when the wireless relay apparatus 301 receives an error packet including unexpected data, it is possible to prevent a malfunction such as a malfunction.

In FIG. 6, states 509, 513, 515, 518, and 520 are states finally determined as a result of state transition. The control executed in these states is shown in the frame of the states 509, 513, 515, 518, and 520. In the state 509, the lighting device 308 is turned on through the interface 306, a response is generated, and the response is returned to the control device 310 that is the transmission source by transmitting the response to the network module 302. In the state 513, the lighting device 308 is turned off through the interface 306, a response is generated and transmitted to the network module 302, and the response is returned to the control device 310 that is the transmission source. In the state 515, a response is generated and transmitted to the network module 302, thereby returning the response to the control device 310 that is the transmission source. In the state 517, a response is generated by reading out information in a table to be described later and transmitted to the network module 302, thereby returning the response to the control device 310 that is the transmission source. In state 519, information is written in a table to be described later.
=== Regarding Packet Configuration ===
FIG. 7 shows a configuration and a specific example of a packet that can determine the control to be performed by the wireless relay apparatus 301 by following the state transition pattern shown in FIG. A packet 601 is a packet for lighting the lighting device 308. A packet 602 is a packet for turning off the lighting device 308. The packet 603 is a packet for inquiring whether or not the device connected to the wireless relay device 301 is a lighting device. The packet 604 is a packet for inquiring about the state of the window opening / closing sensor 21 which is a device connected and managed by the wireless relay apparatus 301 via the network 5. The packet 605 is a packet in which the state information is notified from the window opening / closing sensor 21 via the network 5.

  In the transmission source address storage area 610, the transmission source address of the packet is stored. In the present embodiment, the address representing the control device 310 is “0001”, and this address is stored in the transmission source address storage area 610 as the transmission source. In the transmission destination address storage area 611, the transmission destination address of the packet is stored. In this embodiment, the address representing the wireless relay device 301 is “0002”, and this address is stored in the transmission destination address storage area 611 as a transmission destination. The device code storage area 612 stores a device code indicating the type of device that is the transmission destination of this packet. In the present embodiment, the device code indicating that the lighting device 308 is a lighting device is “0001”. Note that the packet 603 for inquiring whether or not the device is a lighting device can omit the device code storage area 612. In the present embodiment, the device code indicating that the window opening / closing sensor 21 is a window opening / closing sensor is “2134”. In the device code of the packet 604 for inquiring the information of the connected device, “2134” is stored as the device code indicating this window opening / closing sensor. The command storage area 613 stores a value indicating control to be processed. In the present embodiment, lighting on is “01”, extinguishing is “02”, device inquiry is “03”, information on connected device information is “04”, and status information notification of connected device is “05”. Yes. In the present embodiment, the state information of the window opening / closing sensor is stored in the device code storage area 614 of the packet notified from the window opening / closing sensor 21 to the wireless relay apparatus 301 in the network 5, and FIG. “1111” indicating that the state of the window opening / closing sensor is open is stored.

  For example, when the wireless relay apparatus 301 receives the packet 602, the execution state position shown in FIG. 6 is 501, 502, 503, 504, 505 every time steps 403, 404, and 405 in the flowchart of FIG. 5 are repeated once. , 510, 511, 512, 513. Thereby, control determined according to the state 513, that is, control to turn off the illumination is executed.

  For example, when the transmission destination address is not “0002” that is the network address representing the wireless relay device 301 in the transmission destination address storage area 611 in which the transmission destination address is stored, for example, “0103” is stored. When the command processing device 301 receives a packet as described above, the execution state position shown in FIG. 6 is 501, 502, 503, 516 every time steps 403, 404, and 405 in the flowchart of FIG. 5 are repeated once. 516, 516, 516, 516. That is, even if the wireless relay device 301 receives this packet, no control is performed to operate the illumination.

  As described above, the wireless relay apparatus 301 can correctly interpret the command stored in the packet shown in FIG. 7 by combining the methods shown in FIGS.

Note that the wireless relay device 301 stores the device code of the connected lighting device 308 in the fixed memory 322 or the variable memory 323 in advance. In the “response generation” process in the state 515, the wireless relay device 301 transmits the device code stored in advance to the control device 310. However, the wireless relay device 301 may be communicably connected to the lighting device 308 via the interface 306 to acquire the device code from the lighting device 308. In this case, for example, the wireless relay device 301 transmits a command for inquiring the device code to the lighting device 308, receives the response, acquires the device code of the lighting device 308, and stores the acquired device code in the variable memory 323. It can be remembered.
In addition, the wireless relay device 301 stores device codes of the window opening / closing sensor 21 and the human sensor 22 connected via the network 5 in the fixed memory 322 and the variable memory 323 in advance, and this state information is stored. Assume that it is stored in the variable memory 323. The wireless relay device 301 reads the corresponding information stored in the variable memory 323 in the “table read” process in the state 518. Further, the wireless relay device 301 writes the notified information in the corresponding area of the variable memory 323 in the “table storage” process in the state 520.
=== About Data Structure ===
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a data structure stored in the variable memory 323 in the processing shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in the present embodiment.

