JP7366967B2 - Unit, unit control method, and unit communication method - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention are based on M2M (Machine to Machine) applied technology or IoT, which collects information using various sensors installed in public facilities and homes, and performs control based on that information. (Internet of Things) Concerning applied technology.

As shown in Non-Patent Document 1 in the field of M2M or IoT applied technology, worldwide standardization work is progressing. Here, we aim to comprehensively integrate and manage information obtained from a wide variety of sensors, and to formulate general-purpose standards to apply the results to a variety of services.

D. Boswarthick et. al.: M2M Communications: A Systems Approach (2012, John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

As shown in Non-Patent Document 1, standardization activities to date have been based on the premise of collecting information from "sensor-embedded devices" and using that information in an integrated manner to provide services. Additionally, due to the versatility requirements of standardization, it is necessary to be able to comprehensively handle information obtained from all kinds of sensors. Furthermore, in order to maintain the utility value of the established standards over a long period of time, it is necessary to be able to respond to future technological advances in sensor-embedded devices and to accommodate the expandability of the types of sensors that can be incorporated into the devices. In this way, it is not only extremely difficult to ensure consistency between diversity (of sensors) and versatility (of standards), which are contradictory to each other; The essential contradiction of standardization activities lies in ensuring flexibility and extensibility (accommodating the diversity of standards).

There are four specific current technical issues listed below. First of all, the accuracy of information collection that should be utilized for service provision largely depends on whether the power is turned on or off for each sensor-embedded device. That is, in order to select the optimal service content, it is necessary to integrate information obtained from various sensors and estimate/judge the state within a given system or the user's behavior or state. However, when most of the devices in the network system are powered off, the amount of information to be collected is too small, causing a problem in which the accuracy of the estimation/judgment is significantly reduced.

Next, there is the difficulty of responding to future changes in the functions of sensor-embedded devices. For example, since the function of a television was previously limited to receiving broadcast waves and displaying images, consider the case where a communication standard was established that would allow only the television display status to be determined. In contrast, high-end Japanese TVs now have a built-in recording function. Furthermore, there are high-end televisions that have a data communication function using a network line. And although it is not so popular now, naked-eye 3D
With TV (3 Dimensional Television), it is possible to detect the location information of users who are viewing the TV. Furthermore, in the future, it is possible that televisions will have built-in light sensors (to optimally control the brightness of the display screen). In this way, if the standards are updated every time the TV functions improve, there is a problem in that it takes too much time to study the standards, resulting in a delay in response. On the other hand, if the number of supported items within the standard is increased in advance in anticipation of future expansion of TV functions, the standard itself becomes redundant and the control of support within the device becomes complicated.

The third technical issue is that current communication standards, which aim for versatility and expandability, are finely layered (see Figure 32 for details), which creates duplication and redundancy in communication information. By layering communication standards, it is possible to correspond to various technical areas by replacing specific layers, but on the other hand, it leads to an increase in the amount of communication information and complexity of processing. As long as communication was carried out using computers or smartphones equipped with processors with high processing power, the increase in the amount of communication information and the complexity of processing were not a problem. However, these are not suitable for demands for power saving and processing simplification.

The final technical challenge is to make communication information more versatile, which requires a large amount of processing power, leading to higher prices and higher power consumption. For example, communication information can be stored in XML (Extensible Markup Langua).
There is a communication method that allows communication information to be described in the ge) format to provide flexibility and expandability of communication information. However, in this case, an XML decoding function (parser) is required on the receiving side, which complicates the functions of the receiving side.
On the other hand, there is also a communication method that accommodates the diversity of devices by providing different standard tables for each type of device as communication information. However, even in this case, the standard table that can accommodate up to high-end devices of the same type becomes complicated, increasing the burden of communication processing on single-function devices.

An object of the present embodiment is to provide a unit, a unit control method, and a unit communication method that enable various uses of the unit.

According to one embodiment, a system controller that communicates with a server using a first communication means via the Internet communicates with a server using a local second communication means different from the first communication means. A unit that performs
The unit is
It has a communication module that realizes a communication function and another function module that realizes a function other than the communication function,
The other functional module includes multiple types of sensor modules and/or drive modules,
The communication module includes a processor and a memory unit, the memory unit includes an application modification software storage unit,
When the moved area changes, the unit receives software for executing a new application from the system controller via the second communication means, and this software is stored in the application change software storage and the stored The processing of the processor is executed based on software, and in this case, one or more of the plurality of types of sensor modules and/or drive modules are selectively selected depending on the usage environment of the communication module. A unit is provided, characterized in that the unit is configured.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a wide area network structure within the system of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a local network structure within the system of this embodiment. Embodiment explanatory diagram (1) of a unit. Embodiment explanatory diagram (2) of the unit. Embodiment explanatory diagram (1) of a composite module. Embodiment explanatory diagram (2) of a composite module. Embodiment explanatory diagram (3) of a composite module. Embodiment explanatory diagram (4) of a composite module. Embodiment explanatory diagram (5) of a composite module. Embodiment explanatory diagram (6) of a composite module. An explanatory diagram of a specific structure inside a sensor/communication module. 1 is a first embodiment showing a specific structure within a drive/communication module; A second embodiment showing a specific structure within the drive/communication module. A third embodiment showing a specific structure within the drive/communication module. A fourth embodiment showing a specific structure within the drive/communication module. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a specific structure within the communication module. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of a specific structure within a communication module. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment regarding a local network structure. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment regarding a local network structure. Application examples related to local network structure. An explanatory diagram of the basic application/communication layer structure of the system of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of information communicated in a communication middleware layer. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of transmission data within a network line in this embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of data structures in a physical layer header and a MAC layer header. FIG. 3 is a detailed explanatory diagram of an IEEE extended address in this embodiment. An explanatory diagram of a data structure in an IPV6 header. An explanatory diagram of communication middleware data structure in C-format. An explanatory diagram of communication middleware data structure in E-format. An explanatory diagram of communication middleware data structure in A-format. An explanatory diagram of an application example regarding the basic application/communication layer structure. Another example (1) explanatory diagram regarding the application/communication layer structure. Another example (2) explanatory diagram regarding the application/communication layer structure. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the periphery of a device driver in a computer system. An explanatory diagram around the management/control area of a unit in the system. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the management/control relationship of units within the system. An explanatory diagram of a method of managing/controlling units within the system from a software perspective. Comparison between the existing file system and the unit management method according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a display example of the internal structure of a unit management pseudo drive. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a display example of a structure within a folder corresponding to a composite module. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a display example of the internal structure of a sensor/communication module compatible folder. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of displaying sensor information in a sensor/communication module. An explanatory diagram of a routine for managing the position of devices and various modules in a section. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of an address table managed by the system of this embodiment. An explanatory diagram of an example of section division. An explanatory diagram of spatial unit sections related to sensing and services. An explanatory diagram of the basic processing flow within the system controller. An explanatory diagram of information collection and estimation/judgment methods from devices and composite modules fixedly placed within a section. An explanatory diagram of an estimation/determination method in this embodiment. An explanatory diagram of an example of time-series changes in communication information. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a method of providing services in sections. An explanatory diagram of information gathering and estimation/judgment methods from devices and composite modules that can be moved between sections. An explanatory diagram of a method for monitoring the position of devices and various modules. FIG. 3 is a structural explanatory diagram of a direction detection unit of a radio wave source in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a structural explanatory diagram of a stealth plate in this embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of detecting the direction of a radio wave source in this embodiment. An explanatory diagram of an example of section division in the field of social infrastructure. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of application of a composite module between different middleware layers. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which a composite module is applied between different systems. An explanatory diagram showing an example to which a composite module is applied. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing another example to which a composite module is applied. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example to which a composite module is applied. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example to which a composite module is applied. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example to which a composite module is applied. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example to which a composite module is applied. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example to which a composite module is applied. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing yet another example to which a composite module is applied.

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. First of all, the structure of chapters and sections related to the explanation content of this embodiment is shown in the table of contents below. Chapter 1 Overview of the entire system in this embodiment Section 1.1 Overview of the entire system of this embodiment Section 1.2 Explanation of unit form Section 1.3 Explanation of the configuration inside the composite module Section 1.4 Structure inside the sensor/communication module Explanation Section 1.5 Explanation of the structure within the drive/communication module Section 1.6 Explanation of an example structure within the communication module Section 1.7
Explanation of the overall structure of the wide area network system in this embodiment Section 1.8 Explanation of the local network system structure in this embodiment Section 1.9 Example of utilization of composite modules within the local network system Chapter 2 Hierarchical structure of communication information and data structure overview 2.
Section 1 Hierarchical structure of network communication-related functions in this embodiment Section 2.2 Relationship between the hierarchical structure of communication-related functions and communication information on the network line Section 2.3 Z-format in the physical layer and media access layer Data structure Section 2.4 Internet protocol version 6 layer data structure Section 2.5 C-format data structure in the communication middleware layer Section 2.6 E-format data structure in the communication middleware layer Section 2.7 A-format data structure in the communication middleware layer Section 2.8 Address table used in this embodiment system and its usage example Chapter 3 Management/display method for each unit Section 3.1 Regarding basic unit management method Overview Section 3.2 Unit management means Section 3.3 Specific unit management examples and display examples Chapter 4 Overview of sections within the system of this embodiment Section 4.1 Positioning of sections within the system of this embodiment 4.2 Section 4.3 How to manage the location of various modules and devices within a section Section 4.3 Processing methods from information collection to service provision for each section Section 4.4 How to track the movement of various modules and devices between sections Section 4.5 Unit Compatibility between different systems (complex modules and equipment) Chapter 5 Application examples for each application field Section 5.1 Application examples in the consumer sector Section 5.1.1 Application examples of wide area network systems in the consumer sector 5 Section 5.1.2 Example of application of composite module to civil sector Section 5.1.3 Example of application of section division method to civil sector Section 5.2 Example of application to social infrastructure sector Section 5.2.1 Society of wide area network systems Example of application to infrastructure field Section 5.2.2 Example of application of composite module to social infrastructure field Section 5.2.3 Example of application of section division method to social infrastructure field Section 5.3 Example of application to healthcare field Section 5.3.1 Example of application of wide area network system to healthcare field Section 5.3.2 Example of application of composite module to healthcare field 5.3.
Section 3 Example of applying the section division method to the healthcare field Next, according to the table of contents above, the following chapters/
Explain each section. Chapter 1 Overview of the entire system of this embodiment Section 1.1 Overview of the entire system of this embodiment First, an overview of the entire system of this embodiment will be explained using FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows the overall structure of a wide area network system in the entire system of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows the structure of a local network system forming a part of the wide area network system. In addition, the embodiments, service contents, and new effects explained in Figure 1 are as follows:
The same applies to the embodiment system shown in FIG. 2 as well. Similarly, the embodiments, service contents, and new effects described using FIG. 2 (or described later using FIGS. 8A to 8B and FIG. 9) are also applied to the entire wide area network system in FIG. 1. Ru.

In Figure 1, wholesaler A_1102 is the primary authority or organization that handles specified products or information.
, B1/2_1104-1/2. Further, organizations or groups that provide predetermined services are called service providers A to C_1112-1 to 3. Here service providers A to C
Each of _1112-1 to 3 has one or more servers 1 to n_1116-1 to n. Further, in the system of this embodiment, the servers 1 to n_1116-1 to n are also referred to as cloud servers or clouds. These service providers A to C_1112-1 to 3 are wholesaler B1_1104-1 and/or wholesaler B who handle similar products (or information).
Obtain products (or information) from 2_1104-2 and access each domain from 1 to 3_1122-1.
Provide services for 3. Here, domains 1 to 3_1122-1 to 3 indicate predetermined network spaces, and one domain 2_1122-2 indicates one or more systems α_
1132 and β_1134. By the way, in the following explanation, the above system α_
Another name for 1132 and β_1134 is a network system or a client system. Therefore, the names "network system" or "client system" that appear in the explanations that follow will be referred to as "system α_1132" above.
, β_1134". Also, as mentioned above, multiple different systems α_
One domain 2_1122-2 may be configured from 1132 and β_1134. Therefore, in the following description, the domain 2_1122-2 may be referred to as a composite client system. Therefore, the term "composite client" that will appear in the following explanations will be synonymous with "domain 2_1122-2".

Wholesaler A_1102, B1/2_1104-1/2 and service providers A to C
_1112-1 to 3 and domains 1 to 3_1122-1 to 3 are each connected to a network. In addition, each service provider A~C_1112-
1 to 3 are also connected to each other through a network, allowing them to share information or collaborate and accommodate resources 1114
is possible.

The system α_1132 shown in FIG. 1 means the smallest network system unit whose internal parts are connected to each other via a network. Furthermore, one system controller α_1126 is often installed within the system α_1132. This system controller α_1126 manages or operates the (network) system. However, one system β_1134, which is the smallest network system unit, may be composed of only one system controller β_1128. Furthermore, system α_1132 and system β_1134, which constitute the same domain 2_1122-2, may exist in locations that are physically separated from each other. Furthermore, different systems α within the same domain domain 2_1122-2
Cooperative processing between _1132 and β_1134 is also possible.

In the system of this embodiment, predetermined service units provided to users within the same system α_1132 are defined as sections 1 to m_1142-1 to m. Also, it is not limited to that,
Units related to the integration, management, and control of information collected within the same system α_1132 may be defined as sections 1 to m_1142-1 to m. Of course, the same sections 1 to m_1142-1 to m may serve both as a unit of service to users and as a unit of information integration/management/control. Providing services and collecting/managing information in units of sections 1 to m_1142-1 to m in this way has the effect of increasing the efficiency of providing services and collecting/managing information and improving convenience for users.

Figure 2 shows the structure of the local network system formed by system α_1132 in Figure 1.
Shown below. A processor 1230 and a memory section 1232 are included in the system controller α_1126.
is built in, and network communication within the system α_1132 is performed via the communication module 1202-3. In parallel, the system controller α_1126 is also capable of network communication with the outside via the same communication module 1202-3.

In the system of this embodiment, basic units having network communication functions other than the system controller α_1126 in the network system α_1132 are defined as units 1 to 7_1290-1 to 7. In this embodiment, various predetermined functions scattered within the network system α_1132 are managed or controlled on a unit-by-unit basis. This facilitates integrated management/control of various functions within the same network system α_1132, regardless of the physical form of the unit. At each unit 1-7_1290-1-7
In Figure 2, units 1 to 7_129 are used to realize the network communication function in
An example is shown in which communication modules 1202-4 to 1202-10 are built in for each of 0-1 to 7. However, the means for realizing the network communication function is not limited to this, and for example, a part of a predetermined module or a part of a device may have a network communication function. Alternatively, the network communication function may be implemented as part of the functions within specific software.

In the system of this embodiment, the system controller α_1126 is basically responsible for managing/operating/controlling network communication within the network system α_1132. This system controller α_1126 physically connects to the network system α_1126 as shown in FIG.
It is often installed within _1132. In this case, each unit 1 to 7 in FIG.
Each of _1290-1 to _1290-7 can directly communicate information with the system controller α_1126. However, the system controller β_1128 physically installed outside the network system α_1132 may manage/operate/control network communication within the network system α_1132 as described later with reference to FIG. 9. In addition, the system controller α_1126 or the system controller β_1 is not limited to this.
Under the management of 128, individual information communication between different units 1-7_1290-1-7 can also be performed. Section 1.2 Unit configuration description System controller α_1126 allows
The feature that various predetermined functions scattered within the system α_1132 are managed or controlled on a unit-by-unit basis has already been explained in the previous section. In other words, as shown in Figure 2, the same network system α
Since a large number of means for implementing various functions are scattered within the _1132, integrated management and control of them has conventionally been very complicated. Furthermore, the physical form of the unit that realizes various functions is
equipment 1250 and composite module 1295 (this composite module will be explained later in section 1.3)
, sensor module 1260, drive module 1270, etc. Therefore,
Integrated management and control will become even more complex.

As a countermeasure to the increase in complexity, in the system of this embodiment, the network system α_11
The network communication function was used as the standard for the wide variety of function implementation means scattered within 32 (
The feature is that it is managed and controlled as a unit (with the means for realizing each network communication function as a basic unit). In other words, a single function or a collection of various functions that can be realized in conjunction with a minimum network communication function is grouped into a common and generalized concept called a unit. Further, as described above, each individual unit can take various physical forms, but management, control, or information collection is performed using a common/generalized unit that does not depend on a specific physical form as a basic unit. In this way, by defining a unit that does not depend on individual functions or physical form as a management unit (or control/information collection unit) within network system α_1132, management within network system α_1132 by system controller α_1126 or system controller β_1128 or This has the effect of greatly simplifying control/information collection. (Specific examples of management/control using units will be discussed later in Chapter 3.)
As an example of a specific physical form of the unit, as shown in Fig. 2, Device 1_12
The entire 50-1 may correspond to the unit 4_1290-4, or the entire composite module 1_1295-1, 7_1295-7 that exists independently may be made to correspond to the unit 1_1290-1, 7_1.
It may be made to correspond to 290-7. In addition, the device 2_1250-2 and the device 5_1 are not limited to this.
Composite modules 6_1295-6, 2_1295-2, 3 forming part of 250-5
_1295-3 into units 6_1290-6, 2_1290-2, 3_1290 respectively
It may be made to correspond to -3. However, in Figure 2, unit 2_1290-2 and unit 3_129
0-3 are duplicated at communication module 1202-10. In this way, in this embodiment, some overlap between different units 2_1290-2 and 3_1290-3 is allowed. Furthermore, there may be an inclusion relationship between different units (a state in which one unit is completely included in another unit).

Although a specific example is shown in FIG. 2, a general form that the unit can take will be explained using FIG. 3A. In the unit form shown in FIG. 3A(a), a device (
The entire device) 1250 corresponds to one unit 1290. Here, if this device 1250 has complex multi-functions, the unit 1290 is similarly managed or controlled/information collected within the network system α_1132 as a basic unit having complex multi-functions.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3A(b), a composite module 1295 (specific details will be described later in Section 1.3) that exists independently in the network system α_1132 may be made to correspond to one unit 1290. Furthermore, as another management form (or control/information collection unit form), a predetermined composite module 1295 can be added or connected to a specific device 1250 (which may or may not have a network communication function by itself) to expand the equipment. The entire process may be regarded as one unit 1290 as shown in FIG. 3A(c).

The unit form defined in the device 5_1250-5 shown in FIG. 2 will be explained in an easy-to-understand manner using FIG. 3B. As shown in FIG. 3B, within the device 5_1250-5, there is one sensor module 1260-9 having a sensor function, and two drive modules 1_1270-5 and 2_1270-6 having mutually different driving or operating functions. Built-in. Furthermore, a communication module 1202-10 having a network communication function with the system controller α_1126 is also incorporated within the network system α_1132. The device 5_1250-5 includes a device controller 1240-3 that integrally controls the operations of these modules and also integrally collects and manages status information of these modules and sensor information obtained therefrom. Information acquired or uniquely generated by the device controller 1240-3 can be stored in the memory section 1246.

As described above, as a reference unit for optimal management or control/information collection within the network system α_1132, the system controller α_1126 or the system controller β_1128 can appropriately set (define) the unit form. For example, if the system controller α_1126 or the system controller β_1128 wants to control/collect information on the individual sensor functions and drive (operation) functions in the device 5_1250-5 in detail via the network (that is, via the communication module 1202-10), , unit 2_1290-2 is set as shown in FIG. 3B(a). In this case, unit 2_1290-2 includes a sensor module 1260-9, two drive modules 1_1270-5 and 2_1270-6, and a communication module 1202-10. and system controller α_11
26 (or system controller β_1128) can have detailed control over individual modules within unit 2_1290-2.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B(b), unit 3_1290-3 is comprised only of communication module 1202-10 and device controller 1240-3. Therefore, system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128)
When communicating information with the device 5_1290-3, it is possible to perform advanced control that integrates the entire device 5_1250-5 or to collect information in an integrated manner. In order to communicate information with unit 3_1290-3, there is no need for detailed information communication processing for each module, unlike when communicating information with unit 2_1290-2. Therefore, when setting (defining) unit 3_1290-3, system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_11
28) is greatly simplified and processing efficiency is improved. Unit 12 as above
When the form (configuration) of unit 90 changes, the content of communication information with unit 1290 as seen from system controller α_1126 (system controller β_1128) changes.

By the way, as mentioned above, the unit takes the form of a predetermined function realized in cooperation with a minimum network communication function. Therefore, there is a minimum network communication function within the unit. As an example of the implementation form of this network communication function, as shown in FIG. 3B, the communication module 12
02-10, the above unit will include a communication module 1202-10. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3B(c), the communication module 1202-
Unit 2_1290-2 and unit 3_1290-3 overlap with 10 as a common part.

If the specific form of the unit 1290 can be set flexibly within the network system α_1132, such as by making it possible to set multiple different units that overlap in the same functional unit as described above, the management of the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128) ( This has the effect of increasing the degree of freedom (control/information gathering). Section 1.3 As one form of the configuration explanation unit 1295 in the composite module, composite module 1 is shown in FIG. 3A(b).
295 configuration is shown. In this embodiment, a composite module is defined as a functional module that can implement a communication function and other functions other than the communication function. A particular feature is that communication functions are involved in realizing the other functions. Information communication with the outside (outside the composite module 1295) regarding the other functions is performed via this communication function. i.e. composite module 1295
Information obtained as a result of executing a specific function of the composite module 1295 can be collected from the outside (outside the composite module 1295) by using the communication function within the composite module 1295. On the other hand, a communication function within the composite module 1295 may be used to control a specific function of the composite module 1295 from the outside (outside the composite module 1295).

Here, specific examples of the other functions include a sensor function, a drive (or operation) function, a control (process) function, a memory function, a display function, and the like. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the composite module may have any function other than the communication function. In particular, a composite module having a sensor function is referred to as a sensor/communication module 1460, and a composite module having a drive (or operating) function is referred to as a drive/communication module 1470. Further, a composite module having a control (process) function is referred to as a processor/communication module 1465, a composite module having a memory function is referred to as a memory/communication module 1475, and a composite module having a display function is referred to as a display/communication module 1478.

Next, the difference between the composite module described here and the unit described in Section 1.2 will be explained. The composite module 1295 can constitute a part of the device 1290 as a predetermined module. Furthermore, the composite module 1295 may exist alone within the network system. On the other hand, the unit 1290 means a basic unit of management/control/information collection within a network system in which various forms such as the device 1290, the composite module 1295, or a combination thereof are common and generalized. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3A(b), there is an inclusive relationship in which one or more composite modules 1295 can be included in one unit 1290. As a specific example, the device 1290 corresponds to one form of the unit 1290, whereas the composite module 1295 constitutes only a part of the device 1290. Here, in the above-mentioned inclusion relationship, the means for realizing the above-described communication function is commonly owned within the unit 1290 and within the composite module 1295. By the way, in Section 1.2, the system controller α_
It has been explained that unit 1126 is not included in unit 1290. On the other hand, there are places where part of the system controller α_1126 can be set to the composite module 1295, but the unit 1290
There is a big difference between

Communication functions and other functions within a composite module can be realized by either software (programs) or hardware (circuits), or can be realized by a combination of software and hardware (partially realized by hardware and the rest by software). ) may be done. In addition, there is no need for the above communication function and other functions to be separated in either software or hardware, and means for realizing both functions may coexist on software or hardware, or there may be some overlap or inclusion relationship. . Furthermore, it is not necessary that the means for realizing both functions be directly combined on software or hardware. In other words, a configuration may be adopted in which the communication function implementation means and the other function implementation means are arranged at widely separated locations on the hardware or program, and the implementation means for both functions can perform cooperative processing using some kind of link means.

For convenience of explanation, the configuration within the composite module is shown in a block structure in FIGS. 4A to 4F.
This block may be a predetermined circuit (hardware) or a program (software) having a predetermined grouping. Further, each block does not necessarily have to be separated on the software or hardware, and as described above, there may be a mixed/distributed scattering/partial overlap (common use)/inclusion relationship among the blocks.

The configuration of a basic composite module 1295 is shown in FIG. 4A. A communication module 1660 is provided as a means for realizing the communication function within the composite module 1295. However, Figure 4A(a)
14 shows a configuration in which an antenna 1480 for transmitting and receiving wireless signals is placed separately and connected to a communication module 1660. On the other hand, in FIG. 4A(b), an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals is built into the communication module to constitute an antenna-embedded communication module 1666. Furthermore, this antenna built-in communication module 1666 has a structure in which it is functionally connected to another function module (function other than communication) 1440 that realizes functions other than communication functions (both functions in cooperation with each other). However, as shown in FIG. 4A(b), it is not always necessary that the antenna built-in communication module 1666 and the other function module 1440 are directly connected, but as long as a link is formed between the two functions in some way. good. As an example of the link formation, as shown in FIG. 4A(a), a communication module 1660 and another function module (functions other than communication) 1440, which are separated from each other at a remote distance, can be connected by a long-distance cable or the like. They may also have remote cooperation 1444. (For example, if a composite module is configured with software, and the program that configures the communication module 1660 and the program that configures the other function module 1440 are placed on servers in remote locations, the link data corresponding to the remote collaboration 1444 ( UR
Both programs may perform cooperative processing via a Uniform Resource Locator (L (Uniform Resource Locator), etc.).
)For example, radio transmission and reception (Antenna 1
If you want to operate other function modules (functions other than communication) 1440 in a special environment where communication function implementation by communication module 1660 using 480 is not possible, use the above-mentioned remote cooperation 1444.
This has the effect of allowing the composite module 1295 to function stably even under special environments. In addition, configurations other than those shown in FIG. 4A are not prohibited as the configuration of the composite module; for example, a communication module with a built-in antenna 1666 and another function module (functions other than communication) 1440 are located remotely, and the two are connected remotely using a long-distance cable or the like. Cooperation 1444 may also be performed.

