JP6011078B2 - COMMUNICATION DEVICE, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication system.

  Various location information management systems have been proposed in order to grasp and manage the position of a wireless terminal or a person having a wireless terminal or an article in a facility where accurate positioning using GPS or the like is difficult.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a system that reads a passive RF tag attached to a person with a fixed RF reader / writer and notifies the position to another wireless terminal or the like.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a system in which a wireless terminal specifies its own position by replacing an identifier wirelessly transmitted from a nearby transmitter with position specifying information.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a system in which a wireless terminal receives specific information transmitted from a lighting device, and transmits the specific information to a server to identify the position of the wireless terminal.

  However, in the system of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to install a large number of RF readers / writers in order to read passive RF tags having a narrow communication range, which may increase the cost of introducing infrastructure.

  Further, in the system of Patent Document 2, the power consumption of the wireless terminal may increase depending on the communication method between the wireless terminal and the server.

  Further, in the system of Patent Document 3, as in Patent Document 2, power consumption of the wireless terminal is not taken into consideration. In addition, in the server, in order to specify the position of the wireless terminal, it is necessary to search for a position associated with the unique information, which may increase the calculation cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to efficiently notify position information to a wireless terminal when providing an efficient position information management system.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the purpose,
A communication device according to an embodiment of the disclosure is:
A communication device for communicating with a wireless terminal,
Storage means for storing position information of the communication device;
Transmitting means for transmitting the position information;
Receiving means for receiving positioning signals from navigation satellites;
Control means for executing control for stopping transmission of the position information stored in the storage means by the transmission means when the positioning means receives the positioning signal.

A communication system according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes:
A communication system having a wireless terminal and a communication device for communicating with the wireless terminal,
The communication device
Storage means for storing position information of the communication device;
Transmitting means for transmitting the position information;
Receiving means for receiving positioning signals from navigation satellites;
Control means for executing control to stop transmission of the position information stored in the storage means by the transmission means when the positioning signal is received by the reception means;
The wireless terminal is
Receiving means for receiving position information from the communication device;

A communication control method according to an embodiment of the disclosure is as follows.
A communication control method in a communication device for communicating with a wireless terminal,
Transmitting the position information stored in the storage means for storing the position information of the communication device;
Executes control to receive positioning signals from navigation satellites,
When the positioning signal is received, control for stopping transmission of the position information is executed.

  According to an embodiment of the disclosure, when providing a location information management system that efficiently manages location information, location information can be efficiently notified to a wireless terminal.

The figure showing the positional infomation management system in one Embodiment. The figure showing the network which comprises the positional infomation management system in one Embodiment. The hardware block diagram of the communication apparatus in one Embodiment. The hardware block diagram of the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment. The hardware block diagram of the management apparatus in one Embodiment. The hardware block diagram of the management server in one Embodiment. The functional block diagram of the communication apparatus in one Embodiment. The functional block diagram of the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment. The functional block diagram of the management apparatus in one Embodiment. The functional block diagram of the management server in one Embodiment. The figure showing an example of the information which the communication apparatus in one embodiment holds. The figure showing an example of the information which the wireless terminal in one embodiment holds. The figure showing an example of the format of the position information which the radio | wireless terminal in one Embodiment transmits. The figure showing an example of the information which the management server in one embodiment holds. The figure showing the operation sequence of the position information management system in one embodiment. The figure showing an example of the search screen of the management server in one Embodiment. The figure showing an example of the search result screen of the management server in one Embodiment. The hardware block diagram of the communication apparatus in one Embodiment. The functional block diagram of the communication apparatus in one Embodiment. The figure which shows operation | movement of the communication apparatus in one Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

1. System 2. 2. Hardware configuration example Function 4. Operation sequence (1. System)
FIG. 1 shows a location information management system 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 includes communication apparatuses 100, 102, 104, and 106, wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124, a management apparatus 140, a management server 160, and a network 180 and a network 190 that include the communication apparatus, the wireless terminal, and the management apparatus. . Here, the network 180 is a wireless network managed by the management device 140.

  FIG. 2 shows the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106, the wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124, and the management device 140 that constitute the wireless network in FIG.

  The communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106 are fixed to, for example, a ceiling of a room, and position information (hereinafter referred to as “position information”) such as history information, the number of floors of a building, and a building number related to the fixed position. This is transmitted wirelessly continuously or intermittently. Each communication device has an independent casing and operates by being supplied with power from a previously installed power source, or is incorporated in a lighting fixture such as an LED fluorescent tube and operates with power supplied from the lighting fixture. Each of the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106 transmits position information held by each of the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106 to a predetermined range using a radio signal. The predetermined range is determined by the signal strength of the radio signal used. The communication device is arranged so as to cover an area that is a position management target, and is configured so that the respective areas do not overlap. Or even if it is a case where it overlaps, in the side which receives a positional information, it is comprised so that any one communication apparatus can be determined based on the intensity | strength of a received radio wave. In the example of FIG. 1, a conical dotted line shown below each communication device represents a predetermined range. As a communication method for transmitting position information, for example, a ground complementary signal (Indoor Messaging System; IMES) can be used.

