JP6987683B2 - Communication device, control method of communication device, and control program of communication device - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to communication equipment.

Conventionally, a system for collecting data measured by a measuring device on a server is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system in which data measured by a measuring device is transmitted to a server by a terminal.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-209311

In recent years, with the spread of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, it is desired to meet various needs in such IoT technology.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a communication device, a communication device control method, and a communication device control program that meet various needs in IoT technology and the like.

The communication device according to the embodiment includes a first board and a control unit.
The first board is configured so that a second board that transmits and receives signals from the first board can be arranged.
When the second board is connected to the first board, the control unit determines the type of the second board.

The control method of the communication device according to the embodiment is
This is a control method for a communication device including a first board on which a first board and a second board that performs at least one of transmission and reception of signals can be arranged.
The control method includes a control step for controlling the type of the second substrate when the second substrate is connected to the first substrate.

The control program of the communication device according to the embodiment is
It is a control program of a communication device including a first board on which a first board and a second board which performs at least one of transmission and reception of a signal can be arranged.
The control program is applied to the control unit of the communication device.
When the second board is connected to the first board, a control step for determining the type of the second board is executed.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a communication device, a communication device control method, and a communication device control program that meet various needs in IoT technology and the like.

It is a perspective view which shows the appearance of the communication apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a perspective view which disassembled the communication apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the communication apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the communication apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the communication module of the communication apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram which shows schematic structure of the communication apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the operation of the communication apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the usage mode of the communication apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The communication device according to one embodiment may typically be a communication device for IoT (Internet of Things). For example, the communication device according to the embodiment may be realized as a communication unit for IoT. Further, the communication device according to the embodiment is not limited to the communication device for IoT, and may be realized as various communication devices having a wireless communication function.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the communication device 1 according to the embodiment. Further, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the communication device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is disassembled.

The communication device 1 may communicate with an external device such as an external server. The communication device 1 may acquire information on the external environment. The communication device 1 may transmit the acquired information on the external environment to an external server or the like. The communication device 1 may be used in a state of being attached to other equipment, goods, cargo, or the like. By reducing the size of the communication device 1, it becomes easy to attach it to other equipment, goods, cargo, or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the communication device 1 according to the embodiment may include a housing 10 and an internal structure 13. The internal structure 13 may be located inside the housing 10. The internal structure 13 will be further described later.

The housing 10 may include a plate 11 and a case 12. The housing 10 may protect the internal structure 13. The housing 10 may further include packing for sealing between the plate 11 and the case 12. By sealing the space between the plate 11 and the case 12 with packing, it becomes difficult for moisture or dust to enter the inside of the housing 10. As a result, the internal structure 13 is easily protected from moisture, dust, and the like.

The external shape of the housing 10 may be a rectangular parallelepiped having sides substantially along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis that intersect each other. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis may be orthogonal to each other. The length of the housing 10 in the X-axis direction is longer than the length of the housing 10 in the Y-axis direction and the length of the housing 10 in the Z-axis direction. The length of the housing 10 in the Y-axis direction is longer than the length of the housing 10 in the Z-axis direction. The X-axis direction is also referred to as a first direction. The Y-axis direction is also referred to as a second direction. The Z-axis direction is also referred to as a third direction. In other words, the length of the housing 10 in the first direction is longer than the length in the second direction and the length in the third direction. The first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are also referred to as a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction, and a thickness direction of the housing 10, respectively. The dimensions of the housing 10 of the communication device 1 according to the embodiment are not particularly limited, but as an example, about 8 cm in the X-axis direction (first direction), about 3 cm in the Y-axis direction (second direction), and the Z-axis direction. It may be configured to be small, such as about 1 cm in the (third direction).

The housing 10 may be made of a material having strength that can withstand the usage environment according to the application of the communication device 1. For example, the housing 10 may be made of resin, metal, or the like.

The plate 11 may have a switch handle 11A and a notification window 11B. As shown in FIG. 2, the switch handle 11A is arranged corresponding to the position of the switch 81 included in the internal structure 13. By arranging in this way, the user can operate the switch 81 via the switch handle 11A. The switch handle 11A may be made of a flexible material. As shown in FIG. 2, the notification window 11B is arranged corresponding to the position of the notification unit 80 included in the internal structure 13. The notification window 11B may be made of a transparent member or the like. By doing so, the user can visually recognize the notification unit 80 through the notification window 11B.

The plate 11 may further have holes 11C, holes 11D, holes 11E and holes 11F, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The hole 11C is arranged corresponding to the barometric pressure sensor 71 (see FIG. 3) included in the internal structure 13. The hole 11D is arranged corresponding to the temperature sensor 72 (see FIG. 3) included in the internal structure 13. The holes 11E are arranged corresponding to the humidity sensor 73 (see FIG. 3) included in the internal structure 13. The hole 11F is arranged corresponding to the illuminance sensor 74 (see FIG. 3) included in the internal structure 13. The barometric pressure sensor 71, the temperature sensor 72, the humidity sensor 73, and the illuminance sensor 74 are collectively referred to as a sensor 70 (see FIG. 3). Each sensor 70 can detect the environment outside the housing 10 with high accuracy.

As shown in FIG. 2, the case 12 may have a bottom surface portion 12A and a side surface portion 12B. The bottom surface portion 12A is located on the opposite side of the plate 11 with the internal structure 13 interposed therebetween. The side surface portion 12B is located between the plate 11 and the bottom surface portion 12A and intersects the bottom surface portion 12A and the plate 11. The case 12 may have outlets 12C, 12D and 12E on the side surface portion 12B. The outlets 12C and 12D may be arranged corresponding to the external terminals 23 and 23 (see FIG. 3) included in the internal structure 13. By doing so, the terminal of the external device can be connected to the external terminals 24 and 24 via the insertion ports 12C and 12D. The insertion port 12E is arranged corresponding to the slot 25 (see FIG. 3) included in the internal structure 13. By doing so, a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card or the like can be inserted into the slot 25 via the insertion slot 12E.

At least one of the holes 11C to 11F and the notification window 11B may be arranged on the side surface portion 12B of the case 12.