  The transmission source address storage area has a size of 2 bytes and is an area used for storing data stored in the data transmission address storage area 610 of the packet. It consists of an area 702 that is the second byte from the beginning. An area 701 is an area in which one character received from the packet arriving at the network module 302 in step 403 in FIG. 2 is stored, and an area 702 is one character received from the packet arriving at the network module 302. This is the area to be stored.

  The execution state position storage area 703 has a size of 1 byte, and stores execution state position information when executing the processing shown in FIG. 3, that is, information indicating the current state position on the state transition pattern. It is an area. Each time execution of steps 403, 404, and 405 in the flowchart of FIG. 2 is repeated, the execution state position storage area 703 is referred to and changed. In the present embodiment, since the number of states in the transition pattern is 256 or less, the size is set to 1 byte as a size sufficient to represent each of them with independent codes. The size of the execution state position storage area 703 is not limited to this, and can be an area of any size such as 2 bytes, 3 bytes, 4 bytes, or 8 bytes. Further, as the position information of the state, a pointer indicating the address of a memory in which a program executed in each step is stored can be used. By using the address of the memory in which the program is stored as the position information of the state, the processor 321 can execute the process according to the state easily and quickly.

  The connected device status management table 704 is an area for storing status information of devices connected and managed via the network 5, and includes a device code storage area 705 and a device status information storage area 706. The device code storage area 705 stores address information of devices connected and managed via the network 5. In the device status information storage area 706, the status information stored in the connected device information notification message sent from the device is stored.

  As described above, the wireless relay device 301 changes the state every time the element data constituting the command data is processed in the order of reception. That is, every time the network module 302 receives one character, the processor 321 can receive and process one character. Therefore, the wireless relay device 301 only needs to include a memory having a storage capacity for storing only a part of a plurality of characters (element data) constituting the command data. The buffer memory 311 for temporarily storing the data received by may be sufficient if it can store only one character. Therefore, the power consumption, size reduction, and cost reduction of the wireless relay device 301 can be achieved. In addition, the command processing device 301 receives characters (element data) in order, and processes the received characters one character at a time. Thereby, for example, the wireless relay device 301 can proceed with the interpretation processing of command data while receiving each character. Also, the wireless relay device 301 can start the interpretation process for the command data without waiting for the command data to be received. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the time required for the process of interpreting the command data of the wireless relay device.

  In general, in the process of receiving a packet by the wireless relay device 301, the received packet is temporarily copied to the variable memory 323, and thereafter, the packet stored in the variable memory 323 is processed. In this method, for example, an 8-byte memory is required to process the packets 601, 602, and 603 in FIG. However, according to the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the storage area of the variable memory 323 that only holds the entire length of the packet is not required, and 2 bytes (701 and 702) of the source address storage area are required. And only 1 byte (703) in the execution state position storage area is required. Therefore, the capacity of the variable memory 323 that the wireless relay device 301 should have can be reduced.

  In communication with the wireless relay device 301, in general, the size of a packet to be received is often unknown in advance. Therefore, the wireless relay apparatus 301 must also consider a case where the size of the received packet is an illegal packet larger than the receivable maximum size. When the wireless relay device 301 receives a packet and copies the entire length of the packet to the variable memory 323, for example, when only an 8-byte area is secured as the memory of the packet, the size of 9 bytes or more is secured. When a packet is received, a so-called buffer overflow occurs in which the packet data is written to the 9th byte address which is not the correct area for storing the packet. As a result, a wireless relay device that has received an illegal packet may malfunction. This is a problem often seen in existing network devices as a security hole. In order to solve this problem, a method is often used in which a memory that can store a maximum packet size that can be exchanged by the network module 302 is secured in the area of the variable memory 323 and all packets are transferred to the area. A large amount of variable memory is required.

  However, the wireless relay device 301 according to the present embodiment does not copy the entire packet to the variable memory 323. In addition, when the received data is written to the memory, the addresses set in advance such as the source address storage areas 701 and 702 are not written to the relative address from the top of the area. Write data to. Therefore, such a buffer overflow problem does not occur at all.

