JP7365622B1 - Wireless communication system and wireless base unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a wireless communication system that can reduce power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information. [Solution] The wireless communication system includes a plurality of wireless slave units that transmit or relay meter reading information, a wireless base unit that transmits and receives information to and from a center via another communication network different from a multi-hop network, and a wireless A GW wireless device that belongs to a multi-hop network together with a slave device and relays communication between the multi-hop network and other communication networks, and the wireless base device is a device that relays meter reading information and transmission of meter reading information. Receives relay history information regarding from the GW wireless device, generates relay designation information that specifies a device that relays transmission of a reception response of meter reading information to the wireless slave device that is the source of the meter reading information, based on the relay history information, Relay designation information and a reception response are transmitted to the GW wireless device instead of the center, meter reading information is accumulated, and when predetermined conditions are met, the meter reading information reception response is set to be unnecessary and the meter reading information is transmitted to the center. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system and a wireless base unit.

As a conventional wireless communication system, for example, a wireless communication system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. In this wireless communication system, a communication terminal reads a meter reading from a consumer's power meter at a predetermined time, and transmits the read meter reading to a wireless communication aggregation device. Then, the wireless communication aggregation device aggregates the meter readings transmitted all at once from the communication terminals, and transmits the aggregated meter readings to the host server.

JP 2019-140505 Publication

The wireless communication aggregation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 accumulates meter readings transmitted from a plurality of communication terminals, and then sends the meter readings together to an upper-level server. Generally, upon receiving a meter reading from a wireless communication aggregation device, the host server transmits a response message to the communication terminal via the wireless communication aggregation device. The communication terminal ends the meter reading transmission process in response to the response message from the higher-level server. In this way, power is consumed as the wireless communication aggregation device communicates with the host server and the communication terminal. For this reason, when the wireless communication aggregation device uses a battery as a power source, there is a problem that the number of battery replacements increases.

The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a wireless communication system and a wireless base unit that can reduce power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information.

A wireless communication system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of wireless slave devices that belong to a multi-hop network and transmit or relay meter reading information, and communicate with a center via another communication network different from the multi-hop network. The wireless base unit includes a wireless base unit that transmits and receives information, and a GW wireless unit that belongs to the multi-hop network together with the wireless slave unit and relays communication between the multi-hop network and the other communication network. receives the meter reading information and relay history information regarding the device that relayed the transmission of the meter reading information from the GW wireless device, and sends a reception response of the meter reading information to the wireless slave device that is the transmission source of the meter reading information. Relay designation information that designates a device that relays transmission is generated based on the relay history information, the relay designation information and the reception response are transmitted to the GW radio device on behalf of the center, and the meter reading information is accumulated. , when predetermined conditions are met, the meter reading information is transmitted to the center with the meter reading information reception response set to unnecessary.

A wireless base device according to an aspect of the present disclosure belongs to a multi-hop network together with a plurality of wireless slave devices that transmit or relay meter reading information, and is connected to the multi-hop network and another communication network different from the multi-hop network. A wireless base unit that transmits and receives information to and from a GW wireless device that relays communication in communication, and transmits and receives information to and from a center via the other communication network, and transmits and transmits the meter reading information and the meter reading information. Relay history information regarding the relayed device is received from the GW wireless device, and the relay designation information designating a device that relays the transmission of the reception response of the meter reading information to the wireless slave device that is the source of the meter reading information is relayed. generated based on history information, transmits the relay designation information and the reception response to the GW wireless device on behalf of the center, accumulates the meter reading information, and generates a reception response of the meter reading information when predetermined conditions are met. is set to be unnecessary and the meter reading information is transmitted to the center.

According to the present disclosure, by transmitting a reception response of meter reading information on behalf of the center, the wireless base unit transmits a reception response from the center to the wireless base unit, compared to a case where the center transmits a reception response. Therefore, the number of communications with the center is reduced. In addition, even if the center manages communication in the wireless communication system, the wireless base unit does not acquire the transmission route information of the reception response from the center, and the device that relays the transmission of the reception response has a relay history. Since the specification is based on information, the number of communications with the center is reduced. By reducing the number of communications in this manner, it is possible to provide a wireless communication system and a wireless base unit that can reduce power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information.

The above objects, other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram schematically showing a wireless communication system according to an embodiment and a modification of the present disclosure. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configurations of a center, a master device, a GW radio device, and a slave device. This is an example of a communication sequence in information gathering processing. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a message of meter reading information received by a base unit from a slave unit. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a GW wireless device and slave devices in a multi-hop network. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of a parent device in information collection processing. It is a figure which shows an example of the message of the reception response of meter reading information which a base device transmits to a slave device. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a telegram of meter reading information transmitted from a base unit to a center.

<Wireless communication system>
As shown in FIG. 1, a wireless communication system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure transmits information regarding a meter 11 that reads the amount of gas used by a consumer, such as city gas and LP gas, to a wireless cordless handset ( This is a system in which information is collected from a wireless device 20 (hereinafter referred to as a slave device 20) to a center 50 via a GW wireless device 30 and a wireless base device (hereinafter referred to as a base device 40). In the following description, the object to be read by the meter 11 will be described as gas, but the object to be read by the meter 11 is not limited to gas, and may be electricity, water, or the like.

The handset 20 is communicably connected to the consumer's meter 11 and exchanges information with the meter 11 . Further, the handset 20 is a wireless device belonging to the multi-hop network 12 and transmits information regarding the meter 11 to the center 50. This multi-hop network 12 is a communication network such as a FAN (Field Area Network) in which a plurality of handsets 20 transmit information in a multi-hop manner. Therefore, the handset 20 relays the transmission of information by transmitting and receiving information to and from other handsets 20 with which it can communicate. Thereby, in the multi-hop network 12, the handset 20 transmits and receives information to and from the GW radio 30 directly without going through other handsets 20, or via one or more other handsets 20.

The GW radio device 30 is a radio device that belongs to the multi-hop network 12 together with the slave device 20, and transmits and receives information to and from the slave device 20. Further, the GW radio device 30 is communicably connected to the base unit 40, and transmits and receives information to and from the base unit 40. Thereby, the GW radio device 30 relays information transmission between the slave device 20 and the base device 40.