The plate 11 may further have the mark 11G. The mark 11G may be, for example, a logo mark or the like representing the manufacturing entity of the communication device 1. The user can identify the orientation of the communication device 1 based on the position of the mark 11G. For example, when the communication device 1 is placed on the ground or the like, the user may arrange the communication device 1 so that the side of the plate 11 does not come into contact with the ground or the like. That is, the user may arrange the communication device 1 so that the side of the bottom surface portion 12A of the case 12 comes into contact with the ground or the like. Since the side of the plate 11 does not come into contact with the ground or the like, the holes 11C to 11F and the notification window 11B are less likely to be blocked by the ground or the like. When the holes 11C to 11F and the notification window 11B are arranged on the side surface portion 12B of the case 12, the communication device 1 is arranged so that the side of the bottom surface portion 12A of the case 12 comes into contact with the ground or the like, so that the holes 11C to 11F are arranged. And the notification window 11B is less likely to be blocked by the ground or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the antenna 100 may be located on the positive side of the X-axis in the housing 10. At least one of the communication module 50 and the external terminal 23 may be located on the negative side of the X-axis in the housing 10. That is, the antenna 100 may be located on the side of one end of the housing 10 in the first direction. At least one of the communication module 50 and the external terminal 23 may be located on the other end side of the housing 10 in the first direction. The antenna 100 and at least one of the communication module 50 and the external terminal 23 may be located on opposite sides of each other along the first direction. By doing so, the antenna 100 is separated from at least one of the communication module 50 and the external terminal 23, which can be a noise source of radio waves, by a distance of more than a predetermined distance, so that the antenna 100 is affected by the noise source when receiving radio waves. It becomes difficult to receive. As a result, the convenience of the communication device 1 can be enhanced. In general, communication devices for IoT are often required to be smaller than mobile phones such as smartphones, so there is concern about the influence of noise sources. The communication device 1 according to one embodiment can operate more effectively in such a situation. Further, when a plurality of external terminals 23 are provided, if at least one external terminal 23 is located on the opposite side of the antenna 100 along the first direction, the effect of reducing the influence of the noise source can be obtained.

Next, the internal structure 13 of the communication device 1 according to the embodiment will be further described.

3A and 3B are views showing the internal structure 13. FIG. 3A is a front view of the internal structure 13. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a state in which the internal structure 13 shown in FIG. 2 is viewed in the negative direction of the Z axis. Further, FIG. 3B is a side view of the internal structure 13. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a state in which the internal structure 13 shown in FIG. 2 is viewed in the positive direction of the Y axis.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the internal structure 13 of the communication device 1 according to the embodiment includes a first board 21, a second board 22, and a communication module 50. .. 3A and 3B show a state in which the antenna 100 shown in FIG. 2 is removed from the antenna connection portion 101 of the internal structure 13. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the internal structure 13 may further include at least one of the external terminals 23 and 24. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the internal structure 13 may include a slot 25. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the internal structure 13 may include at least one of a battery 30, a frame 40, a sensor 70, a notification unit 80, and a switch 81.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22 may have a plate shape. The first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22 may have a rectangular shape, for example, but may have a shape corresponding to various conditions such as the shape of the case 12 and / or the specifications required for the communication device 1. The first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22 may be located along the XY plane. The first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22 may be made of a material having an appropriate hardness such as resin or ceramic. Various components may be mounted on the first board 21 and the second board 22. For example, terminals or wiring may be mounted on the first board 21 and the second board 22.

The first substrate 21 may be a substrate forming the main substrate in the communication device 1. Hereinafter, the first substrate 21 is also referred to as a “main substrate” as appropriate.

The component mounted on the first board 21 may be a component whose customization requirement by the delivery destination of the communication device 1 is relatively low. For example, the component mounted on the first board 21 may be a component necessary for providing a communication function which is a basic function of the communication device 1. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the communication module 50 is arranged on the first substrate 21. The components mounted on the first board 21 include, for example, an external terminal 23, an external terminal 24, a slot 25, a battery terminal 31, a frame 40, a communication module 50, a notification unit 80, a switch 81, an antenna connection unit 101, and the like. It may be at least one of. Here, the slot 25 may be a socket into which an IC card can be inserted, such as a SIM card connector. Further, the external terminal 24 may be various connectors. Further, among the sensors 70, for example, a sensor whose customization requirement by the delivery destination of the communication device 1 is relatively low may be mounted on the first substrate 21. In short, a component for providing a function that tends to be commonly required regardless of a plurality of delivery destinations of the communication device 1 may be mounted on the first board 21.

The second substrate 22 may be a substrate that provides various functions of the communication device 1 together with the first substrate (main substrate) 21. Hereinafter, the second substrate 22 is also referred to as a “sub-board” as appropriate.

The component mounted on the second board 22 may be a component for which customization by the delivery destination of the communication device 1 is relatively high. For example, depending on the request of the delivery destination of the communication device 1, among the sensors 70 shown in FIG. 3A, the need for one sensor may be high, but the need for another sensor may be low. By positively mounting the components whose needs are diversified in this way on the second board 22, the configuration of the first board 21 is delivered while changing the second board 22 according to the requests of various delivery destinations. It can be standardized regardless of the destination. In short, a component for providing a function whose demands tend to be diversified depending on a plurality of delivery destinations of the communication device 1 may be mounted on the second board 22.

For example, among the sensors 70, it is assumed that the barometric pressure sensor 71 in particular tends to have different requests depending on the delivery destination of the communication device 1. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3A, the barometric pressure sensor 71 may be mounted on the second substrate 22. In this way, for example, the communication device 1 in which the barometric pressure sensor 71 is mounted on the second board 22 may be supplied to the delivery destination that requests the IoT communication unit provided with the barometric pressure sensor. On the other hand, if the delivery destination that requests the IoT communication unit not provided with the barometric pressure sensor is supplied with the communication device 1 in which the barometric pressure sensor 71 is not mounted (and for example, another sensor is mounted) on the second board 22. good.

Therefore, by making a part of the configuration of the communication device 1 common and making a part of it compatible with various customizations, it is possible not only to meet various IoT needs but also to provide other merits in product development. can. For example, according to the first board 21 and the second board 22 according to the embodiment, it is expected that not only the estimation of the development of the communication device 1 can be easily made, but also the development man-hours of the communication device 1 can be reduced. Further, according to the first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22 according to the embodiment, it can be expected to reduce the risk of inventory at the time of settlement of the communication device 1.

