JP7019757B2 - Communications system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a communication system that downloads a large file without occupying a communication path.

Patent Document 1 discloses a communication system that provides a service to a narrow band terminal and a wide band terminal within the cell range of a base station. In this communication system, a communication system for a narrow band terminal constitutes an NB-IoT communication system. The narrow-band terminal in this NB-IoT communication system is a device that monitors gas, electricity, and water meters, or disaster monitoring of local governments, control of street lights, determination of garbage collection timing, and availability of parking lots. From the cell of the base station installed such as a device that checks, monitors environmental conditions such as abnormal weather and abnormal water level, monitors road congestion, or a device that manages soil, weather, pests, and water quality. It is a terminal that does not move to a cell of another base station, that is, has no handover, and is used for so-called fixed point observation. In such terminals, a large number of files such as firmware by FOTA (Firmware Over-The-Air) are simultaneously installed from the base station to a large number of devices installed in one cell range of the base station by wireless communication. When the firmware is distributed or updated, the communication speed of the NB-IoT is low, and there is a problem that the communication path is occupied.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-7171

The present invention has been made in view of the above background technology, and an object of the present invention is to provide a communication system capable of downloading a large-capacity file without occupying a communication path.

In the present invention, the present invention transmits data collected by a terminal consisting of a sensor and a communication function unit to a management device via the Internet consisting of a network and a base station, and the management device stores the data transmitted from the terminal. The terminal and the base station include a first communication unit and a second communication unit having a higher communication speed than the first communication unit, and the data collected by the terminal is used as the first communication of the terminal. It is transmitted to the management device side via the unit and the first communication unit of the base station, and the management device sends a large-capacity file via the second communication unit of the base station and the second communication unit of the terminal. It is characterized by transmitting to the terminal side.

In the present invention, the data collected by the terminal including the sensor and the communication function unit is transmitted to the management device side via the first communication unit of the terminal and the first communication unit of the base station, and the management device is large. A file having a capacity is transmitted to the terminal side via a second communication unit having a higher communication speed than the first communication unit of the base station and a second communication unit having a higher communication speed than the first communication unit of the terminal. By sending to, you can download a large file without occupying the communication path. In the present invention, the first communication unit of the terminal and the first communication unit of the base station use NB-IoT as a wireless communication standard, and the second communication unit of the terminal and the second communication unit of the base station are used. Using eMTC as a wireless communication standard, the first communication unit of the terminal is switched to the second communication unit and the first communication unit of the base station is the first, triggered by the FOTA instruction transmitted from the management device to the base station. The wireless communication standard between the terminal and the base station is switched from NB-IoT to eMTC, and the management device sends a large-capacity file to the second communication unit of the base station and the second of the terminal. If you download to the terminal side via the communication unit, you can download a large file in a short time. In the present invention, the management device calculates the duration of the battery mounted on the terminal from one or both of the remaining battery level of the terminal and the current consumption for OTA implementation, and switches between the first communication unit and the second communication unit. If it is determined whether to implement FOTA and FOTA is executed according to the determination result, a large-capacity file can be downloaded without occupying the communication path. Further, in the present invention, even when the duration of the battery mounted on the terminal calculated from one or both of the remaining battery level of the terminal and the current consumption for FOTA implementation exists in the FOTA non-probable region, the base station receives radio waves. At least one terminal out of a plurality of terminals in the cell that covers the range that can be provided is set as a gateway, and the terminal set as this gateway communicates with the first communication unit and the first communication unit. The third communication unit having a high speed is provided, the other terminal not set as the gateway has the third communication unit, and the first communication unit and the first communication unit of the base station are NB-IoT as a wireless communication standard. If the third communication part of the terminal set as a gateway and the third communication part of other terminals use Wi-SUN with low current consumption, it is possible to download a large file in a short time. can.