The base device 40 is a wireless device that performs wireless communication with the center 50 via a communication network 13 such as a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as a public communication network, and transmits and receives information to and from the center 50 via a base station 13a of the communication network 13. . Thereby, the base device 40 relays information transmission between the slave device 20 and the center 50 together with the GW radio device 30. Here, the GW radio 30 relays communication between the multi-hop network 12 and another communication network 13 different from the multi-hop network 12.

The center 50 is a server that collects information from the child devices 20, and includes, for example, an information management device 51 and a communication management device 52. The information management device 51 is a device that manages collected information, and provides services and information based on the information to customers, businesses that manage the meters 11, and the like. The communication management device 52 is a device that manages communications in the multi-hop network 12 and the communication network 13, and is communicably connected to the information management device 51 and the base station 13a of the communication network 13. It transmits and receives information, and also transmits and receives information to and from the master device 40 via the communication network 13.

<Rank>
For example, in the multi-hop network 12, information is transmitted from the handset 20 to the GW radio 30 based on rank. This rank is stored in the handset 20 and the GW radio 30 in the multi-hop network 12. The rank of the GW radio device 30 is 0, and the rank of the slave device 20 that can directly communicate with the GW radio device 30 is 1. Then, each time one hop away from the GW wireless device 30 among the plurality of slave units 20, the rank of the slave unit 20 increases by one. Further, when there are a plurality of GW radio devices 30 in the multi-hop network 12, the child unit 20 has a hop number for each of the plurality of GW radio devices 30. In this case, the rank of slave device 20 is the one with the smallest number of hops.

Devices of the multi-hop network 12 (slave units 20 and GW radios 30) periodically exchange ranks with devices with which they can communicate, determine their own ranks, and determine their own ranks and the ranks of other devices. is stored as rank information. Moreover, the devices of the multi-hop network 12 store their own ranks in beacons, and broadcast the beacons to devices that can communicate with them, for example, at an intermittent cycle of every 5 seconds. With this notification, devices in the multi-hop network 12 periodically collect beacons, determine their own ranks based on the ranks stored in the collected beacons, and determine their own ranks and the ranks of other devices. Stored as rank information.

When the handset 20 transmits information to the center 50 in a state where the devices of the multi-hop network 12 store rank information in this way, the handset 20 is ranked among the other handsets 20 with which it can communicate. The information is transmitted to the small handset 20. Then, the other handset 20 that has received the information transfers the information to a handset 20 with a lower rank among the other handsets 20 with which it can communicate. Such information transfer is repeated up to the GW radio device 30. The information is then transmitted from the GW radio device 30 to the center 50 via the base device 40.

<Center>
As shown in FIG. 2, the information management device 51 of the center 50 includes an information management control section 53, an information management storage section 54, and an information management communication section 55. The information management communication unit 55 is a communication interface for wired communication, and is connected to the communication management device 52 by a cable or the like. Thereby, the information management device 51 collects information regarding the meter 11 from the handset 20 via the communication management device 52 and the like.

The information management storage section 54 is a memory that can be accessed from the information management control section 53, and is composed of a RAM, a ROM, and the like. The information management storage unit 54 stores programs for executing various processes such as information processing, information used in this program, and collected information regarding the meters 11.

The information management control unit 53 is a computer, and includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU. The information management control unit 53 executes various processes related to information management of the information management device 51 by executing programs stored in the information management storage unit 54. Note that the information management control section 53 may be configured by a single control device, or a plurality of control devices may be arranged in a distributed manner so that they cooperate to operate the information management control section 53. may be configured.

Further, the communication management device 52 of the center 50 includes a communication management control section 56, a communication management storage section 57, and a communication management communication section 58. The communication management control unit 56, the communication management storage unit 57, and the communication management communication unit 58 are the same as the information management control unit 53, the information management storage unit 54, and the information management communication unit 55, respectively. However, while the information management device 51 manages the information of the wireless communication system 10, the communication management device 52 manages the communication of the wireless communication system 10.

Therefore, the communication management storage unit 57 stores programs and information related to communication management of the wireless communication system 10. For example, the communication management storage unit 57 stores identification information of the base device 40, identification information of the GW radio device 30 connected to the base device 40, and identification information of the slave device 20 that constitutes the multi-hop network 12 together with the GW radio device 30. , and correspondence information in which identification information (meter ID) of the meter 11 connected to the handset 20 are associated with each other. This identification information is unique information for identifying the device, and includes, for example, an IP address and a manufacturing number.

Further, the communication management storage unit 57 stores communication information regarding communication in the wireless communication system 10 and transmission route information regarding a route through which information is transmitted in the wireless communication system 10. This transmission route information includes, for example, the identification information of the handset 20 that is the destination of information from the center 50, and the identification information of the base unit 40, GW radio 30, and handset 20 that relay the transmission of information to the handset 20. The respective identification information is stored in association with each other. For example, if the wireless communication system 10 includes a plurality of base units 40 and if the slave unit 20 can communicate with a plurality of slave units 20 in the multi-hop network 12, information on the center 50 and the slave units 20 There are a plurality of transmission routes, and the communication management storage unit 57 stores information on the plurality of transmission routes.

The communication management control unit 56 is a computer, and executes various processes related to communication management of the communication management device 52 by executing programs stored in the communication management storage unit 57. For example, when transmitting information to the slave unit 20, the communication management control unit 56 acquires transmission route information with the slave unit 20 as the transmission destination from the communication management storage unit 57, and transmits the information to the slave unit based on the transmission route information. Send to machine 20. Here, if a plurality of transmission route information exists, the communication management control unit 56 specifies the transmission route information from the plurality of transmission route information based on the communication information stored in the communication management storage unit 57, The information is transmitted to the handset 20 according to the transmission route information. Thereby, the communication management device 52 controls communication between the information management device 51 and the handset 20.