Not only sensors such as the sensor 71 as shown in FIG. 3 but also various components such as various electronic components may be mounted on the second substrate 22. For example, the second board 22 may include at least one of, for example, a speaker, a buzzer, a notification unit 80, and a communication function unit. The speaker, buzzer, notification unit 80, communication function unit, and the like may be collectively referred to as an external output unit. Here, when the communication function unit is included in the second board 22, a component for providing a communication function of a method different from that of the communication module 50 described later may be mounted. The communication function unit as an external output unit may receive an input from the outside, that is, a signal from the outside.

4 (A) and 4 (B) are views showing a state in which the second substrate 22 and the battery 30 are removed from the internal structure 13 shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B), respectively. FIG. 4A is a front view of the internal structure 13 as in FIG. 3A. FIG. 4B is a side view of the internal structure 13 as in FIG. 3B.

As shown in these figures, in one embodiment, the second substrate 22 is arranged on the same side of the first substrate 21 as the surface on which the communication module 50 is arranged (that is, the surface facing the positive direction of the Z axis). .. Here, the second substrate 22 is arranged so as not to overlap the communication module 50 in a predetermined direction (Z-axis direction). Typically, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the second substrate 22 is arranged adjacent to the first substrate 21 so as not to overlap the communication module 50. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in one embodiment, the second substrate 22 is arranged on the first substrate 21 together with the communication module 50. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in one embodiment, the second substrate 22 is arranged on the first substrate 21 next to the communication module 50. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in one embodiment, the second substrate 22 may be placed on at least one of the slot 25 and the frame 40. Further, in one embodiment, the second substrate 22 may be placed on the external terminal 24 depending on the shape and / or positional relationship between the second substrate 22 and the external terminal 24. Thus, in one embodiment, the second substrate 22 may be arranged in a socket (eg, a SIM card connector) such as slot 25 or a connector such as an external terminal 24 with at least partial overlap. good.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the communication module 50 may be configured to be thicker (higher in the Z-axis direction) than the slot 25 and the frame 40. Further, as can be seen from the comparison between FIGS. 3 (B) and 4 (B), the second substrate 22 is placed in at least one of the slot 25 and the frame 40 so as to have a height in the positive direction of the Z axis. May be designed to be about the same as the communication module 50. With such a configuration, even if the communication module 50 and / or the second substrate 22 receives a pressure from above, for example, by the plate 11, it is possible to prevent the pressure from being locally unevenly distributed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk that a defect such as damage occurs in the communication module 50 and / or the second substrate 22, and the parts arranged below them (in the negative direction of the Z axis).

Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the second substrate 22 is mounted on at least one of the slot 25 and the frame 40. Further, the slot 25 and the frame 40 are mounted on the first substrate 21. Therefore, the second substrate 22 is positioned in the positive direction of the Z axis with respect to the first substrate 21. Therefore, when the internal structure 13 is built in the housing 10, the distance between the plate 11 constituting the housing 10 and the second substrate 22 is shorter than the distance between the plate 11 and the first substrate 21. In this way, the second substrate 22 may be arranged closer to the outside of the communication device 1 than the first substrate 21. With such a configuration, the sensors arranged on the second substrate 22 can be arranged closer to the outside of the communication device 1.

For example, by mounting the temperature sensor 72 on the second substrate 22, the temperature sensor 72 can be arranged at a position closer to the outside air temperature to detect the outside air temperature. Further, for example, when the atmospheric pressure sensor 71 is mounted on the communication device 1, it is necessary to surround the atmospheric pressure sensor 71 with a resin or the like in order to appropriately measure the external pressure. Therefore, if the barometric pressure sensor 71 is mounted on the second substrate 22, the material such as the resin material surrounding the barometric pressure sensor 71 can be saved.

Further, for example, when the notification unit 80 is composed of a light emitting unit such as an LED, by mounting the notification unit 80 on the second substrate 22, the notification unit 80 is formed in, for example, a housing lens 11B. Can be approached to. Further, in this case, in order to prevent the light from the light emitting unit such as the notification unit 80 from leaking to other than, for example, the notification window 11B, it is necessary to surround the notification unit 80 with a resin or the like. Therefore, if a light emitting unit such as the notification unit 80 is mounted on the second substrate 22, materials such as a resin material surrounding the light emitting unit such as the notification unit 80 can be saved.

Further, for example, by mounting an audio input unit such as a microphone and an audio output unit such as a buzzer or a speaker on the second board 22, these functional units can be brought closer to the input hole or the output hole. According to such a configuration, it is possible to improve the performance at the time of inputting or outputting sound. Further, even when the periphery of these functional parts is surrounded by a resin or the like, materials such as a resin material can be saved.

The external terminal 23 may be fixed to the first board 21 or the battery terminal 31 or the like by means of a support portion or the like. The external terminal 23 is a terminal to which an external device can be connected. The external terminal 23 may be, for example, a terminal to which a micro USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector can be connected. The communication device 1 may be controlled by an external device connected via the external terminal 23. The communication device 1 may charge the battery 30 with the electric power supplied from the external terminal 23. The communication device 1 may be operated by the electric power supplied from the external terminal 23 when the electric power of the battery 30 is insufficient or when the battery 30 is not provided.

The external terminal 24 may be a terminal corresponding to a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter), which is a kind of circuit for converting a signal. The terminal corresponding to the UART can be used, for example, to connect to a sensor provided outside the communication device 1. This sensor may be a sensor provided separately from the sensor 70 included in the internal structure 13.

The slot 25 may be, for example, a socket into which a SIM card is inserted. Further, the slot 25 may be, for example, a SIM card connector. Further, another card such as a memory card may be inserted into the slot 25.

The battery 30 may supply electric power to each component of the communication device 1. The battery 30 may include a rechargeable secondary battery. The secondary battery may include, for example, a lithium ion battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, or the like. The battery 30 is not limited to the secondary battery, and may include a primary battery that cannot be charged. The primary battery may include, for example, an alkaline battery, a manganese battery, or the like.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the battery terminal 31 and the external terminal 23 may be mounted on the surface of the first substrate 21 on the negative side of the Z axis.

