JP6375630B2 - Information processing system, information processing apparatus, and management method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing apparatus, and a management method.

  A communication system using a wireless tag is known, and in recent years, an indoor location information management system represented by IMES (Indoor MEssaging System) and the like is becoming widespread. The wireless tag used in such a system basically operates on a battery, and it is important to detect the state of the terminal such as a malfunction of the wireless tag or the remaining battery level in order to avoid the wireless tag being unusable. is there.

  However, if this wireless tag failure or battery level detection is performed on the wireless tag side, it is necessary to add a new function to the wireless tag, leading to a demerit that increases costs and increases size.

  Further, the tag reader detects the position of the wireless tag based on the transmission radio wave transmission time, the response radio wave reception time, and the reception direction of the response radio wave, and based on the detected radio tag position and the reception level, A technique for detecting the remaining battery level is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  According to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is possible to detect the remaining battery level of a wireless tag without adding a new function to the wireless tag. However, in order to specify the reception direction of the response radio wave on the tag reader side. A plurality of antennas, a wireless tag position calculation unit, a reception level detection unit, and the like are required. Therefore, this method has a demerit that the cost on the tag reader side is increased and the size is increased. As described above, it has been difficult to detect the state of the wireless tag while suppressing the addition of functions to the wireless tag and the tag reader.

  An embodiment of the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is an information processing system capable of detecting the state of a wireless tag while suppressing the addition of a function to a wireless tag or a tag reader. The purpose is to provide.

In order to solve the above-described problem, an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a terminal that transmits first identification information with power of a battery and transmits second identification information with power different from the power of the battery; a first receiving means for receiving the first identification information the terminal transmits, storage means for storing a reception time of the first identification information first received by the receiving means, wherein the said terminal transmits A second receiving means for receiving the second identification information, and when the second receiving means receives the second identification information, the reception time of the first identification information stored in the storage means is the second identification information A means for determining whether or not it is within a predetermined time from the reception time; and a notification for prompting maintenance of the terminal when the first identification information is not received within the predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information. Yusuke and notification means for performing, the .

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing system capable of detecting the state of a wireless tag while suppressing the addition of a function to a wireless tag or a tag reader.

It is a figure showing an example of composition of an information processing system concerning one embodiment. It is a hardware block diagram of the radio | wireless terminal which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a hardware block diagram of the radio | wireless receiving apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a hardware block diagram of the RFID reader which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a hardware block diagram of the management apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a functional lineblock diagram of an information processing system concerning one embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the radio | wireless tag management process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the RFID management process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the operation state determination process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the battery remaining charge estimation process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the battery remaining amount table which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the battery remaining charge estimation process which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the battery remaining charge estimation process which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of a wireless terminal according to the fourth embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the management apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<System configuration>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an information processing system according to an embodiment. In FIG. 1, an information processing system 100 includes a wireless terminal 101, a plurality of wireless reception devices 102a and 102b, an RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) reading device 103, a management device 104, a gateway 106, a network 109, and the like. In the following description, “radio reception device 102” is used to indicate an arbitrary radio reception device among the plurality of radio reception devices 102a and 102b.

  The wireless terminal 101 is, for example, an employee card that is carried or worn by the user 105, an IC card such as an ID card, a portable terminal, or the like. The wireless terminal 101 wirelessly transmits identification information (first identification information) as an active tag, for example, at a predetermined time interval (for example, every 30 seconds) using the power of the battery built in the wireless terminal 101. It has a transmitter.

  Further, the wireless terminal 101 transmits identification information (second identification information) as a passive tag to the RFID reader 103 by bringing the wireless terminal 101 close to the RFID reader 103 to a predetermined distance (for example, within 10 cm). It has an RFID part. For example, since the RFID unit operates using power generated by rectifying radio waves received from the RFID reader 103, the second identification information can be transmitted to the RFID reader 103 without using battery power. it can.

  The wireless reception device 102 receives the first identification information transmitted from the wireless terminal 101 and transmits the received first identification information to the management device 104. In the example of FIG. 1, the wireless reception device 102 is assumed to be a lighting device disposed on the ceiling of a building, and has position information indicating the position of the own device. In FIG. 1, when receiving the first identification information from the wireless terminal 101, the wireless reception device 102 transmits the received first identification information and its own location information to the management device 104 via the gateway 106. .

  The gateway 106 is configured to be able to communicate with a plurality of wireless receiving devices 102 a and 102 b by, for example, wireless communication, and to be able to communicate with the management device 104 via the network 109. When the gateway 106 receives the first identification information and position information transmitted from the wireless terminal 101, the gateway 106 transfers the received information to the management apparatus 104 via the network 109.

  The RFID reader 103 reads the second identification information from the wireless terminal 101 that is close within a predetermined distance, and transmits the read second identification information to the management apparatus 104 via the network 109, for example. In the example of FIG. 1, the RFID reader 103 is arranged on a table 110 or the like near the entrance 111, and the user 105 holds the wireless terminal 101 over the RFID reader 103 when entering or leaving the room and performs an input operation. Assumes to do.