The communication information may include, for example, a rank that is the smallest number of hops among the number of hops that are the number of relays from the GW radio device 30 to the destination handset 20 in the multi-hop network 12. In this case, the communication management device 52 can reduce power consumption for information transmission by specifying a transmission route with a lower rank among the plurality of transmission routes, since there are fewer devices that relay information transmission. Furthermore, the communication information may include communication quality information regarding received radio field strength, transmission/reception delay, and the like. In this case, the communication management device 52 can transmit information more reliably by specifying a transmission route with high received radio wave strength and/or low transmission/reception delay among the plurality of transmission routes.

The communication management communication unit 58 is a communication interface with the information management communication unit 55 of the communication management device 52 and the communication network 13, and is connected to each of the information management communication unit 55 and the base station 13a of the communication network 13 by a cable or the like. ing. Thereby, the communication management device 52 relays information transmission between the information management device 51 and the base device 40. Note that the communication management communication unit 58 may be connected to the information management communication unit 55 and/or the base station 13a by wireless communication.

<Main unit>
The parent device 40 includes a parent device control section 41 , a parent device storage section 42 , a first parent device communication section 43 , a second parent device communication section 44 , and an antenna 45 . The base unit storage unit 42 is a memory that can be accessed from the base unit control unit 41, and is composed of a RAM, a ROM, and the like. The base unit storage unit 42 stores programs for executing various processes, information used in these programs, and information regarding the meter 11 such as meter reading information received from the slave unit 20. Furthermore, the parent device control unit 41 is a computer, and is configured by, for example, a processor such as a CPU, or a microcomputer. The parent device control section 41 executes various processes of the parent device 40 by executing programs stored in the parent device storage section 42 .

The first base unit communication unit 43 is a communication interface for wireless communication, and transmits and receives information to and from the communication management device 52 of the center 50 via the communication network 13 using the antenna 45. Further, the second base communication unit 44 is a communication interface for wired communication, is connected to the GW radio device 30 by a cable, and transmits and receives information to and from the GW radio device 30. Note that the master device 40 may be connected to the GW radio device 30 by wireless communication.

<GW radio>
The GW radio device 30 includes a GW control section 31, a GW storage section 32, a first GW communication section 33, a second GW communication section 34, and an antenna 35. The GW storage unit 32 is a memory that can be accessed from the GW control unit 31, and includes a RAM, a ROM, and the like. The GW storage unit 32 stores programs for executing various processes and information used in these programs. Further, the GW control unit 31 is a computer, and includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU, or a microcomputer. The GW control unit 31 executes various processes of the GW radio device 30 by executing programs stored in the GW storage unit 32.

The first GW communication unit 33 is a communication interface for wireless communication, and transmits and receives information to and from the handset 20 via the multi-hop network 12 using the antenna 35. Further, the second GW communication unit 34 is a communication interface for wired communication, is connected to the base unit 40 by a cable, and transmits and receives information to and from the base unit 40. In addition, when the meter 11 is a gas meter, the second base unit communication unit 44 and the second GW communication unit 34 are interfaces compatible with the U bus, which is a communication method standardized by the NPO Telemetering Promotion Council, for example. There may be.

<Slave device>
The handset 20 includes a handset control section 21 , a handset storage section 22 , a first handset communication section 23 , a second handset communication section 24 , and an antenna 25 . The handset storage section 22 is a memory that can be accessed from the handset control section 21, and is composed of a RAM, a ROM, and the like. The handset storage unit 22 stores programs for executing various processes, information used in the programs, and information regarding the meter 11 such as meter reading information. The handset control unit 21 is configured by, for example, a processor such as a CPU or a microcomputer, and executes various processes of the handset 20 by executing programs stored in the handset storage unit 22.

The first handset communication unit 23 is a communication interface for wireless communication, and transmits and receives information to and from other handsets 20 and/or GW radio 30 via the multi-hop network 12 using the antenna 25. Further, the second handset communication unit 24 is a communication interface for wired communication, is connected to the meter 11 by a cable, and transmits and receives information to and from the meter 11. In addition, when the meter 11 is a gas meter, the first GW communication section 33 and the first slave communication section 23 are interfaces compatible with U Bus Air, which is a communication method standardized by the NPO Telemetering Promotion Council. It's okay. Further, the handset 20 may be connected to the meter 11 by wireless communication.

<Information collection processing>
In the information collection process of the wireless communication system 10, information regarding the meter 11 is collected from the slave device 20 to the center 50 via the GW radio device 30 and the base device 40. This information regarding the meter 11 includes meter reading information based on the meter reading process of the meter 11, security information based on the security process of the meter 11, and the like. For example, in the security process, the meter 11 monitors the gas flow rate, usage time, etc., and when an abnormality occurs, sends security information indicating the abnormality to the center 50 via the handset 20 or the like.

In addition, in the meter reading process, as shown in FIG. ), a request for meter readings is sent to the meter 11 connected to the device itself. In response to this request, the meter 11 transmits a meter reading of the amount of gas used. The handset 20 stores meter reading information including the meter reading date and time (for example, year, month, day, hour, minute, and second), identification information of the meter 11, and processing type, along with the received meter reading value. The processing type is information indicating the processing of the meter 11, and includes, for example, meter reading processing and security processing.

In the above configuration, the handset 20 times the transmission operation of the meter reading value, but the meter 11 itself may time the transmission operation and transmit the meter reading information to the handset 20 at a predetermined time. Further, the meter reading information includes information on regular meter reading, which is performed once a day, and information on road surveys, which are the summation of meter reading values for each unit of time (for example, every 30 minutes).

When the handset 20 receives the meter reading information from the meter 11, it stores this meter reading information in the data part of a message that is standardized in the U-Bus and U-Bus Air communication systems, and sends the message containing this meter reading information to the center. Send to 50. Here, since the plurality of slave devices 20 and the GW radio device 30 form the multi-hop network 12, there are a plurality of transmission routes for transmitting information between the slave device 20 and the GW radio device 30. In order to identify the transmission route through which the message was relayed among such multiple transmission routes, relay history information regarding the device that relayed the transmission of the message is added to the message.