The battery terminal 31 is connected to the battery 30. The battery terminal 31 may include a battery terminal 31A connected to the positive electrode of the battery 30, a battery terminal 31B for detecting the remaining amount of the battery 30, and a battery terminal 31C connected to the negative electrode of the battery 30. The battery terminal 31 may have an urging mechanism for urging the battery 30. The battery terminal 31 may urge the battery 30 in the negative direction of the X-axis.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the frame 40 may be a frame-shaped member having a predetermined height (thickness in the Z-axis direction). In one embodiment, various electronic components and other components may be arranged inside the frame 40. Each component of the frame 40 may contain, for example, a material of appropriate strength. Materials of appropriate strength may include, for example, resins or metals. Each component of the frame 40 may be integrally formed of a material of appropriate strength. By forming each component of the frame 40 as a unit, the strength of the frame 40 can be increased. As a result, it becomes difficult for an external impact to be transmitted to the internal structure 13.

As shown in FIG. 3A, in one embodiment, the second substrate 22 is arranged on the frame 40. As described above, in one embodiment, the second substrate 22 may be arranged with at least a partial overlap with a frame member such as the frame 40. As described above, the first substrate 21 may be provided with a shield structure such as the frame 40. In this case, the second substrate 22 may be arranged with at least a partial overlap in a shield structure such as the frame 40.

Further, such a shield structure may be composed of a frame and a top surface of a frame member such as the frame 40. Typically, the shield structure may be formed by a single frame member such as the frame 40. On the other hand, such a shield structure may be configured to include not only a frame member such as the frame 40 but also a second substrate 22. For example, the frame 40 itself may be a frame member only and may not have a top surface. In this case, the second substrate 22 can be used as the top surface of the frame 40.

Here, the shield structure may be a structure that physically protects the inside of the shield structure. Thereby, for example, even if a precise component is included inside the shield structure, such a component can be protected. Further, in one embodiment, the shield structure composed of the second substrate 22 and the frame member such as the frame 40 may function as an electromagnetic shield instead of a physically protecting shield. Thereby, for example, even if a component susceptible to the influence of electromagnetic waves is included in the shield structure, such a component can be protected from the electromagnetic wave.

Next, the communication module 50 according to the embodiment will be described.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a cross section of the communication module 50. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a cross section of the communication module 50 shown in FIG. 4 (B) cut at a predetermined position on a plane parallel to the XY plane. For example, FIG. 5 may be a diagram showing a cross section of the communication module 50 cut along a plane parallel to the XZ plane at the midpoint of the communication module 50 in the Y-axis direction.

The communication module 50 according to this embodiment can be configured as a relatively small one. For example, the communication module 50 may be a rectangular parallelepiped type having a width of, for example, 20 mm or less in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction shown in FIG. 3A, and a height of, for example, 10 mm or less in the Z-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the communication module 50 includes a communication circuit board 51. As shown in FIG. 5, the communication circuit board 51 may have a cavity 52 on the side facing the first board 21. Further, the communication circuit board 51 includes a lid 53 that covers the communication circuit board 51.

As shown in FIG. 5, the communication module 50 may be mounted on a surface of the first board 21 facing the positive direction of the Z axis via a communication circuit board 51 different from the first board 21. The communication circuit board 51 may be made of a material such as ceramic. The communication circuit board 51 may have a plate shape. The communication circuit board 51 and at least a part of the surface of the battery 30 on the positive side of the Z axis may face each other with the first board 21 interposed therebetween. When the communication circuit board 51 and the first board 21 contain different materials, the amount of deflection of the communication circuit board 51 and the first board 21 due to an external force may be different. When the communication circuit board 51 and at least a part of the surface of the battery 30 on the positive side of the Z axis face each other with the first board 21 interposed therebetween, the first board 21 and the communication circuit board 51 are less likely to bend. As a result, the communication circuit board 51 is less likely to come off from the first board 21.

The communication circuit board 51 may have a cavity 52 on the side facing the first board 21. A part of the electronic component 60 may be mounted inside the cavity 52. A part of the electronic component 60 mounted inside the cavity 52 may be a component not related to communication. The electronic component 60 mounted inside the cavity 52 includes, for example, a storage unit 61 and a control unit 62. A storage unit 61 and a control unit 62 may be mounted inside the cavity 52. The electronic component 60 may be mounted on the first substrate 21 or may be mounted on the surface of the communication circuit board 51 that forms the cavity 52. By mounting the electronic component 60 in the cavity 52, a gap may be formed between the electronic component 60 and the first substrate 21. By doing so, it becomes difficult to transmit the impact caused by the deformation of the first substrate 21 to the electronic component 60. As a result, the electronic component 60 can be protected.

The storage unit 61 may be composed of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, or the like. The storage unit 61 may be connected to the control unit 62. The storage unit 61 stores various information and programs executed by the control unit 62. The storage unit 61 may function as a work memory of the control unit 62. Further, the storage unit 61 may be included in the control unit 62.

The control unit 62 includes at least one processor, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), in order to provide control and processing power for performing various functions. The processor may be realized as a single integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is also referred to as an IC (Integrated Circuit). The processor may be realized as a plurality of communicably connected integrated circuits and discrete circuits. The processor may be implemented on the basis of various other known techniques.

The cavity 52 and at least a part of the surface of the battery 30 on the positive side of the Z axis may face each other with the first substrate 21 interposed therebetween. By doing so, the external force is easily absorbed by the battery 30 having high rigidity, and is difficult to be transmitted to the communication circuit board 51. As a result, the deformation of the communication circuit board 51 can be reduced, and the electronic component 60 in the cavity 52 is less likely to be damaged.

The lid 53 can be made of a relatively robust material, such as metal or resin. Further, the lid 53 may be made of a metal material and may be a shield that attenuates electromagnetic waves (noise) radiated from the communication module 50.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the lid 53, a part of the electronic component 60 may be mounted on the communication circuit board 51. A part of the electronic component 60 mounted in the lid 53 may be, for example, a component related to wireless communication. The electronic component 60 mounted in the lid 53 can be, for example, an RF-related component 63 and an interface-related component 64 (hereinafter referred to as an I / O-related component 64). Further, the electronic component 60 mounted in the lid 53 may include power supply-related components and the like. These parts exemplify parts related to wireless communication. Therefore, the component related to wireless communication may be configured to have only one component related to communication, or may include some other components including the component related to communication. Hereinafter, the parts related to wireless communication are a general term for parts that include at least one part related to communication and may also include other parts (for example, parts not related to communication) as appropriate.

