JP6251665B2 - Adjustment method, adjustment device, and adjustment program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for adjusting a time interval at which a slave unit transmits data to a master unit.

  Currently, there is a wireless network including a master unit and a slave unit. The master unit is installed at a predetermined access point and can support a plurality of communication protocols. The master unit periodically switches the protocol exclusively and transmits radio waves corresponding to the switched protocol. On the other hand, the slave unit can support at least one type of protocol, and can transmit data at any time by detecting that communication is not performed between the peripheral slave unit and the master unit. However, data transmission is successful when its own protocol is the same as that of the parent device.

JP-A-7-135675

  However, since the types of protocols used by the parent device and the child device are not synchronized, the data transmission process is repeatedly performed until the data transmission is successful in the child device, and the power consumption of the child device increases.

  As a wireless network composed of such a master unit and a slave unit, in Patent Document 1, a signal is transmitted from a terminal station to a control station at a predesignated time, and the signal is sequentially received by a plurality of antennas of the control station, A technique is described in which an antenna that receives a signal with the highest quality is used for communication with a terminal station. As described above, when each communication method is time-synchronized between the transmitter and the receiver, the data transmission is performed by determining the protocol time zone to be used in advance by using the technique of Patent Document 1. Is possible. However, in the case of a sensor network, for example, since a normal system is constructed by an asynchronous network, it is very difficult to synchronize between a transmitter and a receiver, and it is difficult to apply the method of Patent Document 1. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a parent device and a child device in which the type of protocol to be used is not synchronized, the load related to data transmission of the child device to the parent device is improved. Objective.

  In order to solve the above problems, the adjustment method according to claim 1 is an adjustment method performed by an adjustment device that adjusts a time interval at which a slave unit transmits data to the master unit, wherein the master unit includes a plurality of protocols. The plurality of protocols can be switched periodically and exclusively, radio waves corresponding to the switched protocols can be transmitted, and the slave unit can use at least one type of protocol, and can be used When the protocol to be used is the same as the protocol being used in the base unit, data transmission to the base unit is successful, and the coordinating device performs the data transmission for the data transmission repeatedly performed by the slave unit at a predetermined time interval. Based on the presence / absence of a response from the master unit, a storage step for storing success / failure of data transmission to the master unit in the storage means as transmission status information, and registration in the transmission status information A determination step of determining success or failure of data transmission performed at the next time based on the predetermined time interval based on the success or failure of data transmission at each time, and successful data transmission performed at the next time If it is determined not to do so, the gist is to have an adjustment step of adjusting the predetermined time interval by changing the next time.

  The gist of the adjustment method according to claim 2 is that, in the adjustment method according to claim 1, in the adjustment step, a time shifted by a certain time before or after the next time is determined as the next time. .

  The adjustment method according to claim 3 is the adjustment method according to claim 1, wherein, in the adjustment step, when the immediately preceding data transmission is successful, an intermediate time between the immediately preceding time and the next time or If the time shifted from a certain time before or after the intermediate time is determined as the next time, and the previous data transmission is unsuccessful, the intermediate time between the next time and the next time or constant from the intermediate time The gist is to determine the time shifted before or after the time as the next time.

  The adjustment method according to claim 4 is the adjustment method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the determination step, the time when the data transmission was successful most recently and the data transmission succeeded before the most recent time. When the difference between the time interval between the current time and the time interval between the most recent data transmission success and the current time is within a predetermined time range, the data transmission performed at the next time The gist is to determine that is successful.

  The adjustment device according to claim 5 is an adjustment device that adjusts a time interval at which a child device transmits data to the parent device, wherein the parent device can use a plurality of protocols, and the plurality of protocols are exclusively used. The slave unit can use at least one type of protocol, and the protocol to be used is the protocol being used by the master unit. In the same case, the data transmission to the parent device is successful, and the adjustment device determines whether the parent device is based on the presence or absence of a response from the parent device to the data transmission repeatedly performed by the child device at a predetermined time interval. Storage means for storing success / failure of data transmission to the device as transmission status information, and based on success / failure of data transmission at each time registered in the transmission status information The determination means for determining success or failure of data transmission performed at the next time based on the time interval, and when it is determined that the data transmission performed at the next time is not successful, by changing the next time The gist of the present invention is to have adjusting means for adjusting a predetermined time interval.

