JP6483648B2 - Factor determination device, factor determination method, factor determination program, and communication device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a factor determination device and the like for determining a location where a power failure has occurred when a power failure occurs in various devices and systems.

  In Patent Document 1, when power supply (electrical energy) from a power source is cut off (hereinafter, referred to as “power cut-off”), only the own device is turned off, or a device other than the own device is used. Discloses a transmission communication system for determining whether a power failure has occurred (that is, a power failure has occurred). The transmission communication system includes a first transmission device and a second transmission device. The first transmission device includes a power supply unit that temporarily supplies power to the own device in the event of a power failure or power interruption, a self-device voltage monitoring unit that monitors a power supply voltage related to the self-device, and an external device that monitors the voltage of the external power supply A voltage monitoring unit; and a signal generation unit that generates a monitoring signal based on a monitoring result acquired by the device voltage monitoring unit and the external voltage monitoring unit. The first transmission device further includes a transmission unit that transmits the monitoring signal created by the signal creation unit to the second transmission device. Therefore, in the transmission communication system, the first transmission device has a power supply unit that separately supplies power to the device itself in the event of a power failure or power failure.

  Patent Document 2 controls whether or not the power supply source is switched from the main power supply to the backup power supply (standby power supply) when the power supply from the main power supply is cut off, depending on the cause of the power supply cut off. A wireless communication device is disclosed. When it is determined that the power plug of the wireless communication device is unplugged from a power outlet that is a main power source (for example, an AC 100 volt outlet) (that is, the power is cut off), Determine whether the cause is maintenance work. The wireless communication device does not switch the power supply source to a backup power source when the cause of the power interruption is maintenance work. Since the wireless communication apparatus needs to be provided with an identification switch and a dedicated signal line in the power cable connected to the power plug, a general AC power cable cannot be used.

Patent Document 3 discloses a system that executes a system stop process when an external power supply is shut down only when the voltage of the DC main power supply is lowered. The system stops the system only when it receives a voltage drop detection signal indicating that the voltage has fallen within a predetermined monitoring time from the timing of receiving the power supply cutoff detection signal indicating that the power cutoff has been detected. The process starts. Patent Document 4 discloses that the power supply from the main power supply is cut off depending on whether or not the activation notification signal from the external device is detected and the plug state of the power plug into the power outlet that is the main power supply. A wireless device that determines whether or not to create a power supply alarm indicating that the power is being generated is disclosed.

JP 2009-031879 A JP 2014-120120 A JP 09-081286 A Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-100302

  However, even if any of the devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 is used, electric energy is wasted. The reason for this is that, as a result of not being able to accurately determine the location where the power failure has occurred in any of the devices, the electricity stored in the backup power source is independent of whether or not the cause of the power failure is correct. This is because the opposite device is notified that the power is cut off while using energy.

  Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a factor determination device and the like that accurately determine the location that has caused the occurrence of a voltage drop in the power supply line from the electrical device to the device itself. is there.

As one aspect of the present invention, the factor determination device includes:
The rate at which the voltage in the power supply line from the electrical device to the device itself decreases with the passage of time is calculated. Based on whether the calculated rate is equal to a predetermined value, the factor that the voltage has decreased And determining means for determining whether the power supply line is present or whether the factor is on an input side for supplying electric energy to the electric device.

Moreover, as another aspect of the present invention, a factor determination method includes:
The rate at which the voltage in the power supply line from the electrical device to the device itself decreases with the passage of time is calculated. Based on whether the calculated rate is equal to a predetermined value, the factor that the voltage has decreased It is determined whether the power supply line is present or whether the factor is on the input side for supplying electrical energy to the electrical device.

Moreover, as another aspect of the present invention, the factor determination program includes:
The rate at which the voltage in the power supply line from the electrical device to the device itself decreases with the passage of time is calculated. Based on whether the calculated rate is equal to a predetermined value, the factor that the voltage has decreased A computer realizes a determination function for determining whether the power supply line is present or whether the factor is on the input side for supplying electrical energy to the electrical device.

  Furthermore, this object is also realized by a computer-readable recording medium that records the program.

  According to the factor determination device and the like according to the present invention, when a voltage drop occurs in the power supply line from the electric device to the own device, it is possible to accurately determine the location that is the generation factor.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure which the communication apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention has. It is a block diagram which shows the structure which the voltage monitoring part which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention has. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process in the communication apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of the voltage which changes according to the location where the power interruption occurred, or the period when the power interruption occurred. It is a block diagram which shows the structure which the communication apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention has. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process in the communication apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram showing the structure which a multi-contact switch has. It is a block diagram which shows the structure which the communication apparatus which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention has. It is a block diagram which shows the structure which the voltage monitoring part which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention has. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process in the communication apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure which the factor determination apparatus which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention has. It is a block diagram which shows roughly the hardware structural example of the calculation processing apparatus which can implement | achieve the factor determination apparatus which concerns on each embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure which the communication apparatus relevant to this invention has.

  First, in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, the configuration of the communication apparatus 904 related to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the communication apparatus 904 related to the present invention.

  The communication device 904 is connected to an AC plug 901 via an AC (direct current) / DC (alternating current) conversion unit 902 and a DC jack 903. The AC plug 901 receives power supplied from an external power supply by alternating current. The AC / DC converter 902 converts the electrical energy received by the AC plug 901 into direct current. The communication device 904 receives power with the direct current via the DC jack 903. AC represents alternating current. DC represents direct current.