The RF-related component 63 can be various components that realize a function of transmitting and receiving signals in general wireless communication. For example, the RF-related component 63 can be composed of components including at least a general RF (radio frequency) section and the like. The RF-related component 63 can typically modulate the signal processed in the baseband portion and then transmit it via the antenna. Further, the RF-related component 63 can demodulate the signal received through the antenna 100, for example, and pass it to the baseband unit. The RF-related component 63 may include, for example, at least a part of an RFIC (Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit), a power amplifier, a filter, a switch element, and the like.

The I / O-related component 64 can be various components that provide a function of interface between the RF-related component 63 and other components. Further, the I / O-related component 64 may be various components that provide a function of interface between a component related to wireless communication and a component other than the component related to the wireless communication. As described above, the parts related to wireless communication do not necessarily have to include the I / O related parts 64. In this case, for example, the function of the I / O-related component 64 may be assigned to a component other than the component related to wireless communication.

The power supply-related component described above can be various components that provide a function of supplying electric power to the RF-related component 63. For example, the power supply-related component may have a function of converting electric power supplied from the outside of the communication module 50 into a voltage / current suitable for supplying the RF-related component 63. As described above, the components related to wireless communication do not necessarily have to include the components related to the power supply. In this case, for example, the function of the power supply-related component may be assigned to a component other than the component related to wireless communication, or the component related to wireless communication may include a battery.

In the communication module 50 according to one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of parts 60 (for example, 61, 62, 63, 64) are at least in a predetermined direction (typically, in the thickness (Z-axis) direction). Arranged with partial overlap. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the parts 61 and 62 and the parts 63 and 64 are arranged so as to have at least a partial overlap in the thickness (Z-axis) direction. As described above, in one embodiment, by arranging the components in a multi-layered manner inside the communication module 50, it is possible to efficiently arrange the components in the limited space of the substrate.

By packaging the communication module 50 according to the embodiment into one package, it is possible to reduce the occupancy rate of the mounting board by utilizing the height (thickness in the Z-axis direction) of the module. Therefore, even if the communication device 1 is equipped with a large number of sensors such as the sensor 70, it can be made very small as a whole. In this case, since the occupancy rate of the mounting board is reduced by the communication module 50, the communication device 1 can further incorporate the second board 22. As described above, the second substrate 22 can further mount various components.

Further, as described above, the second substrate 22 is further mounted on a socket or frame 40 such as a slot 25 arranged on the first substrate 21. Therefore, the second substrate 22 can be arranged by utilizing the top surface of the socket such as the slot 25 or the top surface of the frame 40. As described above, in one embodiment, a sub-board (second board 21) separate from the main board (first board 21) can be adopted. Therefore, for example, when the temperature sensor 72 is arranged on the second substrate 22, the influence of the heat generated by the communication module 50 arranged on the first substrate 22 on the temperature sensor 72 can be reduced.

The communication module 50 can realize various functions including wireless communication. The communication module 50 may realize communication based on LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) technology. The communication module 50 may realize communication by various communication methods such as LTE (Long Term Evolution). Hereinafter, the communication module 50 will be described as including a modem whose communication method is standardized in the ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector). The communication module 50 may be, for example, an IoT module. The communication module 50 may wirelessly communicate with an external device via, for example, the antenna 100.

The communication module 50 may acquire the position information of the communication device 1 based on the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) technology or the like. That is, the communication module 50 may be able to acquire the position information of its own machine. GNSS technology may include any satellite positioning system such as, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System), GLONASS, Galileo, and Quasi-Zenith Satellite (QZSS). The position information of the communication device 1 may include at least one of latitude, longitude, and altitude information. The communication device 1 may acquire information regarding the position of its own machine by another component of the communication module 50. For example, the communication device 1 may incorporate a position information income device such as a GPS module as a sensor 70. Further, the communication module 50 may be mounted on a device for acquiring information on the position of the own machine. For example, a location information income device such as a GPS module may be connected to the communication device 1 as an external device. In this case, the location information income device as an external device may be connected to the communication device 1 via the external terminal 24.

Next, the components mounted on the first board 21 or the second board 22 will be further described.

The sensor 70 may include, for example, at least one of a barometric pressure sensor 71, a temperature sensor 72, a humidity sensor 73, and an illuminance sensor 74 in order to acquire information on the external environment. The sensor 70 may include, for example, at least one of an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a geomagnetic sensor to obtain information about at least one of the position, movement, and attitude of the sensor 70 itself. The angular velocity sensor can detect the angular velocity of a device or the like provided with the sensor 70. The accelerometer can detect the acceleration occurring in a device or the like provided with the sensor 70. The geomagnetic sensor can detect the direction of the geomagnetism. The sensor 70 may include a position sensor. The position sensor detects the position information of the device provided with the sensor 70 based on the detection result of the radio wave of short-range wireless communication such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier), IEEE802.11, Bluetooth (registered trademark) and the like. You can do it. In this way, the sensor 70 may detect information about the status of the communication device 1. The sensor 70 may include a voice input unit such as a microphone. Further, the sensor 70 may include at least one sensor used in the IoT device.

In one embodiment, the sensor 70 is not limited to the accelerometer, the angular velocity sensor, and the geomagnetic sensor. In one embodiment, the sensor 70 detects, for example, a temperature sensor that detects the ambient temperature of the communication device 1, a humidity sensor that detects the humidity around the communication device 1, and the illuminance of light at a predetermined portion of the communication device 1. It may include at least one of the illuminance sensors. In one embodiment, the sensor 70 may include a sensor other than the sensor described above. Further, the sensor 70 is not limited to the one built in the communication device 1, and may be provided in an external device connected to the communication device 1. In this case, the sensor 70 provided in the external device may be connected to the communication device 1 via the external terminal 24.

