JP5975389B2 - Wireless communication system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wireless communication system that performs wireless communication between a plurality of wireless devices.

  As a conventional wireless communication system, for example, there is a wireless fire alarm system described in Patent Document 1.

  This conventional example is equivalent to a fire alarm device in which each of a plurality of wireless devices senses a fire and issues an alarm. The wireless device that senses a fire issues an alarm, transmits a radio signal, and receives a radio signal. When other radio devices issue an alarm, all the radio devices issue an alarm in conjunction with each other.

  By the way, in the wireless communication system as in the above conventional example, each wireless device is fixedly installed and operated in a different place (for example, a living room of a house, a kitchen, a bedroom, etc.). It is necessary to confirm that normal wireless communication is possible.

  For example, in the case of the conventional example described in Patent Document 1, a radio signal including a reply request message for confirmation is transmitted from a specific fire alarm (parent device), and a response is returned from another fire alarm (child device). It is confirmed that the radio signal including the message is normally received by the master unit. However, because the installation location of the fire alarm is at a high position on the ceiling or wall, the above confirmation work has been carried out with the fire alarm placed on the floor directly below the installation location in consideration of workability. Yes.

JP 2009-171067 A (see paragraphs 0056 to 0059 and FIG. 5)

  However, when the confirmation work is performed at a position where the wireless device (fire alarm device) is different from the actual installation location, the reception power may fluctuate greatly due to the influence of shadowing or fading, and communication may become impossible. On the other hand, performing the confirmation work in a situation where it is installed at an actual installation location has a problem that the work burden on the worker increases. Furthermore, in the conventional example described in Patent Document 1, since the confirmation result as to whether communication is possible is notified only by the parent device, if there is a child device that cannot be communicated, the position of the child device is changed again. It was necessary to redo the confirmation work by operating the master unit.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to suppress deterioration in communication status due to fluctuations in received power without deteriorating workability of radio wave reception confirmation work.

The wireless communication system according to the present invention includes a transmission unit that transmits a radio signal using radio waves as a medium, a reception unit that receives the radio signal, a detection unit that detects occurrence of a predetermined event, and the detection unit that includes the event. A control means for transmitting the radio signal including a predetermined notification message from the transmission means when a signal is detected, an acceptance means for accepting an operation input, and a notification means for performing notification using at least one of sound and light And the control means causes the transmission means to transmit the radio signal including a radio wave confirmation message when the receiving means accepts an operation input for radio wave confirmation, and the other radio equipment. The reception strength of the radio signal including the radio wave confirmation message when the radio wave confirmation message transmitted from the reception means is received by a predetermined threshold. The radio signal including the radio wave confirmation message is cycled until a predetermined time elapses from the time when the operation input of the radio wave confirmation is received by the reception unit and the notification unit notifies the comparison result. When the radio signal transmitted from the other radio device is received by the reception unit, the control unit includes an end of the radio signal and the radio wave confirmation message. Based on the period of the radio signal, the receiving unit is activated in accordance with a transmission start timing of the radio signal including the next radio wave confirmation message .

  In this wireless communication system, when the notification means performs notification using light, and the control means has a reception strength of the wireless signal including the radio wave confirmation message received by the reception means is equal to or greater than the threshold value. It is preferable that the notification means flashes the light and notifies it.

  In this wireless communication system, it is preferable that the control unit changes a cycle in which the notification unit blinks light according to the reception intensity.

  In this wireless communication system, the notification means performs notification using light of a plurality of types of colors, and the control means has a reception strength of the wireless signal including the radio wave confirmation message received by the reception means as the threshold. When the value is greater than or equal to the value, it is preferable to change the color of the light according to the reception intensity.

  In this wireless communication system, the notification means performs notification using light and sound, and the control means has a reception strength of the wireless signal including the radio wave confirmation message received by the reception means equal to or greater than the threshold value. In some cases, it is preferable to cause the notification means to perform notification using light and sound.