This message includes a header and data, as shown in FIG. The data includes meter reading information such as processing type, identification information of the meter 11 (meter ID), meter reading value, and meter reading date and time. The header includes the source, destination, relay history information, and communication type. The identification information (handset ID) of the handset 20 that transmits the information is set in this transmission source. Identification information (center ID) of the center 50 to which the information is transmitted is set in the transmission destination. The communication type is set to start a session that requires a response, which requests the center 50, which is the destination, to respond to the reception of information. As a result, when the handset 20 transmits this message, it starts a session regarding the transmission of meter reading information.

The relay history information is information related to the transmission when a message is transmitted from the source handset 20 to the destination center 50, and includes information about the devices that relayed the transmission up to the base device 40. There is. For example, the relay history information is information indicating the history of devices that relayed message transmission in the multi-hop network 12, and includes identification information (device ID) of the device that relayed the transmission, and further includes information on the relay source. It may also include identification information (device ID) of the slave device 20 that is the transmission source. The devices that relayed this transmission include the GW radio device 30, or the GW radio device 30 and other slave devices 20 other than the transmitter slave device 20.

That is, the multi-hop network 12 shown in the example of FIG. 5 includes 16 handsets 20 (first handset 20a to sixteenth handset 20p) and one GW radio device 30. In this multi-hop network 12, the first handset 20a and the third handset 20c can communicate directly with the GW radio 30, and can communicate with the GW radio without going through other handsets 20 other than their own. 30 and information can be sent and received. In this case, the device that relays transmission between the handset 20 and the center 50 in the multi-hop network 12 is the GW wireless device 30, and this relay history information includes the identification information of the GW wireless device 30 as the device ID, and the transmission It includes identification information of the original handset 20 (first handset 20a, third handset 20c).

On the other hand, the handsets 20 other than the first handset 20a and the third handset 20c (the second handset 20b and the fourth handset 20d to the sixteenth handset 20p) are It transmits and receives information to and from the GW radio device 30 via other child devices 20. In this case, devices that relay transmission between the handset 20 and the center 50 in the multi-hop network 12 are handsets 20 other than the sending handset 20 and the GW radio 30. In this case, the relay history information includes, as device IDs, identification information of the GW radio 30, identification information of other handsets 20, and transmission source handsets 20 (second handset 20b, fourth handset 20). 20d to 16th slave device 20p).

Here, for example, when the seventh slave unit 20g transmits meter reading information, the seventh slave unit 20g adds its own identification information (N7) to the relay history information of the message, and sends the meter reading information and relay history information. A message containing the information is transmitted to the second communicable handset 20b, and a session regarding transmission of meter reading information is started. When this second handset 20b receives the message, it adds its own identification information (N2) next to the identification information (N7) of the seventh handset 20g in the relay history information of the message, and is able to communicate. The message is sent to the first handset 20a. When the first handset 20a receives the message, it adds its own identification information (N1) next to the identification information (N2) of the second handset 20b in the relay history information of the message, and enables communication. A message is sent to the GW radio device 30. When the GW radio 30 receives the message, it adds its own identification information (N0) next to the identification information (N1) of the first handset 20a in the relay history information of the message.

In this way, the identification information of the handset 20 that sent the message, and the device that relayed the transmission of this message (the handset 20 and the GW radio 30, or the identification information of the GW radio 30) are used to relay the message. It will be added to the history information sequentially. Thereby, in the relay history information, the identification information of the devices that relayed the transmission to the base unit 40 from the transmission source slave unit 20 to the center 50 is arranged in the order of relaying. Therefore, according to the relay history information, the message is transmitted from the handset 20 to the relayed device (the handset 20 and the GW radio 30, or the GW radio 30) and to the GW radio 30. A transmission route for the message to the destination center 50 is determined via the parent device 40 that has been sent.

As shown in FIG. 3, each of the plurality of slave devices 20 (16 in the example of FIG. 5) belonging to the multi-hop network 12 transmits a message including meter reading information and relay history information to the GW radio device 30. Upon receiving the message from the handset 20, the GW radio 30 transmits the message to the base device 40. Then, the master device 40 processes the message as shown in FIG. 6, for example. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the base device 40.

First, the master device 40 monitors whether or not a message has been received from the GW radio device 30 (step S1). If the base device 40 does not receive the message (step S1: NO), the process proceeds to step S5, which will be described later. On the other hand, when base unit 40 receives the message (step S1: YES), it determines whether the message includes meter reading information (step S2). That is, in addition to the meter reading information of the meter 11, the handset 20 also transmits other information such as safety information of the meter 11 to the center 50. Therefore, base unit 40 determines whether the message includes meter reading information based on information such as the processing type of the message.

Here, if the base unit 40 determines that the message includes meter reading information (step S2: YES), it sends a reception response as a response to the reception of the meter reading information, and relay designation information for transmitting this reception response. A response message including the following is transmitted to the GW radio device 30 (step S3). Here, as shown in the example of FIG. 7, the master device 40 sets the data of the response message as a reception response of meter reading information. Furthermore, the base device 40 sets the communication type in the header to session end. Accordingly, upon receiving the response message, the handset 20 that is the source of the meter reading information ends the session regarding the transmission of the meter reading information.

Furthermore, the base device 40 sets the source of the header as the identification information of the center 50 (center ID), and sets the destination as the identification information of the handset 20 (slave device ID). As a result, the response message is transmitted from the base unit 40 to the slave unit 20 on behalf of the center 50.

Furthermore, base unit 40 generates relay designation information that designates a device that relays transmission of the reception response based on the relay history information shown in FIG. 4 . For example, the master device 40 arranges the device IDs listed in the relay history information in reverse order to generate the relay designation information. As a result, the relay designation information lists identification information of devices that relay transmission of response messages between the base device 40 and the slave device 20 in the order of relay. Therefore, depending on the relay designation information, among the plurality of transmission routes in the multi-hop network 12, there is a transmission route from the GW radio 30 to the GW radio 30 that reverses the transmission route of the meter reading information message from the GW radio 30 to the GW radio 30. Transmission routes for up to 20 response messages are specified.