FIG. 4B shows a configuration example in which a sensor/communication module 1460 is used as an example of the composite module 1295. The other function module (functions other than communication) 1440 in FIG. 4A is the sensor module 1260 in FIG. 4B. This sensor module 1260
means a sensor function unit having a quantitative or qualitative information gathering function or signal detection function within the predetermined system α_1132. This sensor module 1260 has the attribute of being able to be installed or moved (portable) within a predetermined system α_1132, and can contribute to state measurement and observation within the corresponding system α_1132.

Examples of specific objects to be sensed include information common to the human body such as body temperature, pulse rate, heart rate, and breathing rate, human facial expressions, individual face shape and appearance, identifiable information such as size information such as height and width, and illuminance. Physical information such as (brightness), acceleration, temperature, humidity, power/current/voltage, flow rate (of water, gas, etc.), number of people in a predetermined section 1142, congestion status or human presence detection information, Examples include movement information such as traffic conditions, structure information such as temperature, strain, shape, number of cracks, and internal cavity volume of the structure, but are not limited to these, and may correspond to any sensing target.

FIG. 4C shows a configuration example using a drive/communication module 1470 as the next example of the composite module 1295. The other function module (functions other than communication) 1440 in FIG. 4A is the drive module 1670 in FIG. 4C. Further, the external antenna 1480 and the communication module 1660 may be connectable (FIG. 4C(b)), or may be configured with a built-in antenna communication module 1666 that includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals (FIG. 4C(a)). Also good. Furthermore, in the embodiment of FIG. 4C(a), the communication module 1666 with a built-in antenna and the drive module 1670 are located at remote locations from each other, and the two companies are configured to be able to collaborate remotely 1444 via a remote cable or the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a communication module 1660 connectable to an external antenna 1480 and a drive module 1670 are remotely linked 1444 may be used.

The driving module 1670 defined here means a service provision-related function unit for providing a specific service or a state change control function unit used to control a predetermined state change within the system α_1132. Here we use the term “Actu” in the term “Actu”.
The word "ator)" is often misunderstood to mean that it is limited only to movable parts or moving parts that involve actual movement, but it does not necessarily have to involve movement.Therefore, as specific functional examples of the drive module mentioned above, sound and image display functions, functions to maintain or change the illuminance of lights and odor intensity, and specified information transmission functions (such as remote control functions) and information that play a part of the information transmission path to control them. A communication relay function, a remote control function (of the predetermined device 1250), etc. may also be provided.

The sensor/communication module 1460 and drive/communication module 1470 described so far are
Information is often communicated relatively passively in accordance with control from system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128). In contrast, the processor/communications module 1465 shown in FIG. 4D performs a relatively spontaneous or active function. In this embodiment, the control (process) function implementation means within the processor/communication module 1465 includes not only the device controller 1240 within the device 1250 but also the processor 1230 (FIG. 2) within the system controller α_1126 and the system controller β_112.
8 (FIGS. 17A/B) may be included. In particular, the communication module 1202-3 in the system controller α_1126 and the system controller β_1128
This enables information communication with devices installed outside the system α_1132 and system β_1134 (for example, server α_1116-n). Here composite module 1295
As a minimum, the information communication function within the system α_1132 (or system β_1134) is required. Therefore, in FIG. 4D, the communication module 1202-3 is functionally separated into a communication module 1752 corresponding to the same system and a communication module 1758 corresponding to outside the system, and only this communication module 1752 corresponding to the same system is connected to the processor/communication module 1465.
It takes the form of composing. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and an external communication module 1758 may be included in the processor/communication module 1465. Further, when the configured (defined) processor/communication module 1465 exists in the device 1250, the above-mentioned external communication module 1758 is often not originally included in the device 1250.

In the case where the processor/communication module 1465 performs a relatively autonomous or active function within the network system α_1132 (or β_1134), FIG.
Information recorded in a recording area 1740 of management information (table) related information, which will be described later, using 0A/B is often used. Therefore, the processor/communications module 1465
If active functionality is required, the processor/communication module 1465 may include a portion of the memory sections 1242 and 1246 within the device 1250 or the system controller α_1126.
(FIG. 2) or a portion of the memory section 1248 (FIGS. 17A/B) within the system controller β_1128.

For example, when the system controller α_1126 reads information recorded in the memory unit 1242 in the device 1_1250-1 in FIG.
processor 1230 in the device and device controller 1240-1 in the device 1_1250-1
It is necessary to exchange sophisticated communication information between the two parties. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 4E, a memory/communication module 1475 is composed only of a recording area 1740 of management information (table) related information in memory units 1242, 1246, 1232, and 1248 and a corresponding communication module 1752 within the same system. By having the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128), it is possible to directly communicate information with the memory/communication module 1475 using a very simplified communication protocol. Therefore, the memory/communication module 1475 has the effect of simplifying communication of information recorded in the management information (table) related information recording area 1740 therein.

As for the functions realized by the other function module 1440 in FIG. 4A, only single function examples have been described in FIGS. 4B to 4E. However, as shown in FIG. 4F, one composite module 1
A plurality of different functions may be realized within H.295. For example, within the composite module 1295, there are multiple different sense functions (compatible with sensor modules 1_1260-1 and 2_1260-2), multiple different drive (operation) functions (compatible with drive modules 1_1670-1 and 21670-2), and control ( Process function (corresponding to processors 1230, 1734 or device controller 1240), memory function (corresponding to memory units 1232, 1248), and display function (display module 1226) may be simultaneously implemented. Further, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4F, the sensor module 1_1260-1 and the drive module 1670-2 are individually arranged in a place far away from the place where the antenna 1480 and the communication module 1660 are connected, and the long-distance cable etc. A structure that allows remote collaboration 1444 using .

Note that in FIG. 4F, each of the other function modules having functions other than communication is individually wired from the communication module 1660. However, instead of being connected to each other functional module, the communication module 1660 and a large number of other functional modules may be connected to a common bus line. In this case, other functional modules directly connected to the communication module 1660 are switched over time depending on the selector action or address designation. Section 1.4 Explanation of Structure within Sensor/Communication Module A more specific and detailed structural example within the sensor/communication module 1460 outlined in FIG. 4B is shown in FIG. As a basic structure, the sensor signal or detection information obtained by the sensor module 1260 is transferred to the communication module 1660. This sensor signal or detection information is sent to the system controller α_112 via the communication module 1660.
6 (FIG. 2). Here, using FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B, we will explain the communication middleware layer APL02 compliant with C-format, etc., which will be described later in Chapter 2.
Processing of information communicated in is also performed within communications module 1660 in FIG.

On the other hand, the power supplied to the sensor module 1260 and the communication module 1660 is
Obtained from the power storage module (battery) 1554. Additionally, the sensor/communications module 1460 of FIG.
has a built-in (solar) power generation module (solar cell) 1552 that has a photoelectric conversion function, and the electric power generated in this (solar) power generation module (solar cell) 1552 that has a photoelectric conversion function is transferred to the power storage module. (Battery) Stored in 1554. Although FIG. 5 shows a (solar) power generation module (solar cell) 1552 having a photoelectric conversion function as a power generation means, some other energy conversion means may be used instead. As an energy conversion means other than the above-mentioned photoelectric conversion element, for example, thermo-electrical conversion means such as a thermocouple may be used. A sensor/communication module 14 incorporating such a thermo-electrical conversion means
60 may be worn by an end user, and the sensor/communication module 1460 may be operated by power generation using the end user's body temperature. As another example, the wireless energy received by the communication module 1660 from the communication module 1202-3 in the system controller α_1126 in FIG. The near-field energy received from the sensor may be converted into electric power and stored. In this way, by incorporating an energy conversion means such as a (solar) power generation module 1552 and a power storage module (battery) 1554 in the sensor/communication module 1460, the sensor/communication module 1460 can be used for a long time without external power supply. operation becomes possible.

When the sensor module 1260 is used to measure light, ambient temperature, or ambient humidity, or when the sensor module 1260 corresponds to a human sensor, etc., the sensor module 1260 is used as a device 1_1250-1, 2_1250-2, 5_1250-5 (Fig. 2
) is mounted so that it is exposed on the surface. At the same time, the (solar) power generation modules (solar cells) 1552 are
It is mounted so that it is exposed on the surface of the

However, if the sensor/communication module 1460 is left in a dark place for a long period of time, the amount of power stored in the power storage module (battery) 1554 decreases, and there is a risk that a sufficient amount of power cannot be supplied to the sensor module 1260 and the communication module 1660. On the other hand, power storage module (battery) 1554
When the output voltage of the power storage module (battery) 1554 or the amount of power stored in the power storage module (battery) 1554 falls below a predetermined reference value, the system controller α_1126 in FIG.
will be notified. Specifically, as will be explained in detail in Chapter 2 with reference to FIG.
0 to the system controller α_1126. and system controller α
When the processor 1230 in the specific sensor/communication module 1460 detects a decrease in the amount of stored power in the power storage module (battery) 1554 built in the specific sensor/communication module 1460, the processor 1230 in the user I/F unit 12
34 to the end user. By appropriately notifying the system controller α_1126 of the output voltage or amount of stored power of the power storage module (battery) 1554 in this way, it is possible to prevent the operation of a specific sensor/communication module 1460 due to a decrease in the amount of stored power, and the system of this embodiment This has the effect of ensuring overall operational stability.

The sensor/communication module 1460 shown in FIG. 5 also includes a near-field communication module 1560 capable of near-field wireless communication. The proximity wireless transfer technology used here is
For example, TransferJet or the contactless IC card standard FeliCa (registered trademark) (a coined word combining Felicity and Card) may be applied. In addition to the external power supply described above, the near-field communication module 1560 may be used to detect the installation location of the sensor/communication module 1460 during initial settings as described below. Specifically, when the composite module 7_1295-7 corresponding to the sensor/communication module is installed alone in the system of this embodiment shown in FIG. 2 (or the composite module 6_12 corresponding to the sensor/communication module
When installing device 2_1250-2 with built-in 95-6), GPS
A portable external device (not shown) having a built-in function (obal positioning system) is brought close to communicate with the near-field communication module 1560. The GPS position information at this time is notified to the system controller α_1126 via the communication module 1202-3. As a result, the composite module 7_1295-7 that supports the sensor/communication module (or the sensor/communication module
Device 2_1250 with built-in composite module 6_1295-6 compatible with communication module
-2) The location information where the device is installed is registered in the system controller α_1126. This registration information is stored in the memory unit 1232 (FIG. 2) in the system controller α_1126, for example, as information in the format shown in FIG. 23, which will be explained in Chapter 2. In this way, the sensor/communication module 146 is equipped with a built-in GPS function and initialized by near-field communication using a portable external device.
Since the installation location of 0 can be known, it is possible to provide detailed services to end users. Section 1.5 Structure explanation inside the drive/communication module Drive/communication module as outlined in Figure 4C
More specific and detailed structural examples within the communication module 1470 are shown in FIGS. 6A to 6D. When the externally controllable drive/communication module 1470 is used as part of the circuit (in-circuit component) in the device 1250, the circuit component function is "ON/OFF switch", "predetermined voltage output", or "variable voltage output". In many cases, the function ``resistance value'' is used. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned standard functions (most often used in the circuit) are provided in the specific device 1250 as modules.
As a result, the compatible device 1250 is characterized by lower cost and improved ease of assembly. Among the functions mentioned above as an example, FIG. 6A shows the internal structure of the drive/communication module 1470 that provides the function of "variable resistance value" and the drive/communication module 1470 that provides the function of "ON/OFF switch".
The internal structure of the communication module 1470 is shown in FIG. 6B, and the internal structure of the drive/communication module 1470 that provides the "predetermined voltage output" function is shown in FIG. 6C. Among them, the function of "variable resistance value" and "ON/
In order to provide the function of "OFF switch", an input terminal 1602 and an output terminal 1604 are required. FIG. 6A shows a structure in which a variable resistance section 1610 is disposed between both terminals so that variable resistance values between the two companies can be set. On the other hand, in FIG. 6B, a conduction/disconnection switching section 1614 is shown between both terminals.
is installed to form an ON/OFF switch between the two. Continuity with variable resistance section 1610/
A CMOS (Complementary Metal-oxide) is used as a specific circuit element of the disconnection switching section 1614.
An e-Semiconductor type FET (Field-effect Transistor) element may also be used. Here, the gamma characteristic (the resistance value characteristic between the input terminal 1602 and the output terminal 1604 with respect to the input voltage applied to the variable resistance section 1610 or the conduction/disconnection switching section 1614) is smooth (even if the applied input voltage value is changed greatly). The variable resistance section 16
10, with a steep gamma characteristic (a slight change in input voltage around a predetermined threshold value causes a rapid change in resistance from a conductive state with a resistance value close to 0 to a disconnected state with a resistance value of "very large") element) can be used for the conduction/disconnection switching section 1614. However, in this embodiment, the CMO
Not limited to S-type FET elements, functions that provide variable resistance through some kind of control or ON
Any circuit element that provides the function of a /OFF switch may be used. on the other hand"
The terminal that outputs the "predetermined voltage" may be a single voltage output terminal 1606, as shown in FIG. 6C. The output voltage output from this terminal is determined by the predetermined voltage generation section 161 in the drive module 1670.
It is connected to the output of 8. In this embodiment, as a specific example of a circuit inside this predetermined voltage generation section 1618, a ground line (earth line ), and extracts the intermediate voltage from a variable resistor connected between the A method is adopted in which the system is maintained using a circuit (circuit). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any method or circuit capable of generating and maintaining a predetermined voltage may be used.

In all of FIGS. 6A to 6C, the set values are provided from a communication module 1660 located outside the drive module 1670. A feature of this embodiment is that a storage section for setting values is provided internally so that the setting values do not change even if the drive/communication module 1470 is powered off. The part corresponding to this storage part is the set resistance value storage part 162 in FIG. 6A.
0, setting state storage section 1624 in FIG. 6B and setting voltage storage section 162 in FIG. 6C
It becomes 8. All of these are configured with nonvolatile semiconductor memories such as NAND (Not And) memories, for example. However, the storage section is not limited to this, and the storage section may be formed of any nonvolatile memory. That is, in any of FIGS. 6A to 6C, the set value notified from the communication module 1660 is once notified to the set resistance value storage section 1620, the set state storage section 1624, and the set voltage storage section 1628, and is stored in those storage sections in a non-volatile manner. is memorized. At the same time, the stored setting values are output from these storage sections to control the operation of variable resistance section 1610, conduction/disconnection switching section 1614, or predetermined voltage generation section 1618.

However, when the drive modules 1270-1 and 1270-6 are used to control or change the setting state of devices 1_1250-1 and 5_1250-5 in FIG.
As a specific form of 70-1 and 1270-6, an extended form of the existing remote control using infrared communication may be adopted. That is, drive module 1270- in device 1_1250-1
1 and communication module 1202-4 drive/communication module 1470 (composite module 1
295), and can be placed at a remote location outside of device 1_1250-1 as a "new type remote control." Similarly, drive module 1270-5 in device 5_1250-5
and part of the communication module 1202-10 constitute a drive/communication module 1470 (a type of composite module 1295), and it may be possible to place it at a remote location outside the device 5_1250-5 as a "new type remote control". . As a concrete example, an expansion system (replacement product) for the conventional remote control that uses infrared communication that comes with air conditioners, televisions, lighting equipment, etc.
You may use this "new type remote control" as a.

The internal structure of drive/communication module 1470 adapted to this usage method is shown in FIG. 6D. Figure 6D
In the embodiment shown in , the control of transition between binary states such as "ON/OFF switching" (
This makes it possible to handle both control related to "changes in state settings" and "detailed changes in state settings using multi-value information." In addition, control of transition between binary states (change of state settings) from the communication module 1660 that has received communication information exchanged within the network system α_1132 is as follows:
It is saved or updated within the setting state storage unit 1624. On the other hand, control information related to "detailed state setting changes using multi-value information" sent from the communication module 1660 is stored or updated in the set voltage storage section 1628.

The information stored or updated in the setting state storage section 1624 and the setting voltage storage section 1628 is format-converted by the format conversion section 1644, and then the infrared light emission drive circuit 1
648, the light is emitted and modulated by the infrared light emitting element 1608, and reaches the remote control compatible infrared receiver in the device 1_1250-1 or 5_1250-5. Accordingly, the drive/communication module 1470 shown in FIG. 6D can be used to connect existing infrared communication remote controllers without replacing the main bodies of many existing devices 1_1250-1 or 5_1250-5 such as air conditioners, televisions, and lighting equipment.
You can easily and inexpensively replace existing equipment 1250 with network system α_1132.
It has an effect that can be incorporated internally.

Here, the minimum required functions required for existing remote controllers do not necessarily need to store the state when controlling the device 1250. However, since the setting state storage section 1624 and the setting voltage storage section 1628 are built into the drive module 1670 in the drive/communication module 1460, there is an effect that the system controller α_1126 can check the control history later via the communication module 1660. . Note that the setting state storage section 1624 and the setting voltage storage section 1628
As described above, a NAND (Not And) memory or other non-volatile memory may be used.

Here, as the communication information transmitted between the system controller α_1126 and the drive/communication module 1470, the C-format, which will be described in detail later in Chapter 2, may be used. A method of transferring communication information exchanged with the system controller α_1126 of FIG. 2 within the drive/communication module 1470 based on the C-format will be described below. However, the information communication process is not limited to this, and may be performed with the system controller α_1126 in A-format, E-format, or any other format.

First, when issuing a command (issuing a command) from the system controller α_1126 to the existing device 1250 to start operation (turn on the power), the system controller α_1126 sends communication information ( Figure 14 (d
)) is set to [111] (reset instruction), the multilevel transmission data section CTMDT is set to [0000], and the value of the binary transmission data section CT2DT is set to [111] (reset instruction).
1] (ON). When the communication module 1660 receives the information, the information [1] (power ON) is transferred to the setting state storage unit 1624 in the drive module 1670.
be remembered. Further, the information passes through the setting state storage section 1624 and is notified to the format conversion section 1644, where it is converted into information indicating power ON of the existing remote control. The converted information is then transferred to the infrared light emitting drive circuit 1648, and the light emission of the infrared light emitting element 1608 is controlled. Then, the information after the conversion is transmitted to the existing device 1250, and the device 1250
The power is turned on.

By the way, in the C-format shown in FIG. 14(d), it is also possible to change and set (reset) multi-valued information corresponding to, for example, changing the set temperature of an air conditioner or changing the illuminance of lighting equipment. In this case, the communication access control information 1830 in the communication information (FIG. 14(d)) from the system controller α_1126 to the drive/communication module 1470 is set to [111] (reset instruction), and the multilevel transmission data section CTMDT is set to [111] (reset instruction). 0000]. In this case, in the 5-bit information including the multilevel transmission data part CTMDT and the binary transmission data part CT2DT,
The values between 0% and 100% are assigned to values [00010] to [11111], respectively. When the communication module 1660 then receives the information, the changed settings are converted into percentages. The information after the percentage conversion is then transferred/stored in the set voltage storage section 1628. Further, the information passes through the setting voltage storage section 1628 and is notified to the format conversion section 1644, where it is converted into information indicating a state setting change value in the existing remote control. The converted information then operates the infrared light emitting drive circuit 1648 to control the light emission of the infrared light emitting element 1608, and the setting state of the existing device 1250 is changed.

Next, a method for confirming the state already set in the drive/communication module 1470 by the system controller α_1126 will be described. In this case, first the communication access control information 183
Communication information in which 0 is set to [011] (response (data) request) is communicated from the system controller α_1126 to the drive/communication module 1470. When the communication module 1660 in FIG. 6D receives a response (data) request from the system controller α_1126, it reads information already stored in the setting state storage unit 1624 and the setting voltage storage unit 1628. The result is then set in the binary transmission data section CT2DT or the multilevel transmission data section CTMDT in FIG. 14(d). Here, communication access control information 183 in the communication information communicated from the drive/communication module 1470 to the system controller α_1126
0 is set as [010] (response answer).

Considering the ease of explaining the operation of the drive/communication module 1470 in this embodiment, the operation of the drive/communication module 1470 has been disclosed in the form of hardware (electrical circuit). However, the drive/communication module 14 is not limited to this as a software module in the system of this embodiment.
70 may be formed. However, in this way, the drive/communication module 147 is driven by a software module.
0, input/output terminals 1602, 1604, voltage output terminal 1606, or infrared light emitting element 1608 as shown in FIGS. 6A to 6D are installed. Below is an explanation of how to use the software module. Communication modules 1202-4 to 10 in FIG. 2
As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the communication module 1660 in FIGS. 6A to 6D includes processors 1960 and 1736, and performs communication control processing according to a predetermined communication control program. Any program language executable within the processors 1960 and 1736 corresponds to this communication control program.

Hereinafter, the entire communication control program will be referred to as a "main program", and a predetermined set of small programs called from this main program will be referred to as a "subprogram module". However, the explanation is not limited thereto, and will also include terms used in Java, taking into consideration Java (registered trademark) scripts that do not depend on the OS (Operation System) or Java applets that are compatible with HTML/HTML5. Communication module 1 in Figures 6A to 6D
In the main program (Class) that causes the processor built in the 660 to process, there is a subprogram module (predetermined method (Me)) corresponding to the drive module 1670.
thod)) is executed. Within this subprogram module (predetermined method), corresponding processing for the input/output terminals 1602 and 1604 or the voltage output terminal 1606 is executed based on the setting values set in advance in the subprogram module (predetermined method (Method)). be done. Then, when a setting change command is notified (command issued) from the system controller α_1126 in FIG. Calls a subprogram module (separate method) to perform setting value change processing. Thereafter, corresponding processing for the input/output terminals 1602, 1604 or the voltage output terminal 1606 is executed based on the changed setting value.

By the way, in the above explanation, the drive/communication module 1 included in a type of composite module 1295
470 was explained as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and any composite module 1295 such as the sensor/communication module 1460, processor/communication module 1465, memory/communication module 1475, etc. may be realized by the above-mentioned software module.

Further, although the description in FIGS. 6A to 6D is omitted for simplicity of explanation, the (solar) power generation module 15 is included in the drive/communication module 1470 shown in FIGS. 6A to 6D as in FIG. 5.
An energy conversion means such as 52, a power storage module (battery) 1554, and a near-field communication module 1560 may be incorporated. Section 1.6 Explanation of structural example inside communication module Communication module 16 with external antenna 1480 configuring the composite module shown in FIGS. 4A to 4F
An example of the structure within 60 is shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. Note that in the structure examples of the communication module 1666 with a built-in antenna and the communication module 1752 with a built-in antenna in FIGS. 4A to 4E, the communication module 1660 shown in FIG. An antenna 1480 is built-in.

By the way, system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1) in Figure 2
128), device controllers 1240-1 and 1240-3 in device 1_1250-1 or device 5_1250-5, and composite module 1_1295-1 existing alone,
A major feature of this embodiment is that it has a structure that allows the same communication module 1660 to be used in common among the 7_1295-7s. In this way, by sharing the communication module 1660 with the same structure among many constituent members (system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128) and unit 1290) in the same network system α_1132, the communication module 1660 can be It has the effect of lowering the cost.

As a specific method for realizing the above feature, the communication module 1660 is provided with a function that is common to all the composite modules 1295 shown in FIGS. 4B to 4F. Here, Figure 4B
~The functions common to all the composite modules 1295 shown in FIG. 4F are: 1] Supporting common communication protocols used within the same network system α_1132 2]
Two points can be raised: support for information communication of all kinds of information related to functions other than communication functions. By the way, as explained in sections 1.2 and 1.3, the unit 1290 and the composite module 1295
Among them, the function [2] is particularly important because the communication module 1660 is always connected to other functional modules having functions other than communication.

The communication module 1660 has the functions to realize the above [1] and [2]. Specifically, the function [1] above is mainly realized by the communication control unit 1700 in FIG. 7A. Further, the function [2] above is mainly realized within the interface unit 1710 in FIG. 7A. In FIG. 7A, for easy understanding, each function is divided into communication control unit 1700/interface unit 17.
10 and are divided into areas. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and circuits that implement the above two points may be mixed together, or the same circuit may share some functions.

In addition, as a method for making the communication module 1660 versatile so that it can be shared among many composite modules 1295, this embodiment also features features in the structure of the interface section (I/F section) between it and other functional modules 1440. It is made to have. Specifically, other function module 14
40 is connected to the content information I/F section 1950 and the address information I/F section 1940.
The connection method is made variable depending on the type of other functional module 1440 to be connected. This improves the versatility with respect to many types of other functional modules 1440, and produces the effect that it can be applied to multi-purpose (various) composite modules 1295.

The above features will be explained in detail below. The single-function sensor/communications module 1460 shown in FIGS. 4B and 5 as the composite module 1295, or the single-function sensor/communications module 1460 shown in FIGS.
In the case of the single-function drive/communication module 1670 shown in D, if only the address information unique to the composite module 1295 and the address information of the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128) are stored, the network system α_1
Information communication within 132 is established. Therefore, as the other function module 1440 (FIG. 4A), only one sensor module 1260 (FIG. 4B) or only one drive module 1670 (
4C), the address information I/F section 1940 in FIG. 7A is not used.

On the other hand, when used in the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128) as part of the processor/communication module 1465 in the form shown in FIG.
The address information is different for each composite module 90 (or composite module 1295). Therefore, the address information of the communication partner is notified from the processors 1230 and 1734 in FIG. 4D to the corresponding communication module 1752 in the same system via the bus line 1490. At this time, the address information I/F section 1940 is used as the address information transmission means (information transmission input/output terminal).

In addition, when used in the memory/communication module 1475 as shown in FIG. It must be specified from the corresponding communication module 1752 within the same system via line 1490. In this way, in the processor/communication module 1465 shown in FIG. 4D and the memory/communication module 1475 shown in FIG. 4E, both the content information I/F unit 1950 and the address information I/F unit 1940 in FIG. connected to.

