JP4487184B2 - Repeater with best position search function - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a repeater with a best position search function, and more particularly to a repeater having a function of searching for a best position for relaying wireless communication between a master unit and a plurality of slave units.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an automatic meter reading system that automatically measures the amount of water and gas used using wireless communication has been used. Such an automatic meter reading system, for example, a gas meter reading system, is installed in each home for wireless communication, a center that performs centralized management of gas meter reading, a master unit that is connected to the center via a wireless communication line or a wired communication line, and so on. It is comprised from the subunit | mobile_unit connected to a main | base station via a circuit | line, and the measuring device connected to a gas cylinder, reading meter-reading data from a gas cylinder, and sending it to a subunit | mobile_unit. The slave unit periodically makes a gas meter request to the measuring device. The measuring instrument reads the current gas consumption of the gas cylinder and sends it to the slave unit as meter reading data. The slave unit transmits the gas meter reading data to the master unit via the wireless communication line, and the master unit transmits to the center. The center calculates a fee according to the amount of gas used, and this fee is charged to each household as a gas usage fee.

  As an example of such a meter reading system, there is a “wireless meter reading device” disclosed in Patent Document 1. This is a wireless meter reading device that sends and receives signals between the master unit and the slave unit, and performs meter reading of the measuring instrument connected to the slave unit. The burden is lightened. As shown in FIG. 4, the relay device relays and transfers the meter-reading request signal sent from the parent device to the child device, and relays and transfers the meter-reading result signal from the child device to the parent device. When the relay machine does not receive the meter reading result signal from the slave unit for a certain period of time after receiving the meter reading request signal from the master unit, the relay unit transfers the meter reading request signal from the master unit to the slave unit. When the meter reading result signal corresponding to the meter reading request signal is received from the slave unit, the meter reading result signal is transferred to the master unit.

In order to connect a plurality of slave units to the master unit, this relay unit needs to be installed at a position where it can communicate well with the master unit and each slave unit. In the conventional repeater, at each candidate point where the repeater can be installed, a communication test is performed for each slave unit and the master unit to obtain an optimum installation position. That is, at each point, the electric field strength of the radio waves of each slave unit and the master unit is obtained and recorded, and a position where communication with the largest number of slave units can be satisfactorily obtained is determined, and a repeater is installed at that position.
JP 09-212782 A

  However, the conventional repeater has a problem that the communication test procedure is complicated and time consuming because the electric field strength is measured by switching the parent device / relay device / child device to the communication test mode for each candidate point. Since it is necessary to install a repeater in a place where both the master unit and the repeater unit and between the repeater unit and the slave unit can communicate satisfactorily, it takes much time to find the installation location.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described conventional problems and to easily find the optimum installation position of the repeater.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention of 請 Motomeko 1 includes means for relaying wireless communication between the host and terminals, and means for displaying the strength of radio waves from the base unit, a plurality of child Means for displaying the strength of each radio wave of the machine, means for setting the communication test mode, means for storing the identification information of the parent machine or the slave machine successfully communicated in the test communication in correspondence with the test communication number, The test result is retrieved, and a means for obtaining and displaying a test communication number that can communicate with the parent device and has the largest number of slave devices that can communicate is provided.
The invention of claim 2 displays means for relaying wireless communication between the parent device and the child device, means for displaying the wireless communication state with the parent device, and wireless communication states with each of the plurality of child devices. Means for setting to the communication test mode, means for storing the identification information of the parent device or the child device that has been successfully communicated in the test communication in correspondence with the test communication number, searching for the test result, And a means for obtaining and displaying a test communication number having the largest number of slave units that can communicate with each other.

  With the above configuration, the communication test can be simplified. Since automatic communication is performed with each of the connected master unit and the slave unit and the communication state between the two is good, it is possible to save the trouble of checking between the master unit and the relay unit and between the relay unit and the slave unit. It is also easy to install a repeater to complement the slave that has become unable to communicate.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  Embodiment 1 of the present invention is a relay device that relays wireless communication between a parent device and a child device, is set to a communication test mode, displays the strength of radio waves from the parent device, and each of a plurality of child devices. Displays the strength of the radio wave, stores the number of the base unit or handset that was able to communicate normally in the test communication in correspondence with the test communication number, searches the test result, and can communicate with the base unit, the most communicable It is a repeater with the best position search function that displays and displays test communication numbers with a large number of slave units.