  The communication device 904 includes a power switch 905, a diode 906, a diode 907, a power storage unit 911, a power device 908, a device 909, a voltage monitoring unit 910, a signal creation unit 912, a signal communication unit 913, And a communication connector 914. The power supply device 908 includes at least one DC / DC conversion unit 915. The device 909 includes a processing unit 916 such as a central processing unit (CPU). The device 909 may have a memory accessed by the processing unit 916. Power storage unit 911 includes a capacitor 917 that can store electrical energy sufficient to drive communication device 904.

  By using the power switch 905, it is possible to switch whether the power received from the AC / DC conversion unit 902 is supplied to the inside of the communication device 904 via the DC jack 903. The power switch 905 has a configuration in which a semiconductor element such as a field effect transistor (FET) or an operation unit that can be manually operated is combined, or a user using the communication device 904 manually switches the power switch 905. Possible mechanical switches may be used. The DC / DC converter 915 converts the output voltage of the AC / DC converter 902 into a voltage that can drive the device 909. The power storage unit 911 functions as a backup power source that can store electrical energy required to temporarily drive the communication device 904 when the electrical energy supplied through the diode 906 is cut off. The device 909 is driven by applying the voltage converted by the power supply device 908, and executes a predetermined process.

  The voltage monitoring unit 910 monitors the voltage input to the power supply device 908. When the voltage monitored by the voltage monitoring unit 910 drops below a predetermined voltage, the signal generation unit 912 uses the power stored in the power storage unit 911 and indicates that the voltage has dropped. A notification signal is generated, and the generated power-off notification signal is output to the signal communication unit 913. The signal communication unit 913 inputs the power-off notification signal output from the signal generation unit 912, and inputs the input power-off notification signal via the communication connector 914 to an external information processing device (for convenience of explanation, “opposing device”). ”). The communication connector 914 can be realized by, for example, an Ethernet connector or the like.

  Next, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
With reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of the communication apparatus 101 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the communication apparatus 101 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In the following description, the characteristic part according to the present embodiment will be mainly described, and the same configuration as that of the communication device 904 described with reference to FIG. 13 is denoted by the same reference numeral. The duplicated explanation is omitted.

  The communication apparatus 101 is connected to an AC plug 901 via an AC / DC conversion unit 902 and a DC jack 903. The communication apparatus 101 includes a DC jack 903, a power switch 905, a diode 906, a diode 907, a power device 908, a power storage unit 911, a power control unit 102, a device 103, a voltage monitoring unit 104, a signal A creation unit 105, a signal communication unit 106, and a communication connector 914 are included. The device 103 includes, for example, a processing unit 107 such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a signal generation unit 110 that generates a system clock signal that is synchronized when the processing unit 107 executes processing. The processing unit 107 is connected to the power supply control unit 102 by a wiring 108. The processing unit 107 is connected to the voltage monitoring unit 104 by a wiring 109. The communication device 101 represents, for example, a device such as a router or a modem. Hereinafter, the wiring may be referred to as a power supply line.

  The device 103 may include a memory accessed by the processing unit 107. The voltage monitoring unit 104 monitors the voltage input to the power supply device 908 and outputs voltage information related to the monitored voltage to the signal creation unit 105 and the device 103. The voltage information may be information indicating the value of the monitored voltage, or information (or signal) indicating that the monitored voltage is equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage. The voltage information is not limited to the above example. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the voltage information is information representing the value of the voltage.

  When the processing unit 107 determines that the power interruption has occurred on the input side of the electric device (for example, the AC / DC conversion unit 902), the power control unit 102 uses the electric energy stored in the power storage unit 911 as a power device. It controls to supply with respect to components, such as 908. The power interruption represents a situation where power supplied from the outside to the components in the communication apparatus 101 is cut off. The power supply control unit 102 performs control so that the electrical energy stored in the power storage unit 911 is not supplied to the power supply device 908 when the processing unit 107 determines that a power interruption has occurred on the output side of the electrical device. A situation in which power is not supplied to the AC / DC conversion unit 902 due to a power failure or the like represents a situation in which a power interruption occurs on the input side of the electric device. Although power is supplied to the AC / DC conversion unit 902, when power is not supplied to the power supply device 908, such as when the DC jack 903 is disconnected or when the power switch 905 is turned off, This represents a situation where a break occurs on the output side of the electrical device. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, processing in the communication device 101 will be described with reference to an example in which the electrical device is the AC / DC conversion unit 902.

  The processing unit 107 inputs the voltage information output from the voltage monitoring unit 104, and a rate at which the voltage represented by the input voltage information decreases with time (represented as a “decrease rate”) is a predetermined rate (“predetermined value”). It is also determined whether or not. In addition, the reduction | decrease rate showing the rate which a voltage falls with progress of time is later mentioned, referring FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 4B, the processing unit 107 determines that the AC rate decreases when the decrease rate is different from the predetermined rate (for example, when the voltage rapidly decreases with time). Although the power is supplied to the DC / DC converter 902, it is determined that a power interruption has occurred on the output side of the AC / DC converter 902. As shown in FIG. 4A, the processing unit 107 performs AC / AC when the decrease ratio is a predetermined ratio (for example, when the voltage is gradually decreased as time passes). It is determined that power is not supplied to the DC conversion unit 902 (that is, a power interruption has occurred on the input side of the AC / DC conversion unit 902). In other words, the processing unit 107 determines the location where the power interruption has occurred by the above-described processing. When the processing unit 107 determines that a power interruption has occurred on the input side of the AC / DC conversion unit 902, the processing unit 107 creates power interruption information indicating that the power interruption has occurred on the input side of the AC / DC conversion unit 902. Then, the generated power-off information is output to the power control unit 102 and the signal generation unit 105.