On the other hand, at the end of Section 1.3, a method of connecting to a plurality of other functional modules using a common bus line instead of the one shown in FIG. 4F was explained. In this case, a part of the address information I/F section 1940 specifies the corresponding address of another functional module that is directly connected to the communication module 1660. This allows time-varying switching of other functional modules directly connected to the communication module 1660.

Communication medium used for network communication within network system α_1132 (comm
When using wireless as the unification media, antenna 148 is used on the transmitting side.
A current is passed through the antenna 1480 to transmit a radio wave, and the receiving side detects a weak current flowing through the antenna 1480 to detect a signal. Both current supply and signal detection corresponding to the antenna 1480 are performed within the information communication execution unit 3016.

On the other hand, the information communication execution unit 3016 communicates with other communication modules 16 via the antenna 1480.
The communication information exchanged with 60 has the structure shown in FIG. 11(a). (A detailed explanation regarding the communication information shown in FIG. 11 will be described later in Section 2.2.) Among them, the communication middleware data APLDT (and extension data EXDT) shown in FIG. 11(b) is the interface of FIG. 7A. The information is processed within section 1710. That is, the communication middleware data APLDT (
and extended data EXDT) are analyzed within the content extraction unit 1938, and necessary information is transmitted to the other functional module 1440 via the content information I/F unit 1950. A specific example of this is the communication middleware data APLDT (and extension data EXD) shown in FIG. 11(b).
T) includes state setting change information (control information) for the device 1250 or drive/communication module 1470, the specific content is decoded in the content extraction unit 1938,
The decoding result is notified to the drive module 1670 via the content information I/F section 1950. Then, the operation (or state setting change) of the drive module 1670 is started in response to the content of the notification.

Information input from the other function module 1440 via the content information I/F unit 1950 is format-converted within the content setting unit 1934 to generate communication middleware data APLDT (and extended data EXDT). As a specific example, when the content information I/F 1950 is connected to the sensor module 1260, the sensor information obtained in the sensor module 1260 is converted into communication middleware data APLDT (and extended data EXDT) in the content setting unit 1934. be done. The communication information is then communicated to the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128) via the information communication execution unit 3016 and the antenna 1480.

The information in FIGS. 11(c) to 11(f) within the structure in FIG. 11(a) is processed within the communication control unit 1700 in FIG. 7A. That is, the physical layer frame generation unit 1914 generates the information shown in FIGS. 11(c) to 11(f), and the content setting unit 1934 generates the information shown in FIG. 11(b).
The communication information is transmitted by combining it with the information of and transferring it to the information communication execution unit 3016. On the other hand, when receiving communication information, the communication information having the structure shown in FIG. 11(a) is analyzed in the physical layer frame analysis unit 1918, and the information extracted therein shown in FIG.
sent to.

Further, if the address information I/F section 1940 is connected at the time of transmission, the address information of the destination party is notified via the address information I/F section 1940. And Figure 11(a)
Address information conforming to the format is generated within the address information generation section 1924, and communication information shown in FIG. 11A is generated within the physical layer frame generation section 1914.

If the address information I/F unit 1940 is connected at the time of reception, the information shown in FIGS. 11(c) to 11(f) is selected in the physical layer frame analysis unit 1918, and the information in will be forwarded to. Then, only predetermined address information is extracted within the address information extraction section 1928 and passed to the address information I/F section 1940.

When this communication module 1660 is used within a single-function sensor/communication module 1460, instead of using the address information I/F unit 1940, the address information generation unit 1924 uses the system controller α_1126 (system Controller β_
1128) is stored in advance. As a result, sense information can be automatically communicated to system controller α_1126 (system controller β_1128).

Furthermore, when this communication module 1660 is used within the single-function drive/communication module 1470, instead of using the address information I/F section 1940, its own address information is stored in advance in the address information extraction section 1928. I remember it. That is, all of the wireless information detected within the information communication execution section 3016 is transferred to the content extraction section 1938 and the address information extraction section 1928 via the physical layer frame analysis section 1918 with corresponding information. Then, it is sequentially determined whether the receiving side address information extracted within this address information extraction unit 1928 matches its own address information. Here, if the receiving side address information does not match the own address information, the information temporarily stored in the content extraction unit 1938 is appropriately discarded.
Then, only when the receiving side address information matches its own address information, it is determined that the communication information is for the corresponding composite module 1295, and the information temporarily stored in the content extraction unit 1938 is transferred to the content information I/F 1950. .

The series of processes described above are controlled by processor 1960. Incidentally, although the connection line of the processor 1960 is omitted in FIG. 7A, the processor 1736 directly connects to the bus line B.
The wiring shown in FIG. 7B connected to the US or the like may be used, or the processor 1960 and each part may be directly connected individually.

Another embodiment within communication module 1660 is shown in FIG. 7B. A major feature of FIG. 7B is that a memory section 1790 is built into the communication module 1660. Thereby,
When the unit 1290 incorporating the communication module 1660 is moved into another system (for example, when moved from the system α_1132 to the system β_1134), the effect of seamlessly adapting to the different system is created.

However, the external module connection section 1778 in FIG. 7B is the content information I/F section 195 in FIG. 7A.
0 corresponds to the address information I/F section 1940. Further, the signal processing section 1780 in FIG. 7B corresponds to the content extraction section 1938 and the content setting section 1934 in FIG. 7A. Furthermore, the signal processing unit 1780 in FIG. 7B may further include the address information extraction unit 1928 and the address information generation unit 1924 in FIG. 7A, and the information communication execution unit 3016,
The physical layer frame analysis section 1918 and the physical layer frame generation section 1914 may also be included.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the communication module 1660 shown in FIG. 7B is used by attaching, embedding, gluing, or attaching it to the other functional module 1440 having functions other than communication. Then, by adhering, burying, gluing, or mounting the communication module 1660, the composite module 129
5. As shown in FIG. 3A(b) or (c), this composite module 12
A unit 1290 including 95 is configured. This unit 1290 can take various forms such as parts, products, merchandise, devices, materials, and merchandise. Therefore, the communication module 1660 is capable of handling all parts, products, merchandise, devices, materials, merchandise, etc. (unit 12).
90) is used by adhering to, embedding, gluing, or attaching to the object to be integrated.

Specifically, the communication module 1660 described above has various functional blocks constructed using integration technology on an insulating substrate 1660-1. Communication module 1660 includes wireless 17
Antenna connection part 1 for connecting antenna ANT_1772 for transmitting and receiving 70
774. Here, the antenna ANT_1772 may be configured on the insulating substrate 1660-1 of the communication module 1660. The communication module 1660 is provided with an external module connection section 1778, and can be connected to, for example, a plurality of other functional modules 1766-1, 1766-2, . . . 1766-n via this external module connection section 1778. . Examples of the other functional modules 1766-1, 1766-2, ... 1766-n include the sensor module 1260 and/or drive module 1670, and the processor module 1680.
, a memory module 1680, a display module 1226, and the like.

Sensor module 1 used in other functional modules 1766-1-1766-n
260 includes various types of sensors. Sensors include temperature detection, humidity detection, pressure detection, strain detection, water quality detection (those that use scientific reactions, those that use filtration, etc.), gas detection (those that use scientific reactions), light and dark detection, and There are sensors that detect sound waves, colors, pulses, etc., and one or more of them are selectively set depending on the environment in which the communication module 1660 is used. Also, depending on the order, different types of sensors may be combined and prepared. The sensor is
Some are connected to the external module connection section 1778 via wireless (radio waves, infrared rays, ultrasound, etc.).

Further, specific forms of the drive module 1670 used in the other functional modules 1766-1-1766-n include an electrical switch, a mechanical switch, a light emitting body, a heating element, a displacement object (shape memory medium), and an elastic body (rubber). ) etc. are selected arbitrarily depending on the purpose of use.

Here, one or more of the other functional modules 1766-1, 1766-2, . . . 1766-n may be configured on the insulating substrate 1660-1. Additionally, some other functional modules may optionally be additionally connected via the external module connection section 1778.

The communication module 1660 also includes a power supply section 1776 and can be connected to a power source via the power supply section 1776. The power source may be located remotely from the communication module 1660. Further, a power supply mounting portion may be provided on the insulating substrate 1660-1, and the power supply may be integrated with the communication module 1660.

By the way, various methods described below are possible for storing power in a power source (not shown). One example of this method is a method in which a storage unit is charged with current from a power generation element that generates electricity using sunlight. This method corresponds to the combination of the (solar) power generation module 1552 and the power storage module (battery) 1554 in FIG. 5. As another method, there is a method in which a current induced in a coil due to the influence of electromagnetic waves is charged to a power storage unit. This method is based on the near-field communication module 1560 and the power storage module (battery) 15 in FIG.
It corresponds to 54 combinations. Furthermore, there is a method in which mechanical vibration is applied to the piezoelectric element, thereby converting the voltage generated in the piezoelectric element into a current and charging the power storage unit. As the mechanical vibration, for example, pressure and vibration caused by sound, pressure and vibration caused by gas (wind, gas, etc.), pressure and vibration caused by liquid (water, oil), etc. can be selectively used. Depending on the environment in which the communication module 1660 is used, one method or a combination of a plurality of methods is selected.

The antenna connection section 1774, external module connection section 1778, and power supply section are connected to a signal processing section 1780. Further, inside the communication module 1660, a processor 1736, a memory section 1790, and a signal processing section 1780 are connected to each other via a bus BUS so that they can communicate with each other. Here, the processor 1736 controls the overall operation of the communication module 1660 based on the application stored in the application storage section 1792 of the memory section 1790.

The processor 1736 and signal processing unit 1780 operate based on the application, take in output from the sensor module 1260, output control signals to the drive module 1670 and display module 1226, perform cooperative control processing with the processor module 1666, and perform memory Input/output processing of recorded information to module 1690, antenna ANT_17
Supplying a transmission signal to 72, taking in a reception signal from antenna ANT_, memory section 1790
Data writing processing to the memory unit 1790 or data reading processing from the memory unit 1790 is executed.

However, inside the memory section 1790, an application change software storage section 1791,
It has a security target data storage section 1799. Furthermore, the inside of the memory section 1790 includes a drive module management data storage section 1792, a sensor module management data storage section 1796, a self-attribute data storage section 1793, a life management data storage section 1794, and an operating period management data storage section 1795.

A drive module management data storage section 1792 inside the memory section 1790 stores management data of the drive module 1670 connected via the external module connection section 1778. Further, the sensor module management data storage section 1796 stores management data of the sensor module 1260 connected via the external module connection section 1778.

For example, when inspecting the communication module 1660 or at the time of factory shipment, the communication module 166
0 may be checked. When an inspection device (not shown) gives a predetermined command to the communication module 1660 via the antenna ANT_1772 during inspection, the management data of the drive module 1670 stored in the drive module management data storage section 1792 and/or Alternatively, the management data of the sensor module 1260 stored in the sensor module management data storage section 1796 is read. The read management data is the antenna AN
It is sent to the inspection device via T_1772. As a result, the inspection device
You can know the sensing ability and driving ability of 660.

Although not shown in FIG. 7B, there is a processor module 1 inside the memory section 1790.
A processor module management data storage section that stores management data of the memory module 1680, a memory module management data storage section that stores management data of the memory module 1690, or a display module management data storage section that stores management data of the display module 1226 is set. Also good.

In the system of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of different systems (system α_1132 and system β_1134) are formed within the same domain 2_1122-2. Similarly, one or more systems (often multiple systems) are formed in each of domain 1_1122-1 and domain 3_1122-3. Furthermore, differences in application target fields and differences in system usage purposes for each system are also allowed, such as for example in the civil sector, social infrastructure sector, and healthcare sector. Even if the composite module 1295 or unit 1290 incorporating the communication module 1660 in FIG. 7B moves across multiple systems with different application fields and purposes, it is possible to operate optimally according to each individual system. There is. That is, between different systems α_1132 and system β_1134 in the same domain 2_1122-2, or between different domains 1_1122-1, 2_1122-2, 3
The above composite module 1295 or unit 12 connects different systems within _1122-3.
90 moves, the system α_1132 (or system β_113) to which it belongs
4) The above composite module 129 can be optimized according to the applicable field and purpose of use.
A major feature of this embodiment is that the operation of unit 5 or unit 1290 is switched as appropriate.
In order to enable this feature, an application storage section 1 is provided inside the memory section 1790.
792, Application change software storage unit (Application change software) 17
91, a security target data storage section 1799, a self-attribute data storage section 1793, a lifespan management data storage section 1794, and an operating period management data storage section 1795. This has the effect that the composite module 1295 or unit 1290 in this embodiment can be used for flexible system adaptability and general purpose use.

As already explained above, the communication modules 1660 and 1202 shown in FIG. 7B are incorporated to form the composite module 1295 (see FIG. 4) or the device 1250 (see FIG. 2) to form the unit 1290 (see FIG. 3A). When this unit 1290 is installed, the application storage section 1792, the security target data storage section 1799, the self-attribute data storage section 1793, the life management data storage section 1794, and the operating period management data storage section are stored using wireless radio waves from the outside. Information may be recorded in at least one of the sections 1795 in advance. However, the system controller α_1126 may write the above information during check-in processing or plug-in processing (described later in Section 4.2) that is executed after the user purchases the unit 1290.

The application change software storage section 1791 is used when it is necessary to modify or change the application that controls the operation of the communication module 1660. For example, a composite module 1295 or unit 12 incorporating this communication module 1660
90 is moved into a system different from the previous one (for example, when moved from system β_1134 to system α_1132), "plug-in processing" is executed every time the system to which it belongs changes, as described later in Section 4.2. Ru. If the field of application or purpose of use is significantly different between the system β_1134 before the move and the system α_1132 after the move, a system controller α_1126 (
Alternatively, software for executing a new application is sent from the system controller β_1128) via the communication module 1202-3 in FIG. Then, software for executing this new application is appropriately stored in the application change software storage section (application change software) 1791 described above. Since the processing of the processor 1736 is executed based on the software that executes the new application, when the composite module 1295 or unit 1290 is moved to the system α_1132 whose field of application or purpose of use is completely different, it is optimal for that system α_1132. operations are possible.

Here, the communication module 1660 may request a new application, or an application change command may be given from the outside (eg, system controller α_1126). The application change timing is determined when the communication module 1660 is manufactured and shipped from the factory, when it becomes necessary to switch the operation mode during use, or when the usage environment of the communication module 1660 is changed (system α_1132,
There are many possible cases, such as when the usage period of the communication module 1660 has expired. By providing the application change software storage section (application change software) 1791 inside the memory section 1790, the communication module 1660 can freely change, add, or change applications according to the above-mentioned changes in the usage environment or purpose of use. Can be updated.

On the other hand, an application storage section 1792 in the memory section 1790 in FIG. 7B contains common application software that does not depend on system changes. Therefore, even if the composite module 1295 or unit 1290 incorporating the communication module 1660 is moved between different systems, the common application software pre-stored in the application storage section 1792 will be saved/continued to be used without being changed. Ru.

The above application change software storage section (application change software)
The application software stored in the application storage section 1791 and the application storage section 1792 is written in a predetermined programming language or script language (including machine language). The application software 3050 then uses a predetermined O as described later with reference to FIG. 18B.
It may also include an API command 3045 (or a predetermined) corresponding to S_3030. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be written in Java script, as will be described later with reference to FIGS. 19A and 19B, or may be written in machine language or a similar language. Furthermore, HTML (Hyper-
It may be written in a web-related language such as text Markup Language) or XML (Extensible Markup Language).

The security target data storage unit 1799 can be used to store highly important personal information, for example. Further, the security target data storage section 1799 may be used as a section for personally storing arbitrary data.
For example, the communication module 1660 may be used in a hospital where the communication module 1660 is embedded in a personal chart holder. In such a case, personal information (name, age, disease name, medical history), etc. may be stored in the security target data storage section 1799. However, the medical record holder is not necessarily used forever and may be discarded. In addition, the medical record holder is not limited to this, and may be replaced with a new medical record holder. In such a case, the security target data in the communication module of the old medical record holder needs to be erased.

Various methods are possible for erasing security target data. For example, the communication module 1660 may not communicate with the system controller α_1126 for a certain period of time or more. In this case, the communication module 1660 is independently determined to have been discarded or replaced, and the security target data is deleted. Also, system controller α_
1126 may actively request communication module 1660 to erase the security target data. A sensor module 1260 further connected to a communication module 1660
The security target data erasing process may be performed when the controller detects a specific atmosphere and/or detection element (eg, pressure, heat, humidity, liquid, etc.). That is, in this way a particular atmosphere and/or sensing element (e.g., pressure, heat, humidity, liquid, etc.) can be detected by the sensor module 126.
0 is detected, the processor 173 determines that the environment has changed to a different one from the normal usage environment of the processor 173.
6 is automatically determined and the security target data deletion process is executed. Also, it is not limited to that,
Security target data deletion processing may be executed when various predetermined conditions are met.

On the other hand, for example, when an old medical record holder is replaced with a new medical record holder and it becomes necessary to move the security target data of the old medical record holder to the new medical record holder, the system controller α_1126 controls the inheritance or transfer of the security target data. You can go.

In the self-attribute data storage section 1793, a communication module 1660 is stored, for example, by adhesion, adhesion, etc.
Attribute data related to handling of units (products, parts, materials, merchandise, etc.) to be mounted or buried are stored. The specific attribute data may include identification data of the corresponding unit (product name, part name, product name, etc.), and identification data such as its manufacturing location and manufacturer.

For example, a composite module 1295 (or unit 1290) including a communication module 1660 may be bonded to or embedded in an aluminum beverage can. After use, aluminum beverage cans are discarded and transported to recycling plants. If the attribute data indicates that the material of the object being glued or buried is aluminum, the beverage cans can be automatically sorted into the aluminum processing department within the recycling plant. . In this case, the entire recycling factory corresponds to the system α_1132, and the sorting device within the recycling factory corresponds to the system controller α_1126. and system controller α_1126
The classification device corresponding to the above sends a specific command to the communication module 1660 to read the self-attribute data. Based on the self-attribute data, it is possible to determine what type of beverage can the beverage can is made of.

On the other hand, a composite module 1295 (or unit 1290) including the communication module 1660 may be embedded in a plastic beverage bottle. In this case, the classification device sends a specific command to the communication module 1660 to read the self-attribution data and detect that the beverage can is made of plastic. Thereby, the sorting device can easily and automatically sort the beverage cans to the plastic processing section. By the way, this is not limited to the above example, and any integrated object (part, product, commodity, device, material, (products, etc.) may also be used.

However, when the composite module 1295 (or unit 1290) including the communication module 1660 is moved between different systems, the environment in which it is placed may change. The contents of the self-attribute data may change progressively in response to changes in the environment. For example, if the beverage can is displayed at a store, the self-attribute data may include the sales price of the beverage can, the display location in the store, or the product category in the memory section 1790.
It may be stored within. In this case, the system controller α that manages the store
_1126 may perform inventory management and settlement processing for customers using the self-attribute data.

As another example, a case will be described in which a composite module 1295 (or unit 1290) is used as a tag attached to a fish. Fish lifted at sea are transported to the port by fishing boat, purchased by traders at the auction market at the port, transported by car, displayed at supermarkets, and purchased by consumers.

A case will be described in which a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor for quality control are installed as the sensor module 1260 in the tag (composite module 1295/unit 1290) integrated with the fish. At this time, the self-attribute data includes appropriate temperature range data, appropriate humidity range data, and best-before date data. Here, the crew of the fishing boat and the market manager input the self-attribute data.

If the temperature or humidity of the surrounding environment exceeds the appropriate range during transport or storage of fish, the communication module 1660 will communicate with the system controller α installed inside the fishing boat or transport truck.
A first warning signal can be output for _1126. Also, when the best-before period is approaching or the best-before period has passed, the second warning signal and the third warning signal can be outputted via the antenna 1772.

Furthermore, when displayed in a store, selling price, display location in the store, product category, etc. are added as self-attribute data. In this case, the self-attribute data described above is automatically stored in the memory unit 1790 from another system controller α_1126 installed in the store. Using this self-attribute data, inventory management and settlement processing for customers can be performed.

As described above, depending on the movement of the system in which the composite module 1295/unit 1290 is placed (to which it belongs), the system controller α_1126 that manages/controls/operates the system α_1132 automatically adds the self-attribute data 1793 or Another feature of the system of this embodiment is that it can be updated. Accordingly, the corresponding composite module 129
This has the effect of greatly improving the flexibility and versatility of using Unit 5 and Unit 1290. That is, by using the above additionally added/updated self-attribute data, the system controller α_1126 can execute the optimal process for the system α_1132.

Furthermore, the self-attribute data may be used as data for the communication module 1660 to respond to a specific command (request signal) and output a response signal indicating that the communication module 1660 exists. For example, the communication module 1660 may be embedded in a surgical instrument or an aircraft or train service tool. In this case, the work site is regarded as a specific system α_1132, and the system controller α installed at the work site
_ 1126 requests the communication module 1660 for a response. Based on the presence or absence of a response within the work site (system α_1132), it becomes clear whether surgical instruments, inspection tools, or other items have been left behind at the work site. In this way, by using information communication processing related to self-attribute data, it is possible to determine whether something is left behind after surgery or inspection.

As an example of using the self-attribute data 1793 other than the above, the unit 1290 corresponding to this area
(or the composite module 1295 or the device 1250) owner information may be recorded. The unit 1290 (or composite module 1295) in which this self-attribute data 1793 is recorded
When a product or device 1250) is on the market, it is displayed at a store as described above. At this time, the displayed store interior corresponds to one system β_1134. Then the user
0 (or composite module 1295 or device 1250), move it to your home. Then, the home of the user who purchased the product corresponds to the system α_1132 (see FIG. 1). Therefore, the system in which this unit 1290 is arranged changes before and after purchasing the unit 1290 (or composite module 1295 or device 1250). And this unit 129
0 is placed in the user's home, the system controller α_1126, which manages/operates/collects information within the new system α_1132, performs the check-in process described later in Section 4.2. At this time, the system controller α_1126 records user information regarding the owner in part of the self-attribute data 1793. This user information is not limited to the owner's name, but may be any of the user's ID information, user's address information, telephone number information, email address information, etc. Recording the user information recorded as part of the self-attribute data 1793 in this way has the effect of making it easier to find the corresponding unit 1290 when it is left behind outside.

The above-mentioned owner is not limited to the direct owner of the unit 1290. That is, it also includes people, organizations, and companies involved in the use of the unit 1290 (or the composite module 1295 or the device 1250). It may also be a person, organization, or company related to the use of products, parts, or materials into which the composite module 1295 in which the self-attribute data 1793 is recorded is installed, inserted, or mixed.

As an example, a tablet or powdered medicine into which the composite module 1295 in which the self-attribute data 1793 is recorded is inserted or mixed will be explained. For example, when the above medicine is taken at a hospital, facility, or home, the system controller α_1126 records the name of the person taking the medicine and the date and time of taking the medicine in the self-attribute data 1793. Further, in this self-attribute data 1793, the name of the medicine is also recorded in advance. Then, even when the user who has taken this medicine is away from home, the system controller β_1134 installed at the outside location can manage who took what medicine at what time. Regular medication is very important for people with chronic illnesses, but it is easy to forget. If the system controller β_1134 constantly manages the medication status as described above, there will be an effect that it will be difficult to forget to take the medication.

By recording multiple pieces of mutually related information as the self-attribute data 1793 as described above, the effect of making it easier to manage the usage status with high precision in the composite module 1295 (unit 1290) in which the self-attribute data 1793 is recorded is created. .
Composite module 1295 (or unit 129 with built-in communication module 1660)
0) can be stored in the life management data storage section 1794. This lifespan management data indicates the lifespan of the composite module 1295 (or unit 1290) in which the communication module 1660 is built-in. When this lifetime period has elapsed, the communication module 1660 automatically stops operating.
As a result, unnecessary radio waves will not be emitted after the life span.

For example, for the above-mentioned discarded beverage cans and cooked fish, there is no need to use the corresponding tags (combined module 1295/unit 1290). As described above, by having the life management data storage section 1794 in the memory section 1790 and automatically stopping the activity after the life period, unnecessary radio waves can be prevented from being generated within the system α_1132. By preventing the generation of unnecessary radio waves, the efficiency of information communication within the system α_1132 is improved.

Data for setting the operating period of the communication module 1660 can be stored in the operating period management data storage section 1795. Setting the operating period and sleep period of the communication module 1660 according to the usage environment and usage conditions increases the power saving effect and prevents interference with surrounding devices. As the operating period management data, for example, the operating period and the sleep period can be set in units of hours, or the operating period and the sleep period can be set according to the sensor output. 1.
Section 7 Description of the overall structure of the wide area network system in this embodiment The system of this embodiment has already been outlined in Section 1.1. In contrast, in this section, the structure of the entire wide area network system in this embodiment will be explained in detail using FIG. 1. As shown in Figure 1, service provider B_1112-2 is a wholesaler B1_1 who handles similar products (or information).
104-1 and/or wholesaler B2_1104-2 to obtain products (or information) and provide services.

Here, the wholesalers A_1102 and B1/2_1104-1/2 refer to regulatory agencies and organizations that handle predetermined products and information. Specific examples of the above-mentioned institutions and organizations include not only businesses related to private profit-making organizations such as foundations and business corporations, but also public organizations such as national and local governments, public corporations, and public interest corporations. Therefore, service provider A~C_1112-
The positioning of the wholesaler from the perspective of 1 to 3 is not limited to ``commercial partner,'' but may also correspond to ``specified service outsourcee'' or ``specified service guidance and licensing partner.'' For example, if the wholesaler corresponds to a commercial partner of service providers A to C_1112-1 to 3, the products handled by the wholesaler are not limited to public consumption goods such as electricity, gas, water, and gasoline.
Liquid assets such as general consumer goods, currency, bonds, and precious metals, fixed assets such as real estate, etc. may be used, and information with commercial value that is difficult to obtain on the Internet (market research information, specific individuals, etc.) may be used. Information specific to a specific area (such as weather information or traffic information limited to a very small area) may be targeted.