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a wireless communication system using a repeater with a best position search function in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a parent device 1 is a device that transmits communication from a center to a child device and sends data of the child device to the center. The relay device 2 is a device that relays wireless communication between the parent device 1 and the child device. It has a best position search function. For brevity, it is simply called a search machine. The subunit | mobile_unit 3 is a radio | wireless communication apparatus connected to the meter-reading apparatus. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the setting procedure of the repeater.

  The operation of the repeater with the best position search function in the first embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described. First, an outline of the operation will be described with reference to FIG. The base unit 1, the relay unit 2, and each slave unit 3 are set to the communication test mode. Displays the strength of radio waves from the base unit 1. The radio wave intensity of each of the plurality of slave units 3 is displayed. Identification information of the master unit 1 and each slave unit 3 that can be normally communicated in the test communication is stored here in correspondence with the test communication number. This is performed for all repeater installation candidate points. After the test communication is completed, the test result is retrieved, and the test communication number that can communicate with the parent device 1 and has the largest number of the communication-enabled child devices 3 is obtained and displayed. The repeater 2 is installed at a position corresponding to the test communication number.

When the base unit 1, the relay unit 2 and the handset 3 are set to the communication test mode, the electric field strength of the radio wave of the base unit 1 is displayed on the base unit state display section of the relay unit 2. For example, if the electric field strength is displayed in three stages and the strength is 2 or more, communication with the parent device 1 can be made satisfactorily. The electric field strength of the radio wave of the handset 3 is displayed on the handset status display section of the repeater 2. For example, the electric field strength of the radio wave of one slave unit 3 is displayed on one LED. If it lights continuously, it can communicate with the subunit | mobile_unit 3 favorably. If blinking, communication is possible, but there are many errors and interruptions, making communication unsuitable. If it is off, communication is not possible.

  The number of slave units 3 per relay is, for example, 10 or 16. When the number of slave devices 3 that can be communicated is small, or when communication with the master device 1 is not possible, the test result at the candidate point is not recorded. Candidate points can be recorded, for example, up to 16 points. The recorded test result data is searched after the test is completed, and the candidate points that are in good communication with the parent device 1 and have the most communication with the child devices 3 are displayed. In the relay machine, the test result may be transferred to a personal computer or the like by wire or wireless until the test result is recorded, and the test result may be displayed or searched on the personal computer or the like. Alternatively, the recorded data may be transferred to the center via the master unit so that the test result can be displayed or searched at the center.

  Next, the setting procedure of the repeater will be described with reference to FIG. Make a note of the ID of the slave unit to be connected in advance. For example, since 16 slave units can be connected to one repeater, prepare to register more than 10 units. Register the IDs of those slave units in the repeater. Furthermore, the repeater is registered in the master unit. Next, the master unit and each slave unit are installed. Then, the repeater is brought to the installation candidate point, and with the repeater, the electric field strength of the radio wave of the master unit and the electric field strength of the radio wave of each slave unit are measured and displayed. Perform this measurement at all candidate locations. When the measurement is completed, a candidate point that can communicate well with the master unit and with the most slave units is searched, and a repeater is installed there.

  As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the repeater with the best position search function that relays wireless communication between the master unit and the slave unit is set to the communication test mode, and the strength of the radio wave from the master unit is set. , Display the radio wave intensity of each of the multiple slave units, store the number of the master unit or slave unit that was able to communicate normally in the test communication in correspondence with the test communication number, search the test results, Since the test communication number that can communicate with the parent device and has the largest number of child devices that can communicate is obtained and displayed, the optimum installation position of the relay device can be easily found.

  In the second embodiment of the present invention, in the relay device that relays wireless communication between the parent device and the child device, the communication test mode is set, the wireless communication state with the parent device is displayed, and each of the plurality of child devices is displayed. The wireless communication status is displayed, the number of the master unit or slave unit that was able to communicate normally in the test communication is stored in correspondence with the test communication number, and the test result can be searched to communicate with the master unit. This is a repeater with the best position search function that displays and displays test communication numbers with a large number of possible slave units.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the function and operation of the repeater with the best position search function according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Although only one slave unit 3 is shown, there are actually a plurality of slave units. The basic configuration of the repeater with the best position search function in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that the wireless communication status with the parent device is displayed and the wireless communication status with each of the plurality of slave devices is displayed.

