JP6830840B2 - Temperature monitoring system - Google Patents

Description

In an embodiment of the present invention, for example, in a data center in which a large number of server racks are installed, temperature monitoring is performed to detect the temperature of each rack using RFID tags (hereinafter, referred to as tags including the scope of claims). Regarding the system.

As a temperature monitoring system in a data center, the one described in Patent Document 1 has been conventionally known. This conventional technology monitors whether or not the temperature of each server rack is properly maintained by attaching a thermo label to each server rack and taking a picture of the color change of the thermo label due to a temperature change with a camera. ..

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-118434

However, the above-mentioned prior art has the following problems.
(1) Since the thermo label is photographed with a camera, it cannot be measured if there is an obstacle in between. It is not possible to measure when the door of the server rack in front is open.
(2) When shooting a thermo label with a camera, zoom processing is required from a short distance to a long distance. Therefore, a time lag occurs in the measurement of the thermolabel from a short distance to a long distance, and the simultaneity of the measurement tags cannot be ensured.
(3) When shooting a thermolabel with a camera, there is a possibility that the accuracy of image processing may differ by comparing a short distance and a long distance.

(4) Lighting is required for the environment when shooting a thermo label with a camera.
(5) A relatively large thermolabel is required for recognition by the camera, and the degree of freedom in installing the thermolabel is low.
(6) Since it is necessary to install the thermo label toward the camera, the degree of freedom of installation is low and installation work is required.
(7) Since it is a thermolabel, the measurement range, accuracy, and resolution are lower than those of a general temperature sensor.

Such problems of the prior art do not exist only in the case of temperature control of the server rack in the data center, but also occur in a warehouse or the like for storing items requiring temperature control such as food.

This embodiment has been proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. An object of the present embodiment is to provide a temperature monitoring system having excellent measurement accuracy and a high degree of freedom in the installation location of a temperature sensor.

The temperature monitoring system of the present embodiment is characterized by having the following configuration.
(1) A passive type tag in which a temperature sensor and a transmission unit for transmitting detection data of the temperature sensor are provided on a sheet-shaped base material and formed in a sheet shape as a whole.
(2) A plurality of racks for storing temperature monitoring objects and to which the tags are attached.
(3) An antenna that transmits a radio wave that activates the tag and receives a radio wave that superimposes temperature sensor data transmitted from the tag.
(4) A receiver connected to the antenna.
(5) The plurality of racks are arranged along the aisle, and the rack provided with the tag is provided with the tag at a position facing the aisle, and the antenna has a main transmission direction of the radio wave. This is the extension direction of the passage.
(6) At a portion of the rack facing the aisle, a mounting plate inclined obliquely with respect to the extension direction of the aisle is provided, and the tag is attached to the mounting plate.

The following embodiments are also aspects of the present invention.
(1) The temperature monitoring object is a server, and the rack is a server rack .

( 2 ) The receiver is provided with a control device that controls transmission / reception, and a calculation unit that processes the temperature sensor data received by the receiver is connected to this control device, and the calculation unit is connected to the plurality of tags. The data of multiple temperature sensors received from is averaged and output.
( 3 ) The control device determines that the temperature sensor data received by the receiver is transmitted by a tag provided in the rack containing the monitored object, and is not transmitted by another tag. It has a discriminating unit.

The perspective view which shows the whole structure of 1st Embodiment. The enlarged perspective view which shows the attachment part of the tag in 1st Embodiment. The cross-sectional view which shows the structure which attaches a tag to a metal surface in 1st Embodiment. In the first embodiment, a block diagram showing a relationship between an antenna, a receiver, and a control device. Perspective view showing another example of the tag mounting structure.

[1. First Embodiment]
[1-1. Configuration of Embodiment]
Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to monitor the temperature of the server rack 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the temperature monitoring system of the present embodiment has a plurality of server racks 1 provided in a room of a data center. These plurality of server racks 1 are arranged along both sides of a passage provided in a straight line. A server (not shown) is housed in each server rack 1 as a temperature monitoring object. A passive tag 2 equipped with a temperature sensor is attached to all of these server racks 1 or a plurality of server racks 1 selected by a standard set by the user in advance.