  The wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124 can receive wireless signals transmitted by the nearest communication device among the communication devices 100, 102, 104, and 106. In the example of FIG. 1, each wireless terminal is attached to a rectangular parallelepiped management target that is a target whose position is to be managed. The wireless terminals 120, 122, and 124 are terminals that can transmit radio waves themselves, such as active tags. Hereinafter, the wireless terminal 120 will be described.

(Wireless terminal 120)
The wireless terminal 120 is within a range in which a wireless signal from the communication device 100 can be received, and receives position information of the communication device 100. The position information of the communication device 100 is received using, for example, IMES. The wireless terminal 120 transmits information including its own identification information such as a network address to the communication apparatus 100 together with the received position information. The transmission is performed through a network 180 by short-range wireless communication such as IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark). In this case, IEEE802.15.4 abbreviated address or IEEE extended (MAC) address can be used as identification information of the wireless terminal 120. The identification information and position information transmitted to the communication device 100 are then transmitted to the management device 140 via the adjacent communication device 102. The transmission / reception operation in the wireless terminal 120 is performed at a timing determined in advance in the wireless terminal 120 or at a timing when a change in acceleration by the acceleration sensor included in the wireless terminal 120 is detected.

  The management device 140 connects the network 180 and the network 190 to each other, and bridges data transmitted from the network 180 side to the network 190. The management device 140 is installed, for example, for each floor of a building or for each room partitioned by walls. When the network 180 is a PAN (Personal Area Network) based on IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) and the network 190 is a LAN based on the IEEE802.3 standard, the communication system is converted between them. If the identification information of the wireless terminal 120 is represented by an IEEE 802.15.4 abbreviated address, it is converted into an IEEE extended address based on the information at the time of PAN configuration and transmitted to the management server 160.

  The management server 160 records the identification information and position information received via the management apparatus 140 together with the reception date and time, and manages the position of the communication apparatus. In the management server 160, management objects related to wireless terminals are recorded in advance. Therefore, the location of the management target can be searched using these pieces of information.

  The network 180 connects the respective communication devices 100, 102, 104, 106, the wireless terminals 120, 122, 124, and the management device 140, for example, a PAN configured by IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards. It is. When the PAN is configured with IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards, the wireless terminal, the communication device, and the management device each have an end device function, a router function, and a coordinator function defined by the ZigBee (registered trademark) standard. . Each communication device and wireless terminal enters the management of the management device at the time of activation, forms a PAN, and determines the minimum path to the management device.

  The network 190 is a network that connects the management apparatus 140 and the management server 160, and is, for example, a LAN defined by the IEEE 802.3 standard.

  As described above, in the position information management system 1 according to the embodiment, the wireless terminal can transmit the identification information and the position information to the management server using power that can be communicated with the nearest communication device. In addition, it is not necessary to install a new infrastructure for installing the communication device, and the introduction cost can be reduced.

  Note that the location information of the communication device may be provided through the network 180. This eliminates the need for transmission means for transmitting position information such as IMES.

  Further, the wireless terminal may transmit the identification information and the position information to the management apparatus 140 when the management apparatus is present in the vicinity of the communication apparatus that transmitted the position information. Thereby, identification information and position information can be transmitted to the management server by the shortest path.

  Further, the management server function may be integrated into the management server. This eliminates the need for a separate management device.

  The wireless terminal may be a wireless terminal having a function equivalent to an active tag, such as a smartphone, PDA, PC, or smart meter. As a result, it is possible to manage the position information of the existing wireless terminal without attaching a tag.

  Further, in addition to the above-described position information, information for specifying a finer position, such as information representing a section in the room, may be included. As a result, finer location management is possible.

  The location management target may be a person. Thereby, the location of a person can be managed by the system 1.

  The network 180 may be configured using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth LE, ANT, Z-Wave, and the like. This makes it possible to manage position information of various wireless terminals.

The network 190 may include a plurality of types of networks such as the Internet. This makes it possible to manage the location information of the wireless terminal regardless of the physical location between the network 180 and the management server 160.
(2. Hardware configuration example)
Next, the hardware configuration of the communication device 100, the wireless terminal 120, the management device 140, and the management server 160 included in the location information management system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6. FIG.

  FIG. 3 illustrates a hardware configuration of the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. The communication device 100 includes a CPU 200, a RAM 202, a ROM 204, a position signal transmission control unit 206, a position signal transmission unit 208, a wireless communication control unit 210, a wireless communication unit 212, and a bus 214.