  The adjusting device according to claim 6 is the adjusting device according to claim 5, wherein the adjusting means determines a time shifted from the next time by a certain time before or after as the next time. .

  The adjustment device according to claim 7 is the adjustment device according to claim 5, wherein, when the previous data transmission is successful, the adjustment means is an intermediate time between the previous time and the next time or If the time shifted from a certain time before or after the intermediate time is determined as the next time, and the previous data transmission is unsuccessful, the intermediate time between the next time and the next time or constant from the intermediate time The gist is to determine the time shifted before or after the time as the next time.

  The gist of an adjustment program according to an eighth aspect is to cause a computer to function as the adjustment apparatus according to any one of the fifth to seventh aspects.

  According to the present invention, in the parent device and the child device whose types of protocols to be used are not synchronized, it is possible to reduce the number of times of data transmission success / failure transmission to the parent device by the child device, and to reduce the power consumption of the child device. .

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of a communication system. It is a figure which shows the functional block structure of an adjustment apparatus. It is a figure which shows the determination processing flow of a data transmission period. It is a figure which shows the example of transmission status information.

  The present invention establishes a method for autonomously controlling the data transmission cycle by learning the success or failure of data transmission by the slave itself when the types of protocols used by the master and the slave are not synchronized. It is in. Hereinafter, an embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, the configuration of the communication system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of the communication system 1. The communication system 1 includes a parent device 10 and a plurality of child devices 30 that are connected to be able to communicate with each other.

  The base unit 10 is a radio wave relay installed at an access point such as a wireless LAN. Plural types of protocols (for example, 920MHz band IEEE802.15.4, IEEE802.15.4e, IEEE802.15.4g, IEEE802.15.4d, TTC standard JJ-300.10 (Wi-SUN, Zigbee IP), etc. Protocol and other uniquely defined protocols}, the protocol is exclusively switched at a predetermined cycle, and radio waves corresponding to the switched protocol are transmitted. A plurality of master units 10 may be provided.

  The subunit | mobile_unit 30 is the mobile telephone and smart phone which are not provided with the sensor apparatus provided with the antenna and the IC chip, the mobile phone and smart phone provided with the sensor equipment, for example. At least one type of protocol can be supported, and desired data is transmitted using radio waves corresponding to the protocol. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the slave unit ID = 1 transmits data 1 by radio waves corresponding to the protocol P1, and the slave unit ID = 2 transmits data 2 by radio waves corresponding to the protocol P2.

  Examples of the communication system 1 including the parent device 10 and the child device 30 include a wireless sensor network for collecting information from wireless sensor terminals, a telephone communication network including a mobile phone and a base station, and Wi-Fi communication. A network is conceivable.

  In such a communication system 1, since the parent device 10 periodically switches the corresponding protocol and transmits radio waves, the child device 30 can communicate with the parent device 10 only during a time zone in which the same corresponding protocol as that of itself is used. it can. Therefore, when it is desired to perform data communication with the parent device 10, the child device 30 repeatedly transmits data to the parent device 10, and determines whether or not the data can be reached depending on whether there is a reception response from the parent device 10. to decide. Under such circumstances, the present invention is to adjust the data transmission cycle (time interval) to the parent device 10 in the child device 30 in order to reduce the load related to the data transmission of the child device 30.

  Therefore, slave unit 30 according to the present embodiment includes adjustment device 100 for adjusting the data transmission cycle in addition to the functions described above. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a functional block configuration of the adjustment device 100. The coordinating apparatus 100 manages the data transmission request unit 101 that requests data transmission and the transmission status information (including data arrival success / failure) based on the data transmission result, and manages the data based on the determined data transmission cycle. A transmission / reception state management unit 102 that transmits to the device 10, a transmission state management database 103 that stores the transmission state information, and a transmission cycle determination unit 104 that determines a data transmission cycle using the transmission state information. Is done.