  The management apparatus 104 is an information processing apparatus such as a server that manages the state of the wireless terminal 101 based on the first identification information and the second identification information transmitted from the wireless terminal 101 to be managed. The management device 104 stores the first identification information and the second identification information of the wireless terminal 101 in advance in association with the information of the wireless terminal 101. Thereby, the management apparatus 104 can manage the position of the wireless terminal 101 based on the first identification information and the position information received from the wireless reception apparatus 102, for example. For example, the management device 104 can manage the attendance time and the entry / exit time of the user 105 having the wireless terminal 101 based on the second identification information received from the RFID reader 103 and the reception time thereof. it can.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the management device 104 stores the reception information and position information of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 received from the wireless reception device 102 together with the reception time, for example. When the management apparatus 104 receives the second identification information from the RFID reader 103, for example, the management apparatus 104 determines the state of the wireless terminal 101 based on the stored reception information of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101.

  For example, in the example of FIG. 1, the user 105 inputs the second identification information while holding the wireless terminal 101 over the RFID reader 103. The first identification information transmitted by the wireless terminal 101 can be expected to be received by the wireless reception devices 102a and 102b and the like. In such a case, the management apparatus 104 determines whether or not the first identification information is received when the second identification information is received, so that the wireless terminal 101 receives the first identification information due to a battery shortage or failure. It can be determined (estimated) that transmission is not possible.

  When the management apparatus 104 determines that the wireless terminal 101 to be managed is insufficient in battery level or out of order, for example, the management apparatus 104 notifies the PC 107 (Personal Computer) 108 of the administrator 107 via the network 109 or the like. To be notified.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the management apparatus 104 determines the state of the wireless terminal 101, the state of the wireless terminal 101 is suppressed while suppressing the addition of functions to the wireless terminal 101 and the wireless receiving apparatus 102. An information processing system capable of performing detection can be provided.

<Hardware configuration>
Next, the hardware configuration of each device will be described.

(Wireless terminal)
FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a wireless terminal according to an embodiment. The wireless terminal 101 according to the present embodiment includes an RFID unit 201 and a wireless transmission unit 202.

  The RFID unit 201 includes an antenna 203, a transmission / reception unit 204, and a memory 205, and is a passive tag (passive tag) that operates using radio waves from the RFID reader 103 as power. When receiving the radio wave from the RFID reader 103 via the antenna 203, the transmission / reception unit 204 of the RFID unit 201 transmits the second identification information stored in advance in the memory 205 via the antenna 203. Since the RFID unit 201 is a passive tag, it does not require the power of the battery 209 to transmit the second identification information.

  The wireless transmission unit 202 includes an antenna 206, a transmission unit 207, a memory 208, and a battery 209, and is an active tag (active tag) that operates using the power of the battery 209. The transmission unit 207 of the wireless transmission unit 202 transmits the first identification information stored in advance in the memory 208 via the antenna 206, for example, at a predetermined time interval (30-second interval or the like). Since the wireless transmission unit 202 is an active tag, the first identification information cannot be transmitted when the remaining amount of the battery 209 falls below a predetermined value.

  In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the wireless transmission unit 202 transmits the first identification information using, for example, weak wireless in the 315 MHz band. In this case, the communicable distance (reach distance) of the radio wave transmitted by the wireless transmission unit 202 is about 10 m. For this reason, for example, the management apparatus 104 specifies which wireless reception apparatus 102 the wireless terminal 101 is near by arranging the wireless reception apparatuses 102 at intervals of about 1 every 10 m to 20 m. Will be able to. In addition, when the wireless transmission unit 202 transmits the first identification information using weak wireless in the 315 MHz band and the transmission interval is set to 30 seconds, the wireless transmission unit 202 operates for 5 years or more with one button battery. can do.

(Wireless receiver)
FIG. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the wireless reception device according to the embodiment. In FIG. 3, the wireless reception device 102 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 301, a RAM (
A random access memory (Random Access Memory) 302, a read only memory (ROM) 303, a reception control unit 304, a reception unit 305, a communication control unit 306, a communication unit 307, and the like.

  The CPU 301 is an arithmetic device that implements each function of the wireless reception device 102 by executing a program stored in the ROM 303 or the like. A RAM 302 is a volatile memory used as a work area for the CPU 301. The ROM 303 is a non-volatile memory that stores a program of the wireless reception device 102 and the like. The ROM 303 may be a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as a flash ROM or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory).

  The reception unit 305 includes, for example, hardware such as the above-described weak wireless reception circuit in the 315 MHz band and an antenna. The reception control unit 304 controls the reception unit 305 to receive first identification information and the like transmitted from the wireless terminal 101. Note that the reception control unit 304 may be realized by a program operating on the CPU 301, for example.

  The communication unit 307 includes hardware such as a wireless circuit and an antenna for performing wireless communication with the gateway 106. The communication control unit 306 controls the communication unit 307 to control data transmission / reception with the gateway 106. Note that the communication method between the wireless reception apparatus 102 and the gateway 106 may use wired communication. Alternatively, the wireless reception device 102 may be connected to the network 109 via, for example, a wired / wireless LAN (Local Area Network) without using the gateway 106.