The block diagram which shows the communication system which concerns on Embodiment 1 for carrying out an invention. The figure which shows the difference between NB-IoT and eMTC which concerns on Embodiment 1 for carrying out an invention. The sequence diagram which shows the sequence control of the communication system which concerns on Embodiment 1 for carrying out the invention. The block diagram which shows the communication system which concerns on Embodiment 2 for carrying out an invention. The block diagram which shows the communication system which concerns on Embodiment 3 for carrying out an invention.

The communication system according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a management device for managing data collected by a terminal 1 having a sensor function and a communication function via the Internet including a network 2 and a base station 3. The management device 4 accumulates the data transmitted from the terminal 1 and analyzes the accumulated data to provide a solution for acquiring new knowledge, and the terminal 1 is the first communication unit. 11 and a second communication unit 12 having a higher communication speed than the first communication unit 11 are provided, and the base station 3 has a first communication unit 31 and a second communication unit 32 having a faster communication speed than the first communication unit 31. The data collected by the terminal 1 is transmitted to the management device 4 side via the first communication units 11 and 31, and the file transmission means 41 provided in the management device 4 secondly communicates the large-capacity file 42. By transmitting data to the terminal 1 side via the units 12 and 32, a large-capacity file 42 can be downloaded without occupying the communication path.

The terminal 1 includes a first communication unit 11, a second communication unit 12, and a switching means 13, and is switched as the terminal 1 receives a large-capacity file instruction transmitted from the first communication unit 31 of the base station 3. While the means 13 switches from the first communication unit 11 to the second communication unit 12 as the communication unit used for communication with the base station 3, the terminal 1 completes receiving the large-capacity file transmitted from the second communication unit 31 of the base station 3. Is received, the switching means 13 switches from the second communication unit 12 to the first communication unit as the communication unit used for communication with the base station 3.

The base station 3 includes a first communication unit 31, a second communication unit 32, and a switching means 33, and receives a large-capacity file instruction when the base station 3 receives a large-capacity file instruction transmitted from the management device 4. A large-capacity file transmitted from the second communication unit 11 of the terminal 1 by the base station 3 while switching from the first communication unit 31 to the second communication unit 32 as a communication unit transmitted to the terminal 3 and used for communication with the terminal 1. Upon receiving the completion, the switching means 33 switches from the second communication unit 32 to the first communication unit 31 as the communication unit used for communication with the terminal 1.

The wireless communication standard used for the first communication units 11 and 31 is not limited to NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things), but NB-IoT can be considered as one of them, and the second communication units 12 and 32. The wireless communication standard used in the above is not limited to eMTC (enhanced Machine Type Communication), but eMTC can be considered as one of them.

Both NB-IoT and eMTC are wireless communication standards that can communicate from several hundred meters to several hundred kilometers, although they consume less power and have less data communication content. The difference between NB-IoT and eMTC is that, as shown in FIG. 2, NB-IoT is a static communication without movement such as a smart meter terminal or a failure detection terminal, and the communication base station is replaced, that is, a handover. The eMTC is a mobile communication such as a wearable terminal, a healthcare terminal, or a security terminal, and supports the change of the base station to communicate, that is, the handover, while the communication speed is about 30 kbps. The communication speed is 300 kbps.

The NB-IoT intermittently transfers data from the terminal 1 to the base station 3 and takes a few minutes to reduce the amount of power used by the terminal 1 as much as possible. It is also possible to create a communication hibernation state for several hours between one data transfer from the terminal 1 to the base station 3 and the next data transfer.

Further, the terminal 1 becomes a device that uses NB-IoT when transmitting the collected data to the base station 3, and when the management device 4 transmits a large-capacity file 42 from the network 2 and the base station 3 to the terminal 1. It is a device that uses eMTC. The number of terminals 1 in the cell that covers the range in which the radio waves of the base station 3 can be provided is not limited to one, but may be multiple, and is generally about 10,000. be.

The large-capacity file 42 distributed from the management device 4 to the terminal 1 via the network 2 and the base station 3 is not limited to the firmware by FOTA, but one of them is the firmware by FOTA. ..