  When the power cut-off information output from the processing unit 107 is input, the signal creation unit 105 creates and creates a power cut-off notification signal indicating that a power cut has occurred on the input side of the AC / DC conversion unit 902. A power-off notification signal is transmitted to the opposite device (not shown) via the communication connector 914. Hereinafter, for convenience of illustration, the opposing device is not shown in each embodiment. The power supply control unit 102 controls to input the electrical energy stored in the power storage unit 911 to the power supply device 908 when the power-off information output from the processing unit 107 is input. The power supply control unit 102 does not supply the electrical energy stored in the power storage unit 911 to the power supply device 908 when the power-off information output from the processing unit 107 is not input.

  The configuration of the voltage monitoring unit 104 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the voltage monitoring unit 104 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The voltage monitoring unit 104 includes an A / D conversion unit 121 and a detector unit 122. A / D conversion represents analog / digital conversion.

  The detector unit 122 determines whether the voltage input to the power supply device 908 has dropped to a predetermined voltage. When the detector unit 122 determines that the voltage has decreased to the predetermined voltage, the detector unit 122 outputs an interrupt signal indicating that the voltage has decreased to the processing unit 107. In response to receiving the interrupt signal, the processing unit 107 outputs a system clock signal synchronized with execution of processing in the processing unit 107 to the A / D conversion unit 121 via the wiring 124. . Note that when the processing unit 107 receives an interrupt signal indicating that the voltage has returned to the original voltage, the processing unit 107 ends the process of outputting the system clock signal.

  The A / D conversion unit 121 creates voltage information representing a voltage in synchronization with the system clock signal input from the processing unit 107 via the wiring 124, and the created voltage information is processed via the wiring 123. Output for. In other words, the A / D conversion unit 121 creates digital data representing a voltage value as voltage information in synchronization with the system clock signal output from the processing unit 107, and outputs the generated voltage information to the processing unit 107. To do. The processing unit 107 determines the location where the power interruption has occurred according to the processing described later with reference to FIG.

  Next, processing in the communication apparatus 101 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing in the communication apparatus 101 according to the first embodiment.

  The detector unit 122 determines whether or not the voltage input to the power supply device 908 has decreased (step S101). For example, the detector unit 122 determines whether or not the voltage has decreased by executing a process of comparing the voltage measured at the first timing with the voltage measured at the second timing. Determine. For example, the detector unit 122 may determine whether or not the voltage has decreased based on whether or not the voltage is equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage. If the detector unit 122 determines that the voltage has decreased (YES in step S101), the detector unit 122 outputs an interrupt signal indicating that the voltage has decreased to the processing unit 107 via the wiring 125 (step S102). .

  The processing unit 107 outputs, to the A / D conversion unit 121, a system clock signal that is synchronized with the execution of the processing in the processing unit 107 in response to the input of the interrupt signal output from the detector unit 122. (Step S103). As described above, the system clock signal represents a signal that is synchronized when the processing unit 107 executes processing.

  The A / D conversion unit 121 creates digital data in which the voltage value input to the power supply device 908 is discretized as voltage information in synchronization with the system clock signal output from the processing unit 107, and generates the created voltage information. The data is output to the processing unit 107 (step S104).

  The processing unit 107 receives the voltage information output from the A / D conversion unit 121. That is, the processing unit 107 inputs voltage information at each timing in synchronization with the system clock signal and in synchronization with the system clock signal. The processing unit 107 determines whether or not the reduction rate indicating the rate at which the voltage represented by the voltage information input at each timing decreases is a predetermined rate (step S105). The predetermined ratio does not have to be a certain value, and may be a numerical value range. When the predetermined ratio represents a numerical value range, the processing unit 107 determines whether or not the numerical value range includes a decrease ratio in the process shown in step S105.

  An example of step S105 will be described. For example, the processing unit 107 calculates the time required from when the voltage information starts to be received (that is, after the voltage starts to decrease) until the voltage represented by the received voltage information decreases to a predetermined reduced voltage (FIG. 4). , Based on the system clock signal, and based on the measured time and a predetermined voltage drop, a reduction rate representing the rate of voltage reduction is calculated. The processing unit 107 may execute the determination process shown in step S105 based on the time required for the voltage represented by the voltage information to decrease to the predetermined reduced voltage.

  When the decrease rate is a predetermined rate (YES in step S105), processing unit 107 further determines whether or not the voltage returns to the voltage before the decrease by monitoring the voltage for a predetermined period. (Step S106). When the voltage does not return to the voltage before the decrease, the processing unit 107 determines that the power supply is cut off on the input side of the AC / DC conversion unit 902, and the power supply is supplied on the input side of the AC / DC conversion unit 902. Power-off information indicating that a disconnection has occurred is output to the power control unit 102 and the signal creation unit 105. That is, in this case, the processing unit 107 determines that a power interruption has occurred on the input side that supplies power to the AC / DC conversion unit 902. On the input side of the AC / DC conversion unit 902, the power interruption occurs, for example, when the AC plug 901 and the external power supply are in a non-conductive state, or when a power failure occurs in the external power supply.

  The power supply control part 102 performs the process which starts the electrical storage part 911, when the power-off information output from the process part 107 is input (step S108). When the power-off information output from the processing unit 107 is input, the signal generation unit 105 generates a power-off notification signal indicating that a power-off has occurred, and sends the generated power-off notification signal to the signal communication unit 106. Output. The signal communication unit 106 receives the power-off notification signal output from the signal creation unit 105 and transmits the input power-off notification signal to the opposite device via the communication connector 914.

  When the reduction rate is different from the predetermined rate (NO in step S105), processing unit 107 determines that a power interruption has occurred on the output side of AC / DC conversion unit 902. In this case, the power supply control unit 102 may perform control so that power is not supplied from the power storage unit 911 to the communication device 101. That is, it is determined that a power interruption has occurred in the power supply line from the AC / DC conversion unit 902 to the communication device 101. The cause of the power interruption that occurs on the output side of the AC / DC conversion unit 902 is, for example, when the wiring is disconnected at the DC jack 903, when the wiring (conducting wire) included in the power supply line is disconnected, For example, the power is turned off by the switch 905. If NO in step S105, the processes shown in steps S108 and S109 are not executed.