The operation of the repeater with the best position search function in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. When the base unit 1, the relay unit 2, and the handset 3 are set to the communication test mode, the wireless communication state with the base unit 1 is displayed on the base unit state display section of the relay unit 2. For example, if the wireless communication status is displayed in 5 stages and the status display is 3 or more, communication with the parent device 1 can be made satisfactorily. Be able to receive radio waves of base unit 1 in repeater 2, can not receive the radio wave repeater 2 in base unit 1, since not return a response from the base unit 1, the wireless communication state is the fact that incommunicable Become. The communication state can be determined by a known method such as an error rate or the number of retransmissions.

  Next, test communication is performed with each of the plurality of slave units 3, and the wireless communication state is displayed. The wireless communication state with the child device 3 is displayed on the child device state display section of the relay device 2. For example, a wireless communication state with one slave unit 3 is displayed on one LED. If it lights continuously, it can communicate with the subunit | mobile_unit 3 favorably. If blinking, communication is possible, but there are many errors and interruptions, making communication unsuitable. If it is off, communication is not possible. Even if the relay unit 2 can receive the radio wave of the slave unit 3, if the slave unit 3 cannot receive the radio wave of the relay unit 2, no response is returned from the slave unit 3, so the wireless communication state is incapable of communication. .

  The numbers of the master unit 1 and each slave unit 3 that have successfully communicated in the test communication are stored in correspondence with the test communication number. This is performed for all repeater installation candidate points. After the test communication is completed, the test result is retrieved, and the test communication number that can communicate with the parent device 1 and has the largest number of the communication-enabled child devices 3 is obtained and displayed. The repeater 2 is installed at a position corresponding to the test communication number.

  Multi-color LEDs can also be used to display the communication status. For example, when communication is possible without error, it is displayed in green. If there is a slight error, it is displayed in orange. If there are many errors, they are displayed in red. When communication is not possible, it is not lit. A single color LED can display the error rate as a duty ratio. If there is no error, it will be lit continuously. When the error rate is 10%, it lights up with a duty ratio of 90%. Graphic display may be performed using a display device such as an LCD.

  The setting procedure of the repeater is basically the same as in the first embodiment. Instead of measuring and displaying the electric field strength, the only difference is that the communication state is measured and displayed.

  As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the relay device with the best position search function that relays wireless communication between the parent device and the child device is set to the communication test mode, and the wireless communication state with the parent device is set. Is displayed, the wireless communication status with each of the multiple slave units is displayed, the number of the master unit or slave unit that has been able to communicate normally in the test communication is stored in correspondence with the test communication number, and the test result is searched. Since the test communication number that can communicate with the master unit and has the largest number of slave units that can communicate is obtained and displayed, the optimum installation position of the repeater can be easily found.

  The repeater with the best position search function of the present invention is optimal as a repeater for relaying wireless communication between a master unit and a plurality of slave units.

It is a conceptual diagram of the radio | wireless communications system using the repeater with the best position search function in Example 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the setting procedure of the repeater with the best position search function in Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure explaining the function and operation | movement of a repeater with a best position search function in Example 2 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the wireless meter-reading apparatus using the conventional relay machine.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... master device, 2 ... relay device, 3 ... slave device.

Claims (2)

A means for relaying wireless communication between the master unit and the slave unit, a means for displaying the radio field intensity from the master unit, a means for displaying the radio field intensity of each of the plurality of slave units, and a communication test mode A means for setting, a means for storing the identification information of the master unit or slave unit that has been successfully communicated in the test communication, a test result corresponding to the test communication number, and a test result can be searched to communicate with the master unit. And a means for obtaining and displaying test communication numbers having a large number of slave units . And means for relaying the wireless communication between the host and terminals, and means for displaying a wireless communication state with the master unit, and means for displaying a wireless communication state between each of the plurality of slave unit communication test mode , The means for storing the identification information of the master unit or slave unit that was able to communicate normally in the test communication in correspondence with the test communication number, the test result can be searched, and communication with the master unit is possible. A relay unit with a best position search function, comprising: means for obtaining and displaying a test communication number having a large number of slave units.

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