In the example of FIG. 5, as shown in the relay specification information of the response message of FIG. and the device ID (N7) of the seventh slave device 20g, which is the destination, are arranged in order. Therefore, when base unit 40 transmits this response message to GW radio 30, GW radio 30 receives the response message and uses the device ID specified next to its own device ID in the relay specification information. The response message is transmitted to the first handset 20a. Subsequently, upon receiving the response message, the first handset 20a transmits the response message to the second handset 20b whose device ID is specified next to its own device ID in the relay designation information. When the second slave device 20b receives the response message, it transmits the response message to the seventh slave device 20g whose device ID is specified next to its own device ID in the relay designation information. In this way, the response message is relayed to the device specified by the relay designation information, and is transmitted to the seventh slave device 20g that is specified last in the relay designation information. Then, upon receiving the response message, the seventh handset 20g ends the session regarding the transmission of meter reading information in accordance with the response message.

Moreover, the base unit 40 stores the message of meter reading information in the base unit storage unit 42 (step S4). Next, the base device 40 determines whether a predetermined condition is satisfied (step S5). Furthermore, as described above, if the master device 40 determines NO in the process of step S1, it determines whether a predetermined condition is satisfied (step S5). In the process of step S5, the base device 40 determines that the predetermined condition is not met, for example, if it is not for a predetermined time (step S5: NO), and repeats the processes of steps S1 to S4. As a result, each time base unit 40 receives a message of meter reading information from slave unit 20 in wireless communication system 10, it transmits a response message including a reception response and relay designation information to slave unit 20, and The message of meter reading information is stored in the base device storage unit 42. As a result, the messages of meter reading information from the plurality of slave units 20 in the wireless communication system 10 are accumulated in the base unit storage unit 42.

Then, for example, at a predetermined time, the base unit 40 determines that a predetermined condition is met (step S5: YES), and then determines whether the meter reading information is stored in the base unit storage unit 42 ( Step S6). Here, if the meter reading information is not stored in the base unit storage unit 42 (step S6: NO), the base unit 40 sends a notification message indicating that the meter reading information is not stored in the base unit storage unit 42. It is transmitted to the center 50 (step S7). Thereby, the base unit 40 can notify the center 50 that the base unit 40 is operating and that the meter reading information is not stored in the base unit storage unit 42 . In this case as well, by transmitting the notification message to the center 50 without requiring a response, the base unit 40 does not send a reception response to the base unit 40 even if the center 50 receives the notification message, thereby reducing the number of communications. , it is possible to suppress an increase in power consumption associated with communication of notification messages.

On the other hand, when one or more pieces of meter reading information are stored in the base unit storage unit 42 (step S6: YES), the base unit 40 stores the meter reading information stored (accumulated) in the base unit storage unit 42. Get the message. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the master device 40 modifies the communication type of the message shown in FIG. 4 to no response, and transmits the message to the center 50 (step S8). As a result, in the center 50, when the communication management device 52 receives the meter reading information message, it transmits the meter reading information message to the information management device 51 without transmitting the response message to the base device 40. When the information management device 51 receives the message, it stores it in the information management storage section 54, processes the meter reading information as necessary, and transmits the processed information to the customer or the like.

Furthermore, as shown in the message in FIG. 8, base device 40 may delete the relay history information of the message shown in FIG. 4 and transmit the message to center 50. Thereby, the data size of the message transmitted from the master device 40 to the center 50 can be reduced.

Here, if a single meter reading information message is stored in the base device storage unit 42 when a predetermined condition is met, the base device 40 transmits that one meter reading information message to the center 50. . Further, if a plurality of messages of meter reading information are stored (accumulated) in the parent device storage unit 42 when a predetermined condition is met, the parent device 40 continuously sends the plurality of messages to the center 50. By sending, multiple pieces of meter reading information are sent together. Note that the base unit 40 extracts meter reading information from multiple messages, stores the multiple meter reading information in one message data, and transmits the message, or stores multiple messages in one packet and sends the packet. A plurality of pieces of meter reading information may be sent together by sending the information.

In this way, the base device 40 can reduce power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information by transmitting multiple pieces of meter reading information at once. That is, the base unit 40 communicates with the center 50 via the base station 13a through intermittent operations such as eDRX (extended discontinuous reception) operations. Then, when information to be transmitted to the center 50 (for example, meter reading information) is generated, the base unit 40 stops the intermittent operation, transmits the message of the meter reading information to the center 50, and then resumes the intermittent operation. Start again. Base device 40 performs communication control operations when starting and stopping this intermittent operation, and also performs a connect operation with base station 13a when starting intermittent operation. The power consumption of this communication control operation and connection operation is larger than the power consumption when transmitting one message. Therefore, the master device 40 collectively transmits a plurality of messages of meter reading information from the time when the intermittent operation is stopped until the time when the intermittent operation is restarted. By using such a transmission method, the base unit 40 can perform communication control operations and connect operations for intermittent operation, rather than stopping intermittent operation, transmitting a message of meter reading information, and restarting intermittent operation every time meter reading information is received. Since the number of times can be reduced, power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information can be reduced.

Furthermore, the time at which the base device 40 transmits meter reading information to the center 50 may be set in advance, may be set by a program, or may be set by a mobile terminal operated by the center 50 or a meter reader. It may be set by a setting device. When setting the transmission time by a program, the base device 40 multiplies the distribution width (for example, 12) by 10 to obtain the distribution time width (for example, 120 minutes). Then, the base unit 40 distributes the transmission time of the meter reading information from the base unit 40 from the distribution starting point time (for example, 21:00) to the distribution time width (for example, from 21:00 to 23:00). , the time for transmitting the meter reading information is set based on numbers such as the identification number and manufacturing number of the base unit 40. Furthermore, base device 40 randomly sets the transmission time in seconds. As a result, even if, for example, the wireless communication system 10 is equipped with a plurality of base units 40, the times during which these base units 40 transmit messages to the center 50 are dispersed. Therefore, the center 50 can smoothly process information regarding the received message.

In addition, in the process of step S2 in FIG. 6, if the base unit 40 determines that the message does not include meter reading information (step S2: NO), the base unit 40 stores the message containing other information in the base unit storage unit 42. The data is not stored (accumulated) and is transmitted to the center 50 (step S9). In this way, since information such as security information may be urgent, base unit 40 transmits the message to center 50 as soon as possible. Thereby, the center 50 can quickly execute security processing in response to the message.