Next, the service providers A to C_1112-1 to 3 in the system of this embodiment are as follows:
Refers to an organization or group that provides a specified service. Especially this service provider A~
C_1112-1 to C_1112-3 also have the feature of performing "integrated management regarding predetermined services." Further, the service provided by the service provider may include all kinds of services using information obtained from the sensor module 1260, which will be described later. In particular, information obtained via the network from sensor modules in domains 1 to 3_1122-1 to 3, which will be described later, and some of its related information are stored on the server n_1 in this service provider B_1112-2.
16-n, and the service provider B_1112-2 can provide a predetermined service based on the information. In this way, in the system of this embodiment, service providers A to C_1112-1 to 3 can perform operations to download products and information from domains 1 to 3_1122-1 to 3. Furthermore, this service provider B_1112-2 owns a plurality of servers 1 to n_1116-1 to n, and manages databases 1118-1 to n for each server 1 to n_1116-1 to n. Further, distributed processing is performed in cooperation among the servers 1 to n_1116-1 to n to speed up the processing. Although not shown in FIG. 1, servers and corresponding databases are similarly installed within service provider A_1112-1 and service provider C_1112-3.

As one of the specific activities of the service provider, products and information wholesaled from wholesaler A_1102 or wholesaler B1/2_1104-1/2 are transferred to domains 1 to 3_1122-1.
- 3 (includes both inflow and outflow). A specific example of this service is shown below. α] Retail service for end users of products and information handled by wholesaler A_1102 and wholesaler B1/2_1104-1/2 β] Wholesaler A_1102 and wholesaler B1/2_11
A service that uniquely processes the products and information handled by 04-1/2 and uses the processing results to provide the end user with services determined to be optimal based on the information obtained from the sensor module. δ] Combination of the above [α] to [γ] Here, the products handled by the service provider are not limited to the retail of public consumption goods such as electricity, gas, water, and gasoline, but also the retail of general consumption goods, and the sale of current and fixed assets. It is also possible to target retail sales. In addition, the information (products) we handle is not limited to that, but includes information (products) that have commercial value that are difficult to obtain on the regular Internet.
Market research information or information specific to a specific individual or region (such as weather information or traffic information limited to a very small area) may be handled as a product.

On the other hand, service provider A_1112-1 obtains different products (or information) from wholesaler A_1102 than wholesaler B1/2_1104-1/2 and provides a different type of service. Here, service provider A_1112-1 and service provider B_111
2-2 or between service provider B_1112-2 and service provider C_11
12-3 mutually share information or cooperate and accommodate resources 1114 to improve the efficiency and sophistication of services. Service provider A_1112-1 also includes wholesaler A_1.
A predetermined product storage section 1154 for storing products obtained from 102 is installed. The predetermined product generation unit 1152 in the service provider A_1112-1 shown in FIG. information) to create new products (or new information). Although omitted in FIG. 1, there is also a predetermined product storage section 1154 and a predetermined product generation section 11 in service provider B_1112-2 and service provider C_1112-3.
52 are installed.

The predetermined product generation unit 1152 shown in FIG. 1 means a place that generates unique products with unique added value. As a specific example of the unique product generation, wholesaler A_
The processing of raw materials purchased from 1102 is mentioned. For example, in the manufacturing industry, a product manufacturing factory or the like corresponds to the predetermined product generation section 1152. In addition, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and may correspond to, for example, an electric power plant that has solar cells, wind power generators, thermal power generators, geothermal power generators, etc., or substations and power transmission stations as related peripheral equipment. . Furthermore, the system of the present embodiment is not limited to the above, and other production locations of public consumption materials such as gasoline refineries and water storage facilities can also be made to correspond to the example of the form of the predetermined product generation section 1152. Furthermore, as another product form,
The location where “unique information created within service provider A” is generated may correspond to the predetermined product generation unit 1152. For example, market trend information, weather forecast information, and the like newly obtained analytical information as a result of analyzing various information published on the Internet correspond to one form of the above-mentioned product.

By the way, in the predetermined product storage section 1154 shown in FIG. 1, any of the following products (including information)
temporary storage. α] Wholesaler A_1102 or wholesaler B1/2_1104-1
Products and information β wholesaled from /2] Products and information γ generated by the above-mentioned predetermined product generation unit 1152]
Products and information δ sucked from domains 1 to 3_1122-1 to 3] A combination of the above [α] to [γ] For example, if the product to be temporarily stored is electricity, the specified product storage section 1154
is composed of a storage battery, a charge/discharge amount monitor section (corresponding to the smart meter 1124 in system α_1132), and a charge/discharge amount control section. On the other hand, if the product to be temporarily stored is tap water or city gas, it is comprised of a water or gas tank, a storage/release amount monitor section, and a storage/release amount control section.

The side receiving services from the service providers A to C_1112-1 to 3 described above is the domain 2_1122-2 described later or the system α_1132 therein (details will be described later). Service provider A~C_1112-1
The system is to pay directly to 3. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the server n_1116-n in service provider B_1112-2 and the predetermined product storage unit 1154 in service provider A_1112-1 are connected to the smart meter 1124 installed in domain 2_1122-2 and system α_1132. It is directly connected to the network and the system controller α_1126, which will be described later. Also, as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 1, the smart meter 112
4 is also connected to the network with wholesaler A_1102 and can directly communicate information. However, in FIG. 1, the party to whom the measured value of the smart meter 1124 is communicated is the service provider B_
server n_1116-n in 1112-2, system controller α_1126 in the same system α_1132, or wholesaler A_1102. However, it is not limited to that,
The measured value of this smart meter 1124 may be communicated to the system controller β_1134 that exists in the same domain 2_1122-2 but belongs to a different system β_1134 or to other equipment in the same domain 2_1122-2.

This smart meter 1124 refers to domain 2_1122-2 (or system α_
1126) means a device that measures the amount of each (similar) product going in and out between the inside and the outside at predetermined time intervals. Mainly refers to the measurement of the amount in and out of public consumption items such as electricity meters, gas meters, water meters, sewage meters, etc., especially the amount that flows from the outside into the inside (or is consumed inside) and the amount that flows out from the inside to the outside. Quantities (eg, sold externally) also have the characteristic of being collectible as measurements. However, in the system of this embodiment, the smart meter 1124 measures not only the amount of public consumption goods mentioned above, but also the amount of general consumption goods purchased through mail order, liquid assets, or specific information, and the results are measured. may be communicated.

In particular, in the system of this embodiment, a communication module 1202-1 is installed in the smart meter 1124.
is built-in (FIG. 8A), and has a function of communicating the measured values of the smart meter at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, the time interval for transmitting the communication can be changed as appropriate by the server n_1116-n, the system controller α_1126, the wholesaler A_1102, or the like. Furthermore, the timing at which the measured values obtained from the smart meter 1124 are communicated is not limited to the above-mentioned predetermined time intervals, but is also provided to the system controller α_1126, the server n_1116-n, or the wholesaler A_1110.
Communication may be carried out as appropriate in response to the request in step 2. In addition, the smart meter 1124 is not limited to this.
Communications may be transmitted when the party voluntarily determines that it is necessary to transmit communications to the outside.

An example of a service format provided by service provider A 1102 using this smart meter 1124 will be described below. In this example, service provider A1102
The predetermined products and predetermined information stored in advance in the predetermined product storage unit 1154 in Domain 2_1122-2 via system controller α_1126 or smart meter 1124
(or within system α_1132). On the other hand, domain 2_1122-2 (
Alternatively, surplus products remaining in the system α_1132 may be returned to the predetermined product storage section 1154 via the smart meter 1124. In this case, the predetermined product storage section 1154
Service provider A_1112- uses the difference value between the amount of products supplied from domain 2_1122-2 (or system α_1132) and the amount of products returned to the predetermined product storage unit 1154 via smart meter 1124 as the amount of products used. Fees will be charged starting from 1.

In parallel, the products (or information) may be directly received using infrastructure or delivery systems owned or managed by wholesaler A_1102 or wholesaler B1/2_1104-1/2. In other words, according to the broken line connecting wholesaler A_1102 to smart meter 1124 in FIG. You can also receive it directly. In this case, at the same time, the smart meter 1124 sequentially notifies the server n_1116-n in the service provider B_1112-2 of information regarding the content and quantity of the product (or information) supplied within the domain 2_1122-2. Based on the notification information, the service provider B_1112-2 periodically charges the user. Here, there are multiple product supply routes from wholesaler A_1102 to smart meter 1124, which serves as a window for supplying predetermined products within domain 2_1122-2 or system α_1132 (from wholesaler A_1102 to smart meter 1124).
Figure 1 shows that a new unique service can be provided by service provider A_1112-1 due to the existence of the direct route indicated by "dashed line" and the route via service provider A_1112-1.
The system of this embodiment has the following features. Note that the unique effects produced by taking advantage of this feature will be explained in detail in Section 5.2.1.

Next, domain 2_1122-2 or system α_1 therein, which can receive services from the above service providers A to C_1112-1 to 3 via a wide area network.
132 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 1, one domain 2_1122-2 is composed of one or more systems α/β_1132/1134, and one domain 2_1122-2 is composed of one or more systems α/β_1132/1134.
4, system controllers α/β_1126/1128 are installed individually. In addition, the system controllers α/β_1126/1128 or the smart meter 1124 are connected to a network directly or via a server n_1116-n, allowing mutual information communication. And inside the system α_1132 there are multiple sections 1 to m.
Division into _1142-1 to m is allowed (sections will be explained in detail in Chapter 4).

As described above, the system of this embodiment is characterized in that it allows a plurality of different systems (client systems) to coexist at the same time. In other words, if we also take into account the contents described in Figure 2,
A unit 1290 having a function of acquiring or creating information and communicating, and the unit 1
System controller α_1126 (and β_1
128) and a plurality of client systems α_1132 (and β_1134) (a plurality of client systems α_1126 and client systems β_1134) (corresponding to domain 2_1122-2 in FIG. 1), the composite client system (corresponding to domain 2_1122-2 in FIG. Client system α_ included in domain 2_1122-2)
The system controller α_1126 that manages the plurality of units 1295-1 to 1295-7 is the section to be managed (section 1_114 in FIG. 2).
2-1, section 2_1142-1, and section m_1142-m), and holds information regarding the section to which each unit belongs (section information in FIG. 23).

By the way, the above-mentioned domains 1 to 3_1122-1 to 3 mean a network space composed of one system or a plurality of systems that cooperate with each other. In particular, the domain in the system of this embodiment corresponds to "a network space that is the target of various status observations" or "a network space that is the target of predetermined operations or execution or the target of operation execution (related to a specific service)" do. In order to participate and operate within a specific domain, domain-specific identification information I
D (Identification Information) and a unique password may be required. 1 at the place
When systems α/β_1132/1134 correspond to a specific area that is physically or geographically close, one domain 1 to 3_1122-1 to 3 transcends the physical or geographical space. It corresponds to a predetermined area on a network that is managed/used by members of a specific group.

Next, the above-mentioned system α_1132 means the smallest network system unit whose internal parts are connected to each other via a network and in which one system controller α_1126 is installed. This network system also includes the system controller α_11 described above.
Managed or operated by 26. In particular, one system α_1132 is a specific area that is physically or geographically close to one or more specific users (for example, an area defined within the action range of one or more specific users within a predetermined time). The physical or geographical extent of In addition, one system α_1132 in the system of this embodiment
Specifically, PAN (Personal Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), M
It is possible to associate with a network unit specified by predetermined identification information such as an AN (Metropolitan Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network). For example, IEEE (Institut
e of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 802.15.4 specifies the setting of individual identification information PANID (Personal Area Network Identifier) for each PAN. A PAN may be associated with one system in this embodiment. Another concrete example is that one system is one home (Home).
It may be associated with the interior of one car, the space around one mobile terminal, the work station area of one machine, etc.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned system controller α/β_1126/1128 is a device that is installed at least one in one system and controls communication within the network system corresponding to the above-mentioned system α/β_1132/1134, and manages and operates the communication state. refers to Also, as mentioned above,
System α/β_113 via the above system controller α/β_1126/1128
It is also connected to a wide area network outside 2/1134 (a network used for information communication with service providers A to C_1112-1 to 3). The system controller α/β_1126/1128 also collects signals and information obtained from one or more sensor modules (sensor module 1260, which will be described later with reference to FIGS. 8A and 9) within the same system α/β_1132/1134. It has a built-in processor to perform proper processing. Specific examples of system controllers include a PC (Personal Computer), a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, tablet, or mobile phone, a power distribution board with a built-in processor, a refrigerator with a built-in processor, or a TV or recorder that can record or audio only. It is also possible to use a recorder or the like to record the information. In addition, by incorporating a processor inside the smart meter 1124, the smart meter 11
24 itself may have the function of the system controller α_1126, or a processor and a communication module (Fig. 8A, Fig. 9
It may also be used as a system controller by incorporating a communication module 1202) to be described later. However, this embodiment is not limited to this, and in this embodiment, any machine with a built-in processor configured with a program for collecting signals and information obtained from sensor modules in the system and providing appropriate services to users is made compatible with the system controller. Also good. Further, one system controller may be configured by physically combining/cooperating a plurality of devices.

In particular, if a remote controller with a built-in processor and communication module is used as a system controller and is temporarily placed on a wall or shelf in a fixed or movable manner, it is possible to use it in unique ways (and effect) is produced. However, in this case, it is necessary to fix or place it in a location where infrared communication is possible with main equipment such as air conditioners, televisions, and lighting equipment. Furthermore, sensor/communication modules related to temperature sensors, wind sensors, short-range human sensors, etc. (described later using Figure 8B) are installed throughout the room, and are connected to the remote controller (system controller α_1126). Enables intra-system α_1132 communication between users. This makes it more efficient for users, such as preferentially and accurately controlling the temperature only in areas where multiple users are in the room, or controlling the display method on naked-eye television so that multiple users can see the display in three dimensions at the same time. can provide good service. This allows you to operate more efficiently than before by simply replacing your existing remote control with one with the system controller function, without having to replace the existing equipment (air conditioners, TVs, lighting equipment, etc.) that has already been installed. The effect of

In conventional technology called M2M (Machine to Machine) or IoT (Internet of Things), a cloud server (equivalent to server n_1116-n in Figure 1) collects all signals and information obtained from sensor modules in each home. However, in many cases, services were provided directly to end users from cloud servers. In this case, system controller α_1
126 had the function of simply relaying signals and information on the network as a gateway or router shown in FIG. With such conventional technology, (1) the user's personal information is easily transmitted to the relatively public server n_1116-n, so there is a problem from the perspective of protecting the user's personal information; (2) the system controller α_1126 or There was a problem in that the system as a whole had a vulnerability in that if a problem occurred in the communication line between the smart meter 1124 and the server n_1116-n, the service to the end user would be disrupted. In this embodiment, the system controller α_1126 functions not only as a gateway or router for transmitting and relaying signals and information on the network, but also for determining, integrating, and processing signals and information collected from sensor modules by a built-in processor. Its distinctive feature is that it performs specific processing, including unique services for the underlying users. Therefore, in this embodiment (1)
Since the system controller α_1126 independently determines whether or not to send individual signals or information to the server n_1116-n, the protection of the user's personal information is maintained. (2) Based on the signals and information collected from the sensor module, the system It is possible to provide a unique service to the user based on the judgment of the controller α_1126, and this service is provided by the server n_1116-n.
Since it can be executed regardless of whether there is a communication line problem with the system, it has the effect of improving the robustness of the entire system. In particular, the system controller α_1126 in this embodiment integrates information obtained from the sensor module 1260 to determine the user's behavior (the presence or absence of the user, behavior such as sleep/wakefulness) and the situation (for example, whether the user is a child or an adult). Determine/estimate
Furthermore, it is unique in that it has the ability to estimate user requirements. This will cause the server n_
Even in the absence of 1116-n, it is possible to independently provide comfortable services to users within domain 2_1122-2.

Further, the system of this embodiment has a major feature in that a plurality of system controllers α/β_1126/8 can perform cooperative work within the same domain 2_1122-2. Therefore 1
The system controller α_1126 is capable of collecting signals and information obtained from all sensor modules existing in the same domain 2_1122-2 (including sensor modules located in the system β_1134, although not shown). be. As a result, the system controller α_1126 can provide the user with the optimal service within the system α_1132 by making integrated use of information within the same domain 2_1122-2.

Multiple system controllers α/β_112 within this same domain 2_1122-2
As shown in FIG. 1, in the system of this embodiment, the emphasized work mode between 6/8 and 6/8 includes a network path for directly exchanging information between system controllers α/β_1126/8 using wireless communication, for example, and an Internet path, for example. The feature is that there are two network paths through which information is exchanged indirectly between system controllers α/β_1126/8 via servers n_1116-n. This creates the effect that users can receive a variety of services. For example, if system controller α_1126, which is a home PC, and system controller β_1128, which corresponds to a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, are physically close to each other, it is possible to
information can be exchanged quickly via the eless Personal Local Area Network). On the other hand, using an Internet line, including wired lines, has the effect of guaranteeing mutual information exchange no matter how far apart the two parties are physically. On the other hand, by directly exchanging information between the two parties, server n
Since a unique and private service can be obtained without involving the server n_1116-n, it is possible to prevent the risk of personal confidential information being leaked to the relatively public server n_1116-n. On the other hand, server n_1116-n can obtain information that cannot be obtained within domain 2_1122-2, such as local weather forecast information and traffic congestion information, by using another network route. Therefore, by indirectly exchanging information between the system controllers α/β_1126/8 via the server n_1116-n, it is possible to provide users with a variety of services that utilize information unique to the server n_1116-n. By appropriately switching the network communication path in this way, it is possible to provide a wider variety of services desired by the user. As mentioned above, since the system controller α_1126 itself can estimate the user's behavior and state or estimate the user's desires/requirements, the connection path between the system controllers α/β_1126/8 can be switched based on the system controller α_1126's own judgment. . Section 1.8 Description of local network system structure in this embodiment Section 1.1 has already explained the structure within the local network system configured within system α_1132 included in domain 2_1122-2 described in FIG. An example has been outlined using FIG. In this Section 1.8, application examples of the system of the embodiment other than that shown in FIG. 2 will be explained using FIGS. 8A to 9.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8A, each device 1250-1 to 1250-3 is a communication module 120.
2-4 to 2-6 are built-in, and information communication within the same system α_1132 is possible.
Further, sensor modules 1260-1 to 5 or actuator module 1270-1 are built in devices 1250-1 to 3. In contrast, in FIG. 8B, the related states between communication modules 1202-4 to 6 and sensor modules 1260-1 to 5 are grasped or managed using the concept of sensor/communication modules 1460-1 to 1460-5. Similarly, the related state between the communication module 1202 and the drive module 1270 is determined by the drive/communication module 1470-
Understand or manage using concepts 1 and 2. In addition, as explained in Section 1.3, it is not limited to this, and as explained in Section 1.3, it is managed in an integrated manner based on the concept of composite module 1295, which collectively includes concepts such as processor/communication module 1465, memory/communication module 1475, and display/communication module 1478. Ru. However, one composite module may exist alone, like the sensor/communication module 1460-5 in FIG. 8B.

In the system of this embodiment, the usage amount (or cumulative amount) of public consumption materials such as electricity, gas, water supply/sewerage, etc. used in total within one system (for example, within system α_1132) is automatically measured every predetermined time, Smart meter 112 that automatically sends the measurement data periodically
4 are installed. In reality, different smart meters 1124 are installed for each public consumption product such as electricity, gas, water supply/sewerage, etc., but only one smart meter 1124 is shown as a representative in FIGS. 8A/B. In addition to the above, Section 1_
The usage amount (or cumulative amount) of the public consumption materials for each of 1142-1 and 2_1142-2 may be automatically measured/transmitted.

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 9, the detailed structure inside the smart meter 1124 includes a discharge amount monitor section 1206 (for example, an electricity sales amount measurement section) installed separately from an inflow amount monitor section 1208 (for example, an electricity purchase amount measurement section). ing. Then, using this emission amount monitor section 1206, the system α_1
132, the amount of surplus public consumption goods released (power sold) to wholesaler A_1102 is measured. Each measured value (or integrated value) obtained within the smart meter 1124 is periodically reported to the server n_1116-n via the communication module 1202-1. At the same time, it is also reported to wholesaler A_1102.

The communication module 1202 shown in FIG. 8A or FIG. 9 indicates a communication function unit that can communicate information using wired or wireless communication. The wired communication supported by this communication function unit includes all communication methods, starting from local video signal transmission lines and audio signal transmission lines, to telephone lines and Ethernet (registered trademark) communication related to the Internet. It's okay to be involved. In addition, the wireless communication supported by the above communication function unit includes ZigBee (registered trademark), Bluetooth
h (registered trademark), UWB (Ultra Wide Band), short-range wireless systems such as Z-Wave, Wi-F
i (Wireless Fidelity), medium-range wireless systems such as EnOcean, 2G/PDC, GSM (registered trademark) (Second Generation / Personal Digital Cellular, Global System for Mobile)
Communications) and 3G/CDMA (Third Generation/Code Division Multiple Access)
ss), WiMAX (World Wide Interoperability for Microwave Access), and other long-distance wireless communication systems may be involved.

In particular, in the system of this embodiment, as will be described later using FIG. 10A, the communication module 120
2. Has the function of executing the minimum necessary process processing within the 1660. As a result, processing and execution of communication protocols (communication information) having the structures shown in FIGS. 11 to 15B as described later in Chapter 2 are processed within the communication modules 1202 and 1660. As this process processing, for example, process processing based on a versatile basic (standard) application such as Java (registered trademark) Script, which does not require a specific OS, may be supported. In addition, the process processing compatible with ECMA Script or HTML (Hyper-
A decoding function for HTML5 (Text Markup Language) or HTML5, or execution of a Java applet corresponding thereto may also be supported. Furthermore, in addition to the existing general-purpose script described above, an original process method may be adopted.

In FIGS. 8A and 9, the communication module 1202 is commonly built in the system controller α_1126, the smart meter 1124, and various devices 1250, so that they can communicate information with each other. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 9, various devices (Device) 12
A sensor module 1260 or an actuator module 1270 is built in 50 .

In the system of this embodiment shown in FIG. 8A, a plurality of devices (Devices) 1250-1 to 3 installed in the same system α_1132 each have a built-in communication module 1202-4.
~6 and the system controller α_1126 via the communication module 1202-3. Here, as shown in FIG. 8A, one or more (plural) sensor modules 1260
Devices 1250-2 and 1250-3 that incorporate only -3 to 5, devices 1250-1 that incorporates both one or more (plural) sensor modules 1260-1 to 2 and drive module 1270-1, and Although not included, the presence of a device 1250 containing only a drive module 1270 is allowed. On the other hand, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8A, a device 1250-1 has a built-in device controller 1240-1 and a memory section 1242 that can sequentially store/manage history information regarding sensor modules 1260-1 and 1260-2 and drive module 1270-1. 1 and devices 1250-2 and 1250-3 that do not own them can be arranged together.

Now, similarly to the service provider A_1112-1 explained in Section 1.7 with reference to FIG.
By possessing functions equivalent to 154, it becomes possible to secure and temporarily retain the surplus of the above-mentioned public consumption goods. FIGS. 8A/B show an example of the use of a (car) battery 1220 as an example of a function corresponding to the predetermined product storage section 1154. However, the present embodiment system is not limited to this, and in the system of this embodiment, any device (Device) having the function of the predetermined product generation section 1152 or the predetermined product storage section 1154 can be used.
) may be installed within the system α_1132. For example, a battery center or a water storage tank (storage equipment) may be installed in each building or region to temporarily store surplus public consumption materials generated within the building or region.

In FIGS. 8A/B, a usage example of the (car) battery 1220 will be described as a specific example for convenience.
Further, here, one vehicle interior space is made to correspond to one section 1_1142-1, which will be described later. Therefore, all kinds of information detected inside the car (for example, gasoline consumption, engine speed, temperature inside the car, human body information of each passenger, etc.) is detected by the sensor module 1222, and the results are sent to the communication module 1202-2. System controller α_11 via
26 will be informed. Similarly, in this section 1_1142-1 (inside the car), there is an inflow amount monitor section 1218 that measures the amount of charge to the (car) battery 1220 and a (car) battery 1220.
A discharge amount monitor unit 1216 is installed to measure the amount of electric power discharged (sold) to the outside from the system, and each measured value is transmitted to the system controller α_1126 via the communication module 1202-2. In particular, in the system of this embodiment, a discharge amount control unit 1212 that can accurately control the amount of electric power released (power sold) to the outside from the (car) battery 1220 and an electric power amount charged to the (car) battery 1220 can be precisely controlled. An inflow control unit 1214 that can control the flow rate is installed. Both are connected to the system controller α_1126 via communication modules 1202-2 and 1202-3. Therefore, the system controller α_1126 can control the amount of power released (power sold) to the outside with high accuracy by feeding back the amount of emitted (power sold) power sequentially measured by this emission amount monitor section 1216 to the amount of emitted power control section 1212. . Similarly, the system controller feeds back the inflow (purchased) power amount sequentially measured by the inflow amount monitor section 1218 to the inflow amount control section 1214 to accurately control the amount of power charged to the (car) battery 1220. .

Already in Section 1.7, the system controller α_1126 controls the corresponding system α_11.
We explained how to control communication within 32 (network system) and manage and operate the communication status. As shown in FIG. 8A, this system controller α_1126 includes a processor 1230. This processor 1230 collects information from all the sensor modules 1222, 1260-1 to 5 in the same domain 2_1122-2, and sequentially stores it in the memory unit 1232 as history information. Additionally, command information for the drive module 1270-1 is similarly stored as history information. Furthermore, the user I/F unit 12 is installed in this system controller α_1126.
34, it is possible to directly input requests from the user and display the current progress status to the user. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the user I/F unit 1234 may be installed outside the system controller α_1126 and connected via the communication module 1202-3.