  The processing unit 107 further indicates that the power supply is temporarily interrupted when the voltage represented by the input voltage information does not decrease to a predetermined voltage during a certain period (YES in step S106). judge. Even if the processing unit 107 determines that the power supply is temporarily off even when the voltage drops at a predetermined rate, the processing shown in step S108 and the processing shown in step S109 are performed. Processing is not performed. In this case, the power supply control unit 102 may perform control so that power is not supplied from the power storage unit 911 to the communication device 101. The certain period and the predetermined voltage may be values specific to components such as the AC / DC conversion unit 902 or the power storage unit 911, or values set by a user who uses the communication device 101. It may be. The certain period and the predetermined voltage are not limited to the above-described example.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4, a description will be given of how the voltage changes depending on the location where the power interruption occurs or the period during which the power interruption occurs. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a voltage that changes in accordance with a location where the power interruption occurs or a period during which the power interruption occurs. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a change in voltage measured on the input side of the power supply device 908 when the power supply is cut off on the input side of the electric apparatus such as the AC / DC conversion unit 902. FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating a change in voltage measured on the input side of the power supply device 908 when the power supply is cut off on the output side of the electric apparatus such as the AC / DC conversion unit 902. FIG. 4C is a diagram illustrating a change in voltage measured on the input side of the power supply device 908 when a temporary power interruption occurs on the input side of the power supply device 908. In any graph shown in FIG. 4, the horizontal axis represents time, and the right side indicates that time elapses. The vertical axis represents voltage, and the higher the voltage is, the higher the voltage is.

  The electric device such as the AC / DC conversion unit 902 has a capacitor for smoothing the voltage in order to convert alternating current into direct current, for example. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the state of the voltage drop caused by the power interruption differs depending on the location where the power interruption occurs or the period during which the power interruption occurs.

  The voltage drop illustrated in FIG. 4A is measured when, for example, a situation where the AC plug 901 and the external power supply are in a non-conducting state or a situation where the external power supply fails is continued. In this case, as a result of discharging from the capacitor included in the AC / DC conversion unit 902, the voltage decreases in a state where the time constant is maintained (that is, a predetermined ratio) (timing T1 to timing T2).

  The voltage drop illustrated in FIG. 4B is measured when, for example, a situation where the power is cut off by the power switch 905 or a situation where the power is cut off at the DC jack 903 continues. In this case, since the capacitor included in the AC / DC conversion unit 902 and the input side of the power supply device 908 are disconnected, the electrical energy stored in the capacitor included in the AC / DC conversion unit 902 is transferred to the power supply device 908. Not supplied. Therefore, the time required for the voltage to decrease (timing T1 to timing T3) is shorter than the period from timing T1 to timing T2. In other words, the rate at which the voltage decreases at the timing T1 is greater in the voltage decrease illustrated in FIG. 4B than in the voltage decrease illustrated in FIG. 4A.

  The voltage drop illustrated in FIG. 4C is measured when, for example, a situation where the AC plug 901 and the external power supply are in a non-conducting state or a situation where the external power supply fails is temporary. In this case, as a result of power being supplied from the capacitor included in the AC / DC conversion unit 902 to the power supply device 908, the voltage decreases while maintaining the time constant (timing T1 to timing T4), but timing T4 Therefore, the voltage measured after the timing T4 rises to the voltage before dropping.

  Note that the communication device 101 may further notify information indicating a location where the power supply is cut off when the power supply is cut off. For example, in the communication apparatus 101, information indicating that the place where the power interruption has occurred is the input side of the AC / DC converter 902, or the place where the power interruption has occurred is the output side of the AC / DC converter 902. Information indicating this may be transmitted to the opposite device via the communication connector 914. Or the communication apparatus 101 may store such information as a log in its own apparatus.

  However, since the communication apparatus 101 only needs to calculate the rate at which the voltage decreases, it is not always necessary to continue to measure the voltage until the voltage decreases to a predetermined decreased voltage. For example, the communication apparatus 101 may calculate the rate at which the voltage decreases by measuring the voltage related to the period from the timing T1 to the timing T5 before the timing T2.

  In addition, the processing unit 107 does not determine the rate at which the voltage decreases, but based on whether the voltage at a timing when a predetermined time has elapsed from the timing T1 (FIG. 4) is a certain voltage or a certain voltage. You may determine the process similar to step S105. The substantially certain voltage represents, for example, a voltage within an error range of about 10% from a certain voltage. In this case, since it is not necessary to calculate the ratio continuously in the period, the processing in the processing unit 107 is reduced as compared with the example described with reference to FIG.

  Next, the effect regarding the communication apparatus 101 which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

  According to the communication device 101 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when a voltage drop occurs in the power supply line from the electric device to the own device, it is possible to accurately determine the location that has caused the occurrence. . The reason for this is that when the voltage drops, whether the cause of the voltage drop is on the input side or the output side of the AC / DC converter 902 is determined based on how the voltage changes with time. Because it does. The reason for this will be described in more detail.