As described above, in the wireless communication system 10, the base unit 40 transmits a response message for meter reading information to the slave unit 20 on behalf of the center 50. In this case, compared to the case where a response message is sent from the center 50 to the slave device 20, since no response message is sent from the center 50 to the base device 40, the number of communications is reduced, and the power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information is reduced. can be reduced. Moreover, the handset 20 can quickly end the session regarding the transmission of meter reading information in response to the response message from the base device 40 without waiting for the response message from the center 50.

Furthermore, in the wireless communication system 10, the base device 40 specifies the gateway radio device 30 and slave device 20 (or gateway radio device 30) that relay the response message of the meter reading information using relay designation information based on relay history information. Then, this response message is sent to the destination handset 20. Therefore, it is possible to reduce power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information, and to suppress increase in storage capacity of the main unit storage unit 42.

That is, when communication of the handset 20 in the multi-hop network 12 is managed by the communication management device 52 of the center 50, in order for the base unit 40 to send a response message to the handset 20 on behalf of the center 50, the handset It was necessary to request the communication management device 52 for transmission route information for transmitting a response message to the communication management device 20 and to receive this transmission route information from the communication management device 52. In contrast, by specifying the transmission route of the response message using relay specification information based on relay history information, the base device 40 transmits the response message to the slave device 20 without communicating with the communication management device 52. Since the meter reading information can be transmitted, power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information can be reduced. Furthermore, by specifying the transmission route of the response message using the relay specification information based on the relay history information, the base unit 40 can eliminate the need to store the transmission route information in the multi-hop network 12 in the base unit storage unit 42. It is possible to suppress an increase in the storage capacity of the main unit storage unit 42.

Furthermore, in the wireless communication system 10 , the base unit 40 accumulates meter reading information of the plurality of slave units 20 in the multi-hop network 12 and transmits the collected meter reading information to the center 50 . As a result, as described above, even if the base unit 40 performs intermittent operations with the base station 13a during communication with the center 50, the number of communication control operations and connection operations can be reduced, so that meter reading is possible. Power consumption associated with information communication can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the wireless communication system 10, the base unit 40 sets the reception response of the meter reading information to be unnecessary and transmits the message of the meter reading information to the center 50. Thereby, even if the center 50 receives the meter reading information, it does not transmit the response message to the base unit 40, so that the number of times of communication can be reduced and the power consumption associated with communication of the meter reading information can be reduced.

Further, in this wireless communication system 10, for example, there may be a base unit 40 that has a function of storing meter reading information, and a base unit that does not have such a storage function. Even in such a case, the base unit 40 with the storage function sets the communication type of the message as not requiring a response, whereas the base unit without the storage function sets the communication type of the message as requiring a response. Therefore, the center 50 can determine from which base device 40 the message was sent based on the communication type of the message. Then, the center 50 does not send a reception response to a message that does not require a response, and sends a reception response to a message that requires a response, thereby creating a wireless communication system in which these base units 40 coexist. 10 becomes possible.

Note that the base device 40 may enable and disable the function of accumulating meter reading information. In this case, when the wireless communication system 10 includes a base unit 40 that has a meter reading information storage function and a base unit that does not have a meter reading information storage function, the base unit 40 disables the meter reading information storage function from enabled. By switching to invalidity, it is possible to unify all base devices in the wireless communication system 10 so that they transmit meter reading information to the center 50 without storing it. For this reason, conventional center operation using a master device without a storage function is also possible.

<Modified example>
In the wireless communication system 10 according to the modified example, in the above embodiment, the base device storage section 42 has a first storage section 42a and a second storage section 42b, as shown in FIG. Among the meter reading information transmitted from the handset 20, unsent meter reading information before being transmitted to the center 50 is stored in the first storage unit 42a. Among the meter reading information transmitted from the handset 20, the meter reading information that has already been sent to the center 50 is stored in the second storage unit 42b. Therefore, in the process of step S4 in FIG. 6, the master device 40 stores the message including the meter reading information in the first storage unit 42a. In addition, the base unit 40 acquires the meter reading information from the first storage unit 42a in the process of step S8, transmits the message of the meter reading information to the center 50, and then transmits the message of the already transmitted meter reading information to the second storage unit. 42b.

In the center 50, the information management device 51 determines, for example, at a predetermined time, whether or not a telegram of meter reading information from the meter 11 has been received. Here, for example, when the meter reading information is stored in the information management storage unit 54, the information management device 51 determines that the message of the meter reading information has been received. Furthermore, if the meter reading information is not stored in the information management storage unit 54 within a predetermined time, the information management device 51 determines that the meter reading information has not been received by the predetermined time, and A request for information is sent to the communication management device 52.

Then, the communication management device 52 identifies the base unit 40 corresponding to the meter 11 with meter reading information that has not been received, based on the correspondence information stored in the communication management storage unit 57, and sends the meter reading information to the base unit 40. Send a request. On the other hand, upon receiving the request, base unit 40 acquires meter reading information corresponding to the request from second storage unit 42b, and transmits a message of the meter reading information to center 50.

As described above, in the process of step S8 in FIG. 6, the base device 40 sets the meter reading information reception response as unnecessary and transmits the meter reading information message to the center 50, and if the meter reading information is not received by the center 50, However, the meter reading information is retransmitted from the base device 40 to the center 50 in response to a request from the center 50. Therefore, the center 50 can collect meter reading information more reliably. Furthermore, when meter reading information is transmitted from the base unit 40 to the center 50 in response to a request from the center 50, the communication between the base unit 40 and the slave unit 20 is greater than when the meter reading information is transmitted from the slave unit 20 to the center 50. Communication is reduced, and power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information can be reduced.

For example, when the meter reading information is transmitted in response to a request from the center 50, or when the meter reading information transmitted in step S8 of FIG. 6 is moved from the first storage section 42a to the second storage section 42b, or, When the predetermined time has elapsed, the master device 40 determines that the predetermined condition has been met. Then, the master device 40 deletes the meter reading information stored in the second storage section 42b. Thereby, the master device 40 can move the meter reading information in the first storage section 42a transmitted in step S8 to the second storage section 42b.