In particular, in the system of this embodiment, all sensor modules 1 in domain 2_1122-2
222, 1260-1 to 5 and drive module 1270-1 to server n_
A major feature is that the system controller α_1126 (processor 1230 therein) autonomously selects and transmits only necessary information to the server n_1116-n, instead of automatically transferring the information to the server n_1116-n. This has the effect of protecting the user's personal information. In addition to selecting information as described above, we also process and analyze some of the information above.
Only the result may be notified to server n_1116-n. As a result, the server n_1116-n can collect only the minimum necessary information, so the service provider B_1116-1
It also has the effect of increasing the efficiency of integrated management processing within the company.

Furthermore, in the system of this embodiment, the processor 1 in the system controller α_1126
230) can collect unique information from the server n_1116-n via the communication module 1202-3 and store it in the memory unit 1232. This unique information means information that cannot be obtained from within the domain 2_1122-2, such as traffic congestion information, local weather forecast information, and time-varying price information for public consumption goods. The system controller α_1126 (processor 1230 therein) analyzes the information thus stored in the memory unit 1232 and estimates/determines the end user's behavior, state, or request. Then, based on this estimated/determined content, system controller α_1126 (processor 1230 within) system α_1132 (
Alternatively, the domain 2_1122-1) is controlled to provide optimal services to end users. As an example of this service provision method, drive module 1270- in FIG.
1 may be remotely controlled. In this way, the system controller α_1126 (processor 1230 therein) independently controls the sensor modules 1222, 1260-1 to 1260-5 and the server n_11.
Integrated analysis of information collected from 16-n and command history to drive module 1270-1/
Because of the analysis, it has the effect of being able to provide unique services such as providing detailed services to users within domain 2_1122-2, which was difficult to do in the past. Furthermore, such unique services within domain 2_1122-2 may be canceled due to system troubles on server n_1116-n.
The robustness of the services provided to end users can be ensured because they can be stably provided even when communication is unavailable.

FIG. 9 shows an application example of the system of this embodiment shown in FIG. 8A. In Figure 9, smart meter 1
All devices 1250-1 & 4 in domain 2_1122-2 except 124 and router (gateway) 1300 have a built-in processor 1330 or device controller 1240-1 to 2, and the server n_11
It is possible to directly exchange information with 16-n.

Here, the processor 1330 built in the section 1_1142-1 (inside one car) is not limited to controlling the amount of electric power charged/discharged from the (car) battery 1220, but also controls the air conditioning inside the car and improves fuel efficiency. All kinds of controls such as engine combustion control are performed, and related information is sent to the server n_11 via the router (gateway) 1300 (or directly).
16-n. Furthermore, all the communication modules 1202-1 to 1202-7 are connected to the server n_1116-n via a router (gateway) 1300 via a network. In the application example shown in FIG. 9, the router (gateway) 1300 does not perform any discrimination or selection, and the system shown in FIG. 8A automatically transfers all information from the device 1250-1/4 to the server n_1116-n. There is a major functional difference from controller α_1126.

On the other hand, in the application example shown in FIG.
Memory sections 1244 and 1246 are built into the memory section 4. and sensor module 1260
Signals and information detected from time to time from -1 to 7 are sequentially stored in memory units 1244 and 1246 in time series. In addition, from the device controllers 1240-1 and 1240-2 to the drive module 127
Instruction information issued to the commands 0-1 to 0-3 as appropriate is also sequentially stored in the memory units 1244 and 1246. Using the information stored in the memory units 1244 and 1246, the device controllers 1240-1 and 1240-2 can provide unique services for each device 1250-1 to 1250-4 to end users. When providing this service, the history of detection signals and measurement information from the sensor modules 1260-1 to 1260-7 that change from moment to moment, which are stored in the memory units 1244 and 1246, is used to The user's behavior, state, or request is estimated/judged, and the drive modules 1270-1 to 1270-3 are controlled (details will be described later in sections 4.2 to 4.4).

The characteristic of the application example shown in FIG. 9 is that ``the entire corresponding network communication system α_1132 is managed or controlled from outside (the physical space area formed by) the network communication system α_1132'' or ``the network communication system α_1132 (physical spatial area formed by) and does not have a system controller α_1126 that manages or controls the entire corresponding network communication system α_1132. Seen from this perspective, information communication within the same system network line 1782 formed between the devices 1250-1 and 4 in the system α_1132 via the router (gateway) 1300 with a built-in battery, and System controller β_11 installed at a location physically distant from system α_1132 instead of server n_1116-n
28 may go.

As a further application, a "mixed form" between the embodiment system shown in FIG. 2 or FIGS. 8A/B and the embodiment system of FIG. 9 may be adopted. System α_1132 in this case
As internal and external relay means, both the system controller α_1126 and the router (gateway) 1300 with a built-in battery may be provided. In addition, network communication system α_113
Both system controller α_1126 and system controller β_1128 may cooperate to manage, operate, or control the entire system, or normally only system controller α_1126 may perform the management, operation, or control of the entire system. This system controller α_1126 and this system controller β_1128 frequently exchange information, and section 1_114
All information necessary for collecting information for each of 2-1 to m_1142-m and providing services to users will be shared between the two companies. In this case, the memory unit 12 in the system controller α_1126
By mirroring, the related files stored in the system controller β_
1128 and the corresponding memory section 1248 as appropriate. By the way, this section 1_
Explanation of the address table in Figure 23, the estimation/judgment collation table in Figure 27, and the time series information tracking table in Figure 28, which are examples of information necessary for collecting information for each 1142-1 to 1142-m and providing services to users. will be described later. In this way, system controller α_1126, β_112
By appropriately sharing information between the systems α_1132 and 8, processing within the stable system α_1132 can continue without any crosstalk even if the management/operation or control entity is replaced (or even mixed). Furthermore, the system controller α_1126 and the server n_1116-n may cooperate to manage, operate, or control the entire network communication system α_1132. In this case, in the same way as above (using mirroring etc.), section 1_114
All the information necessary for collecting information for each of 2-1 to m_1142-m and providing services to users may be shared between the system controller α_1126 and the server n_1116-n. By managing, operating, or controlling the entire network communication system α_1132 with multiple devices placed in different locations in this way, it is possible to respond flexibly to emergencies, improving the stability and reliability of the network communication system α_1132. It has the effect of For example, if the system controller α_1126 shuts down due to some unexpected situation, or even if all the information stored in the memory unit 1232 is destroyed due to a head crash, etc., the system controller β_1128 or server n_1116-n is automatically restored as an emergency response. As a result, the processing of system α_1132 can continue stably without causing any stress to the user. In addition, the user's convenience is improved because, for example, the user can collect information from the network communication system α_1132 and control the network communication system α_1132 by operating the system controller β_1128 from a remote location. In this case, the system α_1132 includes devices 1250-1 and 1250-4 that have a built-in device controller 1240 and a memory section 1242, devices 1250-2 and 3 that do not have a device controller 1240 and a memory section 1242, and sensors/communication devices described later. Composite modules that collectively refer to module 1460 and drive/communication module 1470 may be mixed.

A supplementary explanation regarding the above-mentioned "mixed form" will be provided. As shown in FIG. 5, a composite module 1295 (or unit 1290) arranged in network system α_1132 often has a power storage module (battery) 1554. Therefore, if system α_1
Even if a power outage occurs within unit 132, composite module 1295 (or unit 1290
) will continue to operate unaffected. Furthermore, in the embodiment system of FIG. 9, the system α
Since the router (gateway) 1300 that relays information communication inside and outside of the network system α_1132 has a built-in battery, it is not affected by a power outage within the network system α_1132. Therefore, if you set up a means to back up the management/control within network system α_1132 in the event of an unforeseen event such as a power outage or failure, information communication within system α_1132 will continue without a hitch without being affected by the unforeseen event such as a power outage or failure. do.

As already explained in Section 1.1 that "the only system controller α_1126 manages/controls/operates/collects information within network system α_1132", information communication within network system α_1132 during normal times. Management/control/operation/information collection is performed by system controller α_1126. However, in the event of an unexpected occurrence such as a power outage or failure, the system controller β_1128 performs temporary management/control/operation/information collection of information communication within the network system α_1132. However, in normal times, the system controller β_1128 may be treated as one unit 1290 belonging to the network system α_1132.

Also, as already explained in Section 1.1 using Figures 1 and 2, the network system
System controller α_1 that manages/controls/operates/collects information of information communication within 1132
126 performs information communication within the network system with each unit 1290 within the network system α_1132, and performs information communication outside the system with a server n_1116-n (cloud or cloud server) existing outside the network system α_1132. When the system controller β_1128 performs temporary operation of the system controller α_1126 in the event of an unexpected occurrence such as a power outage or failure, it is desirable to communicate information between each unit 1290 and the server n_1116-n in the same communication information format as before the temporary operation. . This is because temporary processing can be performed smoothly and seamlessly by using the same communication information format.

As described later in Section 2.1 using FIG. 10A, communication information in the communication middleware layer APL02 between the system controller α_1126 and the composite module 1295 can use the C-format. On the one hand, system controller α_1126 and server n_111
The communication information in the communication middleware layer APL06 between 6-n (cloud or cloud server) may use A-format, E-format, W-format, or the like. Therefore, system controller β instead of system controller α_1126
When _1128 performs proxy processing, it is desirable to perform similar information communication. In other words, the communication middleware layer AP between the system controller β_1128 and the composite module 1295
Communication information in L02 uses C-format, and communication information with server n_1116-n (cloud or cloud server) uses A-format, E-format, W-format, etc.

In this way, the features of the client system generated by combining the content described later in Section 2.1 using FIGS. 10A and 17A and the system of this embodiment described above are summarized below. That is, this client system (system α_1132) is connected to an external cloud (via the system controller α_1126 in FIG. 10A or the router (gateway) 1300 or system controller β_1128 in FIG. 17A) (the server n_1116 in FIG. 1).
1), and furthermore, this client system (system α_1132) acquires and manages the information from the unit 1290 (or composite module 1295), which has the function of communicating independently acquired or created information. system controller α_11
26 and a second system controller β_1128 different from the first system controller α_1126 that acquires and manages the information from the unit 1290 (or composite module 1295), and the first system controller α_1126 has a plurality of The unit 1290 (or composite module 1295) is divided into sections 1142 (Figure 1) and managed, and information regarding the section to which each unit belongs (Figure 23 described later in Section 4.3) is managed.
an address table or a time-series information tracking table in FIG. data format (C in Figure 17A)
- format), and communication between the second system controller β_1128 and the cloud (server n_1116-1 in FIG. 1) uses a second data format (A/E/W-format in FIG. 17B). There are characteristics to use.

However, under normal circumstances, the system controller β_1134 is the system controller α_11.
1 belonging to network system α_1132 where 26 manages/controls/operates/collects information
It has already been explained that it may be treated as 1290 units. Furthermore, in the system of this embodiment,
Same network system 11 (via) network system α_1132
Information communication between different units 1290 within 32 is possible. As described above, when information is communicated between the system controller α_1126 and the unit 1290, the C-format can be used for the communication information in the communication middleware layer APL02. Therefore, when information is communicated between the system controller α_1126 and the system controller β_1128, using the C-format for communication information in the communication middleware layer APL02 has the effect that management/control/operation/information collection of the system controller α_1126 is easier. is born.

On the other hand, even when the system controller β_1134 normally communicates information with the server n_1116-n (cloud or cloud server), the communication middleware layer APL0
It is desirable to use A-format, E-format, or W-format for the communication information in 6. As a result, even if system controller α_1126 becomes unavailable due to a power outage or failure, temporary processing related to management/control/operation/information collection of network system α_1132 can be carried out smoothly and seamlessly.

This content can be expressed as follows. In other words, this client system (system α_1132) can be connected to an external cloud (server n_1116-1 in FIG. 1) (via the system controller α_1126 in FIG. 10A or the router (gateway) 1300 or system controller β_1128 in FIG. 17A). A first system controller α_112 that acquires and manages the information from the unit 1290 (or composite module 1295) that has a function of communicating independently acquired or created information.
6 and a second system controller β_1128 different from the first system controller α_1126 that acquires and manages the information from the unit 1290 (or composite module 1295), and the second system controller β_1128 1st
The communication between the plurality of units 1290 is performed using a first data format (C-format, etc.) via the system controller α_1126 of the system controller α_1126 of the cloud (FIG. 1). Server n_1116-n
) is characterized by using the second data format (A/E/W-format in FIG. 17B).

By the way, in the paraphrase so far, there have been relatively many cases where consideration has been given to cooperative processing or alternative processing between the system controller α_1126 and the system controller β_1128. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the characteristics of the embodiment system shown in FIG. 9 alone, in which the system controller α_1126 does not exist from the beginning, can also be described as follows. In other words, this client system (system α_1132) (system controller α_1126 in FIG. 10A or
(via A's router (gateway) 1300 and system controller β_1128)
A unit 1290 (or composite module 1) that can be connected to an external cloud (server n_1116-1 in FIG.
295) and the system controller β_1128 that acquires and manages the information from the unit 1290 (device 1250 in FIG. 9) and has a function of communicating between the unit 1290 (device 1250 in FIG. 9) and the system controller β_1128. gateway 13
00, and the system controller β_1128 has a plurality of units 1290 (FIG.
The equipment 1250) is divided into sections 1_1142-1 and 2_1142-2 and managed, and the section 1_1142- to which each unit 1290 (equipment 1250 in FIG. 9) belongs is managed.
1, 2_1142-2 (address table in FIG. 23 or time-series information tracking table in FIG. 28 described later in Section 4.3), the system controller β_1128 and the plurality of units 1290 (device 1250 in FIG. 9), and uses a first data format (such as C-format) for communication between the system controller β_1128 and the cloud (server n_1116-n in FIG. 1). is characterized by using the second data format (A/E/W-format in FIG. 17B). Section 1.9 Example of Utilization of Composite Module in a Local Network System In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8A or FIG. 9, the basic communication partner of the system controller α_1126 in FIG. 8A or the server n_1116-n in FIG. 1250-1 to 4. Conventionally, the basic functions were determined in advance for each device, so the contents of network communication information (communication protocol or exchange information 1810 in the communication middleware layer APL explained in Chapter 2) that matched the basic functions of each device were standardized. It was previously specified above. However, as each device evolves, develops, and diversifies with the changing times, it becomes difficult to quickly adapt standards to the ever-changing equipment functions of each device. For example, the basic function of a television is to "receive broadcast waves and display the content to the user." However, today's high-end Japanese TVs are not limited to the above-mentioned basic functions, but also have built-in data communication functions or recording functions using network lines. Also, although it is not so popular at present, naked-eye 3DTV (3 Dimensional Tele
Vision) also has a built-in function to detect the location information of the viewing user. Furthermore, in the future (
There is also a possibility that the TV will have a built-in light sensor (to optimally control the brightness of the display screen). Considering such diversification and expandability for each device, if the communication information format (exchange information 1810) or communication protocol between devices and 1250-1 to 1250-4 is made versatile, it will be possible to decode the communication information. Equipment 1250-1 with built-in high-performance device controllers 1240-1 and 1240-2
The negative effects that lead to higher prices in item 4. That is, device 1250-2 or device 1 in FIG. 8A.
In H.250-3, it is difficult to decode general-purpose and complex communication information, and it is necessary to incorporate a device controller 1240 to perform decoding and various controls within the device according to the decoding results.

As a countermeasure, in FIG. 8B, the sensor/communication modules 1460-1 to 5 or the drive/communication modules 1470-1 to 2 belonging to the composite module 1295 can be installed inside the devices 1450-1 to 4 or separately outside the device. There is.
For convenience of explanation, all the devices 1450-1 to 4 in FIG. 8B are connected to the composite module 1295.
Sensor/communication modules 1460-1 to 4 and drive/communication module 1470-1 belonging to
It has a structure that incorporates ~2. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A(c) may be adopted. That is, for example, the above-mentioned composite module 1295 (sensor/communication module 1460 or drive/communication module 1470) may be additionally built into the devices 1250-1 to 1250-4 shown in FIGS. 8A and 9. In this case, information communication regarding the basic functions of each device (for example, the function of "receiving broadcast waves and displaying the content to the user" in the previous example) is
This corresponds to the devices 1250-1 to 1250-4 shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 9. Information communication regarding newly developed, diversified, and added new functions is directly handled by newly additionally built-in composite modules 1295, 1460, and 1470. and highly diversified/evolved equipment 1250
The entire functions owned by the system controller α_1126 are integrated and managed.
Understand and control. This creates a new effect that facilitates expandability (expandability of built-in sensors/drive types) when adding new functions to conventional existing equipment. Further, since the functions of each of the composite modules 1295, 1460, and 1470 are very limited and simplified, the communication information that the composite modules 1295, 1460, and 1470 exchange with the outside can be greatly simplified. It also produces effects. If communication information exchanged with the outside world is greatly simplified in this way, a high-performance device controller 12 for decoding/controlling complex communication information is required.
40-1 and 40-2 are no longer required, making it easier to reduce the cost and size of the composite modules 1295, 1460, and 1470.

In the description example in FIG. 8B, device 1450-1 and device 145 are included in section 2_1142-2.
0-2 is arranged, and devices 1450-3 and 1450-4 are arranged in section m_1142-m. However, the installation location of each device 1450-1 to 1450-4 does not necessarily have to be fixed;
Any of the specific devices 1450-1 to 1450-4 may be transported by the end user and moved into another section.

Similarly, in the embodiment system of FIG. 8B, sensor modules and drive modules are individually integrated with communication modules within the smart meter 1124 and within section 1_1142-1 (corresponding to the entire interior of one vehicle, for example). As a result, as shown in the smart meter 1124 in FIG. 8B, a discharge amount monitor/communication module 1406 and an inflow amount monitor/communication module 1408 are configured, and are individually connected to the system controller α_1126 and the server n_1116-n through a network. There is. Similarly, section 1_1142
-1 is the discharge amount monitor/communication module 1416 and the inflow amount monitor/communication module 1418
, a discharge amount control/communication module 1412, and an inflow amount control/communication module 1414, each of which is connected to the system controller α via a communication module 1202-3.
_1126 (processor 1230 therein) is connected to the network. Here, the discharge amount monitor/communication module 1406, the inflow amount monitor/communication module 1408, the discharge amount monitor/communication module 1416, and the inflow amount monitor/communication module 1418 correspond to the sensor/communication module 1460. In addition, the discharge amount control/communication module 1412 and the inflow amount control/
Communication module 1414 corresponds to drive/communication module 1470. In this case, the sensor/communication modules 1460-1 to 5 in the system α_1132, the discharge amount monitor/communication modules 1406, 1416, or the inflow amount monitor/communication modules 1408, 14
System controller α_1126 collectively collects all detection signals and measurement information obtained from 18 (and stores them in memory unit 1232). In addition, the system controller α_1126 collectively controls (issues commands) all the drive/communication modules 1470-1 to 2, the discharge amount control/communication module 1412, and the inflow amount control/communication module 1414 in the system α_1132. As a result, a single system controller α_1126 allows
It becomes possible to efficiently and comprehensively manage and control all the devices 1450-1 to 1450-5 in the system α_1132 and provide high-quality services to end users.

Furthermore, the embodiment system example shown in FIG. 8B has the advantage that the devices 1450-1 to 1450-5 can be manufactured at a very low cost. In other words, standard composite modules 1460, 147 with versatility
By mass producing 0 in large quantities, these composite modules 1460 and 1470 can be manufactured at a significantly lower cost. There is no need for any new interface unit to connect the composite modules 1295, 1460, and 1470, and it can be incorporated into the corresponding devices 1450-1 to 1450-5 very easily and inexpensively at the mere physical layout level. When the drive/communication modules 1470-1 to 2 become available at low cost, the drive/communication modules 147 to be incorporated into the devices 1450-1 to 5
The number of 0-1 to 2 can be increased compared to the example in FIG. 8B. Furthermore, the method of assembling the composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470 into the devices 1450-1 to 1450-5 is not limited to fixing with screws.
For example, the end user may perform temporary fixation using double-sided tape or adhesive tape. In other words, in the example shown in FIG. 8B, device 1450-1 and device 1450-3 each include one sensor/communication module 1460-4 to 5, and device 1450-2 includes multiple sensor/communication modules 1460- 2-3 are built-in. However, using the method described above, it becomes easy for an end user to reattach a particular sensor/communications module 1460-2-5 to another device 1450.

However, in the system of this embodiment shown in FIG. 8B, the sensor/communication module 1460-5 is not built into the device 1450, but instead is installed in the specific section 1142 (or in the domain 1).
122). Such sensor/communication module 1
460-5 (or composite module 1295, 1460, 1470) alone, for example, the user can install sensor/communication module 1460 (or composite module 1295, 1460, 1470) using a fixing member such as tape, adhesive, or pushpin. ) can be fixed to walls, roofs, and floors, or mixed with paint and applied to walls, roofs, and floors. Further, although not shown, a drive/communication module 1470 (eg, in the form of a remote control for controlling an air conditioner, a television, or a lighting equipment) may be installed independently at any location within the specific section 1142 (or within the domain 1122). Also good.

Further, as another example of the system of this embodiment, composite modules 1295, 1460, 14
70 may be made movable with the user, and the position change history of the composite modules 1295, 1460, and 1470 may be measured to collect the user's action history information. Additionally (not shown), the drive/communications module 1470 may be movable with the user and may
Control state changes (for example, changes in air conditioning or brightness) within the section 1142 (for example, control air conditioners, televisions, lighting equipment, etc.) from the location of any user within the section 1142 (or within the domain 1122). It's okay. Here, together with the user, the composite module 1295,
As a method for making 1460 and 1470 movable, for example, they are temporarily fixed or attached with tape or adhesive to portable items that the user always carries, such as glasses, tie pins, shoes, and wallets. Alternatively, it may be firmly fixed with screws or the like, or it may be incorporated inside a portable item.
Chapter 2 Overview of Hierarchical Structure and Data Structure of Communication Information In Chapter 1, the overall structure of the system of this embodiment was explained using FIGS. 1 to 9. In this Chapter 2, the characteristics and detailed contents of the data structure (communication protocol contents) of communication information mutually communicated within the present embodiment described in Chapter 1 will be explained. Section 2.1 Hierarchical structure of network communication related functions in this embodiment Network communication used in this embodiment has a hierarchical structure for each function as shown in FIGS. 10A/B and 16 to 17B. It has great characteristics. In this hierarchical structure, Figure 10A
/B and a physical layer PHY02 corresponding to the physical functions of the lowest layer shown in FIGS. 16 to 17B,
PHY06 specifies the physical communication media required for network communication. When using cabled or wired Ethernet as a specific example of this physical communication medium, use cables and connectors that have the shape and characteristics specified in the physical layer PHY06 standard. do. On the other hand, when wireless is used as this physical communication medium, it is adapted to the frequency, channel, modulation method, basic communication frame structure, etc. specified in the standard of the physical layers PHY02 and PHY06.

Communication media located above the physical layers PHY02 and PHY06
) The media access layers MAC02 and MAC06 corresponding to the access function on It stipulates the information necessary for In addition, the top-level extended application layer EXL06 and communication middleware layer APL06,
APL02 defines the provision of various services using network communication (corresponding to various service provision functions using communication).

In this way, by creating a hierarchical structure that corresponds to each function, it is possible to
It becomes possible to select/combine the optimal format for each layer. As a result, the overall system of this embodiment has the effect of being able to lower the price (of the composite modules 1460 and 1470 shown in FIG. 8B) and at the same time improve the functionality of communication information (with the device 1250 shown in FIG. 8A). . A specific example of this effect will be explained below. First, the physical layer PHY02 and media access layer MAC02 can adopt the Z-format (details will be described later in Section 2.3) that supports short-range wireless, which is optimal for the "power saving" required for the composite modules 1460 and 1470. . Furthermore, in order to optimize the "low cost" required for the composite modules 1460 and 1470, the communication middleware layer APL02 adopts the C-format (details will be described later in Section 2.5) with "simplified communication information". You may do so. On the other hand, in order to meet the high functionality of communication required between the server n_1116-n and the device 1250-1, the A-format allows communication of multiple pieces of information at the same time in the communication middleware layer APL06 (see Section 2.7 for details). ), E-format (details are described later in Section 2.6), or W-format.
Communication information of XL06 may also be used.

In addition, the communication information intermediate layer (media access layer MAC02, M
A communication middleware layer (APL02, a layer higher than AC06, and a layer lower than APL06) that "commonly" communicates information specified in the Internet Protocol version 6 layer IPv6 that supports Internet communication (internet protocol) functions. where possible,
This embodiment has the following features. Here, "commonly communicable" refers to all nodes connected to the network in all the systems of this embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 8B (communication targets corresponding to the communication source and communication destination of network communication). 8A as a specific example in this embodiment.
When communicating with the device 1250, server n_1116-n, wholesaler A_1102, or composite modules 1460 and 1470 in FIG. This means that it is okay to communicate (described later in Section 4). Another way to explain this situation is as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 10A, the communication information used (transmitted) by an outside-system network line 1788 and an in-system network line 1782 (details will be described later) includes the same Internet protocol. It may also include information specified by the standard that supports version 6 layer IPv6. Here, the Internet Protocol version 6 layer IPv6 defines a communication protocol on the Internet, and performs address management and communication route management on the Internet. Therefore, the standard specified by this Internet Protocol version 6 layer IPv6 does not depend on the type of node such as wholesaler A_1102, server n_1116-n, system controller α_1126, device 1250-1, composite module 1460, 1470, etc. , it is possible to set unique IP addresses (Internet Protocol Addresses) for every node (communication object). In this way, when communicating between different systems within the same domain 2_1122-2 in the system of this embodiment (when communicating between system α_1132 and system β_1134 in FIG. 1), by using the above IP address, the communication partner can This has the effect of greatly simplifying management (details will be discussed later in Section 2.8). As a specific example of this effect, for example, you can use a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet (corresponding to system controller β_1128 in Figure 1) from a business trip abroad (corresponding to the location of system β_1134 in Figure 1) to at home (corresponding to the location of system controller β_1128 in Figure 1). 1
This makes it possible to collect necessary information from the sensor/communication module 1460 of the system (corresponding to the location of the system α_1132) or operate the drive/communication module 1470, greatly improving user convenience. Also, at this time, the business trip (system β_1134) and the home (system α_1132) are protected within the same domain 2_1122-2, which prevents intrusion from other outsiders, so security protection is sufficiently strong. There is.