  An electrical device such as the AC / DC conversion unit 902 has a capacitor. In this case, even if the power supply is cut off on the side that supplies (inputs) the electric power to the electric device, the electric energy stored in the capacitor remains for a while as long as the electric energy exists. The data is continuously output to the providing (output) side. Therefore, even when the power supply is interrupted on the side that supplies power to the electric device, the communication device 101 that operates by the electric energy output from the electric device receives the electric energy output from the electric device. To do. On the other hand, when a power interruption occurs on the output side of the electric device, power is not supplied to the communication device 101. Therefore, according to the communication device 101, based on the state in which the voltage on the output side of the electric device changes with time, the power interruption occurs on the input side of the electric device or on the output side of the electric device. It is possible to accurately determine whether this has occurred. In other words, according to the communication device 101, it is possible to accurately determine the location where the power is cut off.

  For example, the communication apparatus 101 may determine whether or not to use the power storage unit 911 for continuing the operation of the own apparatus depending on whether or not the cause of the power interruption is an intentional factor. . Depending on whether or not a power failure has occurred on the input side of an electrical device (for example, the AC / DC conversion unit 902) that supplies power to the communication device 101, the power failure is an intention such as a power failure. It can be determined whether it is caused by an unforeseen factor or an intentional factor such as disconnection in the power switch 905 of the communication apparatus 101.

  Further, the communication device 101 determines whether or not the power supply is temporarily cut off, so that the power storage unit 911 can be prevented from aging early. This is because the power supply control unit 102 controls not to use the power storage unit 911 when the power supply is temporarily cut off. Further, for the same reason, there is an effect that the amount of electric energy stored in the power storage unit 911 can be reduced.

  Further, by using the function of the processing unit 107, the number of components can be reduced. This is because the function of measuring time using the function (function of calculating the system clock signal) of the processing unit 107 executing the processing in the communication apparatus 101 is realized. This is because it is not necessary for the communication apparatus 101 to have the function to be performed separately from the processing unit 107. In other words, the processing unit is obtained by measuring the temporal transition of the voltage based on the system clock signal output in response to the process of transmitting the interrupt signal indicating that the voltage has decreased to the processing unit 107. The function of measuring time can be realized with little influence on other processing executed in 107.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention based on the first embodiment described above will be described.

  In the following description, the characteristic parts according to the present embodiment will be mainly described, and the same components as those in the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. To do.

  With reference to FIG. 5, the configuration of the communication apparatus 201 according to the second embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the communication apparatus 201 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  The communication device 201 is connected to an AC plug 901 via an AC / DC conversion unit 902 and a DC jack 903. The communication apparatus 201 includes a DC jack 903, a power switch 905, a diode 906, a diode 907, a power device 908, a power storage unit 911, a power control unit 102, a device 203, a voltage monitoring unit 104, a signal A creation unit 105, a signal communication unit 106, and a communication connector 914 are included. The device 203 includes, for example, a processing unit 207 such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a signal creation unit 110 that creates a system clock signal that is synchronized when the processing unit 207 executes processing. The processing unit 207 is connected to the power supply control unit 102 by the wiring 108, and the processing unit 207 is connected to the voltage monitoring unit 104 by the wiring 109.

  Next, processing in the communication apparatus 201 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the communication apparatus 201 according to the second embodiment. In the flowchart according to the present embodiment (FIG. 6), the same processing steps as those in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same step numbers as in FIG.

  If NO in step S106, the processing unit 207 transmits a power-off notification signal indicating that a power-off has occurred to the opposing device (step S109). The processing unit 207 determines whether or not a power-off notification signal has been received from the opposing device (step S207). For example, the processing unit 207 may execute the processing shown in step S207 by storing a power-off notification signal indicating whether or not a power-off notification signal has been received.

  Processing unit 207 executes the process shown in step S108 when a power-off notification signal is received from the opposing device (YES in step S207). Processing unit 207 repeatedly executes the process shown in step S207 when no power-off notification signal is received from the opposing device (NO in step S207).

  Accordingly, the communication device 201 executes the processing shown in FIG. 6 to determine whether the power supply is cut off only in the own device based on whether the power supply is cut off in the opposite device, for example, It is determined whether the disconnection also occurs in the opposite device connected to the communication network. In other words, for example, whether the communication device 201 has been turned off because the AC plug 901 of the device itself and the external power supply have been cut off, or has the power supply turned off due to a power failure of the external power supply? Determine.

  Further, the function shown in the present embodiment can also be realized by using the multiple contact switch shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the multiple contact switch. FIG. 7A is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example of the case where the terminal 702 and the terminal 703 are in a conductive state in the power switch 701. FIG. 7B is a diagram conceptually illustrating an example in the case where the terminal 704 and the terminal 703 are in a conductive state in the power switch 701.

  As illustrated in FIG. 7A, when the terminal 702 and the terminal 703 are in a conductive state in the power switch 701, for example, when the DC jack 903 is in a non-conductive state with the power switch 701, The voltage changes as illustrated in FIG. On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 7B, when the terminal 704 and the terminal 703 are in a conductive state in the power switch 701, for example, the DC jack 903 is in a non-conductive state with the power switch 701. The voltage changes as illustrated in FIG. 4B. In this case, the communication apparatus 201 may turn off the power based on the voltage difference at a certain timing with respect to the voltage transition illustrated in FIG. 4A and the voltage transition illustrated in FIG. You may determine where it occurs.

  In addition, since the capacity | capacitance of the capacitor | condenser which electric apparatuses, such as the AC / DC conversion part 902 have, falls with long-term use, the capacity | capacitance of this capacitor | condenser is not necessarily constant. Therefore, for example, when it is determined that a power interruption has occurred (YES in step S105), communication apparatus 201 may update the predetermined ratio with the calculated ratio. Furthermore, the communication apparatus 201 determines that the AC / AC is equal to a predetermined ratio similar to the ratio of voltage transition (measured in the period from timing T1 to timing T3) shown in FIG. It may have a function of notifying that the DC conversion unit 902 is replaced. In this case, even when the capacitance of the capacitor changes due to deterioration of the capacitor included in the electric device, it is possible to determine the location where the power is cut off.