  In this wireless communication system, the wireless device including the detection unit that detects the occurrence of a fire as the event, the wireless device including the detection unit that measures air quality as the event, and a person in a monitoring area as the event It is preferable that at least any one of the wireless devices is included in the wireless device including the detection unit that detects the presence of the wireless device.

  The wireless communication system of the present invention has an effect that it is possible to suppress deterioration of the communication state due to fluctuations in received power without deteriorating workability of radio wave reception confirmation work.

1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a wireless communication system (fire alarm system) according to the present invention. It is a time chart for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of the electromagnetic wave confirmation operation | work in the same as the above.

  Hereinafter, the technical idea of the present invention to a wireless communication system (fire alarm system) using a fire alarm device as a radio device that detects a fire and sounds an alarm sound and transmits a radio signal including a radio wave as a medium and including a fire detection message. An embodiment to which is applied will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of the present embodiment, and a fire alarm system is configured by a plurality (only two in the drawing) of fire alarms TR. In the following description, when the fire alarms TR are individually indicated, they are indicated as fire alarms TR1, TR2,..., TRn, and when collectively indicated, they are indicated as fire alarms TR.

  The fire alarm TR includes a control unit 1, a wireless transmission / reception unit 2, an antenna 3, a fire detection unit 4, a notification unit 5, an operation input reception unit 6, a battery power supply unit 7, and the like. The wireless transmission / reception unit 2 transmits / receives a radio signal using a radio wave as a medium in accordance with “radio device for low power security system” defined in Article 6, Paragraph 4, Item 3 of the Radio Law Enforcement Regulations. The antenna 3 emits a radio wave that is a medium of a radio signal and receives a radio wave. The antenna 3 may be either an exposed type exposed from the housing of the fire alarm TR or a built-in type incorporated in the housing. In addition, the fire detection unit 4 detects a fire by detecting smoke, heat, flame, or the like generated with the fire, for example. However, detailed configurations of the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 and the fire detection unit 4 are well known in the art and will not be described in detail.

  The notification unit 5 includes a light-emitting diode (LED) and a speaker, a light-emitting circuit that emits the LED, and a drive circuit that rings the speaker, and is controlled by the control unit 1 as described later to emit a plurality of types of notifications. (LED) and sound (speaker). The operation input receiving unit 6 has one or more switches (for example, push button switches). When the switch is operated, an operation input corresponding to each switch is received and an operation signal corresponding to the operation input is controlled. Output to part 1. The battery power supply unit 7 supplies operation power to each unit using a battery such as a dry battery as a power source.

  The control unit 1 includes a microcomputer (microcomputer), a memory unit 1a, and the like, and realizes various functions to be described later by executing a program stored in the memory unit 1a (or ROM <ROM> not shown). To do. Each of the fire alarm devices TR1, TR2,... Is assigned a unique identification code and stored in the memory unit 1a, and the destination of the radio signal and the source fire alarm devices TR1, TR2,. Can be identified.

  For example, when the fire detection unit 4 detects the occurrence of a fire, the control unit 1 sounds an alarm sound from the speaker of the notification unit 5 or an alarm voice message (for example, stored in the memory unit 1a in advance). , “It ’s a fire”, etc.). Further, the control unit 1 causes the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 to transmit a radio signal including a fire alarm message in order to notify the fire alarm in the other fire alarm devices TR together with the notification of the fire alarm. In addition, when the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 receives a wireless signal transmitted from another fire alarm device TR, the control unit 1 controls the notification unit 5 to notify the fire alarm. In other words, the control unit 1 has a function of controlling the notification unit 5 when the fire detection unit 4 detects a fire to notify a fire alarm and transmitting a radio signal including a fire alarm message from the wireless transmission / reception unit 2. Yes.

  Here, in the radio equipment regulation Article 49-17 “Radio equipment of low-power security system radio equipment”, the period during which radio signals may be transmitted continuously (transmission period) is 3 seconds or less. In addition, it is stipulated that a period during which a radio signal should not be transmitted (pause period) provided between the transmission period and the transmission period is 2 seconds or more (see No. 5 of the same article). For this purpose, the control unit 1 causes the wireless signal to be transmitted during the transmission period that complies with the wireless facility rules, and stops the transmission during the suspension period and enables reception.