The management device 4 is composed of a server. The file transmission means 41 provided in the management device 4 is embodied by software stored as a computer program in the server constituting the management device 4.

According to the sequence control of the communication system according to the first embodiment for carrying out the invention shown in FIG. 3, in step 301, the file transmission means 41 of the management device 4 transmits the FOTA instruction as a large-capacity file instruction to the base station 3. Then, as the first communication unit 21 of the base station 3 receives the FOTA instruction in step 302, the received FOTA instruction reception is transmitted to the first communication unit 11 of the terminal 1, and the switching of the base station 3 is performed in step 303. The means 33 switches from the first communication unit 31 to the second communication unit 32 and changes the radio communication standard for the terminal 1 of the base station 3 from NB-IoT to eMTC.

Further, when the terminal 1 receives the FOTA instruction reception transmitted from the base station 3 in the step 302 in the step 304, the switching means 13 of the terminal 1 switches from the first communication unit 11 to the second communication unit 12 in the step 305. The wireless communication standard for the base station 3 of the terminal 1 is changed from NB-IoT to eMTC, and in step 306, the second communication unit 12 of the terminal 1 transmits the completion of the eMTC change to the second communication unit 32 of the base station 3.

Next, in step 307, the base station 3 receives the eMTC change completion transmitted from the terminal 1 in the step 306, and transmits the received eMTC change completion to the management device 4. Then, when the management device 4 receives the eMTC change completion transmitted from the base station 3, the file transmission means 41 of the management device 4 starts transmitting the FOTA as a large-capacity file 42 in step 308, and the base in step 309. The second communication unit 32 of the station 3 receives the FOTA transmitted from the management device 4, transmits the received FOTA to the second communication unit 12 of the terminal 1, and the second communication unit 12 of the terminal 1 is the base in step 310. Receive the FOTA transmitted from the station 3.

Then, when the second communication unit 22 of the base station 3 completes the reception of the FOTA in step 311, the switching means 33 of the base station 3 switches from the second communication unit 32 to the first communication unit 31 in the base station 3 in step 312. The wireless communication standard for the terminal 1 of the above is changed from eMTC to NB-IoT.

Further, when the second communication unit 12 of the terminal 1 completes the reception of the FOTA in step 313, the switching means 13 of the terminal 1 switches from the second communication unit 12 to the first communication unit 11 in step 314 to switch the base station of the terminal 1. The wireless communication standard for 3 is changed from eMTC to NB-IoT, the second communication unit 12 of the terminal 1 completes the NB-IoT change in step 315, and the first communication unit 11 of the terminal 1 completes the FOTA in step 316. It is transmitted to the first communication unit 31 of the base station 3.

As the base station 3 receives the FOTA completion transmitted from the terminal 1 in step 317, the received FOTA completion is transmitted to the management device 4, and in step 318, the management device 4 receives the FOTA completion from the base station 3 in the step 317. As the transmitted FOTA completion is received, the file transmission means 41 processes the FOTA transmission termination.

According to the sequence control of the communication system according to the first embodiment for carrying out the invention shown in FIG. 3, as shown in steps 301 to 310, the stationary communication terminal 1 having a sensor function and a communication function and having no movement. The file transmission means 41 provided in the management device 4 transmits the FOTA instruction to the base station 2 in a state where the data collected by the computer can be transmitted to the base station 3 by using the first communication units 11 and 31. With the FOTA instruction as a trigger, the first communication unit 11 of the terminal 1 is switched to the second communication unit 12, and the first communication unit 31 of the base station 3 is switched to the second communication unit 32, between the terminal 1 and the base station 3. After the wireless communication standard of NB-IoT is switched from NB-IoT to eMTC, a large-capacity file 42 such as FOTA transmitted from the management device 4 to the base station 3 is transmitted from the base station 3 to the terminal 1, so that the communication path is A large-capacity file 42 can be downloaded from the management device 4 to the terminal 1 without occupying.