  Next, effects related to the communication apparatus 201 according to the second embodiment will be described.

  According to the communication device 201 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, when a voltage drop occurs in the power supply line from the electric device to the own device, it is possible to accurately determine the location that has caused the occurrence. . This is because the configuration of the communication apparatus 201 according to the second embodiment includes the configuration of the communication apparatus 101 according to the first embodiment.

  Furthermore, according to the communication apparatus 201 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to more accurately determine the location where the power interruption has occurred. The reason for this is that when there are a plurality of communication devices 201 that have determined that the power is cut off, it is determined that the power has been cut off before the AC plug 901, and when the communication device 201 is only its own device, the AC This is because it is determined that a power interruption has occurred after the plug 901. For example, the communication device 201 controls the power storage unit 911 based on the result of such determination processing, so that the communication device 201 according to the present embodiment uses the electric energy supplied from the power storage unit 911. The amount can be reduced.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the third embodiment, an invention realized by a different aspect from the invention shown in the first embodiment is illustrated.

  In the following description, the characteristic parts according to the present embodiment will be mainly described, and the same components as those in the first embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. To do.

  The configuration of the communication apparatus 301 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the communication apparatus 301 according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  The communication device 301 is connected to an AC plug 901 via an AC / DC conversion unit 902 and a DC jack 903. The communication device 301 communicates with a DC jack 903, a power switch 905, a diode 906, a diode 907, a power device 908, a power storage unit 911, a device 303, a signal creation unit 105, a signal communication unit 106, and the like. A connector 914, a power supply control unit 302, a voltage monitoring unit 304, and a second power storage unit 308 are included. The device 303 includes a processing unit 307 such as a central processing unit (CPU), for example. The processing unit 307 is connected to the power control unit 302 by a wiring 310. The power supply control unit 302 and the voltage monitoring unit 304 execute processing using the electrical energy stored in the second power storage unit 308. Note that the rectangle 309 represents the supply destination of the electrical energy stored in the second power storage unit 308 for convenience, but does not represent the components that the communication device 301 actually has.

  The configuration of the voltage monitoring unit 304 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the voltage monitoring unit 304 according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  The voltage monitoring unit 304 includes an A / D conversion unit 121, a detector unit 321, and a clock generation unit 322.

  The detector unit 321 determines whether or not the voltage input to the power supply device 908 has decreased to a predetermined voltage. When it is determined that the voltage has decreased to the predetermined voltage, the detector unit 321 outputs an interrupt signal indicating that the voltage has decreased to the processing unit 307. The processing unit 307 controls the power supply control unit 302 to activate the A / D conversion unit 121 and the clock generation unit 322 in the voltage monitoring unit 304 in response to receiving the interrupt signal. Thereafter, the clock creation unit 322 creates a system clock signal. That is, the clock generation unit 322 generates a system clock signal instead of the device 303 when the system clock signal that synchronizes the processing in the device 303 stops.

  The A / D conversion unit 121 generates voltage information representing a voltage according to the system clock signal generated by the clock generation unit 322, and outputs the generated voltage information to the power supply control unit 302 via the wiring 324. To do. In other words, the A / D conversion unit 121 creates digital data representing a voltage value as voltage information in synchronization with the system clock signal created by the clock creation unit 322, and sends the created voltage information to the power supply control unit 302. Output. The power supply control unit 302 determines the location where the power supply is cut off in accordance with the process shown in FIG. The processing in the communication apparatus 301 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the communication apparatus 301 according to the third embodiment.

  The detector unit 321 determines whether or not the voltage input to the power supply device 908 has decreased (step S301). For example, the detector unit 321 determines whether or not the voltage has decreased by executing a process of comparing the voltage measured at the first timing with the voltage measured at the second timing. . For example, the detector unit 321 may determine whether or not the voltage has decreased based on whether or not the voltage is equal to or lower than a predetermined voltage. If the detector unit 321 determines that the voltage has decreased (YES in step S301), the detector unit 321 outputs an interrupt signal indicating that the voltage has decreased to the processing unit 307 via the wiring 323 (step S302). .

  The processing unit 307 controls the power supply so that the A / D conversion unit 121 and the clock generation unit 322 in the voltage monitoring unit 304 are activated in response to the interrupt signal output from the detector unit 321. The unit 302 is instructed (step S303).

  The power supply control unit 302 activates the A / D conversion unit 121 and the clock generation unit 322 in response to the instruction. Thereafter, the clock generation unit 322 generates a system clock signal and outputs the generated system clock signal to the A / D conversion unit 121.

  The A / D conversion unit 121 creates digital data in which voltage values input to the power supply device 908 are discretized as voltage information in synchronization with the system clock signal created by the clock creation unit 322, and creates the created voltage information. Is output to the power supply controller 302 (step S304).

  The power supply control unit 302 executes processing similar to the processing in steps S105 to S106 performed by the processing unit 107 as described with reference to FIG. 3 (steps S305 to S306). If NO in step S306, the processing shown in steps S108 and S109 is executed.

  Next, effects related to the communication device 301 according to the third embodiment will be described.

  According to the communication device 301 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, when a voltage drop occurs in the power supply line from the electric device to the own device, it is possible to accurately determine the location that has caused the occurrence. . This reason is the same as the reason described in the first embodiment.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In the following description, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same configurations as those of the above-described embodiments, and redundant description is omitted.

  The configuration of the factor determination device 401 according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the factor determination device 401 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

  The communication device 404 is connected to the AC plug 901 via the electric device 921. The communication device 404 includes a power switch 905 and a factor determination device 401. The factor determination device 401 includes a determination unit 403. The factor determination device 401 may further include a voltage measurement unit 402. The electric device 921 is, for example, the AC / DC conversion unit 902 illustrated in FIG. 1, and even if the power supply is stopped, the electric energy stored in the own device is used as long as the electric power is present. It is a device that discharges over a period of time.