  In addition, the control unit 1 repeatedly counts a predetermined intermittent reception interval with a timer built in the microcomputer, and activates the radio transmission / reception unit 2 every time the count is completed, so that a desired radio wave (a radio transmitted by another fire alarm TR is transmitted). Signal) can be received. If a desired radio wave is not captured, the control unit 1 immediately stops the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 and shifts to a standby state. As a result, the average power consumption is greatly reduced to extend the battery life of the battery power supply unit 7. The radio wave reception check is performed by the control unit 1 based on a received signal strength indication signal (RSSI signal) output from the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 and is a DC voltage signal proportional to the magnitude of the received signal strength. Is going.

  Thus, in the present embodiment as well, as in the conventional example described in Patent Document 1, the fire alarm device TRi (i = 1, 2,..., N) that detects a fire not only notifies the fire alarm but also transmits a radio signal. This is sent to notify the other fire alarm devices TR1 to TRi-1 and TRi + 1 to TRn that a fire has occurred. Then, when the other fire alarm devices TR1 to TRi-1 and TRi + 1 to TRn that have received the radio signals notify the fire alarm, the fire alarm is notified by all the fire alarm devices TR1 to TRn.

  By the way, if low-power radio is used, the wireless communication distance can be sufficiently covered within a normal residential area, so the wireless signal transmitted from the fire-source fire alarm device TR Receiving in TR is usually possible enough. However, as the number of fire alarms TR increases, it may be difficult to always enable wireless communication among all the fire alarms TR. For example, an electronic device that emits electromagnetic noise is installed near the fire alarm TR, and the radio communication of the fire alarm TR is hindered by the electromagnetic noise during the time period when the electronic device is operating. I think that.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, a specific fire alarm device TR1 (hereinafter referred to as a parent device) is installed in a place where it can wirelessly communicate with all other fire alarm devices TR2 to TRn (hereinafter referred to as child devices). ing. Then, the master unit TR1 that has received the radio signal transmitted from any of the slave units TRj (j = 2, 3,..., N) relays the radio signal toward all the slave units TR2 to TRn. All the fire alarms TR1 to TRn can transmit and receive radio signals to and from each other.

  Further, the control unit 1 of the parent device TR1 activates the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 periodically (for example, every 24 hours) to check whether the child device TRj is operating normally (periodic monitoring). A wireless signal including a periodic monitoring message is transmitted. In each slave unit TRj, the control unit 1 monitors whether or not the fire detection unit 4 has failed and whether or not the battery power supply unit 7 has run out of battery at regular intervals (for example, every hour), and the monitoring results (failures) And whether or not the battery is dead) are stored in the memory unit 1a. When receiving the regular monitoring message from the parent device TR1, the control unit 1 of the child device TRj sends a radio signal including a notification message for notifying the monitoring result stored in the memory unit 1a to the parent device TR1. Send back. After transmitting the radio signal including the notification message, the control unit 1 of the parent device TR1 switches the radio transmission / reception unit 2 to the reception state and receives the radio signal transmitted from each child device TRj. Then, if there is a slave unit TRj that does not transmit a wireless signal including a notification message within a predetermined time after transmitting a wireless signal including a periodic monitoring message, the control unit 1 of the parent unit TR1 causes the speaker of the notification unit 6 to A warning sound is emitted and the light emitting diode is caused to emit light to notify the abnormality (communication impossible) of the slave unit TRj. Alternatively, even when the notification message transmitted from any of the slave units TRj notifies the monitoring result that there is a failure or the battery is dead, the control unit 1 of the master unit TR1 has an abnormality (there is a fault, the battery The notification unit 5 is informed that a break has occurred. However, when the control unit 1 of the parent device TR1 and the child device TRj determines that a failure or a battery has run out, the notification unit 5 immediately notifies the occurrence of the abnormality. Note that the normality of the communication path between the parent device TR1 and each child device TRj can always be confirmed by the parent device TR1 periodically monitoring each child device TRj as described above.