(RFID reader)
FIG. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of the RFID reader according to the embodiment. 4, the RFID reader 103 includes, for example, a CPU 401, a RAM 402, a ROM 403, an RFID control unit 404, an RFID transmission / reception unit 405, a communication control unit 406, a communication unit 407, and the like.

  The CPU 401 is an arithmetic device that implements each function of the RFID reader 103 by executing a program stored in the ROM 403 or the like. A RAM 402 is a volatile memory used as a work area for the CPU 401. The ROM 403 is a non-volatile memory that stores a program of the RFID reader 103 and the like. The ROM 403 may be a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as a flash ROM or an EEPROM.

  The RFID transceiver unit 405 includes hardware such as an antenna for reading the second identification information from the RFID unit 201 of the wireless terminal 101 and a transceiver circuit. The RFID control unit 404 controls the RFID transceiver unit 405 to perform control for reading the second identification information from the RFID unit 201 of the wireless terminal 101. Note that the RFID transmission / reception unit 405 may be realized by, for example, a program operating on the CPU 301.

  The communication unit 407 is an interface such as a wired / wireless LAN for communicating with the management apparatus 104 via the network 109. The communication control unit 406 controls the communication unit 407 to control data transmission / reception with the management apparatus 104.

  Further, the RFID reader 103 may include a display unit 408 that displays sounds, characters, images, and the like to the user.

(Management device)
FIG. 5 is a hardware configuration diagram of a management apparatus according to an embodiment. In FIG. 5, the management device 104 has a general computer configuration. For example, the CPU 501, the RAM 502, the ROM 503, the storage unit 504, the communication unit 505, the communication control unit 506, the display unit 507, and the display control unit 508. , An input unit 509, an input control unit 510, and the like.

  The CPU 501 is an arithmetic device that realizes each function of the management device 104 by executing an OS (Operating System), an application program, and the like stored in the ROM 503, the storage unit 504, and the like. A RAM 502 is a volatile memory used as a work area for the CPU 501. The ROM 503 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) of the management apparatus 104 or a flash ROM that stores programs and the like. The storage unit 504 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and stores an OS executed by the management device 104, a program, and the like. The storage unit 504 stores first identification information, second identification information, and the like of the wireless terminal 101 in advance, and stores information received from the wireless reception device 102 and the RFID reading device 103.

  The communication unit 505 is a network interface such as a wired / wireless LAN for communicating with the gateway 106, the wireless reception device 102, the RFID reader 103, and the like via the network 109. The communication control unit 506 controls the communication unit 505 to control data transmission / reception. The display unit 507 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The display control unit 508 performs control to display various images on the display unit 507. The input unit 509 is hardware such as a keyboard and a mouse that accepts input from the user. The input control unit 510 controls the input unit 509.

<Functional configuration>
FIG. 6 is a functional configuration diagram of the information processing system according to the embodiment. In FIG. 6, the information processing system 100 includes a wireless terminal 101, a wireless reception device 102, an RFID reading device 103, and a management device 104. As the functional configuration of the information processing system 100, the gateway 106 in FIG. 1 is not necessarily required, and thus the gateway 106 is not shown in FIG.

(Functional configuration of management device)
In FIG. 6, the management apparatus 104 includes a first communication unit 601, a second communication unit 609, a notification unit 610, a wireless tag management unit 611, a terminal management unit 612, an RFID management unit 613, a storage unit 620, and the like.

  The first communication unit 601 receives from the wireless reception device 102 information including the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 that the wireless terminal 101 transmits with the power of the battery 209, the position information of the wireless reception device 102, and the like. The first communication unit 601 includes, for example, the communication unit 505 and the communication control unit 506 in FIG.

  The second communication unit 609 receives information including the second identification information of the wireless terminal 101 transmitted by the wireless terminal 101 with power different from that of the battery 209 from the RFID reader 103. The second communication unit 609 transmits notification information and the like to the RFID reader 103 in response to a request from the notification unit 610. The second communication unit 609 may be the same communication unit as the first communication unit 601, or may be a communication unit different from the first communication unit 601. In the present embodiment, the second communication unit 609 includes the communication unit 505, the communication control unit 506, and the like in FIG.

  The wireless tag management unit 611 manages the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 received from the wireless reception device 102, the location information of the wireless reception device 102, and the like. The wireless tag management unit 611 includes a position detection unit 602, a counting unit 603, a reception information management unit 604, and the like. The wireless tag management unit 611, the position detection unit 602, the counting unit 603, the reception information management unit 604, and the like are realized by, for example, a program that operates on the CPU 501 in FIG.

  The position detecting unit 602 detects the position of the wireless terminal 101 based on the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 received from the wireless receiving apparatus 102 and the position information of the wireless receiving apparatus 102.

  The counting unit 603 counts (counts) the number of times the wireless terminal 101 has received the first identification information. For example, the counting unit 603 stores the number of receptions of the first identification information for each first identification information, and when the first communication unit 601 receives the first identification information, 1 is set to the reception number of the corresponding first identification information. to add.