First, using the embodiment system model shown in FIG. 8B, the hierarchical structure (architecture) of each function related to network communication is shown in FIG. 10A. By the way, in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the composite modules 1460 and 1470 are described as the rightmost network nodes because the system model of the embodiment shown in FIG. 8B is taken into consideration. Furthermore, a composite module 1460 as the rightmost network node located within the same system network line 1782;
1470, communication modules 1202-5, 6 (and sensor module 12) in devices 1250-2, 3 (and sensor module 12
60-3 to 5) may be made to correspond.

Here, the left side of FIG. 10A shows the server n_1116-n and system controller α of FIG. 8B.
The hierarchical structure (architecture) of each function related to communication between _1126 is shown. Also, Figure 1
The right side of 0A shows the system controller α_1126 and each composite module 1460 in FIG. 8B.
, 1470 is shown.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the system of this embodiment, the server n_111 is physically located outside the area where the system α_1132 to which the system controller α_1126 belongs exists.
6-n can be installed. Therefore, as shown on the left side of FIG. 10A, server n_111
Communication between the system controller α_1126 and the system controller α_1126 uses the external network line 1788. This external network line 1788 uses wired (cabl)
You may use an Internet connection (ed or wired) or wireless. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to use a network line that is used within a relatively narrow range, such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

And as a physical communication media using the above wires,
Fiberoptic cables may also be used. However, it is not limited to this, and there are other physical media compatible with the above-mentioned wires, such as electric cords and telephone wires.
s) or any signal transmission means such as power lines may be used. Further, as the signal format to be transmitted, either an analog signal or a digital signal may be used. Communication standards at the physical layer PHY06 differ not only due to differences in the physical form of the communication medium and the form of signals transmitted therein, but also depending on the communication line management company and the country or region that manages/supervises communication. . Therefore, in the system of this embodiment, the physical layer PH via an existing line is
All communication standards in Y06 are collectively called "L-format". On the other hand, when wireless is used in the physical layer PHY06 as the network line 1788 outside the system, long-distance wireless systems such as 2G (Second Generation), 3G (Third Generation), or WiMAX (World
Wide Interoperability for Microwave Access) communication standards may also be used. Furthermore, the present embodiment system is not limited to this, and can use communication information compliant with all wireless communication standards including medium-range wireless systems. All wireless communication standards, including these long-distance wireless systems to medium-range wireless systems, are collectively referred to as the "G-format" herein.

By comparison, all composite modules 1460, 1470 shown in FIG. 8B are commonly located within system α_1132 managed by system controller α_1126.
The physical range of this system α_1132 is limited to a relatively narrow area. Therefore, information communication between the system controller α_1126 and the composite modules 1460 and 1470 is performed using the same system network line 1782 in FIG. 10A. In order to distinguish it from the "G-format" and "L-format" communication standards used in the network line outside the system 1788 mentioned above, it is used in the physical layer PHY02 of information communicated within the same system network line 1782. The communication standards are collectively called "Z-format." In the system of this embodiment, either wireless or wired (or a mixture thereof) may be used as the same-system network line 1782.

On the other hand, the standards used in the media access layer MAC02/06 shown in FIG. 10A are often studied/proposed by the same standards development organization as the physical layer PHY02/06. Therefore, in the media access layer MAC06 transmitted on the external network line 1788 between the server n_1116-2 and the system controller α_1126, the physical layer PHY0
6, "L-format" or "G-format" can be used. Similarly, the media access layer MAC02 is transmitted on the same system network line 1782 between the system controller α_1126 and the composite modules 1460 and 1470.
“Z-Format” can be used within. However, it is not limited to this, for example, the physical layer PHY0
The Z-format may be used for the media access layer MAC02, and the L-format or G-format may be used for the media access layer MAC02. Alternatively, the L-format or G-format may be used for the physical layer PHY06, and the Z-format may be used for the media access layer MAC06.

From the physical layer PHY06 mentioned above to the Internet protocol version 6 layer IP
Processing of information related to each function up to v6 (mainly communication control processing) is performed by server n_1116-
Communication modules 1768, 1202-3 execute within system controller α_1126. By the way, the communication module 1660 in the composite modules 1460 and 1470 whose internal structures are explained in FIG. 5 and FIG. . In this communication control unit 1700, information processing (mainly communication control processing) related to each function from the physical layer PHY02 to the Internet protocol version 6 layer IPv6 is performed.

From physical layer PHY06 to Internet protocol version 6 layer IPv6
The information related to each function up to this point was mainly related to communication control, and had little relation to the function, operation, or performance of the device 1450, for example. On the other hand, the communication middleware layer APL02,A in FIG. 10A
PL06 and extended application layer EXL06 are related to various service providing functions using network communication. Processing of communication information related to the functions of the communication middleware layer APL06 and the extended application layer EXL06 (mainly processing related to providing services to users) is executed by the processors 1738 and 1230 in the server n_1116-n and the system controller α_1126. . On the other hand, information related to the functions of the communication middleware layer APL02 that is communicated via the same system network line 1782 is processed in the interface section 1710 in the communication module 1660 within the composite modules 1460 and 1470. The system of this embodiment is characterized in that the composite modules 1460 and 1470 do not use expensive processors, and all communication information communicated via the same system network line 1782 can be processed within the communication module 1660. There is. By eliminating the need for an expensive built-in processor, the composite module 1460
, 1470 can be provided at low cost.

Among the information communicated via the external network line 1788, especially the server n
Extended application layer E contains unique information that can only be used on specific application software installed on both the _1116-n and the system controller α_1126.
A major feature of the system of this embodiment is that it can be stored and communicated within the XL06. This allows differentiation between application software installed on both server n_1116-n and system controller α_1126. As a result, competitive development among application software of each company based on the principle of competition is promoted, which not only promotes the advancement of application software technology but also improves user convenience. Furthermore, by using the unique information stored in the extended application layer EXL06, there is an effect that the quality of the service provided to the user by the application software is improved. However, if the performance and additional expansion functions possessed by the devices 1250-1 and 2 shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 9 improve/develop in the future, the communication middleware layer APL06 will be updated accordingly.
There will be a need to update the A-, E-, and W-format standards used in the future. However, since upgrading the standard requires extremely complicated work, a problem arises in that it is difficult for the standard upgrading to keep up with improvements in performance and addition and expansion of functions of the devices 1250-1 and 1250-2. On the other hand, application software vendors can use the extended application layer EXL06 mentioned above to update the device 1 without waiting for the standard version to be updated.
It also has the effect of easily responding to improvements in performance and addition and expansion of functions of 250-1 and 250-2. In this way, the information stored and communicated in the extended application layer EXL06 can be freely set depending on the specific software vendor, so there is no need to predefine the description format of the communication information here as a world standard.

In comparison, communication information related to the service provision function of the communication middleware layer APL02/APL06 may use information that conforms to a standardized format such as A-, E-, W-, or C-format. . In this way, communication middleware layer APL02/APL
If the communication information related to the service provision function of 06 conforms to a predetermined standard format,
Between the server 1116 and the system controllers 1126/1128, and between the composite module 1
This has the effect of facilitating mutual compatibility between the 460 and 1470 systems.

As shown in FIG. 25, both the server n_1116-n and the system controller α_1126 have a large-capacity memory unit 1232 (and database 1118-n), and can have high-speed and powerful processors 1738/1230. Therefore, the communication middleware layer A that is sent between the two
A large amount of diverse communication information corresponding to the provision of various services can be set in PL06. In comparison, it is difficult to incorporate a processor capable of providing various services in the composite modules 1460 and 1470. Therefore, in response to the above situation, the system of this embodiment uses a format different from that used in the communication middleware layer APL06 (A-format, E-format, W-format, etc.) for information communication with the composite modules 1460 and 1470. A format (such as C-format) may be used within the communication middleware layer APL02. In particular, the C-format used within the communication middleware layer APL02 (see 2.
(described later in Section 5), it not only reduces the processing burden within the composite modules 1460 and 1470 and lowers the price, but also improves the relative processing speed and By shortening the time, the effect of reducing the amount of consumption of the built-in power storage module (battery) 1554 is produced. However, the system of this embodiment is not limited to this, and the composite module 1460
, 1470, A-format, E-format, W-format, etc. may be used.

Here, information used within the communication middleware layer APL02 included in communication information using the same system network line 1782 and information used within the communication middleware layer APL06 included in communication information using the outside system network line 1788. The switching (conversion) process between the two is handled within the system controller α_1126. However, within the communication middleware layers APL02 and APL06 of the system of this embodiment, the communication information used within the same system internal network line 1782 and the communication information used within the external system network line 1788 do not necessarily have to completely match. There may be no difference between the two pieces of communication information. This processing method will be explained below. As already explained in Sections 1.1 and 1.7, and as shown in FIG. 8B, the system controller α_1126 manages and operates network communication within the network system α_1132. Then, information detected by all the sensor/communication modules 1460 is sequentially obtained in real time through the network line 1782 within the same system, and control (setting) is performed by the drive/communication module 1470.
The information on all the statuses that have been set is sent to the system controller α_1126 as management information
The information is appropriately stored in the memory unit 1232 of the computer. Here, the above management information 1744 may be stored in a table format as a management table. Furthermore, in the case where FIGS. 8A and 8B are mixed, the system controller α_1126 simultaneously stores information (
detection information, current status information, etc.) are also stored as part of the management information 1744. Then, this system controller α_1126 extracts only the specific information in the range in which the user's personal information is protected from the management information 1744, and uses the system controller α_1126 to
Information is communicated to server n_1116-n via. The information communicated to the server n_1116-n is stored in the database 1118-n as management information 1748 (which may be in a table format) managed by the server n_1116. In this way, the system controller α_1126 collects communication information and AP information used within the communication middleware layer APL02.
By converting (switching information) between the communication information used within L06, not only the security of the user is protected, but also the minimum necessary information is selected in advance and received, so that the server n_1116-n This has the effect of simplifying the processing.

A client system that combines the contents described above and the overview contents of the entire system of this embodiment already described in Section 1.1 has the following characteristics. That is, a system controller α_1126 that can be connected to an external cloud (server n_1116-n in FIG. 1) and manages information, and a unit (that has a function of acquiring or creating and transmitting information to be provided to the system controller α_1126). Unit 1_1290-1 to 7 in Figure 2
_1290-7), and this system controller α_1126 manages multiple units (sections 1_1142-1 to m_1 in FIG. 1).
142-m) and retains information regarding the section to which each unit belongs, the electronic equipment system having information about the section to which each unit belongs, the electronic equipment system comprising: between the system controller and the plurality of units (a type of composite module 1295, 1460, 1470); The communication uses the first data format (corresponding to C-format or Z-format in FIG. 10A), and also communicates between the system controller α_1126 and the cloud (server n_1116- in FIG. 10A).
n) in a second data format (A/E/W-format or L/E/W-format or L/E/W-format).
G format is supported). In particular, the first data format and the second data format are different data formats.

As described later in Section 2.2, the first data format is the header (Figure 11).
(corresponds to the physical layer header PHYHD) and the first data (MAC layer header MACH in Figure 11)
D to TCP header TCPHD), and second data (communication middleware data APLDT) in addition to the first data.

Further, when the communication processing of the communication information having the above-mentioned characteristics is executed with the system controller α_1126 interposed therebetween, there are the following characteristics. That is, the system controller α
_1126 is a composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 which is a type of the above unit.
) is converted into the second data format (A/E/W-format or L/G format in FIG. 10A) and sent to the cloud (server n_1116-n).
), the information communicated from the cloud (server n_1116-n) is changed to the first data format (C-format or Z-format), and the composite module 1295 which is a type of the unit , 1460, 1470).

Here, the unit has a function of transmitting information to be provided to the system controller (Fig.
The communication module 1660 shown in A) and the external environment information (for example,
temperature, illuminance, etc. (responsible by the sensor module 1260 in FIG. 4B), or a state change function to change the state of the unit itself that is the basis of the information to be transmitted (FIG. 4C).
drive module 1670). Accordingly, the unit obtains or creates information in the first data format as part of the communicating function.

For convenience of explanation, the communication module 1660, sensor module 1260, and drive module 1670 are illustrated separately in FIGS. 4A to 4C. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and in the present embodiment, the functions may be used for the same purpose or some functions may overlap. In this case, within the unit, the detecting function or the state change function and the communicating function are used together.

Further, when the communication module 1660 has the structure shown in FIG. 7A, the functions of the communication module 1660 may be realized by a combination of all functional circuits without using the processor 1960 shown in FIG. 7A. In this case, the CPU (Central Pr.
This means that there is no cessing unit).

Next, a comparison of characteristics between communication information used (transmitted) within the same system internal network line 1782 and external system network line 1788 within the same communication middleware layers APL02 and APL06 will be explained using FIG. 10B. Communication information conforming to A-format or E-format may be used for communication between system controller α_1126 and server n_1116-n via external network circuit 1788. However, in the system of this embodiment, the A-format includes "communication middleware layer A".
Communication information related to PL includes all formats that are described in a broadly defined text format. On the other hand, as described later in Section 2.6, the E-format uses a format that ``stores the configuration code in a predefined area'' within the communication middleware data APLDT area (see Section 2.2). Includes all formats. In particular, the A-format and E-format have the characteristic that "information including plural items can be communicated (transmitted) at once." However, there is a risk that the network circuit outside the system 1788 used for this information communication may become temporarily congested due to the usage status of other users. Therefore, if a method is adopted in which communication is repeated very frequently between the system controller α_1126 and the server n_1116-n, there is a risk that communication between the two companies will be stagnant only during times when the network line is abnormally congested. In comparison, by adopting a format that allows multiple pieces of information to be communicated at once as shown in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the frequency of communication between the two parties and reduce the risk of communication stagnation. However, the system of this embodiment is not limited to this, and communication information conforming to C-format or W-format may be used for communication between system controller α_1126 and server n_1116-n.

In the above A-format or E-format, the system controller α_11
A plurality of tables in a predetermined template format are defined according to the type of exchange information 1810 communicated between the server n_1116-n and the server n_1116-n. And which type of table should be used as a template? Information indicating the exchange information is included in the exchange information 1810 as exchange information type identification information 1840. By sharing the exchange information (table) 1810 communicated in this way between the system controller α_1126 and the server n_1116-n, efficiency of information processing between the two companies is improved. In other words, the above exchange information (
By installing application software including the processing routine of Table) 1810 on both the system controller α_1126 and the server n_1116-n, it becomes possible to provide advanced services to users.

On the other hand, information indicating the purpose of use of the exchange information (table) 1810 to be notified to the receiving party is included in the exchange information (table) 1810 as communication access control information 1830. For example, the communication access control information 1830 in E-format may include a "write request", "read request", "notification request", "write/read request", "write response", "notification", "read Codes corresponding to "response", "notification response", "write/read response", etc. are set respectively. In addition, the communication access control information 1830 in the A-format may be set to "write only" (meaning an instruction to set the status to the receiving party or to notify the receiving party of the source status) or (meaning the current state of the receiving party). “READONLY” or “REC/REPLAY”
XML (Extensible Markup Language) in the exchange information (table) 1810.
age) format.

Although not shown in FIG. 10B, the World Wide Web may be used as another method of communicating information via the external network line 1788. This method is shown in Figure 10A.
Compatible with the format, server n_1116-n or system controller α_11
26 also has the function of a web server. In this case, the communication information sending side (server n_1116
-n or system controller α_1126) is the URL (Uniform Resource
ce Location), the receiving party (server n_1116-n or system controller α_1)
126), and the communication information is automatically written in the writing column specified by the form on the homepage. When the information communication is completed, the receiving side uses PHP (
The management information 1744 or 17 manages the received information (or its processing results) according to a program set in advance using Hypertext Preprocessor (recursive abbreviation for Hypertext Preprocessor) or a Java applet.
Save to 48. By providing multiple write-in columns specified in form format on the same homepage, it is possible to set up a situation in which "information with multiple contents can be communicated (sent) at once."
The above-mentioned effects can also be achieved with the W-format. Therefore, W in the system of this embodiment
-Formats include all formats in which ``the sender writes information in a writing field specified in advance by the receiver to communicate information''. In addition, it is not limited to “HTML or HT
Any format in which a "tag" unique to ML5 is written may also be classified as a W-format.

As mentioned above, the server n_1116- via the external network line 1788
Information communication between n and system controller α_1126 has been devised to reduce communication frequency. In comparison, in the same system network line 1782, the system controller α_1126 manages and operates the communication line within the network system, so there is no risk of network line congestion and communication stagnation. More complex module 1
460, 1470, the composite module 1460,
The communication information in the communication middleware layer APL02 for 1470 is simplified. As a specific example, information communication can be performed in any of cases 1 to 3 shown in FIG. 10B. In this case 1, for example, the system controller α_1126 issues a command (command issue) 1852 to change the setting state (state control) to the drive/communication module, and the drive/communication module replies with the execution result of the command 1852. On the other hand, in case 2, for the purpose of collecting sense information (detection information) by the sensor/communication module 1460, the system controller α_1126 issues a response request (request) 1872, and the response (
The sensor/communication module 1460 sends sense information (detection information) as response) 1874.
Answer. In addition, the sensor/communication module 1460 sends sense information (detection information) to the system controller α_ at an arbitrary timing (or at a preset regular timing).
1126, periodic/irregular reporting 1894 may be performed as in case 3.

Note that in the system of this embodiment, the information communication method is not limited to the above, and other communication methods may be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, device controller 1 is installed in system α_1132.
240-1 and a device 1250-1 having a built-in memory unit 1242, information communication between this device 1250-1 and system controller α_1126 on the same system network line 1782 is as shown in FIG. A communication middleware layer APL06 or an extended application layer EXL06 conforming to A-format, E-format, or W-format may be used. As an example of an embodiment in this case, application software that can utilize the extended application layer EXL06 is installed on the server n_1116.
- You may install it in advance in n. After obtaining the user's permission via the user I/F unit 1234 (described in FIG. 8A), the system controller α_1126 automatically installs the above application software on both the system controller α_1126 itself and the corresponding device 1250. You may perform the installation process manually. At this time, the system controller α_1126 accesses the server n_1116-n, and the database 1118
- Transfer the application software stored in advance in n. In this way, the network circuit outside the system 1788 and the network circuit within the same system 1782 are connected via the system controller α_1126, and application software can be automatically installed up to the compatible device 1250, without placing any burden on the user. Since an environment in which the extended application layer EXL06 can be utilized can be automatically constructed, it is possible to ensure ease of handling and flexibility within the network system for the latest equipment 1250 whose functions have been newly expanded. However, the system of this embodiment is not limited to the above, and communication information conforming to the C-format may be used for information communication in the communication middleware layer APL06 between the system controller α_1126 and the device 1250 shown in FIG. 16, for example.

Note that as shown in FIG. 9, the device 1250-1, via the router (gateway) 1300,
When the device 1250 and the server n_1116-n are directly connected, a router (gateway) 1300 is placed between the device 1250 and the server n_1116-n instead of the system controller α_1126 in FIG. In this case, the extended application layer EXL06 and communication middleware layer APL06 use the same communication information both within the network circuit outside the system 1788 and within the network circuit within the same system 1782. Furthermore, in this case, since unique IP addresses are set for each of the device 1250 and the server n_1116-n, the sending side IP address information SIPADRS and the receiving side IP address information DIPADRS set in the Internet Protocol version 6 layer. (See Figure 13 for details in 2.
Direct information communication can be performed between the device 1250 and the server n_1116-n using the following information (described later in Section 4). In addition, in this case, the communication middleware layer A between the device 1250 and the server n_1116-n
For information communication in PL06, communication information conforming to E-format or A-format is mainly used. However, the system of this embodiment is not limited to this, and is not limited to C-format or W format.
- format may be used. In this way, the same communication information is used both within the network circuit outside the system 1788 and within the network circuit within the same system 1782, which has the effect of significantly reducing the burden of relay processing on the router (gateway) 1300. However, the physical layers PHY02 and PHY06 and the media access layer MAC02 and MAC06 use different formats (in the example of FIG. 16, the Z format is used for the network line 1782 in the same system).
- format, and the outside-system network line 1788 may use L-format or G-format). In this case, format conversion is performed within the router (gateway) 1300.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 1, system controllers α_1126 and β_1128 belong to the same domain 2_1122-2 but belong to different systems α_1132 and β_1134.
When communicating information between the system controller α_1126 shown on the left side of FIG.
A communication method similar to that between the server n_1116-n and the server n_1116-n may be used. In this case, the same communication information as on the external network line 1688 may be used in all layers from the physical layer PHY06 to the extended application layer EXL06. In this case, the application software may be automatically installed on the system controller β_1128 as well, as described above. Therefore, communication information in the communication middleware layer APL06 in this case mainly uses communication information conforming to E-format or A-format. However, the system of this embodiment is not limited to this, and may also use C-format or W-format. In this case, the physical layer PHY06 and the media access layer MAC0
The formats used in 6 are: ○ L-format or G-format is used when the distance between systems α_1132 and β_1134 is large, and ○ Z-format is used when the distance between systems α_1132 and β_1134 is close. You may also use Here L
-format and G-format allow information communication anywhere in the world, but on the other hand, it takes relatively long communication time, while Z-format has a limited communication range but relatively short communication time. Yes. Therefore, by switching the format to be used depending on the distance between the two formats, it is possible to use the advantages of both formats as appropriate.

As an application example of the system of this embodiment, consider a case where FIG. 1 and FIG. 8B coexist. In this case, system controller β_1128 (FIG. 1) in a different system β_1134 may directly access composite modules 1460, 1470 in system α_1132. The communication method in this case is to place the system controller β_1128 shown in FIG. 1 in place of the server n_1116-n in FIG. 10A, and to rewrite the network line within the same domain instead of the network line outside the system in FIG. 10A. . Therefore, in this case, the L-format, G-format, A-format, E-format, or W format may be used as the communication information within the network line 2082 within the same domain. Furthermore, the system of this embodiment is not limited to this, and may also use, for example, the Z-format or the C-format. Also, as above, depending on the distance between the composite module (in system α_1132) and the system controller β_1128, Z-format
- The format may be automatically switched between formats. By the way, for the detailed method using Internet Protocol version 6 layer IPv6 in this case, see 2.
This will be explained in detail later in Section 8. Section 2.2 Relationship between hierarchical structure of communication-related functions and communication information on network lines The relationship with the information content is shown in FIG. Whether network communication media is wired or wireless, communication information is intermittently transmitted in chunks over these physical communication media. This chunk corresponds to the physical layer frame PPDU in FIG. 11(f). Here, in the case of a single channel (single correspondent), communication of other communication information is not possible when the chunk (physical layer frame PPDU) is transmitted on the network communication medium. Therefore, if the size of the chunk (physical layer frame PPDU) is too large, the occupation time of the network communication medium becomes longer;
There is a risk of interfering with other communications. In order to solve the above problem, the system of this embodiment has 1
The data size of each physical layer frame PPDU is set to 127 bytes or less. This has the effect of reducing the adverse effect of inhibiting other information communication due to one physical layer frame PPDU communication within the network system. In addition, as shown in FIG. 11(a), within this one physical layer frame PPDU, the physical layer header PHYHD is sent in the order of transmission from the sending side to the receiving side (first order or first sending timing order). , MAC layer header MACHD
, IPv6 header IPv6HD, TCP header TCPHD, communication middleware data AP
It consists of LDT, extended data EXDT, and error check CRC in this order. On the other hand, if this data arrangement is viewed from the perspective of FIG. MAC layer header MACHD,I sequentially within the layer data/payload PSDU
Pv6 header IPv6HD, TCP header TCPHD, communication middleware data APLD
It can also be said that "T, extension data EXDT, and error check CRC are stored."

By the way, in the physical layers PHY02 and PHY06 shown in FIGS. 10A and 16 to 17B, the entire physical layer frame PPDU is processed. Here, the physical layers PHY02 and PHY06 are “
It shows a concept that abstracts "functions that deal with physical communication media.In contrast, physical layers PHY02 and PHY06 to Internet Protocol version 6 layer IPv6
Actual processing corresponding to each of the above functions is executed within the communication modules 1768, 1202-3 and the communication control unit 1700 (FIG. 10A). In this Section 2.2, in order to make it easier to explain the relationship between the functions of each layer and the communication information communicated over the network line, we will explain in detail the information delivery procedure for each layer. However, the communication information is not limited to this, and communication information may be created by partially omitting information delivery for each layer. For example, at the time of transmission, inside the communication modules 1768, 1202-3 or the communication control unit 1700 (FIG. 10A), the information provided from the communication middleware layers APL02, APL06 (substantively, inside the processors 1230, 1738 or the communication module 1660 in FIG. 10A) communication middleware data (given from the interface section of APLDT)
Figure 11 (
The information (data structure) shown in a) may be created directly and transmitted (transmitted) from the network lines 1782 and 1788. Furthermore, during reception, only the necessary physical layer frames PPDU are selected and extracted from the network lines 1782 and 1788 within the communication modules 1768 and 1202-3 and the communication control unit 1700 (FIG. 10A), and communication middleware data APLDT and extension data EXDT ( Alternatively, extract only the communication middleware data APLDT) and extract the communication middleware layers APL02 and APL06 (actually, the processors 1230 and 173 in FIG. 10A).
8 or an interface section within the communication module 1660).

