JP4349502B2 - Communications system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a communication system for automatic meter reading such as a gas meter.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in order to perform automatic meter reading of a gas meter or the like, a PHS slave unit is attached to each gas meter or the like, and connected to a center via a relay base station and a public base station for communication. When a batch meter reading command is given from the center, it is possible to call up all the PHS slave units connected to the relay base station and acquire meter data.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when it is desired to acquire meter reading data of a specific plurality of PHS slave units, it is necessary to call the PHS slave units one by one and acquire the data. In this case, it takes time to call one by one, and the meter reading time becomes longer, so the cost also increases.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a communication system that can efficiently call a plurality of specific PHS slave units.
[0005]
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention comprises a center, a public base station, a plurality of relay base stations, and a PHS slave unit connected to a meter. The public base station and the relay base station are connected to each other. In the communication system in which communication is performed between the center and the PHS slave unit via the relay base station, the relay base station adds the order of the option part to the option part of the SCCH signal in a plurality of consecutive control physical slots. And a number representing an ID for calling a specific PHS cordless handset , and representing a plurality of consecutive IDs for calling the specific PHS cordless handset based on a number representing the order of the optional parts. The communication system is characterized by inserting a special number designating an ID of a specific PHS slave unit by combining the numbers and calling a plurality of PHS slave units.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a communication system A according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication system A is connected to the center 1, the public base station 3, the relay base stations 5-1 to 5-m, the plurality of PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n, 7- (n + 1). Meters 9-1 to 9-n, 9- (n + 1). Meters 9-1 to 9-n, 9- (n + 1)... Are gas meters, electric meters, or water meters.
[0007]
The center 1 and the public base station 3 are connected by a public line. Between the public base station 3 and the relay base stations 5-1 to 5-m, and between the relay base stations 5-1 to 5-m and the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n, 7- (n + 1). Communicate wirelessly.
[0008]
When the center 1 performs automatic meter reading, an automatic meter reading command is issued from the center 1 through the public base station 3 and the relay base stations 5-1 to 5-m, and PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n, 7- (n + 1). ).., And after acquiring the data of each meter 9-1 to 9-n, 9- (n + 1)..., The data is stored in each PHS slave unit 7-1 to 7-n, 7- (n + 1) .) Are returned to the relay base stations 5-1 to 5-m, the public base station 3, and the center 1.
[0009]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control physical slot 31 for signals transmitted from the relay base station 5-1 to the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n. The control physical slot 31 has 240 bits and is composed of an incoming call identification code 33 (42 bits), an outgoing call identification code 35 (28 bits), an SCCH 37 (34 bits), and the like.
[0010]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the SCCH 37 in the control physical slot 31. The SCCH 37 consists of 34 bits and has a message type, an LCH type, a PS call number on the transmitting station side, and so on. In this SCCH 37, a total of 5 bits including the option bit 41 and the option bit 43 which are not used are used for ID designation of a specific PHS slave unit.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 4, the destination identification code 33 is composed of a system call code 51 (29 bits) and a PS call number 53 (13 bits). The caller identification code 35 has a PS call code 45 (28 bits).
[0012]
FIG. 5 shows the PS call number 53, which is composed of a broadcast bit 61 and an information transmission bit 63. When calling the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n all at once, as shown in FIG. 5, the specific bit of the PS call number 53 is set to the broadcast bit 61, and for example, by setting "1", the PHS slave unit 7-1 Call ~ 7-n all at once.
[0013]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a communication sequence of the communication system A. However, in this description, only the relay base station 5-1, the PHS slave 7-1, and the meter 9-1 are taken up as the relay base station, the PHS slave, and the meter.
[0014]
A public call sequence is performed among the center 1, the public base station 3, and the relay base station 5-1 (step 201), and a communication telegram is sent from the center 1 to the relay base station 5-1 (step 202). An acknowledgment ACK is sent from the relay base station 5 to the center 1 (step 203), and a public disconnection sequence is performed between the center 1 and the relay base station 5-1 (step 204).
[0015]
Next, the relay base station 5-1 calls the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n that are waiting intermittently (step 205). In other words, the PHS slave device ID is called as “broadcast”.