  Here, since the parent device TR1 is installed in a place where it can wirelessly communicate with all the other child devices TR2 to TRn, the same confirmation work as the conventional example described in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter referred to as radio wave confirmation work). is necessary. In the case of the conventional example described in Patent Document 1, a radio signal including a reply request message for confirmation is transmitted from the parent device in the radio wave confirmation work, and the wireless signal including a response message returned from each child device is normal in the parent device. To make sure it is received.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the control unit 1 of the slave unit TRj compares the reception intensity (RSSI value) of the radio signal including the radio wave confirmation message transmitted from the master unit TR1 with the threshold value and compares the comparison result. The notification unit 5 is informed. Hereinafter, the operations of the parent device TR1 and the child device TRj in the radio wave confirmation work will be described with reference to the time chart of FIG.

  First, the parent device TR1 and all the child devices TRj are placed on the floor of each installation location. Note that the control unit 1 of the parent device TR1 and all the child devices TRj starts counting intermittent reception intervals after power-on and starts an intermittent reception operation. When an operation input for starting radio wave confirmation work is received by the operation input reception unit 6 of the parent device TR1, an operation signal for starting the radio wave confirmation work is output from the operation input reception unit 6 to the control unit 1.

  The control unit 1 of the master unit TR1 transmits a radio signal including a radio wave confirmation message at a constant cycle T1 until a predetermined time (tens of seconds to several minutes) elapses after the operation signal for starting the radio wave confirmation work is received. The wireless transmission / reception unit 2 repeatedly transmits.

  On the other hand, in each slave unit TRj, the wireless transmission / reception unit 2 performing intermittent reception receives a wireless signal, but depending on the timing of intermittent reception, it may not be possible to acquire a radio wave confirmation message from the received wireless signal. . Therefore, the control unit 1 of the slave unit TRj wirelessly synchronizes with the next transmission start timing of the radio signal including the radio wave confirmation message based on the end of the radio signal received by the radio transmission / reception unit 2 and the transmission period T1 of the radio wave confirmation message. The transmitter / receiver 2 is activated to receive.

  Therefore, at the time of the second and subsequent reception, the control unit 1 of each slave unit TRj can reliably acquire the radio wave confirmation message from the radio signal received by the radio transmission / reception unit 2. The control unit 1 of each slave unit TRj that has acquired the radio wave confirmation message compares the RSSI value output from the radio transmission / reception unit 2 with a predetermined threshold value and causes the notification unit 5 to notify the comparison result. For example, when the RSSI value is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the control unit 1 controls the notification unit 5 to cause the light emitting diode to emit light, and when the RSSI value is less than the threshold value, the control unit 1 does not cause the light emitting diode to emit light. Alternatively, instead of the light emission of the light emitting diode, or simultaneously with the light emission of the light emitting diode, the control unit 1 may sound a notification sound from a speaker. In addition, the control part 1 of each subunit | mobile_unit TRj continues alerting | reporting of the comparison result by the alerting | reporting part 5 while receiving the radio wave confirmation message from parent | base_unit TR1.

  The operator who performs the radio wave confirmation work confirms the reporting status of the reporting unit 5 of each slave unit TRj and does not report that the RSSI value is equal to or greater than the threshold value (successful reception) (the light emitting diode is emitting light). (Not) Move child TRj. Then, until the predetermined time elapses, the worker moves the slave unit TRj and confirms the notification status of the notification unit 5, thereby installing the slave unit TRj at a position where communication with the master unit TR1 is possible. can do. At this time, the worker may move the child device TRj to an actual installation location, for example, a ceiling or a wall surface.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the control unit 1 of the slave unit TRj compares the reception intensity of the radio signal including the radio wave confirmation message transmitted from the master unit TR1 with the threshold value and notifies the notification unit 5 of the comparison result. Let me know. As a result, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the communication state due to fluctuations in received power without deteriorating workability of radio wave reception confirmation work.