In one embodiment, the switch 81 described later can also be regarded as a kind of sensor for detecting a user operation on the communication device 1. Therefore, hereinafter, the sensor 70 and / or the switch 81 may be collectively referred to as a “sensor” as appropriate. On the other hand, the pressure sensor, the temperature sensor, the illuminance sensor, the angular velocity sensor, the geomagnetic sensor, and the microphone are distinguished from the switch 81 and detect the state or change in the surrounding state of the own device (communication device 1) and / or the own device. It may be called a status sensor.

As shown in FIG. 2, the notification unit 80 may be mounted at a position corresponding to the notification window 11B. The notification unit 80 may include, for example, a light emitting device such as an LED (Light Emission Diode). The notification unit 80 may include another light emitting device. The notification unit 80 may turn on the light emitting device based on the control of the control unit 62. Various information notified to the user by the notification unit 80 may be associated with the lighting color and / or lighting pattern of the light emitting device. For example, the notification unit 80 may notify the user that the power of the communication device 1 is on by lighting the light emitting device in green. The notification unit 80 may notify the user that the communication device 1 is communicating with an external device or the like by keeping the light emitting device lit. The notification unit 80 may notify that the remaining amount of the battery 30 is below a predetermined value by blinking the light emitting device.

The notification unit 80 may include a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The notification unit 80 may include other display devices. The notification unit 80 may display various information to be notified to the user on the display based on the control of the control unit 62.

As shown in FIG. 2, the switch 81 may be mounted at a position corresponding to the switch handle 11A. The switch 81 can be operated by the user via the switch handle 11A. The operation by the user input to the switch 81, that is, the user operation detected by the switch 81 (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as “user operation”) may be output to the control unit 62.

In one embodiment, detecting a user operation on the communication device 1 is not limited to the switch 81. For example, a sensor such as the sensor 70 described above may also be able to detect a user operation on the communication device 1. Therefore, hereinafter, the user operation on the communication device 1 detected by the sensor such as the sensor 70 and / or the switch 81 may be collectively referred to simply as "user operation" as appropriate.

When the control unit 62 detects, for example, a user operation on the switch 81, the control unit 62 may execute a predetermined function associated with the operation of the switch 81. The predetermined function may include a function of transitioning the communication device 1 between a state in which the power is on and a state in which the power is off. The predetermined function may include a function of starting or stopping the operation of the communication device 1. The control unit 62 may perform different functions based on the number of times the switch 81 is pressed. The control unit 62 may perform different functions based on the length of time the switch 81 is pressed. Such a user operation and various functions associated with the user operation may be defined in advance and stored in, for example, a storage unit 61 or the like.

The control unit 62 may transmit the detection result of the sensor 70, the position information of the communication device 1, or the like to the external device via the communication module 50. In this way, the communication device 1 may transmit the detection result of the sensor 70, the position information of the communication device 1, or the like to the external device.

The antenna 100 may be electrically connected to the communication module 50. The communication module 50 may wirelessly communicate with an external device such as an external server by acquiring the radio wave received by the antenna 100 or causing the antenna 100 to transmit the radio wave.

The antenna connection portion 101 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is a contact for connecting the antenna 100 shown in FIG. 2. The antenna connection unit 101 realizes communication between the communication device 1 and, for example, an external server by being connected to, for example, the communication module 50.

Next, the function of the communication device 1 according to the embodiment will be further described.

As described above, in the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, a component having a relatively low customization requirement may be mounted on the first board 21, and a component having a relatively high customization requirement may be mounted on the second substrate 22. can. That is, the communication device 1 according to the embodiment can change the second board 22 according to, for example, the delivery destination of the communication device 1. When the second board 22 is changed as hardware in this way, the communication device 1 according to the embodiment automatically determines the type of the changed second board 22. Then, the communication device 1 according to the embodiment may read software according to the determined type of the second board 22.

Here, the type of the second board 22 automatically determined is, for example, whether or not a predetermined sensor is mounted, or whether or not a predetermined device such as a predetermined communication device is mounted. It may be different. In this case, the type of the second board 22 that is automatically determined may be a type according to the mounted sensor or a type according to the mounted device. Further, the type of the second board 22 automatically determined may be, for example, a type of a function executed by an electronic component mounted on the second board 22. In one embodiment, various second boards 22 can be connected to the first board 21 of the communication device 1. Therefore, the type of the second board 22 that is automatically determined may be a type corresponding to various second boards 22 connected to the first board 21 of the communication device 1.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the communication device 1 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, the first board (main board) 21 is configured to be connectable to the second board (sub board) 22. In FIG. 6, a state in which the first board (main board) 21 and the second board (sub board) 22 are configured to be connectable is shown by a broken line. In FIGS. 3A and 3B, the connection between the first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22 is not shown. In one embodiment, the first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22 can be appropriately connected by using, for example, an arbitrary wire, a connector, a flexible substrate, or the like. The connection between the first board 21 and the second board 22 may be detachably configured by a connector such as a socket and a plug, or may be soldered with wires.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the first board 21 is connected to the control unit (controller) 62 in the communication module 50. The control unit 62 is connected to various functional units constituting the communication device 1. As a typical example, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 62 is connected to a storage unit 61, an RF-related component 63, and the like.

The connection as described above allows the second board 22 to transmit and receive signals from the first board 21 at least one of them. More specifically, the electronic component mounted on the second board 22 can transmit and receive at least one of the electronic component mounted on the first board 21 and the signal.

Further, the first board 21 can communicate with the control unit 62 the signals transmitted and received to and from the second board 22. The control unit 62 can store the signal communicated in this way in the storage unit 61. Further, the control unit 62 can appropriately read various information stored in the storage unit 61. Further, the control unit 62 can transmit and receive signals to and from an external server, for example, by the function of the communication unit composed of RF-related components 63 and the like. The control unit 62 can store the signal communicated with the external server or the like by the function of the communication unit configured by the RF-related component 63 or the like in the storage unit 61. Further, the control unit 62 transmits the signal communicated with the external server or the like by the function of the communication unit composed of the RF-related components 63 or the like to the first board 21, so that the signal can be transmitted to the second board 22. You can send and receive.