  The CPU 200 executes a program that controls the operation of the communication device 100. The RAM 202 constitutes a work area of the CPU 200 and the like. The ROM 204 stores position information of the communication device 100 in addition to the program executed by the CPU 200. The position signal transmission control unit 206 executes processing for transmitting a positioning signal representing the position information of the communication device 100 via the position signal transmission unit 208. The position signal transmission unit 208 is a device including an antenna that transmits a positioning signal such as IMES. The wireless communication control unit 210 performs wireless communication processing via the wireless communication unit 212. The wireless communication unit 212 is a device that includes an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves conforming to the IEEE802.15.4 standard, for example. A bus 214 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment transmits position information to the wireless terminal 120, receives identification information and position information from the wireless terminal 120, and sends these information to the management server via the management apparatus. Can be sent.

  As described above, when the position information is transmitted by wireless communication, the position signal transmission control unit 206 and the position signal transmission unit 208 are not necessary.

  FIG. 4 illustrates a hardware configuration of the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment. The wireless terminal 120 includes a CPU 220, a RAM 222, a ROM 224, a position signal reception control unit 226, a position signal reception unit 228, a wireless communication control unit 230, a wireless communication unit 232, an acceleration detection control unit 234, an acceleration detection unit 236, and a bus 238. .

  The CPU 220 executes a program that controls the operation of the wireless terminal 120. The RAM 222 constitutes a work area of the CPU 220 and the like. The ROM 224 stores identification information of the wireless terminal 120 and position information received from the communication device 100 in addition to the program executed by the CPU 220. The position signal reception control unit 226 performs processing for receiving a positioning signal representing position information via the position signal reception unit 228. The position signal receiving unit 228 is a device including an antenna that receives a positioning signal such as IMES. The wireless communication control unit 230 executes wireless communication processing via the wireless communication unit 232. The wireless communication unit 232 is a device that includes an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves conforming to, for example, IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The acceleration detection control unit 234 detects a change in acceleration via the acceleration detection unit 236. The acceleration detector 236 is, for example, an acceleration sensor or a motion sensor using inertial force or magnetism. A bus 238 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment can receive position information from the communication apparatus 100 and transmit its own identification information to the communication apparatus 100 together with the position information. In particular, identification information and position information can be efficiently transmitted by performing a transmission or reception operation at a timing when the wireless terminal is moved.

  In addition, when the wireless terminal 120 is an information terminal such as a smartphone or a PC, the wireless terminal 120 includes an input device such as a touch panel, a dial key, a keyboard, and a mouse and a corresponding input control unit that accepts input from the user. Also good. Furthermore, a display device such as a screen and a corresponding display control unit may be provided.

  In addition, when the wireless terminal 120 includes a GPS antenna and a corresponding control unit, it is possible to receive a positioning signal by IMES using the antenna, and it is possible to correspond to the position information management system 1 only by software modification.

  Further, the acceleration detection control unit 234 and the acceleration detection unit 236 are arbitrary components. When the acceleration detection control unit 234 and the acceleration detection unit 236 are not provided, the transmission or reception operation of the wireless terminal 120 is performed at a predetermined interval or time.

  Further, as described above, when the position information is received by wireless communication, the position signal reception control unit 226 and the position signal reception unit 228 are not necessary.

  FIG. 5 illustrates a hardware configuration of the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment. The management device 140 includes a CPU 240, a RAM 242, a ROM 244, a wireless communication control unit 246, a wireless communication device 248, a wired communication control unit 250, a wired communication device 252, and a bus 254.

  The CPU 240 executes a program that controls the operation of the management apparatus 140. The RAM 242 constitutes a work area of the CPU 240 and the like. The ROM 244 stores programs executed by the CPU 240 and data used by the programs. The wireless communication control unit 246 executes wireless communication processing via the wireless communication device 248. The wireless communication device 248 is a device including an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves conforming to IEEE802.15.4 standard, for example. The wired communication control unit 250 executes wired communication processing via the wired communication device 252. The wired communication device 252 is a device having a network interface that conforms to, for example, the IEEE 802.3 standard. A bus 254 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment can convert a signal from the network 180 including the communication apparatus 100 and the wireless terminal 120 into a network 190 including the management server 160. When the network 180 configuring the PAN is ZigBee (registered trademark), it can have a coordinator function for managing devices participating in the PAN.

  FIG. 6 illustrates a hardware configuration of the management server 160 according to an embodiment. The management server 160 includes a CPU 260, a RAM 262, a ROM 264, an HDD 266, a communication control unit 268, a communication unit 270, a display control unit 272, a display unit 274, an input control unit 276, an input unit 278, and a bus 280.