  The reception information management unit 604 stores the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 received from the wireless reception apparatus 102 in the storage unit 620 as the reception information 616 of the wireless tag together with the reception time of the first identification information, for example. The reception time of the first identification information may be, for example, the time when the wireless reception device 102 receives the first identification information from the wireless terminal 101, or the time when the management device 104 receives the first identification information. There may be. Alternatively, the reception time of the first identification information may be the time when the first identification information is stored in the storage unit 620.

  The reception time of the first identification information is an example of information indicating reception of the first identification information stored in the storage unit 620 by the reception information management unit 604. The information indicating reception of the first identification information may be information other than the reception time as long as it can be determined whether the first identification information is received from the wireless terminal 101 within a predetermined time. For example, the information indicating the reception of the first identification information is information indicating the reception time zone of the first identification information, the reception date, or the presence / absence of reception according to the predetermined time, a system request, or the like. Also good.

  The reception information management unit 604 stores the position information of the wireless reception device 102 and the position information of the wireless terminal 101 detected by the position detection unit 602 together with the first identification information in the storage unit as reception information 616 of the wireless tag. You may remember.

  The RFID management unit 613 manages the second identification information of the wireless terminal 101 received from the RFID reader 103. The RFID management unit 613 includes a reception time management unit 608, for example. Note that the RFID management unit 613 and the reception time management unit 608 are realized by, for example, a program operating on the CPU 501 in FIG.

  The reception time management unit 608 stores the second identification information of the wireless terminal 101 received from the RFID reader 103 in the storage unit 620 as the RFID reception information 618 together with the reception time of the second identification information, for example. For example, the management apparatus 104 can manage the user's attendance / leaving time, entry / exit time, and the like using the reception information 618 of the RFID. In addition, when receiving the second identification information from the wireless terminal 101, the reception time management unit 608 notifies the terminal management unit 612 to that effect.

  The terminal management unit 612 manages the state of the wireless terminal 101. The terminal management unit 612 includes, for example, a battery remaining amount estimation unit 605, an operation state determination unit 606, an operation time calculation unit 607, and the like. Note that the terminal management unit 612, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605, the operation state determination unit 606, and the operation time calculation unit 607 are realized by, for example, a program that operates on the CPU 501 in FIG.

  When the management apparatus 104 receives the second identification information of the wireless terminal 101 from the RFID reader 103, the operation state determination unit 606 receives the wireless tag reception information 616 (reception of the first identification information) stored in the storage unit 620. The state of the wireless terminal 101 is determined based on the information).

  For example, when receiving the second identification information of the wireless terminal 101, the operation state determination unit 606 reads the wireless tag reception information 616 of the wireless terminal 101 from the storage unit 620. Further, based on the read reception information 616 of the wireless tag, the operation state determination unit 606 determines whether or not the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is received within a predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information. Judging. When the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is received within a predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information, the operation state determination unit 606 indicates that the wireless transmission unit 202 of the wireless terminal 101 operates normally. Judge that On the other hand, when the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is not received within a predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information, it is determined that the wireless terminal 101 is in a state where the first identification information cannot be transmitted. The state in which the wireless terminal 101 cannot transmit the first identification information includes, for example, a case where the remaining battery level of the wireless terminal 101 is less than a predetermined value, a case where the wireless terminal 101 is out of order, and the like.

  Since the wireless terminal 101 may be located in an area where the wireless receiving device 102 is not installed, such as the home of the user of the wireless terminal 101, for example, the battery of the wireless terminal 101 is determined only by whether or not the first identification information is received. Insufficient remaining capacity or failure cannot be determined. However, in the present embodiment, when the second identification information is received, that is, when it can be determined that the wireless terminal 101 is in the area where the wireless reception device 102 is installed, whether or not the first identification information is received is confirmed. As a result, the state of the wireless terminal 101 can be determined.

  The battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 estimates the remaining amount of the battery 209 of the wireless terminal 101 based on the number of receptions of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 counted by the counting unit 603. For example, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 determines whether the number of receptions counted by the counting unit 603, that is, the number of receptions of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. The battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 determines that the remaining amount of the battery 209 is low when the number of receptions counted by the counting unit 603 exceeds a predetermined threshold. Further, the remaining battery level estimation means 605 may estimate the remaining battery level of the wireless terminal 101 based on a later-described remaining battery level table or the like.

  The operating time calculation unit 607 calculates the operating time or usage time of the RFID unit 201 of the wireless terminal 101 based on the second identification information of the wireless terminal 101 received from the RFID reader 103. For example, the operation time calculation unit 607 stores the oldest reception time among the reception times of the second identification information of the wireless terminal 101, such as the storage unit 620, and stores the oldest reception time and the latest reception time. The operation time or usage time of the RFID unit 201 of the wireless terminal 101 is calculated based on the difference between the two. The calculated operation time or use time of the RFID unit 201 can be suitably used to estimate the amount of consumption due to natural discharge of the battery 209 of the wireless terminal 101. For example, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 can estimate the remaining amount of the battery 209 in consideration of the amount of consumption due to natural discharge of the battery 209 using the calculated operation time or usage time of the RFID unit 201. .

  The notification unit 610 notifies the administrator 107, the wireless terminal 101, and the notification according to the state of the wireless terminal 101 determined by the operation state determination unit 606 or the remaining amount of the battery 209 estimated by the remaining battery amount estimation unit 605. To other users.