  Such an adjustment apparatus 100 can be realized by a computer having a calculation function such as a CPU and a storage function such as a memory. It is also possible to create an estimation program for causing a computer to function as the adjustment device 100 and a storage medium for the estimation program.

  Next, the data transmission cycle determination operation (including the adjustment operation) performed by the adjustment apparatus 100 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data transmission cycle determination processing flow.

  First, in step S <b> 1, when the transmission / reception state management unit 102 receives a data transmission request (including data and a transmission destination parent device ID) from the data transmission request unit 101, the received current time and transmission destination parent device ID. Are registered in the transmission state management database 103 as transmission / reception state information. Thereafter, the transmission / reception state management unit 102 requests the transmission cycle determination unit 104 to calculate the data transmission cycle.

  Next, in step S <b> 2, when receiving a data transmission cycle calculation request from the transmission / reception state management unit 102, the transmission cycle determination unit 104 can acquire transmission state information from the transmission state management database 103 and calculate a data transmission cycle. It is determined whether or not a sufficient number of transmission states are registered.

  “A sufficient number of transmission states for which the data transmission cycle can be calculated” is, for example, when three or more times are registered in the transmission state information and the registered times are t1, t2, and t3. This is a case where the determination formula (t3−t2) ≈ (t2−t1) is satisfied. At this time, for example, when {(t3-t2)-(t2-t1)} is smaller than {5 (t3-t2)} and smaller than {5 (t2-t1)}, the determination is made. Assume that the formula holds. When the determination formula is satisfied, the transmission cycle determination unit 104 calculates the data transmission cycle using, for example, the formula {(t3−t2) + (t2−t1)} / 2.

  At this time, it is assumed that a sufficient number of transmission states that can calculate the data transmission cycle are not registered. In this case, the transmission cycle determination unit 104 transmits, to the transmission / reception state management unit 102, no cycle change information indicating no change in the data transmission cycle.

  Next, in step S <b> 3, when the transmission / reception state management unit 102 receives no period change information from the transmission cycle determination unit 104, it immediately transmits the data included in the data transmission request to the parent device 10. Since the data transmission cycle is not set at present, the data is transmitted “immediately”.

  Next, when the transmission / reception state management unit 102 transmits data to the parent device 10 and then receives a reception response (Ack) from the parent device 10 within a predetermined time, the transmission / reception state management unit 102 stores the received response in step S1 in step S4. The registered current time (≈data transmission time to base unit 10) and transmission success are paired and registered in the transmission status information. On the other hand, when the reception response is not received within a predetermined time, in step S5, the transmission / reception state management unit 102 registers the current time and the transmission failure as a pair in the transmission state information.

  Here, an example of the transmission state information is shown in FIG. Although the registration method of the transmission result is as described in this determination processing flow, generally, the slave unit 30 performs data transmission after selecting one transmission destination master unit 10. Therefore, a flag indicating success or failure is registered for any one of the parent device IDs at time Time, and Null is registered for the parent device that is not the transmission destination. If broadcast or data is simultaneously transmitted to a plurality of master units, a flag indicating success or failure is registered for each base unit ID of the transmission destination (sending transmission).

  Thereafter, the process returns to step S1, and when the transmission / reception state management unit 102 receives the next data transmission request (including the next data and the transmission destination parent device ID) from the data transmission request unit 101, the transmission / reception state management unit 102 The process of step S1 described above is executed. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S2, and this time, it is assumed that a sufficient number of transmission states capable of calculating the data transmission cycle are registered in the transmission state information. Therefore, the transmission cycle determination unit 104 calculates the data transmission cycle using the above-described calculation formula [{(t3−t2) + (t2−t1)} / 2] of the data transmission cycle, and sends it to the transmission / reception state management unit 102. Send.

  Next, in step S6, when the transmission cycle determination unit 104 determines that a sufficient number of states that can specify the data transmission cycle are registered in the transmission state information, the transmission state information and the calculated data transmission cycle And predicting whether data transmission performed at the timing of the next time will succeed or fail.