  The CPU 260 executes a program that controls the operation of the management server 160. The RAM 262 constitutes a work area for the CPU 260 and the like. The ROM 264 stores a program executed by the CPU 260 and data used by the program. The HDD 266 stores information for managing the position of the wireless terminal 120 used in the position information management system 1. The communication control unit 268 executes communication processing via the communication unit 270. The communication unit 270 is a device having a network interface that conforms to, for example, the IEEE 802.3 standard. The display control unit 272 controls the content displayed on the display unit 274 in accordance with the processing content of the location management program executed on the management server 160. The display unit 274 includes a display such as a liquid crystal display or a CRT display. The input control unit 276 processes a signal from the input unit 278 such as a keyboard and a mouse that receives an input from the user. A bus 280 electrically connects the above devices.

  With the above configuration, the management server 160 in one embodiment can manage the location of the wireless terminal 120 and search for the location of the wireless terminal 120.

  The HDD 266 may be any storage device including a tape drive, or may be a storage area accessible via a network.

In addition, the management server 160 may include a wireless communication control unit and a wireless communication device included in the management device 140 described above, and may perform processing instead of the management device 140. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide the management device 140 separately.
(3. Function)
FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. The communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment includes a storage unit 300, a communication unit 304, and a control unit 312.

  The storage unit 300 stores the position information 302 of the communication device 100. An example of a table for storing the position information 302 is shown in FIG. FIG. 11 includes items of floor number, latitude, longitude, and building number. The floor number represents the floor number of the building where the communication device 100 is installed. The latitude and longitude represent the latitude and longitude of the position where the communication device 100 is located. The building number represents the building number of the building where the communication device 100 is installed. In the example of FIG. 11, the communication device 100 is located on the 16th floor of a building C of a certain building, and is located at a point where the latitude is 35.459555 and the longitude is 139.3387110.

  The communication unit 304 includes a position information transmission unit 306, a terminal information reception unit 308, and a terminal information transmission unit 310.

  The position information transmitting unit 306 wirelessly transmits the position information 302 including information such as the history information, the number of floors of the building, and the building number continuously or intermittently to the wireless terminal 120 within a predetermined range. The position information 302 is transmitted using, for example, a format defined in IMES.

  The terminal information receiving unit 308 receives identification information and position information transmitted from the wireless terminal 120.

  The terminal information transmission unit 310 transmits the identification information and position information transmitted from the wireless terminal 120 to the management server 160 via the management device 140. When the network 180 is made using the ZigBee (registered trademark) standard, the transmission is performed using routing information held by the communication apparatus 100.

  The control unit 312 controls the operation of the communication device 100. When the communication apparatus 100 configures a PAN using the wireless terminal 120 and the management apparatus 140 and ZigBee (registered trademark), the communication apparatus 100 is controlled to provide a router function.

  With the above configuration, the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment holds the position information 302, transmits the position information 302 to the wireless terminal 120, receives the identification information and the position information of the wireless terminal 120, and receives the identification information. It can be transmitted to the management server through the management device 140.

  Note that the position information 302 may include additional information such as the name of the building where the communication apparatus 100 is installed and information indicating a section in the room. As a result, finer location management is possible.

  FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment. The wireless terminal 120 in one embodiment includes a storage unit 320, a communication unit 326, an acceleration detection unit 332, and a control unit 334.

  The storage unit 320 includes identification information 322 and position information 324. The identification information 322 includes information such as the network address of the wireless terminal 120 that can identify the wireless terminal 120 on the location information management system 1. For example, when the network 180 is based on the IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards, an IEEE 802.15.4 abbreviated address or an IEEE extended (MAC) address can be used. The position information 324 is the position information 302 transmitted from the communication apparatus 100. An example of a table for storing the position information 324 is shown in FIG. The configuration is the same as in FIG.

  The communication unit 326 includes a position information receiving unit 328 and an identification information transmitting unit 330.

  The position information receiving unit 328 receives the position information 302 transmitted from the communication device 100. The received position information 302 is held in the storage unit 320 of the wireless terminal 120.

  The identification information transmitting unit 330 transmits the position information 324 together with the identification information 322 of the wireless terminal 120 to the communication device 100. The position information 302 is transmitted to the wireless terminal 120 in a format as shown in FIG. 12, for example. In the format of FIG. 12, the floor, latitude, longitude, and building number fields are represented by 9 bits, 21 bits, 21 bits, and 8 bits, respectively, and the corresponding fields of the message received according to the IMES standard are connected. . The representation format of each field conforms to the IMES standard. Actually, in addition to this format, a header and checksum information defined by the communication method are added and transmitted. As a communication method, for example, IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards are used.

  The acceleration detection unit 332 detects a change in acceleration of the wireless terminal 120. The change in acceleration is detected, for example, when the wireless terminal 120 starts moving, when the movement stops, or when a tilt is detected. The detected change in acceleration is used to determine the timing of the transmission or reception operation of the wireless terminal 120. The acceleration detection means 332 is an arbitrary component.