The location where the tag 2 is attached to each rack 1 is the optimum position for detecting the temperature of the rack 1, for example, the location where the server that generates the most heat is stored, the upper part of the rack 1 where hot air tends to stay, and the like. The user can make an appropriate selection based on the temperature distribution in the data center, the arrangement and configuration of the rack 1. In the present embodiment, two tags 2 are attached to each of the upper, middle, and lower stages of the portion of the rack 1 facing the aisle. Since the server rack 1 of the present embodiment has a door, the tag 2 is attached to the surface of the door, but in the rack 1 without the door, the tag 2 is attached to the front of the pillar or the shelf board of the rack 1. You may. As shown in FIG. 1, the tag 2 may be directly attached to the door of the rack 1, but in the present embodiment, the tag 2 is attached by using the following support member 4.

A mounting plate 3 inclined obliquely with respect to the extension direction of the passage is provided at a position facing the passage of the rack 1, and a tag 2 is attached to the surface of the mounting plate 3. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the support member 4 having a triangular cross section is fixed to the attachment portion of the tag 2 of the rack 1 so that the height direction of the pillar is vertical, and the support member 4 is provided in the passage of the support member 4. The two slanted surfaces are used as the attachment plate 3 of the tag 2. As a result, the radio waves transmitted from the antenna 6 along the extending direction of the passage can be efficiently received, and the radio waves from the tag 2 can be transmitted toward the antenna 6.

When the mounting surface of the tag 2 is made of a metal material, as shown in FIG. 3, a spacer 5 such as a resin plate or sheet having a thickness of about several mm or more is arranged on the metal surface and above the spacer 5. Tag 2 is installed in. For the installation of the tag 2 on the mounting plate 3, for example, double-sided tape is used.

The tag 2 of the present embodiment is called a passive type that operates by being fed by radio waves from the antenna 6. The tag 2 is formed in a sheet shape as a whole, and a temperature sensor, a memory for storing various data, and a transmission unit for transmitting detection data are provided on a sheet-shaped base material by printing or pasting. Be done. In the memory, the detection data of the temperature sensor, the ID unique to each tag 2, the identification number of the rack 1 to which the tag 2 is attached, and the like are recorded. The measurement range of the temperature sensor provided on the tag 2 is, for example, −40 ° C. to 85 ° C., an accuracy of ± 1.0 ° C., and a resolution of 12 bits (4096 Steps).

In the data center, an antenna 6 is provided that transmits radio waves that activate each tag 2 and receives radio waves that are superimposed on the detection data transmitted from the tag 2. In the present embodiment, the antenna 6 is provided at the central portion in the width direction of the passage so that the main transmission direction of the radio wave is the extension direction of the passage. As shown in FIG. 1, in a data center where the aisle distance is long and the number of racks 1 is large, two antennas 6 are provided at both ends of the aisle so that the radio wave transmission / reception direction is directed to the aisle side. If one end of the passage is a wall and the effect of reflecting radio waves can be expected, it is possible to provide the antenna 6 on only one side of the passage.

Further, although not shown, when the aisle is longer, the installation space of the antenna 6 cannot be secured at both ends of the aisle, or when the tag 2 is attached to the ceiling portion of the rack 1, the antenna 6 is attached to the ceiling of the building. It can also be installed on the floor. The antennas 6 transmit and receive radio waves to a plurality of tags 2 at the same time, and a plurality of antennas 6 are arranged in the data center according to the strength of the transmitted and received radio waves and the arrangement locations of the plurality of tags 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of antennas 6 provided in the data center are connected to one receiver 7 by using a coaxial cable 8. A control device 9 is connected to the receiver 7. The control device 9 operates the receiver 7 based on a preset interval by the user, and controls transmission of radio waves from the antenna 6, activation of the temperature sensor, storage of detection data, transmission of radio waves from the tag 2, and the like. Therefore, an input device 10 such as a keyboard and an output device 11 such as a display are connected to the control device 9.

A calculation unit 12 that processes the received temperature sensor data is connected to the control device 9, and the calculation unit 12 averages and outputs the data of the plurality of temperature sensors received from each tag 2. As the averaging process of the measurement data performed by the calculation unit 12, for example, the detection data of a plurality of tags 2 provided in the same rack 1, the same row, the same height, etc. is simply obtained not only at the pinpoint temperature but also at the pinpoint temperature. Various processes can be adopted according to the monitoring purpose, such as adding the temperatures of the target points and dividing by the number, or moving average.