  Next, processing in the factor determination device 401 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The voltage measuring unit 402 measures the voltage applied through the connected wiring. The voltage measuring unit 402 measures, for example, the voltage input to the factor determination device 401 via the power switch 905.

  In the determination unit 403, the voltage measured by the voltage measurement unit 402 decreases with time to determine whether the cause of the voltage decrease is on the input side of the electric device 921 or on the output side of the electric device 921. Judgment is made based on whether the ratio is equal to the predetermined ratio. That is, the determination unit 403 determines whether the voltage reduction factor is in the wiring (power supply line, in this case, the output side) that leads the power supplied from the electric device 921 to the factor determination device 401, or the factor is It is determined whether the electric device 921 is on the input side for supplying electric energy.

  As described with reference to FIG. 4, the manner in which the voltage changes with time changes depending on the location where the power interruption occurs. When a power interruption occurs on the input side of the electric device 921, the electric energy stored in the electric device 921 is gradually released to the wiring over a period of time as long as the electric energy is present (see FIG. 4 (A)). On the other hand, when the power interruption occurs on the output side of the electric device 921, the electric device 921 and the factor determination device 401 are electrically disconnected (FIG. 4B). Therefore, the temporal change regarding the voltage measured by the voltage measuring unit 402 is, when comparing these two cases, when the power interruption occurs on the output side compared to the case where the power interruption occurs on the input side. The voltage drops rapidly. That is, the rate at which the voltage changes with time varies depending on the location where the power interruption occurs. Therefore, the predetermined ratio is set in advance such that the voltage decreases when the power input to the electric device 921 is cut off, and the voltage measured by the voltage measuring unit 402 decreases with time. By determining whether or not the ratio is equal to the predetermined ratio, it is possible to determine the location where the power interruption has occurred.

  For example, the voltage measuring unit 402 can be realized by using the function of the voltage monitoring unit 104 (FIGS. 1 and 2), the function of the voltage monitoring unit 304 (FIG. 8), and the like. The determination unit 403 can be realized using the functions of the processing unit 107 (FIG. 1), the functions of the processing unit 207 (FIG. 5), the processing unit 307 (FIG. 8), and the like. The factor determination device 401 includes a function of the processing unit 107 (FIG. 1), a function of the voltage monitoring unit 104 (FIG. 1), a function of the processing unit 207 (FIG. 5), and a function of the processing unit 307 (FIG. 8). The function of the voltage monitoring unit 304, the function of the power supply control unit 302, and the like can be realized. Further, the communication device 404 can be realized using the function of the communication device 101 (FIG. 1), the function of the communication device 201 (FIG. 5), or the function of the communication device 301 (FIG. 8).

  Next, effects related to the factor determination device 401 according to the fourth embodiment will be described.

  According to the factor determination device 401 according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when a voltage drop occurs in the power supply line from the electric device to the own device, it is possible to accurately determine the location that has caused the generation factor. it can. This is because, when the voltage drops, it is determined whether the cause of the voltage drop is on the input side or the output side of the electric device based on how the voltage changes with time. . The reason for this will be described in more detail.

  The electric device 921 has a capacitor like an AC / DC converter 902 (FIG. 1), for example. In this case, even if the power supply is cut off on the side where power is supplied (input) to the electric device 921, the electric energy stored in the capacitor is not changed for a while as long as the electric energy is present. It continues to output to the providing (output) side. Therefore, even when the power supply to the electric device 921 is cut off, a device that operates with electric energy output from the electric device (referred to as a communication device 404 for convenience of explanation) The electric energy output from the device 921 is received. On the other hand, when a power interruption occurs on the output side of the electric device 921, power is not supplied to the communication device. Therefore, according to the factor determination device 401, based on the state in which the voltage on the output side of the electric device 921 is temporally changed, whether the power interruption has occurred on the input side of the electric device 921 or the electric device 921 It can be accurately determined whether the error occurs on the output side. That is, according to the factor determination device 401, it is possible to accurately determine the location where the power is cut off.

  For example, the communication device 404 may determine whether or not to use the power storage unit 911 for maintaining the operation of the own device depending on whether or not the factor that causes the power interruption is an intentional factor. . Depending on whether a power loss has occurred on the input side of the electrical device 921 supplying power to the communication device 404, for example, a power failure has occurred due to an unintended factor such as a power failure, or It can be determined whether the error occurs due to an intentional factor such as disconnection in the power switch 905 of the communication device 404.

(Hardware configuration example)
The processing unit according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment of the present invention described above, the power supply control unit according to the third embodiment, and a part of the factor determination device according to the fourth embodiment are 1 A configuration example of hardware resources realized using two calculation processing devices (information processing device, computer) will be described. Hereinafter, the description will be given using the factor determination device, but since it can be realized by the same configuration example in the case of the processing unit or the power supply control unit described above, description on the processing unit and the power supply control unit is omitted. To do.

  Such a factor determination device may be realized using at least two calculation processing devices physically or functionally. Further, the factor determination device may be realized as a dedicated device.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram schematically showing a hardware configuration example of a calculation processing apparatus capable of realizing the factor determination apparatus according to each embodiment of the present invention. The computing device 20 includes a central processing unit (Central_Processing_Unit, hereinafter referred to as “CPU”) 21, a memory 22, a disk 23, a nonvolatile recording medium 24, and a communication interface (hereinafter referred to as “communication IF”) 27. Have. The calculation processing device 20 may be connectable to the input device 25 and the output device 26. The calculation processing device 20 can transmit / receive information to / from other calculation processing devices and communication devices via the communication IF 27.