  The control unit 334 controls the reception timing of the position information by the position information reception unit 238 and the transmission timing of the identification information 322 and the position information 324 by the identification information transmission unit 330. The transmission / reception timing is determined based on the detection of a change in acceleration by the acceleration detection means 332. Alternatively, it may be determined based on an interval or time preset in the wireless terminal 120. Also, transmission and reception timings may be determined independently of each other. Further, when the wireless terminal 120 forms a PAN with ZigBee (registered trademark) together with the communication device 100 and the management device 140, the control unit 334 controls the wireless terminal 120 to provide an endpoint function.

  With the above configuration, the wireless terminal 120 according to an embodiment can efficiently receive position information from the communication apparatus and efficiently transmit the position information together with the position information to the identification information communication apparatus.

  When the wireless terminal 120 is an information terminal such as a smartphone or a PC, an input unit that receives an input from the user or a display unit that presents information to the user may be provided. As a result, it is possible to present identification information or position information to the user and to input or modify identification information or position information from the user.

  FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment. The management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment includes a communication unit 340, a conversion unit 346, and a control unit 348.

  The communication unit 340 includes a reception unit 342 and a transmission unit 344. The receiving unit 342 receives data transmitted from a communication device or a wireless terminal belonging to the network 180. The transmission unit 344 transmits the data converted by the management apparatus 140 to the management server 160 belonging to the network 190. The network 180 is a PAN based on IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee (registered trademark) standards, for example. The network 190 is a LAN based on the IEEE802.3 standard, for example.

  The converting unit 346 converts the data received by the receiving unit 342 from the network 180 into a format compatible with the network 190. The converted data is transmitted to the management server 160 via the network 190 by the transmission unit 344. Here, when the identification information of the wireless terminal 120 included in the data is represented by an IEEE 802.15.4 abbreviated address, it is converted into an IEEE extended address based on the information at the time of PAN configuration.

  The control unit 348 controls the operation of the management device 140. When the management device 140 configures a PAN according to the ZigBee (registered trademark) standard together with the communication device 100 and the wireless terminal 120, the management device 140 is controlled to provide a coordinator function.

  With the above configuration, the management apparatus 140 according to an embodiment can bridge communication between the network 180 to which the communication apparatus 100 and the wireless terminal 120 belong and the network 190 to which the management server belongs.

  FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of the management server 160 according to an embodiment. The management server 160 according to an embodiment includes a communication unit 360, a storage unit 366, an input unit 370, a display unit 372, and a control unit 374.

  The communication unit 360 includes a reception unit 362 and a transmission unit 364. The receiving unit 362 receives the identification information and the position information transmitted from the wireless terminal through the management device 140. The received identification information and position information are stored in the storage means 366. When the transmission unit 364 is requested to provide location information to an external server or the like, the transmission unit 364 transmits the location information to the external server or the like.

  The storage unit 366 has location management information 368. The location management information 368 is information obtained by adding management information such as a reception time to the identification information and location information received from the wireless terminal 120. An example of a table storing the information is shown in FIG. FIG. 14 includes items of identification information, device name, owned department, latitude, longitude, floor number, building, and reception date and time. The identification information is information such as an IEEE extended address of the wireless terminal 120 that has transmitted the identification information. The latitude, longitude, number of floors, and building correspond to the positional information received together with the identification information. The reception date and time is the date and time when the management server 160 received the information. The device name is the name of the management target to which the wireless terminal 120 that transmitted the information is attached or the device name of the wireless terminal 120. The owned department is a department name that owns the wireless terminal 120 that has transmitted the information. Information on the device name and the owned department is associated with identification information by the management server 160 in advance.

  The input unit 370 accepts an input from the user so that the user searches for position information.

  The display unit 372 displays on the screen a GUI related to a search screen for the user to search for position information. An example of the search screen is shown in FIG. In the “location search system” shown in FIG. 16, based on the information stored in the storage unit 366, the owned department and device name related to the wireless terminal are displayed in a list on the screen. When the user selects a check box of a device to be searched through the input unit 370, a check mark is added. When all the devices to be searched are checked and the “Execute Search” button is selected, the search is executed and the screen is switched to a result display screen. In the example of FIG. 16, an example is shown in which the user performs a search for a device “UCS P3000” owned by “Sales Section 1”. FIG. 17 shows an example of the search result screen. When the “execute search” button is selected, the display unit 372 displays a floor plan of “A building 4th floor” where “UCS P3000” is located based on the data stored in the storage unit 366, the device name, Displays the reception date and time.

  The control unit 374 controls the operation of the management server.

  With the above configuration, the management server 160 in one embodiment can manage the location of the wireless terminal and search for the location. In particular, information representing the position of the wireless terminal itself can be directly received and managed, and the amount of calculation for searching for the position can be reduced.