  For example, when the transmission is successful in all the data transmission cycles as in the case of the parent device ID = 2 in FIG. 4, it is estimated that the next time is also the transmission success. Further, when the transmission failure occurs in all data transmission cycles as in the case of the parent device ID = 3 in FIG. 4, it is estimated that the next time is also a transmission failure. On the other hand, when transmission success and transmission failure coexist, the following processing is executed. For example, as in the case of the master unit ID = 4 in FIG. 4, the time interval A between the time when the transmission was successful one time before and the time when the transmission was successful two times before, and the transmission success was the last time. When the time interval B between the current time and the current time is calculated, and it is determined that the time interval A and the time interval B are close based on the same method as that performed in step S2 (A≈B), Is estimated to be successful. In addition, if the transmission success is not registered twice or more like the parent device ID = 5 in FIG. 4, it may be estimated that the next time is the transmission success.

  If the data transmission performed at the next time is estimated to be successful as a result of the prediction determination performed in step S6, the transmission cycle determination unit 104 does not change the calculated data transmission cycle in step S7. Then, the period no change information is transmitted to the transmission / reception state management unit 102.

  On the other hand, as a result of the prediction determination performed in step S6, when it is estimated that the data transmission performed at the next time is unsuccessful, in step S8, the transmission cycle determination unit 104 determines the next data transmission time as follows. (Adjustment), and transmits period change information indicating that the data transmission period is changed to the transmission / reception state management unit 102.

  For example, the time shifted n milliseconds (n: real number) before the next data transmission time is determined as the next data transmission time. As n milliseconds, for example, one time slot of a TSCH (Time Slotted Channel Hopping) network defined by IEEE802.15.4 is used. On the other hand, if data transmission has already been performed at a time shifted n milliseconds before in the latest data transmission cycle, and the data transmission has failed, the data is shifted n milliseconds behind the next data transmission time. Is determined as the next data transmission time.

  In addition, a time approximately in the middle between the previous data transmission time and the next data transmission time may be determined as the next data transmission time. For example, when the previous data transmission is successful, the time approximately in the middle between the previous data transmission time and the next data transmission time is determined as the next data transmission time. On the other hand, when the previous data transmission is unsuccessful, a time approximately in the middle between the next data transmission time and the next data transmission time is determined as the next data transmission time. Here, “substantially” refers to a time shifted m milliseconds (m: real number) before or after the middle time.

  The adjusted next data transmission time determined in step S8 is transmitted to the transmission status management database 103 and additionally registered in the transmission status information. For example, as described above, “−n” is set when shifting n milliseconds ago, and “+ n” is set when shifting behind n milliseconds, and the shifted time is linked to the time of the transmission status information and held. deep. However, the storage method is an example, and any holding method can be used.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S3, and when the transmission / reception state management unit 102 receives the no-cycle-change information from the transmission cycle determination unit 104, the transmission / reception state management unit 102 stores the next data based on the data transmission cycle received from the transmission cycle determination unit 104. To the machine 10. On the other hand, when the period change information is received from the transmission period determining unit 104, the received data transmission period is changed based on the next data transmission time determined in step S8, and the changed data transmission is performed. The next data is transmitted to the base unit 10 based on the cycle.

  Thereafter, step S4 or step S5 is executed according to the presence / absence of a reception response from base unit 10. When the next data transmission request is received, the processes after step S2 are repeatedly executed.

  According to the present embodiment, in adjustment apparatus 100, based on the presence / absence of a response from base unit 10 to data transmission repeatedly performed at a predetermined data transmission cycle, the success or failure of data transmission to base unit 10 is transmitted. And determining the success or failure of the data transmission performed at the next time based on the data transmission cycle based on the success or failure of the data transmission at each time registered in the transmission status information. When it is determined that the data transmission performed at the time is not successful, the data transmission cycle is adjusted by changing the next time, so that the number of data transmission success / failure transmission to the parent device 10 can be reduced, 30 power consumption can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the determination formula is satisfied is described as an example of “a sufficient number of transmission states in which the data transmission cycle can be calculated”, but other definitions may be used. For example, the time interval between data transmission requests, that is, the time interval when the transmission / reception state management unit 102 receives a data transmission request from the data transmission request unit 101 is constant, and the transmission failure or the transmission success has occurred twice or more. May be included.