  The storage unit 620 is a unit that stores various types of information, and is included in, for example, the storage unit 504 and the RAM 502 in FIG. The storage unit 620 includes an ID information storage unit 619 that associates and stores wireless tag identification information 614 that is first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 and RFID identification information 615 that is second identification information of the wireless terminal. The storage unit 620 stores wireless tag reception information 616, RFID reception information 618, a battery remaining amount table 617, which will be described later, and the like.

(Functional configuration of wireless receiver)
In FIG. 6, the wireless reception apparatus 102 includes a communication unit 621, a reception unit 622, and the like.
The receiving unit 622 is a unit (first receiving unit) that receives first identification information that the wireless terminal 101 transmits using the power of the battery 209. For example, the receiving unit 622 includes the receiving unit 305, the reception control unit 304, and the like in FIG. Including.

  The communication unit 621 is a unit that transmits the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 and the location information of the wireless reception device 102 received by the reception unit 622 to the management device 104. For example, the communication unit 307 of FIG. A control unit 306 and the like are included.

(Functional configuration of RFID reader)
In FIG. 6, the RFID reader 103 includes RFID transmission / reception means 623, communication means 624, and display means 625. The RFID reader 103 is a means (second receiving means) for receiving second identification information transmitted by the wireless terminal 101 using power different from that of the battery 209. For example, the RFID reader / receiver 405 in FIG. Part 404 and the like.

  The communication unit 624 is a unit that transmits the second identification information received by the RFID control unit 404 from the wireless terminal 101 to the management apparatus 104 via the network 109 or the like. For example, the communication unit 624 and the communication control unit 406 in FIG. Etc. In addition, the communication unit 624 receives notification information or the like transmitted from the notification unit 610 of the management apparatus 104 and transfers it to the display unit 625.

  The display unit 625 is a unit that displays, for example, a voice, an alarm sound, a text message, an image message, or the like based on the notification information received from the notification unit 610 of the management apparatus 104 via the communication unit 624. 4 includes the display unit 408 of FIG.

  With the above configuration, the information processing system 100 uses the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 received from the wireless reception device 102 and the second identification information received from the RFID reading device 103 to determine the remaining battery level of the wireless terminal 101. Also, determine the failure status.

  Further, by determining the remaining battery level and the state of the wireless terminal 101 such as a failure state by the management apparatus 104, it is possible to suppress the addition of functions to the wireless terminal 101, the wireless reception apparatus 102, and the like.

<Process flow>
Next, a processing flow of the information processing system 100 will be described.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the wireless tag management process according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 7, when the first communication unit 601 of the management apparatus 104 receives information from the wireless reception apparatus 102 (step S701), the first communication unit 601 notifies the position detection unit 602 of the received information.

  Upon receiving the notification, the position detection unit 602 detects the position of the wireless terminal 101 based on the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 and the position information of the wireless reception device 102 included in the information acquired from the first communication unit 601. (Step S702). For example, the position detection unit 602 refers to the wireless tag identification information 614 stored in the storage unit 620, identifies the wireless terminal 101 based on the first identification information, and identifies the position of the wireless terminal 101 based on the position information.

  Next, the counting unit 603 adds 1 to the first identification information or information indicating the number of receptions of the wireless terminal 101 corresponding to the first identification information (step S703). In addition, the reception information management unit 604 stores, for example, the received first identification information, reception information including the reception time, and the like as reception information 616 of the wireless tag in the storage unit 620 (step S703). The reception time stored in the reception information 616 of the wireless tag may be the time when the wireless reception device 102 receives the first identification information, or the time when the management device 104 receives the first identification information. Also good. Alternatively, the time when the reception information management unit 604 stores the first reception information in the reception information 616 of the wireless tag may be used.

  With the above operation, the management device 104 can identify the time when the first identification information is received from the wireless terminal 101 by referring to the reception information 616 of the wireless tag stored in the storage unit 620.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a flow of RFID management processing according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 7, when the second communication means of the management apparatus 104 receives information from the RFID reader 103 (step S801), the second communication means notifies the reception time management means 608 of the received information.

  Upon receiving the notification, the reception time management unit 608 acquires the second identification information from the information acquired from the second communication unit 609, and notifies the operation state determination unit 606 that the second identification information has been received (step S802). . Also, the reception time management unit 608 stores the received second identification information in the storage unit 620 together with the reception time as RFID reception information 618. Note that the reception time stored in the RFID reception information 618 is used for the attendance management of the user of the wireless terminal 101, the entrance / exit management, and the like, so the time when the RFID reader 103 receives the second identification information from the wireless terminal 101. It is desirable that In this case, the RFID reader 103 preferably transmits the reception time of the second identification information to the management device 104 together with the second identification information.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation state determination process according to the first embodiment. When the operation state determination unit 606 receives a notification indicating reception of the second identification information from the reception time management unit 608 (step S901), the operation state determination unit 606 reads the wireless tag reception information 616 from the storage unit 620 (step S902). In addition, the operation state determination unit 606 determines that the time when the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 stored in the reception information 616 of the wireless tag is received is within a predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information (for example, 1 It is determined whether or not (within minutes) (step S903). In step S903, when it is determined that the first identification information is not received within a predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information, the operation state determination unit 606 notifies the administrator 107 via the notification unit 610 the wireless terminal. The state of 101 is notified (S904). On the other hand, when it is determined in step S903 that the first identification information is received within a predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information, the operation state determination unit 606 does not notify the administrator 107.