The control device 9 is provided with a determination unit 13 for determining from which tag 2 the data received by the receiver 7 is transmitted. The discrimination unit 13 functions as a filter for discriminating that the data of the temperature sensor is transmitted by the tag 2 provided in the rack 1 accommodating the monitored object and is not transmitted by the other tags 2. .. As a criterion for discrimination, an ID recorded in the memory of each tag 2 or an identification number of the rack 1 can be used.

[1-2. Action of embodiment]
In the present embodiment, in order to monitor the temperature of the server rack 1, the user sets the start time and end time of the radio wave in advance by using the input unit of the control device 9 connected to the receiver 7. The monitoring period may be, for example, 24 hours, and if it is known in advance that the server usage is low and the amount of heat generated is small, such as at night, it is possible to concentrate the monitoring only for the required time. When the antenna 6 connected to the receiver 7 transmits a radio wave by a command from the control device, the tag 2 receives the radio wave, and each device in the tag 2 is activated by the electromotive force of the radio wave. As a result, the temperature sensor starts the temperature detection of the rack 1, the detected temperature is stored in the memory, and is transmitted to the outside of the tag 2 via the transmission unit. At the same time, an ID unique to the tag 2 whose temperature has been detected is also transmitted from the transmission unit.

The measurement data transmitted by the tag 2 is received by the antenna 6 provided in the data center and aggregated in the receiver 7 via the coaxial cable 8. At this time, in the present embodiment, the tag 2 attached to the oblique surface of the triangular columnar support member 4 projects toward the passage so as to intersect the longitudinal direction of the passage, so that the antenna installed at the end of the passage It is possible to efficiently transmit and receive radio waves to and from 6.

The measurement data collected in the receiver 7 is transmitted to the determination unit 13, and the measurement data to be processed by the calculation unit 12 is selected based on the unique ID of the tag 2 transmitted at the same time. That is, when a plurality of antennas 6 duplicately transmit the measurement data of the same tag 2 to the receiver 7, or attached to a specific rack 1 or a portion thereof to be averaged, or a row of racks 1. Only the measurement data from the tag 2 is selected by the determination unit 13 and output to the calculation unit 12. Further, in the filter processing by the discriminator 13, when the antenna 6 receives a radio wave from the tag 2 of the existing system different from the temperature measurement of the system, the tag information of the other system is read and the system malfunctions. Prevent it from happening.

The measurement data input to the calculation unit 12 is averaged by a predetermined averaging process, and the result is displayed on an output device 11 such as a display in the form of a thermograph or a list. You can see the temperature unevenness visually.

When a temperature abnormality or the like in which the measured value exceeds the threshold value is detected based on the measurement data, it is possible to output an alarm to the output device 11 such as a display or a smartphone. When an external system 14 (shown in FIG. 14) such as a central monitoring system or an air conditioning system is used as the output device 11, cooperative control with the external system 14 such as strengthening air conditioning when the temperature rises can be performed. Further, for fine temperature control of the floor in the building of the data center, it is possible to provide temperature information of the fine measurement points on the rack 1 side.

[1-3. Effect of embodiment]
This embodiment has the following effects.
(1) Since the tag 2 and the receiver 7 communicate wirelessly, they are resistant to obstacles.
(2) Since the receiver 7 can read information from a plurality of tags 2 at the same time, the simultaneity of measurement is high.
(3) Since the temperature is detected at the attachment points of the individual tags 2 and the result is transmitted to the antenna 6 by radio waves, there is no difference in accuracy at the temperature measurement point.
(4) Since the tag 2 and the receiver 7 communicate wirelessly, no lighting is required.

(5) The tag 2 is small and can be attached to a required measurement point of the server rack 1. For example, the arrangement location can be freely selected, such as installation at the upper, middle, or lower part of the center of the door of the rack 1. By providing a plurality of tags in one place, even if one tag 2 is unreadable, the reliability is improved by reading the other tag 2.
(6) By averaging the temperatures of the plurality of tags 2, measurement unevenness is eliminated, which has an advantage.
(7) Since the tag 2 is simply attached to the door of the rack 1 with double-sided tape, no installation work is required.
(8) Tag 2 is maintenance-free and has a durability of about 40 years.
(9) At the time of filing the application of the present invention, the tag 2 has a low cost of several hundred yen / sheet.