  By the way, when the RSSI value of the radio signal including the radio wave confirmation message is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the control unit 1 of each slave unit TRj notifies, for example, to shorten the blinking cycle of the light emitting diode as the RSSI value increases. The unit 5 may be controlled. That is, the operator can roughly know the reception intensity of the radio signal based on the cycle in which the light emitting diode of the notification unit 5 blinks. Alternatively, instead of changing the blinking cycle of the light emitting diodes, light emitting diodes of different colors may be alternatively made to emit light. For example, as the RSSI value increases, notification may be made with light of different colors such as red → blue → green.

  By the way, in this embodiment, although the fire alarm for houses was illustrated as a radio | wireless machine, the radio | wireless machine which comprises the radio | wireless communications system which concerns on this invention is any of smoke sensing type, a heat sensing type, or a flame sensing type. It is not limited to fire alarms that employ a sensing method. For example, it may be a radio equipped with an air quality sensor that measures air quality such as humidity in the air, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and the concentration of combustion gas (methane, propane, etc.). Alternatively, it may be a wireless device equipped with a human sensor that detects the presence of a person in the monitoring area. The human sensor may be an infrared sensor that measures infrared radiation emitted from the human body, an image analysis technique that detects a person by analyzing an image captured from a monitoring area, or an infrared sensor and an image processor. What is necessary is just to utilize the compound system etc. which use both systems.

  In addition, the wireless communication system is not necessarily composed of one type of wireless device, for example, a wireless device including a fire alarm, a wireless device including an air quality sensor, and a wireless device including a human sensor. Of these, two or three types of wireless devices may be used.

TR Fire alarm (radio)
1 Control unit (control means)
2 Radio transceiver (transmitting means, receiving means)
3 Antenna (transmitting means, receiving means)
4 Fire detector (detection means)
5 Notification part (notification means)
6 Operation input reception part (reception means)

Claims (6)

A transmitting unit that transmits a radio signal using radio waves as a medium; a receiving unit that receives the radio signal; a detecting unit that detects occurrence of a predetermined event; and a predetermined unit when the event is detected by the detecting unit A plurality of wireless devices including a control unit that transmits the wireless signal including the notification message from the transmission unit, a reception unit that receives an operation input, and a notification unit that performs notification using at least one of sound and light Consists of
The control means causes the transmission means to transmit the radio signal including a radio wave confirmation message when the reception means accepts an operation input for radio wave confirmation, and receives the radio wave confirmation message transmitted from another wireless device. The reception intensity of the radio signal including the radio wave confirmation message is compared with a predetermined threshold value, and the notification means is informed of the comparison result. Until the predetermined time elapses from the accepted time point, the radio signal including the radio wave confirmation message is periodically transmitted from the transmission unit ,
Further, when the receiving means receives the wireless signal transmitted from the other wireless device, the control means, based on the end of the wireless signal and the period of the wireless signal including the radio wave confirmation message, A wireless communication system, wherein the reception unit is activated in accordance with a transmission start timing of the wireless signal including the radio wave confirmation message .   The notification means performs notification using light, and the control means transmits light to the notification means when the reception intensity of the radio signal including the radio wave confirmation message received by the reception means is equal to or greater than the threshold value. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the flashing is notified.   3. The wireless communication system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit changes a cycle in which the notification unit blinks light according to the reception intensity.   The notification means performs notification using light of a plurality of types of colors, and the control means, when the reception intensity of the radio signal including the radio wave confirmation message received by the reception means is greater than or equal to the threshold value, The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the color of light is changed according to the reception intensity.   The notification means performs notification using light and sound, and the control means, when the reception intensity of the radio signal including the radio wave confirmation message received by the reception means is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the notification means The wireless communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the information is transmitted using light and sound.   The wireless device comprising the detection means for detecting the occurrence of a fire as the event, the wireless device comprising the detection means for measuring air quality as the event, and the presence of a person in a monitoring area as the event The wireless communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least any one of the wireless devices is included in the wireless device including a detection unit.

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