The detailed receiving side functions carried out by the physical layers PHY02 and PHY06 include identifying the contents of the physical layer header PHYHD located at the beginning position in the received physical layer frame PPDU, and identifying the contents of the physical layer header PHYHD located at the beginning position in the received physical layer frame PPDU, and identifying the contents of the physical layer header PHYHD located immediately after that, and identifying the contents of the physical layer header PHYHD located at the beginning position in the received physical layer frame PPDU, and The entire physical layer payload PSDU is delivered to the media access layer MAC02 and MAC06. Therefore, the media access layer MAC02, M
From the viewpoint of AC06, this physical layer data or the entire physical layer payload PSDU corresponds to the MAC layer frame MPDU. On the other hand, the detailed transmission side functions that the physical layers PHY02 and PHY06 are responsible for include the MAC received from the media access layer MAC02 and MAC06.
A physical layer frame MPDU is stored in physical layer data or physical layer payload PSDU, and a physical layer frame PPDU configured by adding a physical layer header PHYHD to the beginning is transferred to network line 1.
782, 1788.

As shown in FIG. 11E, the MAC layer frame MPDU is composed of a MAC layer header MACHD, MAC layer data/payload MSDU, and an error check CRC in order from the beginning. Then, in the media access layer MAC02 and MAC06, at the time of reception,
Access control on the communication medium is performed using the communication information stored in the MAC layer header MACHD in the MAC layer frame MPDU passed from the physical layers PHY02 and PHY06. Specifically, only the MAC layer data/payload MSDU related to the corresponding device 1250, composite module 1460, 1470, or system controller α_1126 is extracted,
Pass to Internet Protocol Version 6 Layer_IPv6. On the other hand, during transmission, the information passed from Internet Protocol Version 6 Layer_IPv6 is stored in the MAC layer data/payload MSDU, a MAC layer frame MPDU is added with a MAC layer header MACHD, and the MAC layer frame MPDU is sent to the MAC layer frame MPDU side. hand over.

Erroneous check CRC added to the last position in the MAC layer frame MPDU (Figure 11(e)
)), it becomes possible to check whether there is a data error in the MAC layer frame MPDU (or extract the location where the data error occurs). Specifically, a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Checksum) code is used as the error check CRC in this embodiment. This is M
The remainder value (remainder) in binary representation when the MAC layer header MACHD and the entire MAC layer data/payload MSDU are divided by a predetermined code (a chain of “1” or “0”) in the AC layer frame MPDU. ) is calculated as Then, at the time of transmission, the error check CRC calculated by the above method is added to the last position within the MAC layer frame MPDU. Also, the MAC layer header MACHD and MAC layer data/payload MS obtained at the time of reception
The remainder value when the entire DU is divided by the above code and the error check CR obtained at the time of reception.
Compare C. If both companies agree, it is considered "no error." If there is an error, the error location can be extracted by performing inverse calculation from the error check CRC obtained at the time of reception. Here, the error correction capability (i.e., the size of the error correctable area within the entire error correction target data (here, the entire MAC layer frame MPDU) including this error check CRC) is:
It is determined by the data size of the false check CRC. Therefore, if the data size of the error check CRC is fixed, the smaller the data size of the entire error correction target data (MAC layer frame MPDU) including this error check CRC, the smaller the relative error correction ability. The data reliability of the MAC layer frame MPDU (when taking into account) is improved.

Taking the above situation into consideration, the present embodiment is characterized in that the false check CRC is placed at the last position in the MAC layer frame, as shown in FIG. 11(e). As described in Section 2.3 using FIG. 12A, the physical layer header PHYHD contains a lot of relatively robust information. In other words, even if some error bits are mixed in the physical layer header PHYHD,
It becomes possible to automatically correct the situation by some means. On the other hand, media access layer MA
The data precision required for information in the MAC layer frame MPDU handled by C02, MAC06 and above is extremely high. Therefore, by removing the physical layer header PHYHD, which has relatively high robustness,
By adding an error correction function to the entire AC layer frame and improving the relative error correction capability, there is an effect that the reliability of the entire communication information (physical layer frame PPDU) can be relatively improved.

Next, as shown in FIG. 11(d), the IPv6 header IPv6HD is placed at the beginning, and the information consisting of the IPv6 data/payload IPv6DU that immediately follows is stored in the MAC layer data/payload MSDU. And in Internet Protocol version 6 layer IPv6, when sending, TCP header TCPHD and communication middleware data APLD
T, stores the set of extension data EXDT in the IPv6 data/payload IPv6DU, and
A Pv6 header IPv6HD is added and passed to the media access layer MAC02 and MAC06. Furthermore, upon reception, the IPv6 header IPv6HD is extracted from the MAC layer data/payload MSDU passed from the media access layer MAC02 and MAC06, and after unique processing is performed, the communication middleware data APLDT and extension data EXDT (or The communication middleware data APLDT only) is passed to the communication middleware layers APL02 and APL06.

Then, the communication middleware data APLDT and the extension data EXDT (
or communication middleware data APLDT only) is the communication middleware layer APL02, A
Processed within PL06. Regarding the various service provision functions using network communication handled by the communication middleware layers APL02 and APL06, FIG. 10A and FIGS. 16 to 17
This is realized by various processes performed by the processors 1230, 1738, and 2030 indicated by B, the device controller 1240, or the interface unit in the communication module 1660. 2
．． Section 3 Z format data structure in physical layer and media access layer Physical layer PHY02 and media access layer MAC0 corresponding to network circuit 1782 in the same system
Physical header PH based on the Z-format (see Figure 10A and Figure 16) available in
A specific example of the data structure in the YHD and the MAC layer header MACHD is shown in FIG. 12A. By the way, the Z-format described below is merely an example used within the system of this embodiment, and other formats compatible with the network circuit 1782 within the same system may be used. In addition, the information communicated on the network circuit 1782 within the same system is not limited to the hierarchical structure of the physical layer PHY02 and the media access layer MAC02, but information that does not have a hierarchical structure or information that corresponds to another hierarchical structure may be used. You may use it.

First, the data structure in FIG. 12A(c) is the same as the content in FIG. 11(a). As shown in FIG. 12A(b), the physical layer header PHYHD consists of the synchronization header SYNC placed in the first 5 bytes, and the physical layer data/payload length information LPSDU placed 1 byte immediately after. configured. Therefore, the data size of this physical layer header PHYHD is 6 bytes (5+1). Now, this physical layer data/payload length information LPSDU
represents the data size of the physical layer data/payload PSDU in FIG. 11(f), and is set in bytes. As already explained at the beginning of Section 2.2, the maximum data size of the entire physical layer frame PPDU is set to 127 bytes. Therefore, a value of 121 bytes (127-6) or less is set in this physical layer data/payload length information LPSDU.

Next, as shown in FIG. 12A(a), the synchronization header SYNC is composed of a 5-byte preamble PRM placed first and then a 1-byte physical layer frame start information SFD. And as this preamble PRM, [00000000h] (here "h" is 1
(indicating a hexadecimal value) is set. Since the Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum method is used for signal modulation, all are “0”.
A synchronization signal is obtained from the preamble PRM section of. [A7h] is set in the area of the physical layer frame start information SFD. And [A7h] shown in hexadecimal value
When converted into binary representation, it becomes "10100111".

Communication control unit 1700 or communication module 17 in communication module 1660 in FIG. 10A
68, 1202-3, or the communication module 1202-4, 200 of FIGS. 16-17B.
A method of using the communication information in the physical layer header PHYHD in the PHYHD will be explained. The communication information in the physical layer header PHYHD is mainly used for chip synchronization and bit synchronization on the receiving side. In other words, the communication module includes an oscillator (P) whose frequency and phase can be automatically synchronized.
It has a built-in LL circuit (Phase Lock Loop Circuit). This oscillator (PLL circuit) automatically synchronizes the frequency and phase according to the preamble PRM (chip synchronization). Next, the physical layer frame start information S is determined by a method such as pattern matching.
Detects the position of the FD, (1) recognizes that the Z-format is used for the physical layer PHY02, and detects the starting bit position of the MAC layer header MACHD from the series of binary bits 1/0 (bit synchronization).

As shown in FIG. 12A(d), the MAC layer header MACHD contains control information MACNTL, MAC layer frame control information, and MAC layer sequence number MASQNM, address information M
It consists of an area for storing each ADRS.

In the control information MACNTL area of the first MAC layer frame, the MAC layer frame MP
Information for controlling the entire DU (FIG. 11(f)) is stored in 2 bytes. Then, as detailed information in the control information MACNTL of the MAC layer frame, the first 3 bits of the MAC layer frame M
Information indicating the type of PDU is stored. Here, the specific type is “beacon”
, "data,""ACK(Acknowledgement)," and "command frame type" are stored. The next 1 bit stores security information. Furthermore, the next 1 bit stores information on the presence or absence of pending data, and the 1 bit immediately after it stores information on the presence or absence of pending data.
The bit stores information about the presence or absence of the Acknowledgment message request.

Then, with the next 1 bit, is the corresponding information communication limited to communication within the PAN (Private Area Network)? Is the communication across multiple PANs? Information indicating the is stored.
As already explained using FIG. 1 or FIG. 8A, in the system of this embodiment, one PAN may correspond to one system α_1132, or may correspond to one section 1142. Therefore, the method of setting the above information may be changed depending on which one to correspond to. However, when using the Z-format for information communication within the same domain network line 2082, information corresponding to "communication across multiple PANs" may be stored in this information area. This is because, as shown in FIG. 1, in the system of this embodiment, the same domain 2_1
122-2, system controller α_1126 and system controller β_1128
A situation where the distance between the two PANs is large (extending from one PAN) is allowed. Therefore, in this case, information corresponding to "communication across multiple PANs" is stored in the storage area. On the other hand, if the portable system controller β_1128 is moved closer to the system controller α_1126 (if moved within the same PAN), the above storage area will contain information corresponding to "communication within the PAN". Store.

Then, the two bits immediately after that and the last two bits of the control information MACNTL (2 bytes) of the MAC layer frame store address and mode information for each of the receiving side and the transmitting side. Here, as the Z-format, IEEE extended addresses DEXADRS and SEXADRS may be specified, or shortened addresses may be specified. However, in the system of this embodiment, FIG.
As shown in A(e), both the receiving side and the sending side use IEEE as the above address/mode information.
The feature is that extended addresses DEXADRS and SEXADRS are used. In the system of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8A, the system controller α_1126 and devices 1250-1 to
In addition to network communication via the communication modules 1202-3 to 1202-6 built in 3, as shown in FIG. Network communication is possible via the module. Therefore, in the system of this embodiment, the IEEE extended address D is used in this address mode.
Communication modules 1202-3 and 1202-4 at the level of the media access layer MAC02 using EXADRS and SEXADRS? or composite modules 1460-1 to 5, 1470-
1 or 2? (Details will be described later using FIG. 12B(e)), (1) high-speed switching of the communication middleware layer APL02 on the receiving side (C-format? Other format?) (2) The effect of making it easier to discover errors on the transmitting side that should occur (recognition of communication modules 1202-3 to 4? Or composite modules 1460-1 to 5, 1470-1, 2?) occurs.

Next, the sequence number M of the MAC layer whose data size is 1 byte is shown in FIG. 12A(d).
The information storage area of ASQNM will be explained. As described above, in the system of this embodiment, the data size of the entire physical layer frame PPDU is set to 127 bytes or less. Therefore, when the combined data size of communication middleware data APLDT and extension data EXDT (see Figure 11(b)) increases, one physical layer frame P is required to communicate (transmit) this information.
Only PDUs will be insufficient. This risk becomes particularly high when A-format or E-format is used as the communication middleware layer APL06. As a countermeasure for this, in the system of this embodiment, the communication middleware data APLDT and the extension data EXDT are set to 256 pieces (
2 to the 8th power) physical layer frame PPDU to enable transmission (communication). Specifically, the communication middleware data APLDT and the extension data EXDT are divided into a plurality of parts and sequentially transmitted (communicated) over the network line. In this case, the physical layer header PHYHD and the IPv6 header IPv6HD (and TCP header TCP) shown in FIG. 11(a) all have the same information content. Then, a value (incremented value) starting from "0" is stored in the area of the sequence number MASQNM of the MAC layer in accordance with the transmission (communication) order on the network line. As a result, the order of divided transmission of the communication middleware data APLDT and extension data EXDT is determined, so even if the receiving order of physical layer frames PPDU is changed due to network trouble, stable information communication is possible.

The data structure shown in FIG. 12B(c) is exactly the same as FIG. 12A(e), so
The address information MADRS in the MAC header MACHD will be explained using B. Figure 1
In the system of this embodiment shown in FIG.
e Area Network) or a combination of multiple PANs. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited thereto, and each section 1142-1 to 1142-m within the same system α_1132 may be formed by one or more PANs. In this way, when one system α_1132 is composed of a plurality of PANs, the system controller α_1126 needs to manage the plurality of PANs. Information communication is performed across different PANs within the same system α_1132. In order to cope with this situation, the system controller α_1126
As shown in FIG. 12B(c), the area for storing the PAN-specific identification information DPANID and SPANID regarding the PAN including the receiving and transmitting nodes is designated as the address information MADRS storage area. It is set within.

The IEEE extended addresses DEXADRS and SEXADRS on both the receiving and transmitting sides contain a 1-byte extended IEEE extended address EXEXADRS and an 8-byte IEEE802.15.
4-compliant chip setting address ADRSIEEE. Here, this IEEE802.15.4 compliant per-chip setting address ADRSIEEE is:
All communication modules 1202- compliant with the worldwide IEEE 802.15.4 standard.
3 to 6, sensor/communication modules 1460-1 to 5, and drive/communication module 1470-1
, 2, etc., refers to a unique number assigned in advance to each composite module. And this unique number does not overlap on a global level between different communication modules or composite modules. By the way, this unique number is assigned before shipping the communication modules 1202-3 to 1202-6 and the composite module, but the unique number may be obtained by directly applying to IEEE. When this unique number is issued by the IEEE or a designated official organization, the organization that issues the unique number will provide information on the individual performance and functions of the composite module, as well as communication information when communicating in the C-format. Obtain information such as type (category and template type used for information communication). Therefore, this IEEE80
2.15.4 compliant chip-by-chip setting address ADRSIEEE, not only the functions and performance of each target composite module can be known, but also the type of communication information using C-format can be officially predicted. This has the effect of making advance preparation for corresponding processing in the middleware layer APL02 quick and easy.

Next, the expanded IEEE extended address EXEXADRS (Expand
An example of the data structure in ed IEEE Extension Address) is shown in FIG. 12B(e). The first bit of this is an area where module structure information MST can be stored. When this 1 bit is [0], it represents the communication modules 1202-3 to 6 built in the system controller α_1126 or the devices 1250-1 to 3. On the other hand, when this bit is [1], it indicates that the corresponding node has a composite module structure. Furthermore, the information stored in the next 1-bit area means composite module structure information CMST. When this bit is [0], the corresponding node indicates a sensor/communication module, and when this bit is [1], the corresponding node indicates a drive/communication module.

The sense information sent from the sensor/communication module at the
It starts from the multi-value light level (corresponding to illuminance) and the sense of presence and temperature. Furthermore, as explained in Section 1.5 using Figures 6A to 6D, the information that controls the drive/communication module is diverse, such as ON/OFF binary or multi-value information, or equipment remote control information. There is. Therefore, in the system of this embodiment, the corresponding sensor/
An area is provided in which information identifying the type of communication module 1460 and drive/communication module 1470 can be recorded as composite module type identification information CMTID in 6 bits. However, in contrast to the method of setting information CNTID for identifying the type of each of the composite modules 1460 and 1470, the A-format method for identifying the type of device 1250 is <table>.
Using the number attribute in Element (see the explanation in Section 2.7 using Figure 15B),
The format uses exchange information type identification information EPC (see the explanation in Section 2.6 using FIG. 15A(f)). Therefore, this composite module type identification information CMTID is
It may be used as the type identification information 1840 of the exchange information shown in 0B. As a result, A-
Similar to format and E-format, this composite module type identification information CMTID
By using C-format compliant multilevel/binary transmission data parts CTMDT, CT2
This has the effect of making it easier to interpret the meaning of data stored in the DT (described later in Section 2.5 using FIG. 14(d)). Furthermore, this module structure information MST and composite module structure information CMST
By comparing the composite module type identification information CMTID with the target node function expected from the IEEE 802.15.4-compliant chip-by-chip setting address ADRSIEEE, there is also the effect of improving the reading accuracy and reliability of the address information MADRS. In other words, if the sending side accidentally records different information in the storage area for the module structure information MST, composite module structure information CMST, and composite module type identification information CMTID,
Or, if a bit shift (erroneous playback) of the playback information occurs by mistake during playback on the receiving side,
Error detection can be easily performed by the above comparison. (In this case, the receiving side sends an alarm notification to the sending side. For example, in the communication access control information 1830 of FIG. 14(d), [000
], and the multilevel transmission data section CTMDT and the binary transmission data section CT2DT are set to [0
0011]. Details will be described later in Section 2.5. ) Section 2.4 Data Structure of Internet Protocol Version 6 Layer In this Section 2.4, the data structure of communication information compatible with Internet Protocol Version 6 layer IPv6 will be explained using FIG. 13. The major feature here is that it has an area for storing the IP address information SIPADRS and DIPADRS of the sending side and the receiving side, which are each described in 16 bytes as shown in FIG. 13(b).
This IP address is set separately for all communication modules and composite modules around the world. And the IP addresses set individually for all communication modules and composite modules around the world do not overlap with each other. Therefore, in the system of this embodiment, the IPv6 header IP
By enabling communication of information including v6HD (Figure 13(a)),
22-2 (Fig. 1), it has the effect of making it possible to communicate information with a specific communication module or a specific composite module from anywhere in the world.

In the above IPv6 header IPv6HD, the I
P packet related information IPPKT is stored. Also, as shown in FIG. 13(c), head information SIPHD, IPv6 data/payload length information LIPv6DU, identification information NXHD of the header type immediately following the IPv6 header, and information HPLMT on the remaining number of nodes that can be passed are stored. and are arranged in the above order. This IPv
6 data/payload length information LIPv6DU indicates the data size of the IPv6 data/payload IPv6DU shown in FIG. 11(d), and the area for storing this information has a size of 2 bytes.

Next, the header type identification information NXHD that immediately follows the above-mentioned IPv6 header will be explained. As shown in FIG. 11(a), various headers are sequentially stored within one physical layer frame PPDU. Then, the header type that immediately follows the IPv6 header IPv6HD is specified by the header type identification information NXHD that immediately follows the IPv6 header. Therefore, Figure 11 (
In the example described in a), "TCP header TCPHD" is specified as the header type identification information NXHD that immediately follows the IPv6 header. The header type identification information NXHD that immediately follows this IPv6 header makes it possible to specify the communication route setting method on the communication network (on the Internet). However, in the system of this embodiment, the physical layer frame P
The information content stored in the PDU is not limited to that shown in FIG. 11(a), and other information may be stored. For example, as another application, another type of header information may be placed immediately after the IPv6 header IPv6HD. As a specific example, UDP (User Datagram Protocol) may be used instead of TCP (Trasmission Control Protocol) shown in FIG. 13, and the UDP header may be placed immediately after the IPv6 header IPv6HD. As a further application example, IPv6 header IPv6H
Direct communication middleware data APLDT may be placed/stored immediately after D. For example, when using the E-format as this communication middleware data APLDT, FIG.
As described later in Section 2.6 using A(b), information on the E-format header E-HD is placed/stored at the beginning of this communication middleware data APLDT. Therefore, in this case, the header type identification information NXHD that immediately follows the IPv6 header specifies information that identifies the "E-format header E-HD."

Server n_1116-n using external network line 1788 shown in FIG. 10A
Information communication between and system controller α_1126 and network line 2 within the same domain
System controller α_1126 and system controller β_1128 using 082
In the information communication between the two parties, as shown in FIG. information is communicated via nodes). Then, the maximum number of relay points (relay nodes) allowed between the transmitting side node and the receiving side node in the middle of the communication circuit is determined by the passable node remaining number information HPLMT in FIG. )
It is shown in For example, when information is communicated between the two, the transmitting node first sets the value of the passable node remaining number information HPLMT. Next, each time this communication information passes (relays) a relay point (relay node) in the middle of the communication circuit, the remaining number of passable nodes information HPL
The value of MT is decremented by "1" (that is, when passing through a relay point (relay node) once, the value of MT is decremented by "1" from the value of the remaining number of passable nodes information HPLMT before passing). (Updated to the later value of the remaining passable node number information HPLMT). Then, when the value of the remaining passable node number information HPLMT becomes "0", information communication on the network is discarded. By the way, since this passable node remaining number information HPLMT is described in 1 byte, it is possible to pass through up to 256 (2 to the 8th power) relay points (relay nodes).

However, as the number of relay points (relay nodes) increases, the time required for communication from the sending side to the receiving side (time required for information transmission) increases. On the other hand, for urgent information transmission such as "alarm notification", it is necessary to shorten the communication time. Now, considering the information transfer time at this relay point (relay node), it is necessary to set the number of relay points (relay node) to 100 or less, preferably 10 or less. Therefore, in the system of this embodiment, in information communication using the network line outside the system 1788 or the network line within the same domain 2082, the setting value of the remaining passable node number information HPLMT on the sending side is set to 100 or less, preferably 10 or less. The place has its own characteristics. Naturally, information on the remaining number of nodes that can be passed through is HPLMT that is reset (updated) within a relay point (relay node) that passes through the network line outside the system 1788 or the network line within the same domain 2082 that is applied to the system of this embodiment.
The value of is also 100 or less, preferably 10 or less. In this way, the remaining number of nodes that can be passed through information HP
When the value of LMT becomes smaller, routers placed at relay points (relay nodes) on the way of the network line outside the system 1788 or the network line within the same domain 2082 automatically search for the shortest route to reach the receiving node, and Prevent information communication suspension. As a result of the above, the communication time between the server n_1116-n and the system controller α_1126 or between the system controller α_1126 and the system controller β_1128 can be shortened.
This has the effect of enabling quick communication of urgent information such as "alarm notifications".

On the other hand, information communication forms using the same system network line 1782 in the system of this embodiment include information communication between the system controller α_1126 and the composite modules 1460 and 1470 shown in FIG. 10A, and information communication between the system controller α_1126 and the device 1260 shown in FIG. Information communication becomes possible. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of sections 1142 constitute one system, and for example, each section 1142 has a different PAN (Personal Area).
Network), network communication across multiple PANs is required. In this case, information transfer processing at a relay point (relay node) is required every time communication information crosses different adjacent PANs. Therefore, in the system of this embodiment, even in information communication using the same system network line 1782, it is necessary to define the upper limit of the number of relay points (relay nodes) relayed between the sending node and the receiving node. As shown in FIG. 5, the composite module used in the system of this embodiment receives power from a built-in power storage module (battery) 1554. Each time communication information is transferred as a relay point (relay node), the power stored in the power storage module (battery) 1554 is consumed. Therefore, in information communication using the network line 1782 within the same system, it is necessary to reduce the number of communication information transfers at relay points (relay nodes) as much as possible. Considering the relationship between the amount of power consumed for one transfer of communication information and the amount of power stored in the power storage module (battery) 1554, the number of relay points (relay nodes) along the way is 30 or less, preferably 10 or less. It is appropriate to set it to . Therefore, when information communication is performed on the same system network line 1782 in the system of this embodiment, the value of the remaining passable node number information HPLMT is set to 30 or less, preferably 10 or less in the sending node. It has great characteristics. This prevents unnecessary waste of the amount of power stored in the power storage module 1554 built into the composite module, and has the effect of stably maintaining network communication within the system of this embodiment over a long period of time.

As shown in FIG. 13(d), the area of the start information SIPHD in the IPv6 header IPv6HD is composed of areas in which version information IPVRS, communication class information IPCLS, and communication type label information IPLBL are stored, and from the start They are arranged in the order listed above. Here, the area where the version information IPVRS is stored consists of 4 bits, and is "6"("0110" in binary notation) as the Internet protocol version number.
) values are stored.

Communication type label information IPLBL is stored in an area consisting of 2.5 bytes, which is set immediately before the area where the above-mentioned IPv6 data/payload length information LIPv6DU is stored. Now, communication middleware data APLDT and extension data EXDT (Fig. 11(b)
)) When the combined data size becomes large, Section 2.3 describes a method of dividing the data and distributing (storing) it in a plurality of physical layer frames PPDUs for communication. At this time, in order to know the transmission order among multiple physical layer frames PPDU, the MAC layer header MACHD
The method of storing sequentially incremented values in the area of the sequence number MASQNM of the MAC layer in the MAC layer has been described. In parallel, the system of this embodiment identifies the entire same communication middleware data APLDT (and extended data EXDT) when distributed and stored in multiple different IPv6 data/payload IPv6DUs (see FIG. 11(d)). In order to
The above communication type label information IPLBL is used. This communication type label information IPLB
The contents of L are initially set within the sending node (before network communication). Therefore, communication middleware data APLDT (and extension data EXD) related to the provision of the same service are
T) A set of (series of) communication information contents as multiple IPv6 data/payload IPv6
When communicating by distributing (storing) within a DU, all corresponding communication type label information I
Identical label information is commonly stored and communicated within the PLBL storage area. However, in the system of this embodiment, the server n_ using the external network line 1788 shown in FIG. 10A
1116-n and system controller α_1126, and system controller α_1126 and equipment 12 using the same system network line 1782 shown in FIG.
50, or between system controller α_1126 and system controller β_1128 using network line 2082 within the same domain. By changing the contents of "communication type label information IPLBL" for each communication middleware data APLDT (and extended data EXDT) related to providing different services, communication middleware data APLDT (and extended data EXDT) related to providing multiple different services can be changed.
T) can be communicated between the two at the same time. As a result, server n_1116
-n and system controller α_1126 (or system controller α_112)
6 and the device 1250, or between the system controller α_1126 and the system controller β_1128), information regarding the provision of a plurality of different services can be communicated at the same time, so a variety of services can be provided to the user at the same time. Furthermore, this “communication type label information I”
PLBL” and the MAC layer sequence number MASQ in the MAC layer header MACHD mentioned above.
By combining the NM information, another effect is produced that further improves the accuracy of confirming the reliability of communication information at the time of reception. In addition, as another application example, "communication type label information IPLBL" may be added to communication middleware data APLDT (and extension data EXDT) related to the provision of the same service.
The same information stored in common within `` may be used as an ``encryption key''.