Further, after the large-capacity file 42 is downloaded from the management device 4 to the terminal 1, as shown in steps 311 and 317, the second communication unit 12 of the terminal 1 is sent to the first communication unit 11 triggered by the completion of FOTA transmission. The second communication unit 32 of the base station 3 is switched to the first communication unit 31, the wireless communication standard between the terminal 1 and the base station 3 is switched from eMTC to NB-IoT, and has a sensor function and a communication function. The data collected by the terminal 1 can be uploaded from the base station 3 to the management device 4.

In the communication system according to the second embodiment for carrying out the invention shown in FIG. 4, the FOTA discriminating means 43 is added to the management device 4 of the communication system according to the first embodiment for carrying out the invention shown in FIG. 1, and the FOTA is added. The determination means 43 switches between NB-IoT and eMTC by calculating the duration of the battery mounted on the terminal 1 from one or both of the remaining battery level of the terminal 1 and the current consumption of the terminal 1 due to the implementation of FOTA, and the FOTA is switched. Is determined, and FOTA is executed according to the determination result. The conditions for calculating the current consumption of the terminal 1 by implementing the FOTA are the FW (firmware size) of the FOTA, the electric field strength around the terminal 1, and the number of repetitions of communication.

Specifically, as the FOTA implementation determination criterion by the FOTA determination means 43, the duration of the battery mounted on the terminal 1 calculated from the remaining battery level of the terminal 1 exists in both the NB-IoT region and the eMTC region. Or when the duration of the battery mounted on the terminal 1 calculated from the current consumption of the terminal 1 due to the implementation of FOTA exists in both the NB-IoT region and the eMTC region, or the battery remaining of the terminal 1. When the duration of the battery mounted on the terminal 1 calculated from the amount and the current consumption of the terminal 1 due to the implementation of FOTA exists in both the NB-IoT region and the eMTC region, the FOTA determining means 43 determines the FOTA. Determine to implement. On the other hand, when the duration of the battery mounted on the terminal 1 calculated from the remaining battery level of the terminal 1 exists in the non-FOTA region, or it is mounted on the terminal 1 calculated from the current consumption of the terminal 1 due to the implementation of FOTA. When the duration of the battery is in the non-FOTA area, or the duration of the battery mounted on the terminal 1 calculated from the remaining battery level of the terminal 1 and the current consumption of the terminal 1 due to the implementation of FOTA, the non-FOTA area If it is present in, the FOTA determination means 43 determines that FOTA is not performed.

That is, as a criterion for determining FOTA implementation , the duration of the battery mounted on the terminal 1 calculated from one or both of the remaining battery level of the terminal 1 and the current consumption of the terminal 1 due to the implementation of FOTA does not exist in the FOTA non-existent region. In this case, it is determined that the FOTA discriminating means 43 implements FOTA, and the switching means 13 of the terminal 1 and the switching means 33 of the base station 3 are operated, and the switching means 13 of the terminal 1 is from the first communication unit 11 to the second communication unit. The switching means 33 of the base station 3 can switch from the first communication unit 31 to the second communication unit 32, and the large-capacity file 42 can be downloaded from the management device 4 to the terminal 1.

In the communication system according to the third embodiment for carrying out the invention shown in FIG. 5 , the FOTA determination means 43 of the management device 4 of the communication system according to the second embodiment for carrying out the invention shown in FIG. 4 is the battery of the terminal 101. In order to take measures when FOTA is required even if the duration of the battery mounted on the terminal 101 calculated from one or both of the remaining amount and the current consumption of the terminal 101 due to the implementation of FOTA exists in the FOTA impossible area. In addition, at least one terminal 101 among a plurality of terminals in the cell that covers the radio wave of the base station 3 as a range that can be provided is set as a gateway, and only the terminal 101 set as this gateway is set to NB-IoT. The other terminal 102 uses a Wi-SUN (Wireless Smart Utility Network) having a low current consumption.