  With the above operation, the management apparatus 104 receives the second identification information from the wireless terminal 101, and when the first identification information is not received from the wireless terminal 101 within a predetermined time, the wireless transmission unit 202 of the wireless terminal 101. It can be determined that the first identification information has not been transmitted. Further, in this case, the management device 104 can notify the administrator 107 by the notification unit 610 urging maintenance such as replacement of the wireless terminal 101, for example.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the remaining battery level estimation process according to the first embodiment. When the number of receptions of the first identification information is updated by the counting unit 603 (step S1001), the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 acquires the number of receptions of the updated first identification information (step S1002). Next, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 determines whether or not the number of times of reception of the acquired first identification information is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (step S1003). In step S1003, when the number of times the first identification information is received is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, notification to the administrator 107 is not performed. On the other hand, if the number of times the first identification information is received exceeds a predetermined threshold value in step S1003, the remaining battery level estimation unit 605 determines that the remaining battery level of the wireless terminal 101 is low, and notifies unit 610. The administrator 107 is notified via (step S1004).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the management apparatus 104 determines the first due to a shortage of the battery of the wireless terminal 101, a failure, or the like based on the first identification information and the second identification information received from the wireless terminal 101. It can be determined that the identification information cannot be transmitted. In addition, the management apparatus 104 can estimate that the battery level of the wireless terminal 101 is low based on the number of times the first identification information is received from the wireless terminal 101. Furthermore, the management apparatus 104 can notify the administrator 107 of maintenance for the wireless terminal 101 in accordance with the state of the wireless terminal 101 such as a shortage of the battery of the wireless terminal 101, a failure, or a low battery level. it can.

  In the present embodiment, since the state of the wireless terminal 101 is detected by the management apparatus 104, the state of the wireless terminal 101 is detected while suppressing the addition of functions to the wireless terminal 101 and the wireless receiving apparatus 102. An information processing system capable of performing the above can be provided.

[Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which the management apparatus 104 has a battery remaining amount table indicating the relationship between the communication count of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 and the estimated value of the battery remaining amount.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a battery remaining amount table according to the second embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the remaining battery level table 617 stores the number of times of wireless communication 1101 and the estimated remaining battery level 1102 in association with each other. By having such a battery remaining amount table 617, the battery remaining amount estimating means 605 can estimate the remaining amount of the battery 209 of the wireless terminal 101 in more detail. In addition, the administrator 107 can set a threshold based on the remaining battery level table 617, and can efficiently perform maintenance of the battery 209 of the wireless terminal 101, the wireless terminal 101, or the like.

  11 may be the number of times of reception of the first identification information from the wireless terminal 101 counted by the counting means 603 of FIG. 6, or the wireless terminal 101 has transmitted the first identification information. It may be the number of transmissions.

  For example, when the wireless terminal 101 transmits the first identification information at a predetermined time interval, the management device 104 receives the wireless communication count 1101 by using the number of transmissions of the wireless terminal 101 transmitting the first identification information. It is possible to estimate the remaining battery level with higher accuracy than using the number of times. For example, the management apparatus 104 may not be able to receive the first identification information transmitted by the wireless terminal 101 after the user of the wireless terminal 101 has returned home. Even in this case, the wireless terminal 101 may not receive the first identification information. It is because it is thought that it is transmitting.

  When the wireless terminal 101 transmits the first identification information at a predetermined time interval, for example, from the time from when the first identification information is first received from the wireless terminal 101 to the present time, and the transmission interval of the first identification information , It is possible to estimate the number of times the wireless terminal 101 has transmitted the first identification information.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the remaining battery level estimation process according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 shows an example of processing in the case where the number of transmissions by which the wireless terminal 101 transmits the first identification information is used as the number of times of wireless communication 1101.

  In FIG. 12, when the number of times of reception of the first identification information is updated (step S1201), the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 of the management apparatus 104 reads the wireless tag reception information 616 stored in the storage unit 620. (Step S1201). Further, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 calculates the number of times of transmission of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 based on the read reception information 616 of the wireless tag (step S1203).

  For example, the remaining battery level estimation means 605 reads the time when the first identification information was first received from the wireless terminal 101 and the time when it was last received from the reception information 616 of the wireless tag. Further, the battery remaining amount estimating means 605 divides the time from the first reception time to the last reception time by the time interval for transmitting the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101, so that the wireless terminal 101 performs the first identification. The number of times of transmitting information can be calculated (estimated).

  Next, in step S1204 of FIG. 12, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 determines whether or not the number of transmissions of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. For example, according to the battery remaining amount table 617 in FIG. 11, it is possible to determine that the estimated battery remaining amount is less than 20% by setting the predetermined threshold value to 4000001 times.