In one embodiment, the storage unit 61 may store various types of software according to the type of the second board 22 to be connected in advance. In this case, the storage unit 61 may store software corresponding to a plurality of types of the second board 22. Further, in one embodiment, such software may be stored in, for example, a memory card inserted in the slot 25. Further, in one embodiment, such software may be appropriately received from an external server or the like via the RF-related component 63 or the like. Further, in one embodiment, the software as described above may be acquired from an external device or the like connected to the external terminal 23 or 24.

Further, the various software according to the type of the second board 22 may be, for example, a program in which the processing content when the second board 22 is connected to the first board and operates in the communication device 1 is defined.

In one embodiment, when a plurality of sensors are mounted on the second board 22, the software corresponding to the type of the second board 22 may be a program that defines the operation of each of the plurality of sensors. In this case, the software may include a program in which processing related to an operation of transmitting data detected by each of the plurality of sensors from the communication device 1 to the outside is specified.

Further, in one embodiment, when the voice data device is mounted on the second board 22, the software corresponding to the type of the second board 22 may be a program that defines the operation of the voice data device. In this case, the software may include a program in which processing related to an operation of transmitting voice data acquired by the voice data device from the communication device 1 to the outside is specified.

Further, in one embodiment, when the WiFi device is mounted on the second board 22, the software corresponding to the type of the second board 22 may be a program that defines the operation of the WiFi device. In this case, the software may include a program in which processing related to the operation of the WiFi device transmitting / receiving data to / from the outside of the communication device 1 is specified.

Next, the operation of the communication device 1 according to the embodiment will be described.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the control unit 62 in the communication device 1 according to the embodiment. Hereinafter, the process executed by the control unit 62 will be described.

As described above, the communication device 1 according to the embodiment includes at least a first board (main board) 21 and a control unit (controller) 62. Further, in the communication device 1, the first substrate 21 is configured so that the second substrate (sub-board) 22 can be arranged. In the communication device 1, the second substrate 22 can be a substrate on which various electronic components are mounted. Hereinafter, the configuration in which the second substrate 22 performs at least one of transmission and reception of a signal with the first substrate 21 will be described. That is, the case where the first board 21 and the second board 22 are equipped with electronic components for transmitting and receiving signals to each other will be described.

When the process shown in FIG. 7 starts, the control unit 62 determines whether or not the second board 22 is connected to the first board 21 (step S1). Here, the start of the process shown in FIG. 7 may be, for example, the timing when the power of the communication device 1 is turned on, but is not limited to this, and may be various timings arbitrarily determined. In step S1, the control unit 62 determines whether or not the second board 22 and the first board 21 are electrically connected. Typically, the second substrate 22 is placed on the first substrate 21 (eg, placed on the first substrate 21) and then electrically connected to the first substrate 21.

When it is determined in step S1 that the second substrate 22 is connected to the first substrate 21, the control unit 62 determines the type of the second substrate 22 (step S2). In step S2, the control unit 62 can determine the type of the second substrate 22 by various methods. Therefore, the method by which the control unit 62 determines the type of the second substrate 22 is not particularly limited. A specific example of a method for determining the type of the second substrate 22 will be further described later.

When the type of the second board 22 is determined in step S2, the control unit 62 reads out the software corresponding to the type of the second board 22 from, for example, the storage unit 61 (step S3), and ends the process shown in FIG. do. When reading the software in step S3, the control unit 62 can adopt various means described above in addition to reading from the storage unit 61.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S1 that the second board 22 is not connected to the first board 21, the control unit 62 provides software corresponding to the configuration in which the second board 22 is not connected to the first board 21. For example, it is read from the storage unit 61 (step S3), and the process shown in FIG. 7 is terminated. The software corresponding to the configuration in which the second board 22 is not connected to the first board 21 may be, for example, a program that regulates the operation of various electronic components mounted on the first board 21. Even when the second board 22 is connected to the first board 21 and the second board 22 is removed from the first board 21, the second board 22 is not connected. The software can be read by the control unit 62.

As described above, in the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, the control unit 62 determines the type of the second board 22 when the second board 22 is connected to the first board 21. In this case, when the control unit 62 determines the type of the second board 22, the software corresponding to the determined type of the second board 22 may be acquired (from the inside or the outside of the communication device 1). Further, in this case, when the control unit 62 determines the type of the second board 22, the software corresponding to the determined type of the second board 22 may be read from the storage unit 61.

As described above, according to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, even if a plurality of types of boards are prepared as the second board 22, many parts including the first board 21 can be shared. .. That is, according to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, the portion other than the second substrate 22 can be used for general purposes. Therefore, according to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, production control can be efficiently performed, and inventory risk can be expected to be suppressed. Further, according to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, even if an order of various specifications according to a delivery destination is received, it is possible to promptly respond.

Further, according to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, after delivery to a plurality of delivery destinations, each delivery destination can customize the communication device 1 according to the specifications required by each delivery destination. Therefore, according to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, it is necessary to customize the communication device 1 according to the specifications required by each delivery destination in advance and then deliver it to each delivery destination before delivering to a plurality of delivery destinations. Nor.

Further, according to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, once comprehensive software corresponding to a plurality of types of the second board 22 is created, software corresponding to the individual second board 22 is prepared thereafter. No need. Further, according to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, it is not necessary to download or install software according to each of various specifications according to the delivery destination. In this case, it is not necessary to develop such software and / or estimate the development cost. According to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, the type of the second board 22 is automatically determined and the software is read. Therefore, according to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, it is not necessary to appropriately select the board on which the corresponding software is written in the memory and then connect the board to the main body.

As described above, according to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, it is possible to meet various needs in IoT technology and the like.

Next, a specific example of a method for determining the type of the second substrate 22 in step S2 shown in FIG. 7 will be described.

When determining the type of the second substrate 22 in step S2 shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 62 may acquire various information of the second substrate connected to the first substrate 21. The control unit 62 can determine the type of the second board 22 based on various information acquired from the second board connected to the first board 21.

For example, when a pull-up resistor that conducts when the first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22 are connected is installed in at least one of the first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22, this pull-up resistor is used. You may. That is, the control unit 62 may determine the type of the second substrate 22 based on the potential difference between both ends of the pull-up resistor provided on the first substrate 21 or the second substrate 22. For example, when three pull-up resistors are connected, eight types of the second substrate 22 can be determined from the combination of the potential differences of the voltages across the pull-up resistors.