[0016]
That is, as described above, the broadcast bit 61 of FIG. 5 is set to “1”, and the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n are called all at once.
[0017]
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of this batch call (step 205). As shown in FIG. 7, the PHS slaves are called all at once every 5 msec. In this call message, time information from the start of the call is written every second. This time information is written in the information transmission bit 63 in the PS call number 53 shown in FIG.
[0018]
That is, “0 second” information is written for one second from the call start time T0, and “t second” information is written for t seconds to (t + 1) seconds after the call is started. Thus, a call message having different time information every 1 second is sent every 5 msec in a cycle of 10 seconds.
[0019]
Since the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n are in the intermittent reception mode, the timing to start up varies, but when recognizing that the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n are called, the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n always wait. Switch to mode.
[0020]
By reading this time information, the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n know the call start time T0, and only a specific PHS slave unit that has received a meter-reading command to be described later starts from the call start time T0 to “PS”. After “the lower 8 bits × p seconds of the call number 53”, a call is made to the relay base station 5-1 (step 211). This parameter p is also placed in the PS call number 53.
[0021]
Next, feature points of the present embodiment will be described. By using the call message (step 205), it is possible to efficiently obtain meter reading information by designating a specific plurality of PHS slave units among the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n that are always in the standby mode. It is an object of the present invention. For this purpose, a part of the SCCH signal 33 is used to specify the ID of the PHS slave unit for which meter reading information is to be obtained.
[0022]
That is, as described above, in the SCCH 37 shown in FIG. 3, 5 bits including the option bit 41 and the option bit 43 which are not used are used for specifying the ID of a specific PHS slave unit.
[0023]
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing option bits according to the embodiment of the present invention. That is, the 5 bits of the option bit 81 of the preceding time slot (for example, step 205-2) are divided into a 1-bit control bit 85 and a 4-bit PHS slave ID 87. Similarly, the 5 bits of option bits 83 of the time slots (step 205-3) that follow in succession are divided into a control bit 89 of 1 bit and a bit 91 indicating the ID of a 4-bit PHS slave. The control bits 85 and 89 indicate the context, and the IDs of the PHS slave units and a maximum of 256 units can be designated with 8 bits including the bits 87 and 91. Details regarding the option bits and an ID designation method will be described later.
[0024]
In FIG. 6, the PHS slave unit 7-1 that has detected its own ID represented by the bit 57 and the bit 61 recognizes that it has designated meter reading, and An activation message is sent (step 206), a meter reading response is received (step 207), a message is sent (step 208), a response is received (step 209), and the end message is sent (step 210).
[0025]
Next, the PHS slave 7-1 calls the relay base station 5-1 at the call timing of itself (step 211), and a response is sent from the relay base station 5-1 (step 212). 7-1 sends a TCH idle burst (step 213), relay base station 5-1 returns a TCH idle burst (step 214), PHS slave 7-1 sends a response message (step 215), and relay base station 5-1 returns an acknowledgment ACK (step 216), the PHS slave 7-1 sends a disconnection request (step 217), and the relay base station 5-1 sends a disconnection completion (step 218).
[0026]
Then, a public call sequence is performed between the relay base station 5-1 and the center 1 (step 219), a response message is sent from the relay base station 5-1 to the center 1 (step 220), and the relay from the center 1 is performed. An acknowledgment ACK is returned to the base station 5-1 (step 221), and a public disconnection sequence is performed between the center 1 and the relay base station 5-1 (step 222).
[0027]
Next, the option bit of FIG. 8 that is a feature of the present embodiment will be described in more detail. The 5-bit option bit 81 shown in FIG. 8 is a combination of the unused option bits 41 and 43 of the 34-bit SCCH 37 in the control physical slot 31 in the call of step 205. is there. The subsequent call of the time slot (after 5 msec) similarly includes an option bit 83.
[0028]
As described above, 8 bits including the 4-bit portions 57 and 61 are used for specifying the ID of the PHS slave unit, and a maximum of 256 PHS slave units can be designated. A call from the relay base station 5-1 to the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n includes 2000 call slots every 5 msec in a 10-second cycle, that is, in 10 seconds. By changing the option bit in this slot, a plurality of necessary PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n can be called and meter reading can be performed.