  The case where the wireless communication count 1101 is the transmission count of the first identification information has been described above. However, when the transmission interval of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is not necessarily constant, the wireless communication count 1101 is counted as the wireless communication count 1101. It is desirable to use the number of receptions counted by the means 603.

  As an example of the case where the transmission interval of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is not constant, for example, when the wireless terminal 101 changes the transmission interval according to a change in acceleration or the like, the second identification when the wireless terminal 101 enters and leaves For example, the transmission of the first identification information is controlled in accordance with the reading of the information.

  Note that the wireless communication count 1101 may be a combination of the number of transmissions of the first identification information and the number of receptions. For example, the larger value of the calculated number of transmissions of the first identification information and the counted number of receptions of the first reception information may be the wireless communication number 1101.

[Third Embodiment]
In the first and second embodiments, the case where the notification unit 610 notifies the administrator 107 of the state of the wireless terminal 101 has been described. However, in this embodiment, the notification unit 610 indicates the state of the wireless terminal 101. An example of notifying the user of the wireless terminal 101 will be described.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the remaining battery level estimation process according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 13, when the number of receptions of the first identification information is updated (step S1301), the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 of the management apparatus 104 checks the updated number of receptions (step S1302). Next, in step S1303, the remaining battery level estimation unit 605 determines whether the number of receptions of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is, for example, 2.5 million times or less.

  In step S1303, when the number of receptions of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is 2.5 million or less, according to the battery remaining amount table 617 of FIG. In this case, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 transmits notification information to the RFID reader 103 that has received the second identification information via the notification unit 610, for example, by sounding a short beep. The user is notified that there is no problem with the remaining battery level. Note that sounding a short sound is an example, and for example, a display unit 625 may display a predetermined message.

  On the other hand, if the number of receptions of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is not less than 2.5 million in step S1303, the remaining battery level estimation means 605 determines that the number of receptions of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is 400 in step S1305. Judge whether it is within 10,000 times.

  In step S1305, if the number of times of reception of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is 4 million times or less, it is considered that the estimated remaining battery level is 20% to 50% according to the remaining battery level table 617 of FIG. It is done. In this case, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 transmits the notification information to the RFID reader 103 that has received the second identification information via the notification unit 610, for example, by sounding a long sound of “pea”, Notify the user that the battery is low. Note that the long sound is merely an example, and for example, a sound, light, character, or the like indicating that the battery is low may be displayed.

  In step S1305, if the number of times the wireless terminal 101 receives the first identification information is not less than 4 million times, the estimated remaining battery level is considered to be less than 20% according to the remaining battery level table 617 of FIG. In this case, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 transmits the notification information to the RFID reader 103 that has received the second identification information via the notification unit 610, for example, to sound an exchange promoting sound “Peep”. The user is prompted to replace the battery or the wireless terminal 101. Note that the replacement promotion sound is merely an example, and for example, a voice, light, character, or the like indicating that the battery needs to be replaced may be displayed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible for the user to manage the maintenance timing such as battery replacement without the administrator managing all the wireless terminals 101.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In the fourth embodiment, an example will be described in which the wireless terminal 101 transmits the first identification information in response to the transmission of the second identification information.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of the wireless terminal according to the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 14, when the wireless transmission unit 202 of the wireless terminal 101 detects the transmission of the second identification information (step S1401), the wireless transmission unit 202 transmits the first identification information (step S1402). Note that the wireless transmission unit 202 can detect the transmission of the second identification information by detecting an electromotive force generated by the radio wave received by the RFID unit 201 from the RFID reader 103, for example.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of the management apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.

  When the number of receptions of the first identification information is updated by the counting unit 603 (step S1501), the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 acquires the number of receptions of the updated first identification information (step S1502). Further, the battery remaining amount estimating means 605 reads out the reception information 616 of the wireless tag after waiting for a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) (step S1503).

  Next, the remaining battery level estimation means 605 determines whether or not the reception time of the first identification information of the wireless terminal 101 is within a predetermined time (for example, within 2 minutes) from the reception time of the second identification information ( Step S1504). In step S1504, when the reception time of the first identification information is not within a predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 notifies the administrator 107 of the wireless terminal 101 via the notification unit 610. Notification for prompting maintenance (replacement) is performed (step 1506).

  In step S1504, when the reception time of the first identification information is within a predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 has a predetermined number of receptions of the first identification information. It is determined whether or not it is equal to or less than the threshold value (step S1505). In step S1505, when the number of times of reception of the first identification information is not less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 prompts the administrator 107 to maintain (replace) the wireless terminal 101 via the notification unit 610. Notification is performed (step 1506). On the other hand, in step S1505, when the number of times of reception of the first identification information is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the battery remaining amount estimation unit 605 ends the process without performing notification.

  According to the present embodiment, wireless terminal 101 transmits first identification information at approximately the same time in response to transmission of second identification information. As a result, the management apparatus 104 can determine the state of the wireless terminal 101 even when the transmission interval of the first identification information is long, for example. Thereby, the transmission interval of the 1st identification information of the radio | wireless terminal 101 can be lengthened, ie, the power consumption of the radio | wireless terminal 101 can be decreased.