  The management server 160 has the same functions as the conversion unit 346, the control unit 348, and the reception unit 342 included in the management device 160, and may have the same functions as the management device 160. This eliminates the need to provide the management device 160 individually.

  Further, the location management information 368 stored by the management server 160 includes the date and time when the wireless terminal transmits the information together with the information shown in FIG. Information including time taken for arrival of information or electric field strength may be stored. Thereby, position information can be managed under more detailed conditions.

In addition, the management server 160 may record past location information of the wireless terminal. Thereby, the movement of the wireless terminal can be tracked.
(4. Operation sequence)
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an operation sequence of the location information management system 1 according to the embodiment in the configuration of FIG. In FIG. 15, when a change in acceleration is detected, the communication apparatus 100 that receives position information and transmits identification information, the wireless terminal 120 that transmits position information to an area to which the communication apparatus 100 belongs, and PAN (IEEE802.15.4 and An example of a management apparatus 140 that bridges ZigBee (registered trademark) and a LAN (IEEE802.3) and a management server 160 will be described. It is assumed that the PAN among the communication device 100, the wireless terminal 120, and the management device 140 has already been established.

  In step S800, the communication apparatus 100 transmits the position information continuously or intermittently using IMES or the like.

  In step S802, the wireless terminal 120 detects a change in acceleration.

  In step S804, the wireless terminal 120 receives the position information transmitted from the communication device 100.

  In step S806, the wireless terminal 120 stores the received position information.

  In step S808, the wireless terminal 120 transmits identification information and position information to the communication apparatus 100.

  In step S810, the communication apparatus 100 transmits the identification information and the position information received from the wireless terminal 120 to the management apparatus through the minimum path.

  In step S812, the management apparatus 140 converts the data transmitted from the network 180 including the identification information and the position information received from the communication apparatus 100 into a format compatible with the network 190.

  In step S <b> 814, the management apparatus 140 transmits the identification information and position information converted into a format compatible with the network 190 to the management server 160.

  In step S816, the management server 160 registers the identification information and the position information received from the management device together with information on the wireless terminal corresponding to the identification information.

  Through the above procedure, the location information management system 1 according to the embodiment can suppress the power consumption of the wireless terminal by efficiently transmitting the identification information and the location information to the nearest communication device. it can.

  As described above, the management server 160 may execute the functions of the management apparatus 140 in an integrated manner. In this case, it is not necessary to install a separate management device 140.

  If the wireless terminal does not include the acceleration detection unit 332, step S802 is not executed, and the reception of the position information in step S804 can be performed at a predetermined time or at a predetermined interval. The subsequent processing is the same as steps S806 to S816.

  The wireless terminal 120 in one embodiment may be located at a location where the position information from the communication device 100 can be received and a positioning signal from a navigation satellite such as a GPS satellite can reach. In a place where the positioning signal from the communication device 100 can be received and the positioning signal from the GPS satellite arrives, there is a possibility that interference occurs between the positioning signal from the communication device 100 and the positioning signal from the GPS satellite. When interference occurs between the positioning signal from the communication device 100 and the positioning signal from the GPS satellite, the wireless terminal 120 may not be able to acquire position information from the positioning signal from the communication device 100.

  The positioning signal from the GPS satellite includes satellite orbit information (ephemeris and almanac) regarding the corresponding GPS satellite, clock correction value, and ionospheric correction coefficient. The positioning signal is spread by a C / A code, is carried on an L1 band carrier (frequency: 1575.42 MHz), and is constantly broadcast toward the earth. In addition, the positioning signal is spread by the P code, is carried on the L2 band carrier (frequency: 1227.6 MHz), and is constantly broadcast toward the earth. The L1 band carrier wave is a combined wave of a sine wave modulated with a C / A code and a Cos wave modulated with a P code (Precision Code), and is orthogonally modulated. The L2 band carrier wave is a Cos wave modulated with a P code and is orthogonally modulated. The C / A code and the P code are pseudo noise codes, and are code strings in which -1 and 1 are arranged irregularly and periodically.

  The center frequency of the positioning signal transmitted from the communication device 100 is 1.5747 GHz in the case of IMES. Since the center frequency of the positioning signal transmitted from the communication apparatus 100 is close to the center frequency of the positioning signal transmitted from the GPS satellite on the L1 band carrier wave, interference occurs.

  An example of a place where the position information from the communication device 100 can be received and a positioning signal from a GPS satellite arrives is a viewing elevator that moves between outdoors and indoors. For example, a lighting fixture such as an LED fluorescent tube on which the communication device 100 is mounted is attached to a viewing elevator. In observation elevators, positioning signals from GPS satellites often do not reach the underground floor, but positioning signals from GPS satellites often arrive on the ground floor. When a user who holds the wireless terminal 120 is on the observation elevator, the position information can be acquired from the positioning signal from the communication device 100 on the basement floor, but the position information cannot be acquired from the positioning signal from the communication device 100 on the ground floor. There is a fear. That is, in a place where a positioning signal from a GPS satellite arrives, even if a positioning signal is transmitted from the communication device 100, the wireless terminal 120 may not be able to acquire position information from the positioning signal. It is not preferable from the viewpoint of reducing.