[0029]
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing calling a specific PHS slave and reading the meter. As described above, the relay base station 5-1 collectively calls the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n that are in the intermittent standby mode (step 301). At this time, the rise time of the PHS handset varies. For the batch call, the PS call number 53 of the control physical slot 31 is used.
[0030]
All the PHS slave units 7-1 to 7-n are always in the standby mode (step 302). Then, PHS slave call IDs included in the SCCH 37 of a plurality of call signals sent every 5 msec are detected (step 303).
[0031]
The relay base station 5-1 sorts the IDs of the PHS slaves to be called, transmits them in ascending order or descending order, and repeatedly calls them within 10 seconds. If all of the PHS slave IDs for which the meter reading is desired to be called cannot be specified within 10 seconds, the subsequent PHS slave IDs are specified for the next 10 seconds. In that case, a bit for identifying the continuation is set in the PS call number 53 described above.
[0032]
When the PHS slave unit detects its own ID (YES in step 304), the PHS slave unit reads the meter and returns data to the center (step 305) as shown in step 206 and subsequent steps in FIG. The mode is returned (step 306).
[0033]
When the call ID does not go round (NO in step 307) instead of the ID of the PHS slave itself (NO in step 304), the PHS slave call ID in the next time slot is detected (step 303). If the call ID has made a round (NO in step 304) instead of the ID of the PHS slave itself (NO in step 304), the PHS slave returns to the intermittent standby mode (step 308).
[0034]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, since a plurality of designated PHS slave units can be efficiently called and the meter reading can be automatically performed, meter reading time can be saved and costs can be reduced.
[0035]
Next, a second embodiment is shown in FIG. FIG. 10 shows 5 option bits (901, 903, 905, 907) in the continuous SCCH 37, 2 bits for control (909, 913, 917, 921) and 3 bits (911 for ID designation). , 915, 919, 923). In this case, the ID can specify a maximum of 12 bits, that is, a maximum of 4096 PHS slave units.
[0036]
In the examples shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, two and four time slots are used, but a number of time slots other than two and four can also be used.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a communication system capable of efficiently calling a plurality of specific PHS slave units.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a communication system A according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a control physical slot 31. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing I (SCCH) 37. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing PS call number 53. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a communication sequence of communication system A. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the timing of a general call. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing option bits according to the embodiment of the invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing option bits according to the second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing that a specific PHS slave is called. Explanation of]
A ... Communication system 1 ... Center 3 ... Public base stations 5-1 to 5-m ... Relay base stations 7-1 to 7-n, 7- (n + 1) ... PHS children Machines 9-1 to 9-n, 9- (n + 1) to ... Meter 31 ... Control physical slot 33 ... Arrival identification code 35 ... Origination identification code 37 ... I (SCCH)
41, 43 ... Option 51 ... System call code 53 ... PS call number 55 ... PS call code 61 ... Broadcast bit 63 ... Information transmission bit 81 ... Time to come first Slot option bits 83... Time slot option bits 85 and 89... Control bits 87 and 91... Bits 901, 903, 905, 907. 909, 913, 917, 921 ... Control bits 911, 915, 919, 923 ... Bits indicating the ID of the PHS slave unit

Claims (3)

A center, a public base station, a plurality of relay base stations, and a PHS slave connected to a meter, and between the center and the PHS slave via the public base station and the relay base station A communication system in which communication is performed at
The relay base station is configured with an option part of an SCCH signal in a plurality of consecutive control physical slots, a number indicating the order of the option part and a number indicating an ID for calling a specific PHS slave unit , A special number specifying the ID of a specific PHS slave unit is inserted by combining a plurality of consecutive ID numbers for calling the specific PHS slave unit based on the number indicating the order of the optional parts. A communication system characterized by calling a plurality of PHS slave units. The relay base station sorts the IDs of PHS slaves to be called , changes the option part based on the ascending order or descending order, and specifies and calls a plurality of PHS slaves one after another. The communication system according to claim 1.   The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the meter is one of a gas meter, an electric meter, and a water meter.

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