Further, for example, when the potential difference between the electronic components installed on both boards when the first board 21 and the second board 22 are connected can be determined, the voltage dividing level of this potential difference (voltage) is used. You may use it. That is, the control unit 62 may determine the type of the second substrate 22 based on the voltage division level of the voltage between the first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22. Further, for example, a voltage dividing resistor circuit may be prepared on the second substrate 22 according to the type of the substrate. In this case, the resistance value divided by the voltage dividing resistor circuit may be determined by the analog readable port of the control unit 62. According to this method, the circuit scale of the second substrate 22 can be made relatively small.

Further, for example, when the current flowing between the electronic components installed on both boards when the first board 21 and the second board 22 are connected can be determined, the current value of this current is used. May be good. That is, the control unit 62 may determine the type of the second substrate 22 based on the current value of the current flowing between the first substrate 21 and the second substrate 22. Further, for example, in the second substrate 22, a pull-up resistance circuit corresponding to the type of the substrate may be prepared. In this case, the current value flowing through the pull-up resistor may be determined by the current readable port of the control unit 62. According to this method, the circuit scale of the second substrate 22 can be made relatively small.

In the above, some specific examples of the method for determining the type of the second substrate 22 have been described. However, as a method for determining the type of the second substrate 22, various known methods other than those described above can be used. Further, a mechanical switch (such as a DIP switch) may be provided on the first board 21 to make the setting corresponding to the type of the second board 22 variable. According to such a configuration, even if the automatic determination of the type of the second board by the control unit 62 does not operate properly for some reason, the type of the second board 22 can be manually matched. Can be done.

According to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, it is possible to provide a communication unit having very high convenience in the field of IoT, for example. Specifically, the communication device 1 according to the embodiment can realize a simple usability while being provided with various sensors and a communication function while having an extremely compact size. According to the communication device 1 according to the embodiment, various data required in the field of IoT and the like can be collected, and the collected data can be transmitted to an external server or the like.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the communication device 1 according to the embodiment uses various sensors mounted on the sensor to provide various data such as position, geomagnetism, angular velocity, acceleration, illuminance, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and temperature. Can be collected. Further, the data collected by the communication device 1 according to the embodiment is expected to be used in various services by being transmitted to another device such as an external server. As shown in FIG. 7, the fields of utilization of such data include, for example, cargo tracking, navigation of bicycles and / or safety management (including theft prevention), watching services for children or the elderly, etc. Includes various security maintenance services. Further, the use of these collected data can be assumed not only to be used for a specific user such as a service contractor, but also to be used as big data, for example.

Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications or modifications based on the present disclosure. It should be noted, therefore, that these modifications or modifications are within the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each functional unit can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent. A plurality of functional units and the like may be combined or divided into one. Each of the above-described embodiments according to the present disclosure is not limited to faithful implementation of each of the embodiments described above, and may be implemented by combining or omitting some of the features as appropriate. ..

In one embodiment, the components arranged on the second substrate 22 are not limited to the electronic components arranged in the above-described embodiment. The components arranged on the second substrate 22 may include, for example, various mechanical switches. Further, the components arranged on the second substrate 22 may include, for example, various interfaces.

Further, the above-described embodiment is not limited to the implementation as the communication device 1. For example, the above-described embodiment may be implemented as a control method for a device such as the communication device 1. Further, for example, the above-described embodiment may be implemented as a control program for a device such as the communication device 1.

1 Communication device (communication unit, IoT unit)
10 Housing 11 Plate 11A Switch handle 11B Notification window 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F Hole 11G mark 12 Case 12A Bottom part 12B Side part 12C, 12D, 12E Outlet 13 Internal structure 21 First board (main board)
22 Second board (sub board)
23, 24 External terminal 25 Slot 30 Battery 31 Battery terminal 40 Frame 50 Communication module (core system module, core module)
51 Communication circuit board 52 Cavity 53 Lid 60 Electronic components 61 Storage unit 62 Control unit (controller)
63 RF-related parts 64 I / O-related parts (interface-related parts)
70 Sensor 71 Atmospheric pressure sensor 72 Temperature sensor 73 Humidity sensor 74 Illuminance sensor 80 Notification unit 81 Switch 92 Conduction unit 94 Ground contact unit 100 Antenna 101 Antenna connection unit

Claims (9)

A communications device comprising a first substrate, a control section, a
The control unit
If the second board is connected to the first board when the power of the communication device is turned on, the type of the second board is determined, and the software corresponding to the determined type of the second board is acquired. do it,
If the second board is not connected to the first board when the power of the communication device is turned on, the software corresponding to the configuration in which the second board is not connected to the first board is acquired.
Communication device. A storage unit for storing software corresponding to a plurality of types of the second board is provided.
The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein when the control unit determines the type of the second board, the software corresponding to the determined type of the second board is read from the storage unit. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the control unit determines the type of the second substrate based on the potential difference between both ends of the pull-up resistor provided on the first substrate or the second substrate. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the control unit determines the type of the second substrate based on the voltage division level of the voltage between the first substrate and the second substrate. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the control unit determines the type of the second substrate based on the current value of the current flowing between the first substrate and the second substrate. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the second board is a board on which at least one of a sensor and an external output unit is mounted. The second board is a board on which at least one of a sensor and an external output unit is mounted.
The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the software corresponding to the type of the second board is a program that defines the operation of at least one of the sensor and the external output unit mounted on the second board. .. It is a control method of a communication device provided with a first board.
If the second board is connected to the first board when the power of the communication device is turned on, the type of the second board is determined, and the software corresponding to the determined type of the second board is acquired. Steps to do and
If the second board is not connected to the first board when the power of the communication device is turned on, the step of acquiring software corresponding to the configuration in which the second board is not connected to the first board. , Including,
Communication device control method. A control program for a communication device comprising a first substrate,
In the control unit of the communication device,
If the second board is connected to the first board when the power of the communication device is turned on, the type of the second board is determined, and the software corresponding to the determined type of the second board is acquired. Steps to do and
If the second board is not connected to the first board when the power of the communication device is turned on, the step of acquiring software corresponding to the configuration in which the second board is not connected to the first board. , to the execution,
Communication device control program.

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