That is, the terminal 101 set as a gateway has a first communication unit 11 in which NB-IoT is used as a wireless communication standard, a third communication unit 1012 in which Wi-SUN is used as a wireless communication standard, and a switching means 13. Be prepared. The other terminal 102 includes only the third communication unit 1021 in which Wi-SUN is used as a wireless communication standard. Further, the base station 3 includes only the first communication unit 31 in which NB-IoT is used as a wireless communication standard. As a result, the terminal 101 set as a gateway becomes a bab station that receives power from a large-capacity battery or a commercial power source, and the other terminals 102 are slave units that consume less current than the bab station.

According to the communication system according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 5 , the FOTA discriminating means 43 of the management device 4 has one or both of the remaining battery level of the terminal 101 and the current consumption of the terminal 101 due to the implementation of FOTA. Even if the duration of the battery mounted on the terminal 101 calculated from A terminal in which 11 is connected to the first communication unit 31 of the base station 3 so as to be wirelessly communicable, and the FOTA determination means 43 of the management device 4 sets a large-capacity file 42 as a gateway via the network 2 and the base station 3. It is transmitted to the first communication unit 11 of 101. The transmitted large-capacity file 42 is stored in a storage unit (not shown) of the terminal 101 by supplying power from at least a large-capacity battery or a commercial power source to the terminal 101. Next, the switching means 13 of the terminal 101 uses the third communication unit 1021 in which the Wi-SUN is used by supplying power from at least a large-capacity battery or a commercial power source, and the third communication unit 1021 in which the Wi-SUN of the other terminal 102 is used. Connect to enable wireless communication with. As a result, the third communication unit 1012 of the terminal 101 transmits a large-capacity file 42 to the third communication unit 1021 of the terminal 102 by supplying power from at least a large-capacity battery or a commercial power source.

1 Terminal 2 Network 3 Base station 4 Management device 11 Terminal 1 1st communication unit 12 Terminal 1 2nd communication unit 31 Base station 3 1st communication unit 32 Base station 3 2nd communication unit

Claims (1)

Data collected by a non-moving static communication terminal consisting of a sensor and a communication function unit is transmitted to a management device via the Internet consisting of a network and a base station, and the management device stores the data transmitted from the terminal. In a communication system, the base station includes a first communication unit that uses NB-IoT as a wireless communication standard, and the terminal is located in a plurality of cells that cover the range in which the radio waves of the base station can be provided. At least one of these plurality of terminals becomes a bab station that receives power from a large-capacity battery or a commercial power source and is set as a gateway, and the terminal set as this gateway uses NB-IoT as a wireless communication standard. It has both a first communication unit and a third communication unit that uses Wi-SUN as a wireless communication standard with a faster communication speed than the first communication unit, and is not set as a gateway among the plurality of terminals. The terminal is a slave unit that consumes less current than the bab station, and is equipped with only a third communication unit that uses Wi-SUN as a wireless communication standard having a faster communication speed than the first communication unit. Even if the duration of the battery mounted on the terminal set as the gateway exists in the FOTA non-probable area for determining that the FOTA is not performed, the FOTA area non-probable instruction is transmitted from the base station to the terminal set as the gateway. And , the terminal set as the gateway connects the first communication unit of the terminal set as the gateway to the first communication unit of the base station wirelessly by at least the power supply from the large capacity battery or the commercial power source . Then, when the management device transmits a large-capacity file to the first communication unit of the terminal set as the gateway via the network and the first communication unit of the base station, the terminal set as the gateway is released. After storing at least a large-capacity file transmitted from the base station by power supply from the large-capacity battery or a commercial power source , the third communication unit of the terminal set as the gateway is at least the large-capacity battery or commercial. By being wirelessly connected to the third communication unit of the other terminal by power supply from the power source , the third communication unit of the terminal set as the gateway is at least from the large capacity battery or commercial power source. A communication system characterized in that a large-capacity file stored is transmitted to a third communication unit of the other terminal by power supply .

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