Further, in the general method, the interpretation of the packet is started after the entire packet is received, whereas in this method, the interpretation of the packet is started as soon as the head data of the packet is received. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time from when the packet is received until the control for the lighting device 308 is activated in the wireless relay device 301. In particular, when a small processor is used, the number of instructions that can be processed per unit time is smaller than that of a large processor. Therefore, when a general method is performed by a small processor, the entire packet is received. Since no packet interpretation is performed during this period, response time may be too long. However, by using the method according to the present invention, the packet is interpreted while the packet is received, so that the processor 321 can be operated efficiently, and even in a small processor, it can be performed sufficiently quickly. Response time can be obtained.
=== Modification ===
The above-described embodiment is merely an example of the embodiment of the present invention, and can be arbitrarily modified within the scope of the present invention. Hereinafter, other examples of the modification will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the illumination device is shown as an example of the wireless relay device 301. However, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to other portable electronic devices such as a headset and a portable game machine. In addition, a stationary electronic device may be used regardless of a small device.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example of a unique packet format is illustrated. However, for example, address processing, fragment processing, upper protocol for TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol), HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol), etc. The present invention can be applied to analysis processing such as processing in exactly the same manner. By applying the present invention to the analysis of IP packets of the TCP / IP protocol, command data to the command processing device 301 can be transmitted using the generally widely used TCP / IP protocol without using a special protocol. Can do.

  In the above-described embodiment, the communication protocol and packet format of the network 309 and the wireless network 5 are assumed to be the same. However, different communication protocols and packet formats may be used.

  Moreover, you may make it provide the connection part which connects sensors, such as a human sensitive sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas leak sensor, in the wireless relay apparatus 301, for example. In this case, the command processing device 301 can receive the detection result of the sensor and transmit the detection result to the control device 310 via the network 309. Of course, the command processing device 301 may be incorporated in the sensor.

  Further, the wireless relay device 301 may be provided with an output device such as an LED, a buzzer, or a liquid crystal display. Thereby, for example, the wireless relay device 301 can output the detection result of the sensor to the output device as well as the notification via the network.

  Note that the wireless relay device 301 and devices connected thereto can be physically integrated.

  In the present embodiment, an example of the embodiment of the present invention to the home network system has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to an air conditioner in a building, lighting, an entrance / exit management electric lock, etc. A wireless relay device is applied, and various sensors (human sensor, temperature sensor, vibration sensor, etc.) in the building are connected via the wireless network 5, and for example, connected to a building management controller via the network 9. Also good. The vibration sensor may be installed, for example, in an elevator or escalator, and may be used for failure diagnosis by monitoring vibration information.

  The wireless relay device of the present invention is not limited to buildings such as homes and buildings, and can also be used as a relay device that collects information from various sensors installed outdoors.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the system using the illuminating device which is an example of the radio relay apparatus 301 based on one embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the external appearance structure of the illuminating device which is an example of the radio relay apparatus 301 based on one embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the radio relay apparatus 301 based on one embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the window opening / closing sensor 21 based on one embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process performed at the time of starting of the radio relay apparatus 301 based on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the transition pattern of the state of the process of step 404 based on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure and specific example of a packet which can determine the control which the radio relay apparatus 301 should perform based on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the data structure stored in the variable memory 323 based on the 1st Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Center server, 2 ... Network, 3 ... Home security apparatus, 4 ... Operation terminal, 5 ... Wireless network, 6 ... Mobile phone, 10 ... Illumination, 11. .. Air conditioner, 12 ... Heating toilet seat, 13 ... Digital pen, 14 ... Door lock, 21 ... Window open / close sensor, 22 ... Human sensor, 23 ... Temperature sensor, 24 ... badge sensor, 25 ... pulse sensor, 26 ... vibration sensor, 301 ... wireless repeater, 302, 342 ... network module, 303 ... protocol processor, 304 ... Power circuit, 305, 345 ... Antenna, 306 ... Interface, 310 ... Home control device, 311, 351 ... Buffer memory, 321 ... Processor, 322 ... Fixed memory, 323 ... Variable memory, 308 ... Lighting equipment, 309 ... Network, 310 ... Control device, 331 ... Male power plug, 310 ... Female power plug, 351 ... Network module, 352 ... antenna, 353 ... power supply circuit, 354 ... protocol processor, 355 ... nonvolatile memory, 356 ... open / close sensor

Claims (4)

A first command receiving unit for receiving command data composed of a plurality of bytes transmitted from the first information processing apparatus by sequentially receiving each byte;
A second command receiving unit that receives command data consisting of a plurality of bytes transmitted from the second information processing apparatus by sequentially receiving each byte;
A state transition pattern storage unit that prestores a state transition pattern for each byte of command data of processing in a process of interpreting command data received by the first command receiving unit or the second comment receiving unit;
In the command data interpretation process, the command data is sequentially processed byte by byte, and each time the command data is processed by 1 byte, a state transition unit that transitions the state of processing in the interpretation process according to the state transition pattern;
And a control unit that executes control determined according to a state finally determined by the state transition unit. The wireless relay device according to claim 1, wherein the control of the control unit includes a process of storing data stored in command data or a process of reading out the data. The wireless relay device according to claim 1,
The first command receiving unit and the second command receiving unit each include a command data storage unit that stores the command data,
The wireless relay device, wherein the command data storage unit has a storage capacity of 1 byte. The wireless relay device according to claim 1,
The first command receiving unit and the second command receiving unit each include a wireless communication interface for performing communication via wireless, and receive the command data via each of the wireless communication interfaces. A wireless relay device.

Images