Note that in the above configuration, when the information management device 51 of the center 50 determines that the meter reading information of the meter 11 has not been received, the meter reading information is requested from the base device 40, but the meter reading information is not requested from the slave device 20. Good too. In this case, the communication management device 52 transmits the unreceived meter reading information to the handset 20 corresponding to the meter 11 and the transmission route to the handset 20 based on the correspondence information stored in the communication management storage unit 57. Identify information. Then, the communication management device 52 transmits a request for meter reading information and relay designation information based on the transmission route information to the slave device 20. Thereby, the request is relayed to the base unit 40, GW radio 30, and slave unit 20 according to the relay designation information, and is transmitted to the slave unit 20 corresponding to the meter 11. In response to this request, the slave unit 20 transmits the meter reading information of the meter 11 stored in the slave unit storage unit 22 to the center 50, thereby allowing the center 50 to collect the meter reading information more reliably.

<Other variations>
In the wireless communication system 10 according to the embodiment and all the modified examples described above, the master device 40 transmits a response message of meter reading information to the slave device 20 via the GW radio device 30 in the process of step S3 in FIG. When the handset 20 receives this response message, it ends the session regarding the transmission of the meter reading information. However, if the handset 20 does not receive the response message due to circumstances such as fluctuations in the radio wave environment, the handset 20 retransmits the meter reading information and relay designation information.

On the other hand, when the base unit 40 receives the meter reading information from the slave unit 20, it compares the received meter reading information with the meter reading information stored in the base unit storage unit 42. As a result of this comparison, if the identification information (meter ID) of the meter 11 and information such as the meter reading date and time match in these meter reading information, the base unit 40 determines that this meter reading information has already been received. Then, the base unit 40 discards the meter reading information retransmitted by the slave unit 20 without storing it in the base unit storage unit 42, and includes a reception response of the meter reading information and relay designation information based on the relay designation information. A response message is sent to the handset 20. As a result, the handset 20 ends the session related to the transmission of the meter reading information, so that the meter reading information is not retransmitted after this, and the power consumption associated with the retransmission of the meter reading information can be reduced. Moreover, the base unit 40 can store a predetermined number of meter reading information in the base unit storage unit 42 without increasing the capacity of the base unit storage unit 42.

Furthermore, in the wireless communication system 10 according to the embodiment and all the modified examples described above, in the process of step S3 in FIG. Relay specification information was generated. However, if the message does not include relay history information, the base device 40 acquires transmission route information from the communication management device 52 of the center 50 and generates relay designation information based on the transmission route information. Good too. Then, when the base unit 40 transmits a message including a reception response of relay designation information and meter reading information to the slave unit 20, the slave unit 20 terminates the session in accordance with the reception response. As a result, the handset 20 does not retransmit the meter reading information due to failure to receive a reception response, and therefore it is possible to reduce power consumption associated with this retransmission communication.

Further, in the wireless communication system 10 according to the embodiment and all the modified examples described above, the base device 40 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied when the predetermined time comes in the process of step S5 in FIG. However, this predetermined condition is not limited to this. For example, when the number of meter reading information stored in the base unit storage unit 42 reaches the number of meter reading information that can be stored in the base unit storage unit 42, the base unit 40 may determine that a predetermined condition is satisfied. In this case, the number of slave units 20 that communicate with the center 50 via the base unit 40 in the wireless communication system 10 is not limited by the capacity of the base unit storage unit 42.

Moreover, upon receiving the transmission request from the center 50, the master device 40 may determine that a predetermined condition is met. In this case, the center 50 can transmit a request to transmit the meter reading information to the base device 40 at an optimal time depending on the status of the information processing, etc., and can receive the meter reading information from the base device 40. Furthermore, base device 40 may determine that a predetermined condition is met before FOTA (Firmware Over-The-Air). In this case, the base unit 40 transmits the meter reading information to the center 50 before the meter reading information is changed or deleted by FOTA, so the center 50 can collect the meter reading information more reliably.

Further, in the wireless communication system 10 according to the embodiment and all the modified examples described above, the base device 40 stores (accumulates) the meter reading information in step S4 of FIG. and sent it to the center 50. However, for example, in a case where there is only one handset 20 connected to the base unit 40 via the GW radio 30, the base unit 40 transmits one meter reading information to the center 50. In such a case, the base device 40 may have a function that allows the setting to be changed to an operation such as transmitting the meter reading information to the center 50 without storing it. Thereby, the master device 40 can transmit the meter reading information to the center 50 without delay without increasing power consumption associated with communication of the meter reading information.

In the wireless communication system 10 according to the embodiment and all the modified examples described above, the GW wireless device 30 may be communicably connected to the meter 11. In this case, the GW radio device 30 may be configured by a slave device 20 having a communication function with the base device 40. This GW radio device 30 transmits information regarding the meter 11 such as meter reading information to the center 50 via the base device 40.

In addition, from the above description, many improvements and other embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description is to be construed as illustrative only, and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the present disclosure. Substantial changes may be made in the structural and/or functional details thereof without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

<Additional notes>
The following techniques are disclosed by the descriptions of the above embodiments and modifications.
Technology 1 includes a plurality of wireless slave devices that belong to a multi-hop network and transmit or relay meter reading information, and a wireless base device that transmits and receives information to and from a center via another communication network different from the multi-hop network. , a GW wireless device that belongs to the multi-hop network together with the wireless slave device and relays communication between the multi-hop network and the other communication network, and the wireless base device includes the meter reading information, and Receive relay history information regarding the device that relayed the transmission of the meter reading information from the GW wireless device, and specify a device that relays the transmission of the reception response of the meter reading information to the wireless slave device that is the source of the meter reading information. Relay designation information is generated based on the relay history information, the relay designation information and the reception response are transmitted to the GW radio on behalf of the center, the meter reading information is accumulated, and when predetermined conditions are met. The wireless communication system transmits the meter reading information to the center by setting the reception response of the meter reading information to unnecessary.