  The nonvolatile recording medium 24 is, for example, a compact disk (Compact_Disc) or a digital versatile disk (Digital_Versatile_Disc) that can be read by a computer. The nonvolatile recording medium 24 may be a universal serial bus memory (USB memory), a solid state drive (Solid_State_Drive), or the like. The non-volatile recording medium 24 retains such a program without being supplied with power, and can be carried. The nonvolatile recording medium 24 is not limited to the above-described medium. Further, the program may be carried via the communication IF 27 and the communication network instead of the nonvolatile recording medium 24.

  That is, the CPU 21 copies a software program (computer program: hereinafter simply referred to as “program”) stored in the disk 23 to the memory 22 and executes arithmetic processing. The CPU 21 reads data necessary for program execution from the memory 22. When output to the outside is necessary, the CPU 21 outputs an output result to the output device 26. When inputting a program from the outside, the CPU 21 reads the program from the input device 25. The CPU 21 performs a factor determination program (FIG. 3, FIG. 6 or FIG. 6) in the memory 22 corresponding to the function (process) represented by the above-described component shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5, FIG. 8 or FIG. FIG. 10) is interpreted and executed. The CPU 21 sequentially executes the processes described in the above embodiments of the present invention.

  That is, in such a case, it can be understood that the present invention can also be realized by such a factor determination program. Furthermore, it can be understood that the present invention can also be realized by a computer-readable non-volatile recording medium in which the factor determination program is recorded.

  The present invention has been described above using the above-described embodiment as an exemplary example. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. That is, the present invention can apply various modes that can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Communication apparatus 102 Power supply control part 103 Device 104 Voltage monitoring part 105 Signal preparation part 106 Signal communication part 107 Processing part 108 Wiring 109 Wiring 110 Signal preparation part 901 AC plug 902 AC / DC conversion part 903 DC jack 905 Power switch 906 Diode 907 Diode 908 Power supply device 911 Power storage unit 914 Communication connector 915 DC / DC conversion unit 121 A / D conversion unit 122 Detector unit 123 Wiring 124 Wiring 125 Wiring 201 Communication device 203 Device 207 Processing unit 701 Power switch 702 terminal 703 terminal 704 terminal 301 Communication Device 302 Power supply control unit 303 Device 304 Voltage monitoring unit 307 Processing unit 308 Second power storage unit 309 Rectangular 310 Wiring 321 Detector unit 322 Clock Generating unit 323 wires 324 interconnect 401 factor determination device 402 the voltage measuring unit 403 determination unit 404 communication device 921 electrical equipment 20 the central processing unit 21 CPU
22 Memory 23 Disk 24 Non-volatile recording medium 25 Input device 26 Output device 27 Communication IF
904 Communication device 909 Device 910 Voltage monitoring unit 912 Signal creation unit 913 Signal communication unit 916 Processing unit 917 Capacitor

Claims (9)

Based on whether or not the second voltage is within a certain range when a certain time has elapsed since the voltage in the power supply line from the electric device to the own device starts to decrease, the factor that the voltage has decreased is the power supply line. Or if the factor is on the input side supplying electrical energy to the electrical device, and if the second voltage is within the certain range, the certain range is set to the second voltage. A factor determination device comprising determination means for updating based on . The determination unit is located above factors on the input side, when the voltage is determined to have not been increased to a period of Jo Tokoro until the voltage before the drop, claim determines that the factor is the input side factor determination device according to 1. The factor determination device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
A notification means for notifying that a power failure has occurred to the communication apparatus by the electric device when the determination means determines that the factor is on the input side;
The communication device determines that the power interruption has occurred when determining that the factor is on the input side. The determination means determines that the factor is temporarily generated when the voltage rises to a voltage before the voltage decreases in a predetermined period,
The communication device according to claim 3 , wherein the notification unit does not notify the occurrence of the power interruption when the determination unit determines that the factor is temporarily generated. A capacitor,
Wherein when said determining means and power failure has occurred is determined, the communication device according to the electric energy stored in the capacitor to claim 3 or claim 4 further comprising a control means for supplying to the own communication device. A device including signal generating means for generating a system clock signal, and processing means operating in synchronization with the system clock signal;
Detector means for outputting, to the processing means, an interrupt signal indicating that the voltage has dropped when the voltage is a predetermined voltage for determining a voltage drop;
Conversion means for converting the voltage into a digital signal in synchronization with the system clock signal output by the processing means, and providing the converted digital signal to the processing means,
The communication device according to claim 5 , wherein the processing unit gives the system clock signal to the conversion unit when the interrupt signal is received. The determination means determines whether or not to receive a signal indicating that the power interruption has occurred from another communication device when determining that the power interruption has occurred;
Wherein, when said receiving the signal from the other communication device, the electric energy stored in the capacitor, according to claim 5 for driving the own communication device or communication device according to claim 6 . Cause of the voltage drop based on whether or not the second voltage is within a certain range when a certain period of time has elapsed since the voltage in the power supply line from the electric device to the own device starts to drop by the information processing device Is in the power supply line or whether the factor is on the input side supplying electrical energy to the electrical device, and if the second voltage is within the certain range, the certain range is determined. A factor determination method for updating based on the second voltage . Based on whether or not the second voltage is within a certain range when a certain time has elapsed since the voltage in the power supply line from the electric device to the own device starts to decrease, the factor that the voltage has decreased is the power supply line. Or if the factor is on the input side supplying electrical energy to the electrical device, and if the second voltage is within the certain range, the certain range is set to the second voltage. Factor determination program that allows a computer to implement a determination function that is updated based on

Images