  Moreover, the calculation formula of the data transmission period demonstrated in this Embodiment is only an example, You may use another calculation formula. Furthermore, as described in the present embodiment, the data transmission cycle may be calculated in the process of the determination processing flow, or the data transmission cycle calculated before starting the determination processing flow is used. Also good.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Communication system 10 ... Master unit 30 ... Slave unit 100 ... Adjustment apparatus 101 ... Data transmission request part 102 ... Transmission / reception state management part 103 ... Transmission state management database 104 ... Transmission period determination part S1-S8 ... Step

Claims (8)

In the adjustment method performed by the adjustment device that adjusts the time interval at which the slave unit transmits data to the master unit,
The base unit can use a plurality of protocols, and can periodically switch the plurality of protocols and transmit radio waves corresponding to the switched protocol,
The slave unit can use at least one type of protocol, and when the protocol to be used is the same as the protocol used by the master unit, data transmission to the master unit is successful,
The adjusting device is
A storage step of storing success or failure of data transmission to the parent device in the storage means as transmission state information based on the presence or absence of a response from the parent device with respect to data transmission repeatedly performed at predetermined time intervals by the child device; ,
A determination step of determining success or failure of data transmission performed at the next time based on the predetermined time interval based on success or failure of data transmission at each time registered in the transmission state information;
An adjustment step of adjusting the predetermined time interval by changing the next time when it is determined that the data transmission performed at the next time is not successful;
The adjustment method characterized by having. In the adjustment step,
The adjustment method according to claim 1, wherein a time shifted from a predetermined time before or after the next time is determined as a next time. In the adjustment step,
If the previous data transmission was successful, the intermediate time between the previous time and the next time or the time shifted from the intermediate time by a certain time before or after is determined as the next time, and the previous data transmission is 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein if it is a failure, an intermediate time between the next time and the next time, or a time shifted from a predetermined time before or after the intermediate time is determined as the next time. Adjustment method. In the determination step,
The time interval between the time when the data transmission was successful most recently and the time when the data transmission was successful before the latest time, and the time interval between the time when the data transmission was successful and the current time 4. The adjustment method according to claim 1, wherein if the difference falls within a predetermined time range, it is determined that the data transmission performed at the next time is successful. In the adjustment device that adjusts the time interval at which the slave unit transmits data to the master unit,
The base unit can use a plurality of protocols, and can periodically switch the plurality of protocols and transmit radio waves corresponding to the switched protocol,
The slave unit can use at least one type of protocol, and when the protocol to be used is the same as the protocol used by the master unit, data transmission to the master unit is successful,
The adjusting device is
Storage means for storing success / failure of data transmission to the parent device as transmission state information based on the presence or absence of a response from the parent device to data transmission repeatedly performed by the child device at a predetermined time interval;
Based on the success or failure of data transmission at each time registered in the transmission status information, a determination means for determining the success or failure of data transmission performed at the next time based on the predetermined time interval;
When it is determined that the data transmission performed at the next time is not successful, an adjustment unit that adjusts the predetermined time interval by changing the next time;
The adjustment apparatus characterized by having. The adjusting means includes
The adjusting device according to claim 5, wherein a time shifted from the next time by a certain time before or after is determined as the next time. The adjusting means includes
If the previous data transmission was successful, the intermediate time between the previous time and the next time or the time shifted from the intermediate time by a certain time before or after is determined as the next time, and the previous data transmission is 6. If it is a failure, the intermediate time between the next time and the next time, or the time shifted from the intermediate time by a certain time before or after is determined as the next time. Adjustment device.   An adjustment program for causing a computer to function as the adjustment device according to claim 5.

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