  Therefore, the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment transmits position information in a place where a positioning signal from a GPS satellite does not reach. Conversely, the communication device 100 according to an embodiment does not transmit position information in a place where a positioning signal from a GPS satellite arrives.

  FIG. 18 illustrates a hardware configuration of the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. The communication apparatus 100 includes a positioning control unit 216 and a GPS receiving unit 218 in the communication apparatus described with reference to FIG.

  The positioning control unit 216 measures the position of the communication device 100 via the GPS receiving unit 218. The GPS receiver 218 receives a positioning signal transmitted by a GPS satellite (not shown).

  With the above configuration, the communication device 100 according to an embodiment can receive a positioning signal from a GPS satellite. Further, the communication device 100 can stop the transmission of the position information from the position signal transmission unit 208 when it can receive the positioning signal from the GPS satellite.

  FIG. 19 is a functional block diagram of the communication apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. The communication apparatus 100 is configured such that the communication apparatus 100 described with reference to FIG. 7 includes a positioning signal reception unit 307 and a position information transmission determination unit 311.

  The positioning signal receiving means 307 receives a positioning signal from a GPS satellite. Specifically, the positioning signal receiving unit 307 receives a positioning signal via the GPS receiving unit 218. For example, the positioning signal receiving unit 307 receives a positioning signal transmitted from a GPS satellite on the L1 band carrier wave. The positioning signal receiving unit 307 inputs the received positioning signal to the positioning control unit 216 and also inputs it to the position information transmission determining unit 311.

  Further, based on the positioning signal input by the positioning signal receiving unit 307, the positioning control unit 216 executes a positioning calculation. The positioning control unit 216 inputs position information obtained by positioning calculation to the position information transmission determination unit 311.

  The position information transmission determination unit 311 determines whether or not to stop transmission of position information depending on whether or not a positioning signal is input from the positioning signal reception unit 307. For example, the position information transmission determination unit 311 determines to stop transmission of position information when a positioning signal is input from the positioning signal reception unit 307. When it is determined that the transmission of the position information is to be stopped, the position information transmission determination unit 311 instructs the position signal transmission control unit 206 to stop the control for transmitting the position information from the position signal transmission unit 208.

  On the other hand, when the positioning signal is not input from the positioning signal receiving unit 307, the position information transmission determining unit 311 determines to continue transmitting the position information. In this case, the position information transmission determining unit 311 may determine whether or not a positioning signal is input from the positioning signal receiving unit 307 at a predetermined cycle. When it is determined that the transmission of the position information is to be continued, the position information transmission determination unit 311 may instruct the position signal transmission control unit 206 to perform control for transmitting the position information from the position signal transmission unit 208. In accordance with a command for performing control to transmit position information from the position signal transmission unit 208, the position signal transmission control unit 206 continues the state when the position information is transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208. Further, according to a command for performing control to transmit the position information from the position signal transmission unit 208, the position signal transmission control unit 206 transmits the position information when the position information is not transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208. Execute control.

  Further, the position information transmission determination unit 311 may determine whether or not to stop transmission of position information depending on whether or not position information is input from the positioning control unit 216. For example, the position information transmission determination unit 311 determines to stop transmission of position information when the position information is input from the positioning control unit 216. When it is determined that the transmission of the position information is to be stopped, the position information transmission determination unit 311 instructs the position signal transmission control unit 206 to stop the control for transmitting the position information from the position signal transmission unit 208.

  On the other hand, the position information transmission determination unit 311 determines that the transmission of the position information is continued when the position information is not input from the positioning control unit 216. In this case, the position information transmission determination unit 311 may determine whether or not position information is input from the positioning control unit 216 at a predetermined cycle. When it is determined that the transmission of the position information is to be continued, the position information transmission determination unit 311 may instruct the position signal transmission control unit 206 to perform control for transmitting the position information from the position signal transmission unit 208. When the position information is transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208, the position signal transmission control unit 206 continues the state according to the command for performing the control to transmit the position information from the position signal transmission unit 208. Further, in accordance with a command for performing control for transmitting position information from the position signal transmission unit 208, the position signal transmission control unit 206 performs control for transmitting position information when the position information is not transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208. Execute.

  FIG. 20 shows an example of the operation of the communication apparatus 100.

  In step S2002, the communication apparatus 100 determines whether a positioning signal from a GPS satellite has been received. The position information transmission determining unit 311 determines whether or not a positioning signal is input from the positioning signal receiving unit 307.