(10) Since the antennas 6 are arranged on both sides of the passage and the radio waves are transmitted and received to and from the tag 2 by a plurality of antennas 6, the radio waves reach the tag 2 reliably and a sufficient electromotive force can be obtained. At the same time, the temperature data from the tag 2 can be reliably collected.
(11) Since the time for transmitting and receiving radio waves by the antenna 6 can be set by the control device 9, the temperature is not measured by the tag 2 except during the time zone to be monitored. As a result, the energy saving effect is excellent.

[2. Other embodiments]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and at the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist thereof. In addition, various inventions can be formed by an appropriate combination of the plurality of components disclosed in the above-described embodiment. For example, some components may be removed from all the components shown in the embodiments. In addition, components across different embodiments may be combined as appropriate. Specifically, it also includes other embodiments such as:

(1) In addition to the server rack 1 provided in the data center, it can be applied to containers for storing small animals such as foods and pets that require temperature control, and general shelf-shaped storage units.
(2) When the tag 2 is attached to the front door of the rack 1, the attachment plate 3 which is always opened diagonally by a spring so that the tag 2 is angled with respect to the antenna 6 in order to make it easier to read radio waves. It is attached using the support member 4 such as a triangular prism. As shown in FIG. 5, if the mounting plate 3 is rotatably supported on the rack 1 by the shaft 3a and the mounting plate 3 is always opened to the outside by a torsion coil spring (not shown), even if a person or an object hits the rack 1, Since it returns, both safety and directionality to radio waves can be achieved.
(3) A plurality of tags 2 are installed on the upper, middle, and lower parts of the rack 1. It is also attached to the antenna 6 in the opposite direction so that it can be read by the reflection of radio waves. By using a reflective surface such as a wall, it is possible to transmit and receive radio waves to the tags 2 facing in different directions with a small number of antennas.
(4) In the same rack 1, a plurality of antennas 6 are installed at different distances. By doing so, the reading error due to the phase shift of the radio wave due to the distance between the antenna 6 and the tag 2 is eliminated, and the reliability is improved.
(5) In order to manage information when the management system is provided by the cloud service, the control device 9 encrypts the ID and the measured value of the tag 2 to be transmitted and received.

1 ... Server rack 2 ... Tag 3 ... Mounting plate 3a ... Shaft 4 ... Support member 5 ... Spacer 6 ... Antenna 7 ... Receiver 8 ... Coaxial cable 9 ... Control device 10 ... Input device 11 ... Output device 12 ... Calculation unit 13 ... Discriminating unit 14 ... External system

Claims (4)

A temperature sensor and a transmitter for transmitting the detection data of the temperature sensor are provided on a sheet-shaped base material, and a passive tag formed in a sheet shape as a whole and a passive tag.
Multiple racks with tags for storing temperature monitoring objects,
An antenna that transmits radio waves that activate the tag and also receives radio waves that are superimposed on the temperature sensor data transmitted from the tag.
Comprising a receiver connected to an antenna,
The plurality of racks are arranged along the aisle, and the rack provided with the tag is provided with the tag at a position facing the aisle, and the antenna has a main transmission direction of the radio wave of the aisle. It is an extension direction,
A temperature monitoring system characterized in that a mounting plate inclined obliquely with respect to an extension direction of the passage is provided at a portion of the rack facing the passage, and the tag is attached to the mounting plate . Wherein a monitored object temperature the server, the temperature monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the rack is characterized in that it is a server rack. The receiver is equipped with a control device that controls transmission and reception from the antenna.
The control device, characterized in that a computing unit for processing the data of the temperature sensor in which the receiver has received is connected, the arithmetic unit outputs the averaged data of a plurality of temperature sensors received from the plurality of tags The temperature monitoring system according to claim 1 or 2. A claim that the control device has a discriminating unit that determines that the data received by the receiver is transmitted by a tag provided in a rack accommodating a monitored object and is not transmitted by another tag. The temperature monitoring system according to 3 .

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