  In addition, in applications where the location does not change frequently, such as a wireless tag for goods (wireless terminal 101), the transmission interval of the first identification information is long in order to reduce power consumption. Can be applied.

When the user of the wireless terminal 101 enters the area where the wireless receiving device 102 is installed from the area where the wireless receiving device 102 is not installed, the second identification information is transmitted as entrance / exit management. The present embodiment can be preferably applied to the above.
<Summary>
The information processing system 100 according to the present invention includes a terminal (wireless terminal 101) that transmits first identification information with power of the battery 209 and transmits second identification information with power different from the power of the battery. The information processing system 100 also includes a first receiving unit (the wireless receiving device 102 and the first communication unit 601) that receives the first identification information transmitted by the terminal (the wireless terminal 101), and the received first identification information. The storage unit 620 stores information indicating reception (for example, reception time). Furthermore, the information processing system 100 includes second receiving means (RFID reader 103, second communication means 609) that receives the second identification information transmitted by the wireless terminal 101. Furthermore, when the information processing system 100 receives the second identification information, the information processing system 100 includes a determination unit (operation state determination unit 606) that determines the state of the wireless terminal 101 based on the stored information indicating the reception of the first identification information. Have.

  With the above configuration, the information processing system 100 can detect the state of the wireless terminal 101 while suppressing the addition of functions to the wireless terminal 101 (wireless tag) and the wireless receiving device 102 (tag reader).

  In addition, the information processing system 100 counts the number of receptions of the first identification information transmitted by the wireless terminal 101, and estimates that estimate the remaining amount of the battery 209 based on the number of receptions counted by the counting unit 603. Means (battery remaining amount estimation means 605). Thereby, the information processing system 100 can estimate the remaining amount of the battery 209 of the wireless terminal 101 while suppressing the addition of functions to the wireless terminal 101 and the wireless receiving device 102. Therefore, the administrator or user of the information processing system 100 can replace the tag in advance by estimating the remaining battery level.

  Further, the information processing system 100 notifies the administrator of the information processing system 100 or the user of a notification according to the state of the wireless terminal 101 determined by the determining unit or the remaining amount of the battery 209 estimated by the estimating unit. Means 610 is included. Thereby, when there is a problem in the state of the wireless terminal, the remaining amount of the battery 209, or the like, the administrator or the user is automatically notified.

100 Information processing system 102, 102a, 102b Wireless receiver (first receiver)
103 RFID reader (second receiving means)
601 First communication means (first receiving means)
603 Counting means 605 Battery remaining amount estimating means (estimating means)
606 Operating state determination means (determination means)
607 calculating means 609 second communication means (second receiving means)
610 Notification means 617 Battery remaining amount table (table)
620 storage means

Japanese Patent No. 5204673

Claims (10)

A terminal that transmits the first identification information with power of the battery and transmits the second identification information with power different from the power of the battery;
First receiving means for receiving the first identification information transmitted by the terminal;
Storage means for storing a reception time of the first identification information by the first receiving means receives,
A second receiving means for receiving the second identification information which the terminal transmits,
If the second receiving means receives the second identification information, whether the reception time of the first identification information stored in the storage means is within a predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information. Determination means for determining;
A notification means for notifying the maintenance of the terminal when the first identification information is not received within the predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information;
An information processing system. Counting means for counting the number of times the first identification information is received;
Estimating means for estimating the remaining amount of the battery based on the counted number of receptions;
The information processing system according to claim 1.   The information processing system according to claim 2, further comprising a table indicating a relationship between the communication count of the terminal and an estimated value of the remaining battery level.   The information processing system according to claim 2, further comprising a calculation unit configured to calculate an operation time of the terminal based on the received second identification information.   5. The information processing system according to claim 2, further comprising a notification unit that performs notification according to the determined state of the terminal or the estimated remaining battery level. The second receiving means is an RFID reader,
The information processing system according to claim 5, wherein the notification unit performs the notification using an RFID reader that has received the second identification information.   The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the terminal transmits the first identification information in response to the transmission of the second identification information.   The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the state of the terminal includes a shortage of the remaining amount of the battery or a failure of the terminal. A first receiving means for receiving first identification information transmitted by a terminal to be managed by battery power;
And SL憶means you storing reception time of the first identification information wherein the first receiving means receives,
Second receiving means for receiving second identification information transmitted by the terminal at a power different from that of the battery;
If the second receiving means receives the second identification information, whether the reception time of the first identification information stored in the storage means is within a predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information. Determination means for determining;
A notification means for notifying the maintenance of the terminal when the first identification information is not received within the predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information;
An information processing apparatus. An information processing apparatus is a management method for managing the state of a terminal to be managed,
The information processing apparatus is
A first receiving step of receiving first identification information transmitted by a terminal to be managed using battery power;
A storage step of storing the reception time of the first identification information received in the first reception step,
A second receiving step of receiving second identification information transmitted by the terminal using power different from that of the battery;
Whether the reception time of the first identification information stored in the storing step is within a predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information when the second identification information is received in the second reception step . a determining step of determining,
A notification step for notifying the maintenance of the terminal when the first identification information is not received within the predetermined time from the reception time of the second identification information;
Management method to execute .

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