According to this configuration, upon receiving the meter reading information, the wireless base unit transmits the reception response to the GW radio device instead of the center, and also transmits the meter reading information in which the reception response is set as unnecessary to the center. As a result, the reception response of the meter reading information is not transmitted from the center, but is transmitted from the wireless master device to the wireless slave device via the GW wireless device. In this case, since the number of times of communication between the center and the wireless base unit is smaller than when the reception response is transmitted from the center, the power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information can be reduced in the entire communication system.

Further, the wireless base device specifies a device that relays transmission of the reception response using relay designation information based on relay history information. As a result, even if the transmission route of information in a wireless communication system is managed by the center, for example, the wireless base unit can relay data based on relay history information without requesting transmission route information for reception responses from the center. A reception response can be sent to the wireless handset based on the specified information. Since there is no communication between the wireless base unit and the center regarding requests for transmission route information, power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the wireless base unit accumulates meter reading information and transmits it all at once, it is possible to reduce power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information, compared to the case where meter reading information is transmitted one by one. That is, for example, when a wireless base unit communicates with a base station of another communication network intermittently during communication with a center, the wireless base unit performs a communication control operation and a connect operation every time meter reading information is transmitted. In such cases, by transmitting meter reading information all at once, the number of such operations is fewer than when transmitting meter reading information one by one, so power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information can be reduced. can.

Technology 2 is a GW radio that belongs to a multi-hop network together with a plurality of wireless slave devices that transmit or relay meter reading information, and that relays communication between the multi-hop network and another communication network different from the multi-hop network. A wireless base unit that transmits and receives information to and from the equipment, and also transmits and receives information to and from the center via the other communication network, which transmits and receives the meter reading information and relay history information regarding the equipment that relayed the transmission of the meter reading information. generating relay designation information that specifies a device that receives from the GW wireless device and relays transmission of a reception response of the meter reading information to the wireless slave device that is the source of the meter reading information, based on the relay history information; The relay designation information and the reception response are transmitted to the GW wireless device instead of the center, the meter reading information is accumulated, and when a predetermined condition is met, the reception response of the meter reading information is set to be unnecessary and the meter reading is performed. This is a wireless base unit that transmits information to the center.

According to this configuration, similarly to the configuration of technology 1, when the wireless base unit receives meter reading information, it transmits a reception response to the GW wireless device instead of the center, and also transmits meter reading information for which a reception response is set as unnecessary. is sent to the center. Further, the wireless base device specifies a device that relays transmission of the reception response using relay designation information based on relay history information. Furthermore, the wireless base unit accumulates meter reading information and transmits it all at once. As a result, the number of times of communication related to meter reading information can be kept low, so that power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information can be reduced.

Technology 3 includes a first storage section that stores the meter reading information that has not been sent to the center, and a second storage section that stores the meter reading information that has been sent to the center, The wireless base unit according to technique 2 is configured to transmit the meter reading information in the second storage unit to the center when a request for the meter reading information determined as such is received.

According to this configuration, for example, even if the wireless base unit transmits meter reading information to the center, the center may determine that the meter reading information has not been received due to some reason. Even in such a case, the wireless base unit can transmit the meter reading information stored in the second storage unit to the center in response to a request for meter reading information from the center. In this case, since communication between the wireless base unit and the wireless slave unit can be reduced compared to the case where meter reading information is transmitted from the wireless slave unit to the center, power consumption associated with communication of meter reading information can be reduced.

Technique 4 is a technique of determining whether the information received from the GW radio is the meter reading information, and if the information is not the meter reading information, transmitting the information to the center without storing it. The wireless base unit according to item 2 or 3.

According to this configuration, if the received information is not meter reading information, the wireless base unit transmits the information to the center without storing it, since it may be urgent information such as security information. This allows the center to quickly respond to the information.

10: Wireless communication system 11: Meter 12: Multi-hop network 13: Communication network (other communication network)
20: Handset (wireless cordless handset)
30: GW radio 40: Base unit (wireless base unit)
42a: First storage section 42b: Second storage section 50: Center

Claims (4)

a plurality of wireless slave devices that belong to a multi-hop network and transmit or relay meter reading information to a center ;
a wireless base unit that transmits and receives information to and from the center via another communication network different from the multi-hop network;
a GW wireless device that belongs to the multi-hop network together with the wireless slave device and relays communication between the multi-hop network and the other communication network;
The wireless base unit is
receiving the meter reading information and relay history information regarding a device that relayed the transmission of the meter reading information from the GW radio;
generating relay designation information that specifies a device that relays transmission of a reception response of the meter reading information to the wireless slave device that is the transmission source of the meter reading information based on the relay history information;
transmitting the relay designation information and the reception response to the GW radio on behalf of the center;
accumulating the meter reading information, setting the reception response of the meter reading information to unnecessary when a predetermined condition is met, and transmitting the meter reading information to the center;
Wireless communication system. A GW wireless device that belongs to a multi-hop network together with a plurality of wireless slave devices that transmits or relays meter reading information to a center , and that relays communication between the multi-hop network and another communication network different from the multi-hop network. A wireless base unit that transmits and receives information and transmits and receives information to and from the center via the other communication network,
receiving the meter reading information and relay history information regarding a device that relayed the transmission of the meter reading information from the GW radio;
generating relay designation information that specifies a device that relays transmission of a reception response of the meter reading information to the wireless slave device that is the transmission source of the meter reading information based on the relay history information;
transmitting the relay designation information and the reception response to the GW radio on behalf of the center;
accumulating the meter reading information, setting the reception response of the meter reading information to unnecessary when a predetermined condition is met, and transmitting the meter reading information to the center;
Wireless main unit. a first storage unit that stores the meter reading information that has not been sent to the center;
a second storage unit that stores the meter reading information that has been sent to the center;
transmitting the meter reading information in the second storage unit to the center when the center receives a request for the meter reading information that is determined to have not been received;
The wireless base unit according to claim 2. Determining whether the information received from the GW radio is the meter reading information,
If the information is not the meter reading information, transmitting the information to the center without storing it;
The wireless base unit according to claim 2 or 3.

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