  In step S2004, when it is determined in step S2002 that a positioning signal from a GPS satellite is not received, the communication apparatus 100 determines whether or not position information is transmitted. When it is determined that the positioning signal is not input from the positioning signal receiving unit 307, the position information transmission determining unit 311 instructs the position signal transmission control unit 206 to continue transmitting the position information. The position signal transmission control unit 206 determines whether or not position information is transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208 in accordance with a command from the position information transmission determination unit 311.

  If position information is transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208 in step S2004, the process returns to step S2002. When the positioning signal from the GPS satellite is not received, it is preferable that the positioning signal is transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208. Since the position information is transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208, this state is continued.

  In step S2006, when the position information is not transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208, the communication apparatus 100 starts transmitting the position information. Position information is transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208 under the control of the position signal transmission control unit 206. This is because the positioning signal is preferably transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208 when the positioning signal from the GPS satellite is not received and the position information is not transmitted.

  In step S2008, when it is determined in step S2002 that a positioning signal from a GPS satellite is received, the communication apparatus 100 determines whether position information is being transmitted. When the position information transmission determining unit 311 determines that a positioning signal is input from the positioning signal receiving unit 307, the position information transmission determining unit 311 instructs the position signal transmission control unit 206 to stop transmitting the position information. The position signal transmission control unit 206 determines whether or not position information is transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208 in accordance with a command from the position information transmission determination unit 311.

  If position information is not transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208 in step S2008, the process returns to step S2002. When the positioning signal from the GPS satellite is received, it is preferable that the positioning signal is not transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208. Since the position information is not transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208, this state is continued.

  In step S2010, when the position information is transmitted from the position signal transmission unit 208, the communication apparatus 100 stops transmitting the position information. Under the control of the position signal transmission control unit 206, transmission of position information from the position signal transmission unit 208 is stopped. This is because the positioning signal is preferably not transmitted from the position signal transmitting unit 208 when the positioning signal from the GPS satellite is received and the position information is transmitted.

  According to the communication apparatus 100 in one embodiment, transmission of position information can be stopped when a positioning signal from a GPS satellite is received. For this reason, it is possible to stop the transmission of the positioning signal that may not be able to acquire the position information by the wireless terminal.

  The present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments and examples. However, the embodiments and examples are merely examples, and those skilled in the art will recognize various modifications, modifications, alternatives, and substitutions. You will understand examples. For convenience of explanation, an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention has been described using a functional block diagram, but such an apparatus may be realized by hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various variations, modifications, alternatives, substitutions, and the like are included without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

100, 102, 104, 106 Communication device 120, 122, 124 Wireless terminal 140 Management device 160 Management server 180 Network 190 Network

Japanese Patent No. 4620410 JP 2010-159980 A International Publication No. 2005/086375

Claims (7)

A communication device for communicating with a wireless terminal ,
Transmission means for transmitting the location information before Symbol communication device,
Receiving means for receiving positioning signals from navigation satellites;
Wherein the receiving means determines whether or not to receive the positioning signal, if received, a communication apparatus and control means for executing control to stop transmission of the previous SL positional information Ru good to said transmitting means . The control means determines whether to receive the positioning signal by the receiving means, if not received, it executes control to transmit the pre-Symbol location Ru good to said transmitting means, claim The communication apparatus according to 1. A communication device for communicating with a wireless terminal,
Transmitting means for transmitting position information of the communication device;
Receiving means for receiving positioning signals from navigation satellites;
Control means for executing control for stopping transmission of the position information by the transmission means when the positioning signal is received by the reception means during transmission of the position information by the transmission means;
A communication device comprising: A communication system having a wireless terminal and a communication device for communicating with the wireless terminal,
The communication device
Transmission means for transmitting the location information before Symbol communication device,
Receiving means for receiving positioning signals from navigation satellites;
Wherein whether to receive the positioning signal is determined by the receiving means, if the received and a control means for performing control to stop transmission of the previous SL positional information Ru good to said transmitting means,
The wireless terminal is
A communication system comprising information receiving means for receiving the position information from the communication device. The communication system further includes a management server that records a position of the wireless terminal;
The wireless terminal is
After receiving the position information by the information receiving means, further comprising terminal information transmitting means for transmitting the position information and identification information of the wireless terminal to the management server;
The management server records the location information and the identification information transmitted by the terminal information transmission means together with a reception date and time;
The communication system according to claim 4. A communication control method in a communication device for communicating with a wireless terminal,
Send the location information of said communication device,
A communication control method for determining whether or not a positioning signal from a navigation satellite is received, and executing control for stopping transmission of the position information if received . A communication control method in a communication device for communicating with a wireless terminal,
Transmitting location information of the communication device;
A communication control method for executing control for stopping transmission of the position information when a positioning signal from a navigation satellite is received during transmission of the position information.

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