The communication class information IPCLS shown in FIG. 13(d) is used to indicate the communication class during network communication. In particular, this communication class information IPCLS is assumed to be mainly used in layers higher than the Internet protocol version 6 layer IPv6 (ie, communication middleware layers APL02 and APL06 and extended application layer EXL06) in FIG. 10A. Expanded IEE using Figure 12B(d)(e) already in Section 2.3
E extended address EXEXADRS was explained. As an application example of the system of this embodiment, ○ IEEE extended address DEXADRS, SEXAD on the receiving side and the sending side
Eliminate the storage area for the expanded IEEE extended address EXEXADRS in the RS. The storage areas for the IEEE extended addresses DEXADRS and SEXADRS on the receiving and transmitting sides only contain information on the per-chip setting address ADRSIEEE that is compliant with IEEE802.15.4, respectively. Store (i.e. IEEE extended address DEXA on receiver and sender)
(DRS and SEXADRS should each match the IEEE802.15.4-compliant chip-by-chip setting address ADRSIEEE) ○In the storage area of the above communication class information IPCLS, store the information of the IEEE802.15.4-compliant chip-by-chip setting address ADRSIEEE. (that is, make the above communication class information IPCLS match the per-chip setting address ADRSIEEE based on IEEE802.15.4).

As already explained using FIG. 10A in Section 2.2, the function of Internet Protocol version 6 layer IPv6 is handled by the communication modules 1768, 1202-3 or the communication control unit 1700 in the communication module 1660. and communication middleware layer APL02,
The service provision function corresponding to APL06 and extended application layer EXL06 is provided by the interface section 1710 in the processors 1738 and 1230 or the communication module 1660.
is in charge. Therefore, the TCP header T including the IPv6 header IPv6HD in FIG.
Information before CPHD is sent to communication module 1768, 1202-3 or communication module 1.
It is processed within the communication control unit 1700 in 660. Similarly, communication middleware data AP
The LDT (and extended data EXDT) is processed within the interface section 1710 within the processor 1738 , 1230 or communications module 1660 . and physical layer frame PP
When a DU is received, the communication class information IPCLS is first processed in the communication control unit 1700 in the communication module 1768, 1202-3 or the communication module 1660, and then the communication middleware data APLDT (and extension data EXDT) is processed by the processor. 1738
, 1230 or the interface section 1710 in the communication module 1660. Therefore, by storing the expanded IEEE extension address EXEXADRS explained in FIGS. 12B (d) and (e) in the IPv6 header IPv6HD (in the communication class information IPCLS storage area), before receiving the communication middleware data APLDT (and extension data EXDT). Composite module support can be prepared in advance within processor 1738, 1230 or communication module 1660. This has the effect of improving the processing speed of the system controller α_1126 for communication information transmitted from the composite module. Section 2.5 C-format data structure in the communication middleware layer The "C-format" used within the system of this embodiment is the data structure on the network line 1782 within the same system described in Section 2.1 using FIG. 10A. It is intended to be used within the communication middleware layer APL02, which communicates information to the composite modules 1460 and 1470. Furthermore, the system controller β_1128 in a different system β_1134 is not limited to this, as explained at the end of Section 2.1.
When communicating information between the communication modules 1460 and 1470 in the system
- format may be used. Furthermore, it may also be used for information communication with the device 1250.
Here, in this C-format, the extended application layer EXL06 (see FIG. 10A) is not defined and is used only within the communication middleware layer APL02.

In order to reduce the processing load on the communication modules 1460 and 1470 as much as possible, the C-format data structure is simplified as much as possible. Then, as a specific method to simplify the data structure, from the physical layer header PHYHD to the TCP header TCPH in FIG. 11(a),
The data structure is designed to avoid duplication of information in the area leading to D as much as possible. (Details and effects will be described later.) As a specific example, instead of having the size information of this communication middleware data APLDT in the communication middleware data APLDT, the IPv6 header IPv6
The IPv6 data/payload length information LIPv6DU in the HD is also used. Here, this IPv6 data/payload length information LIPv6DU is the IPv6 data/payload length information LIPv6DU in FIG.
v6 data/payload It shows the data size of IPv6DU. Since the data size of the TCP header TCPHD is determined in advance, as shown in FIGS. 14(c) and (d),
The data size of communication middleware data APLDT is automatically determined from this IPv6 data/payload length information LIPv6DU. The basic data size of communication middleware data APLDT in C-format is defined as 1 byte. However, depending on the content of the communication information between the composite modules 1460 and 1470, the data size of the communication middleware data APLDT may be reduced from 1 byte by adding extended transmission data CEDT to the end as shown in FIG. 14(d). It may be expanded.

As already explained in Section 2.1 using FIG. 10B, exchange access control information 1830 is included in exchange information (table) 1810 used for information communication in A-format or E-format. And even in C-format, this exchange access control information 1
830 can be stored in "3-bit format". In particular, by writing the information in 3 bits (=describing 8 types of control information), it is possible to identify a variety of exchanged access control information 1830. As a specific control method, the command (command issue) described in case 1 in Figure 10B
At 1852, a reset instruction of [111] is set as this exchange access control information 1830. When replying with result report (status) 1854, this exchange access control information 1830 is a response reply of [010], a report notification, or a report notification of [001].
] Set acknowledgment notification.

In the system of this embodiment, the threshold value (reference level when converting into a binary signal) for converting the analog detected signal into binary information into binary information and communicating the information by the sensor section in the sensor/communication module 1460 is set externally. It is now possible. When setting this threshold, a threshold level setting instruction [110] is set as the exchange access control information 1830 in response to the command (command issue) 1852 in case 1 of FIG. 10B.

On the other hand, in response to the response request (request) 1872 of case 2 in FIG. 10B, a response (data) request of [011] is set as this exchange access control information 1830. In the response 1874, this exchange access control information 1830 is [010
] Set response answers/report notifications.

In addition, in response to the periodic/irregular report 1894 voluntarily performed from the composite module 1460, 1470 side in case 3 in FIG. . and composite module 1460
, 1470, if an abnormality is found in the above-mentioned irregular report, [000] is set in the exchange access control information 1830 and an alarm notification is issued. Also, the composite module 1460, 1
When the 470 side independently makes periodic reports, the system controller α_1126 side can set a time interval for periodic reporting. In this case, [101] is set in the exchange access control information 1830 to give an instruction regarding the report interval.

For example, as the smart meter 1124 in FIG. 8A, the system controller α_1126 or the server n
Consider the case of reporting to _1116-n or wholesaler A_1102. In this case, there are two methods: reporting the instantaneous value of the instantaneous power consumption (public consumption materials) and reporting the value integrated at every predetermined period. In response to this situation, the system of this embodiment sets [100] in the exchange access control information 1830 to issue an instruction regarding the data storage interval. Here, if [00000] is specified in the area to store the transmission data set immediately after the storage area of this exchange access control information 1830, the instantaneous usage amount (the usage of public consumption materials such as electricity) amount) is reported from the composite module at specified time intervals.

As shown in FIG. 14(d), the storage area of the multi-level transmission data part CTMDT consisting of 4 bits is set immediately after the storage area of this exchange access control information 1830, and the binary transmission consisting of 1 bit. Binary or multi-value transmission data is transmitted by the storage area of the data portion CT2DT. The feature here is that the transmitted data does not have a special information storage area indicating either binary or multi-value, and the transmitted data is used to identify binary/multi-value. That is, when the transmission data is binary, all values of the 4-bit multi-value transmission data section CTMDT are set to "0" (ie, [0000]). Here, when indicating an ON state or an OK state, [1] is set in this binary transmission data section CT2DT. Further, when indicating an OFF state or an NG (No) state, [0] is set in this binary transmission data section CT2DT. On the other hand, a transmission data setting method will be described when an abnormal situation occurs in the composite modules 1460 and 1470 and an alarm notification is sent to the system controller α_1126 ([000] is set in the exchange access control information 1830). In this case, the multi-level transmission data section CTMDT is set to [0000
]. When the abnormality of the composite modules 1460 and 1470 is a detection abnormality of the sensor or a drive system abnormality of the drive section (uncontrollable/difficult to control), [1] is set in the binary transmission data section CT2DT. As shown in FIG. 5, a power storage module (battery) 1554 is built into the sensor/communication module 1460 or the drive/communication module, so there is always a risk of the power storage being depleted (remaining power running out). Therefore, when the remaining amount in this power storage module (battery) 1554 becomes low, this binary transmission data section CT2DT is set to [0] to notify the system controller α_1126 of the decrease in the remaining battery amount.

On the other hand, when information is communicated using multi-value transmission data, the multi-value data is expressed using a 5-bit signal that is a combination of the multi-value transmission data section CTMDT and the binary transmission data section CT2DT. For example, when storing multi-value information from 0% to 100% as transmission data, convert the multi-value from 0% to 100% into values divided by 30, from [00010] (= equivalent to 0%) to [11111]. ](=
(equivalent to 100%). However, the system of this embodiment is not limited to this, and multi-value information may be expressed in other ways by combining the multi-value transmission data section CTMDT and the binary transmission data section CT2DT. In addition, the binary transmission data section CT2DT is used for communication of high-precision sense information and high-precision setting of threshold values or control values, for example, when detecting temperature and humidity or changing the illuminance of lighting equipment, where values divided into 30 parts are insufficiently expressed. Extended transmission data CED immediately after the area storing the
By adding an area for storing T, it is possible to improve the precision of expressing multivalued information. In addition, the number of bits used to express the multi-value at this time is
Data/payload length information is indicated according to LIPv6DU.

In this way, by not having a binary/multi-value identifier and identifying binary/multi-value based on the contents of the transmitted data, the data size of the communication middleware data APLDT can be reduced. As a result, information communication congestion on the network line 1782 within the same system is alleviated, and within the composite modules 1460 and 1470 (especially in FIG.
simplification of the processing of the interface unit 1710 shown in A and the composite module 1460, 1
470 can be lowered in price.

Furthermore, there is no area for storing information indicating the meaning of transmission data expressed in multi-values in the communication middleware data APLDT conforming to the C-format. Instead, the IEEE802.1 in FIG. 12B(d) is used as information indicating the meaning of the multi-valued transmission data.
The system of this embodiment is characterized in that it utilizes information on the address ADRSIEEE set for each chip in accordance with V.5.4. As already explained in Section 2.3, this IEEE802.15.4
The issuing organization of the compliant chip-by-chip setting address ADRSIEEE knows the functions and performance of the composite modules 1460 and 1470 corresponding to the above address. By publishing this information on the Internet, it is possible to understand the meaning of the transmitted data that corresponds to the composite module that corresponds to the IEEE 802.15.4-compliant chip-specific address ADRSIEEE. Furthermore, from the explanation in Section 2.3 using FIG. 12B(e) and the explanation in Section 2.4 using FIG.
Composite module type identification information CMTID can be stored in ADRS, SEXADRS or in communication class information IPCLS in the IPv6 header IPv6HD. Therefore, the above-mentioned IEEE802.15.4 compliant chip-by-chip setting address ADRSIEEE
By combining this composite module type identification information CMTID, composite module 14
60, 1470 (for example, expressed in multi-values) transmission data CTMDT,
Be able to accurately understand the meanings of CT2DT and CEDT and how to interpret them. Since it can be used for the meaning and interpretation of the transmission data CTMDT, CT2DT, and CEDT in this way, the above composite module type identification information CMTID can be used as the exchange information type identification information 1840 (see FIG. 10B) corresponding to each composite module 1460 and 1470. related to. In other words, the above composite module type identification information CMTID is converted to <table> E in the A-format described later in Section 2.7.
It can be used for the same purpose as the number attribute in element (see Figure 15B(b)). On the other hand, this exchange information type identification information 1840 is exchange information type identification information E in the E-format.
It corresponds to a PC (see the explanation in Section 2.6 using FIG. 15A(f)). In this way, both the E-format and the A-format can be used in the exchange information type identification information 1840 in FIG.
is included in the communication middleware data APLDT.

Compared to the above E-format and A-format, in C-format, Figure 10B
The information related to the type identification information 1840 of exchange information is information in the MAC layer header MACHD (composite module type identification information CMTID in FIG. 12B(e)) or information in the IPv6 header IPv6HD (according to the explanation in Section 2.4). A major feature is that the information (information in the communication class information shown in FIG. 13(d)) can be used. As already explained in Section 2.2, at the time of reception, the
The communication information is processed in order from the lower layer. Therefore, whether the target node is the sensor/communication module 1460 at the functional level of the media access layer MAC02 located at a relatively lower layer or the functional level of the Internet Protocol version 6 layer IPv6?
Or drive/communication module 1470? If not only the identification of the composite module but also the type of the composite module is known in advance, the interface unit can be identified in advance before the communication middleware data APLDT is passed from the communication control unit 1700 in the communication module 1660 to the interface unit 1710 (shown in FIG. 10A). This has the effect of making preparations for C-format support within the 1710.
Thereby, communication information processing on the receiving side can be speeded up.

Also, as mentioned above, in the C-format, information specified in other layers is shared,
We aim to minimize the data size of communication middleware data APLDT. As a result, information communication congestion (congestion) on the network line 1782 within the same system is alleviated, and
Inside the composite modules 1460 and 1470 (particularly the interface section 171 shown in FIG. 10A)
0) processing can be simplified and the cost of the composite modules 1460 and 1470 can be reduced.

Next, communication middleware data A in C-format according to the method explained above.
A specific data example of PLDT is shown below. For example, the system controller α_1126 issues a command (command issue) 1852 to the drive/communication module 1470 to “stop operation” (Fig.
0B), set "[111] Reset instruction" in the communication access control information 1830, set "[0000] binary data designation" in the multi-level transmission data section CTMDT, and set "[0000] binary data designation" in the binary transmission data section CT2DT. Set “[0] OFF designation”. In addition, when the sensor/communication module 1460 notifies (reports) to the system controller α_1126 that, for example, the amount of public consumption goods that have been used to date is 50%, the communication access control information 1830 is set to "[010] Report notification. ” and also set the multilevel transmission data section CTMD.
“[10001]50%” is added to the 5-bit area that includes T and the binary transmission data part CT2DT.
Set.

Another example of specific data will be shown. Already in Section 4.3, ○ Large adults with thick fingers can perform stable user input even if the sensitivity of touchpads and capacitive buttons is low, while ○ Children and women with thin fingers can I explained that the pads and capacitive buttons would not respond unless the sensitivity was increased. Correspondingly, the user state (finger thickness) according to Section 4.3
An example will be shown in which the system controller α_1126 sets the sensitivity for the sensor/communication module 1460 corresponding to a touch pad or a capacitive button after estimating/determining.
In this case, “[110] Threshold level setting instruction” is added to the communication access control information 1830.
Set. Now consider increasing the sensitivity of a touchpad or capacitive button from 25% to 73%. Then, [11000] corresponding to 73% is specified in the 5-bit area that is a combination of the multilevel transmission data section CTMDT and the binary transmission data section CT2DT.

In the above embodiment, the communication timing of binary information such as ON/OFF and the communication timing of multi-value information such as status setting are separated, and the information set in the multi-value transmission data section CTMDT is [0
000] is the communication information binary? Is it multivalued? Identification is made. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and in other embodiments, binary data such as ON/OFF and multi-value data such as status settings may be communicated at the same time. In this case, 1-bit binary value may be set in the binary transmission data section CT2DT, and multi-value may be set with 4 bits in the multi-value transmission data section CTMDT. In this way, by communicating binary data and multi-value data such as state settings at the same time, such as "specifying state setting values (such as temperature setting) at the same time as starting operation," the system The frequency of information communication between the controller α_1126 and the composite modules 1460 and 1470 is reduced, which has the effect of alleviating communication congestion within the same system network line 1782 (FIG. 10A).

It has already been explained that communication accuracy and communication stability can be improved by combining the IEEE802.15.4-compliant chip-by-chip setting address ADRSIEEE with this composite module type identification information CMTID. If an error occurs in the system controller α_1126 and the functions of the communication partner composite modules 1460 and 1470 are mixed up, this error can be discovered by comparing the information of the two. If composite modules 1460 and 1470
If the system controller α_1126 discovers an error, the system of this embodiment supports a function that allows the composite modules 1460 and 1470 to notify the system controller α_1126 of the error. In this case, "[000] alarm notification" is set in the communication access control information 1830 in FIG. 14(d). Then, in the 5-bit area that combines the next multilevel transmission data section CTMDT and the binary transmission data section CT2DT, [
00011] to notify target misrecognition notification. In this way, in the system of this embodiment, errors occurring in the system controller α_1126 are handled by the composite modules 1460 and 147.
By supporting the function of notification from 0 or the device 1250, there is an effect of improving the stability and reliability of information communication on the network line 1782 within the same system. Section 2.6 E-format data structure in communication middleware layer “E-format data structure used in the system of this embodiment
As explained using FIG. 16 in Section 2.1, "Format" is mainly intended for use within the communication middleware layer APL06 that communicates information to the device 1250 and server n_1116-n. Not limited to that, different system controllers α_1126, β
It may be used for information communication between _1128, or may be used for information communication with composite modules 1460 and 1470. Furthermore, as already explained in Section 2.1 using FIG. 10B, E-
The format basically consists of information (table) exchanged between the sending node and the receiving node18.
Information communication is performed by the exchange process of 10. Therefore, this exchange information (table) 1810 (or a part thereof) is stored in the IPv6 data/payload IPv6DU as part of the communication middleware data APLDT shown in FIG. 11(a). As described later in Section 2.7, the A-format has the characteristic of being written in a text format in a broad sense. Compared to that, E-
The format is characterized in that correspondence information is stored in a predetermined area as a setting code. Therefore, the E-format is defined as a format in which "a setting code is stored in a predetermined area within the area of communication middleware data APLDT." Therefore, in the system of this embodiment, any format in which setting codes are sequentially stored in a predetermined area is included in the E-format.

At the beginning of the communication middleware layer data APLDT based on the E-format,
The E-format header E-HD shown in (b) is stored in a 2-byte area. The value of this E-format header E-HD is [1081h] (“h” is a hexadecimal number.
cimal) and is set to [0001000010000001]) in binary representation. The next 2-byte area contains identification information TID for association between request transmission and response reception.
is stored. By the way, this identification information TID for association between sending a request and receiving a response is an association between the answer request (request) sent in advance by the answer request sending side when receiving the response (response) and the received response (response). It means a parameter for aiming at.
(The sequence of the response (response) 1874 to this response request (request) 1872 corresponds to the sequence shown in case 2 of FIG. 10B.) The code stored in this area is can be specified arbitrarily as appropriate. Next, when the receiving node of the reply request (request) makes a response, it stores in this area the same code as the code set by the previous reply request sending node. Based on the degree of coincidence of the association identification information TID between the request transmission and the response reception, it is determined whether the received information indicates a response to the previous response request.

Then, the E-format data E-DT stored in the next area shown in FIG. 15A(b)
corresponds to the exchange information 1810 described in Section 2.1 using FIG. 10B. and Figure 15A
As shown in (c), this E-format data E-DT contains 3 bytes of transmitting device identification information SEOJ, 3 bytes of receiving device identification information DEOJ, 1 byte of communication access control information ESV, control/ It consists of processing related information CM1 and is arranged in the order described above. Here, the 1-byte communication access control information ESV corresponds to the communication access control information 1830 described in Section 2.1 using FIG. 10B.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 15A(d), both the sending device identification information SEOJ and the receiving device identification information DEOJ have a 1-byte device type group code DTGC, a 1-byte device type code DTC, and a 1-byte device type group code DTC, and a 1-byte device type group code DTC. The internal device identification code DIDC is arranged in the order described above. This equipment type group code DTGC represents a equipment type group, such as a sensor-related equipment group, an air conditioning-related equipment group, a housing/equipment-related equipment group,
Indicates which group, such as the cooking/housework-related equipment group, the target equipment is included in. The next device type code DTC represents a device type such as a television or an air conditioner. However, if multiple different devices 1250 corresponding to the same device type are installed in the same system α_1132 (for example, if multiple air conditioners are installed in one house), it is necessary to identify each device 1250. In order to do this, the same type device identification code DIDC is set.

Now, if we consider an air conditioner as an example of the device 1250, the "set temperature", "set air volume",
There are setting states related to multiple items such as "set wind direction" and "set timer time (automatic ON/AUTO OFF)", and it is possible to change settings (state change control) for multiple items at the same time. Therefore, in the exchange information (table) 1810 shown in FIG. 10B, "status regarding multiple items" or "simultaneous setting change instruction (status change control information) regarding multiple items" is defined even for a single device, and these Information can be written in the form of a list. Therefore, in the control/processing related information of FIG. 15A(c), state change control corresponding to the collection of state information and setting changes can be performed for multiple items at the same time, as shown in FIG. 15A(e). And the number of status information items to be collected at the same time or status change control (setting change)
The number of items to be processed is described in one byte in the control/processing number NCM. The control/processing information CM-1 to n from the first time to the nth time are arranged in the above-mentioned order for the number of items set in the control/processing number NCM.

As shown in FIG. 15A(f), each control/processing information CM-1 to CM-n is composed of 1-byte exchange information type identification information EPC, 1-byte individual exchange information data size PDC, and individual exchange information EDT. and are arranged in the order listed above. Then, "status information to be collected", "status information to respond to", or "status change (setting change) control information" stored for each item corresponding to each device 1250 is stored as the above-mentioned individual exchange information EDT. . Further, data size information for each individual exchange information EDT is stored as the data size PDC of the individual exchange information.

Depending on the type of the corresponding device 1250 (i.e., the device type code DTC described above)
), the contents of the items representing the status and the contents of the items subject to status change control (setting change) differ. Therefore, in the E-format, for each type of the corresponding device 1250 (contents of the device type code DTC), the items of information whose status should be collected and the information expression format, or the items whose status should be controlled (setting changes) and the expression of the control information are expressed. The format is determined in advance, and templates and item codes (template codes) are prepared in advance according to the expression format for each item. And the corresponding device 1
The item code set for each of the 250 types (contents of the device type code DTC) is stored as the type identification information EPC of the exchange information. Further, this exchange information type identification information EPC corresponds to the exchange information type identification information 1840 shown in FIG. 10B.

Here, we will explain the information in the E-format data E-DT corresponding to the exchange information (table) 1810, taking as an example the case where the settings of a home air conditioner are changed (state change control) under control from the system controller α_1126. . Incidentally, a setting change (state change control) command (command issue) in the E-format corresponds to the "write request" described in Section 2.1. Therefore, as the communication access control information ESV (1830) in FIG. 15A(c), [6
0h] (=when no response is required) or [61h] (=when a response is required). (Also, for reference, the setting code of communication access control information ESV (1830) is [62h] for "read request", [73h] for "notification", and [72h] for "read response".
] correspond to each other. ) and the device type group code DTGC for household air conditioners is
[01h], which means an air conditioning-related equipment group, corresponds to this category. In addition, the device type code DTC is
[30h]. Here, when assigned to the first air conditioner in system α_1132, the same model device identification code DIDC is [01h]. Therefore, when issuing a state change control command 1852 (corresponding to case 1 in FIG. 10B) from the system controller α_1126 to this household air conditioner, the identification information of the receiving device in FIG. 15A(c) is [013001
h]. Then, when controlling from the system controller α_1126 to change the operating state of the relevant air conditioner, the type identification information EPC of the exchange information is [80h], the data size of the individual exchange information is [01h] (=1 byte), and the individual The exchange information EDT becomes [30h]. Therefore, the initial control/processing information CM-1 that combines these pieces of information is [800130h
] It can be expressed as Next, when changing the set temperature to 26°C as part of the control/processing for the
] (=1 byte), and the individual exchange information EDT is [1Ah], which means 26°C. Therefore, the n-th control/processing information CM-n, which is a combination of these pieces of information, is expressed as [B3011A]. Section 2.7 A-format data structure in the communication middleware layer As explained in Section 2.1 using FIG. 16, the “A-format” used in the system of this embodiment is as follows.
It is mainly intended to be used within the communication middleware layer APL06 that communicates information to the device 1250 and server n_1116-n. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be used for information communication between different system controllers α_1126 and β_1128, or may be used for information communication with composite modules 1460 and 1470. Furthermore, as already explained in Section 2.1 using FIG. 10B, in the A-format, information communication is basically performed by exchanging information (table) 1810 between the transmitting side node and the receiving side node. Therefore, this exchange information (table) 1810 (or a part thereof) is stored in the IPv6 data/payload IPv6DU as part of the communication middleware data APLDT shown in FIG. 11(a).

In the A-format, as shown in FIG. 15B, communication middleware data APLD
It may be written in XML (Extensible Markup Language) format as T. In this specification, a text-based method of describing content such as XML or HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is referred to as a "text format in a broad sense." For example, in HTML, tags are always included in the descriptive text. However, the above-mentioned tag description is not necessarily required in the "text format in a wide sense" as referred to here, and if there is any description in a text format in a broad sense, it is included in the "text format in a wide sense." Therefore, for example, programs such as Java applets, JavaScript (registered trademark), or C language are also included in the above-mentioned broad text format. By describing communication middleware data APLDT in a broadly defined text format in this way, communication middleware data AP
This has the effect of ensuring versatility and expandability as an LDT. Therefore, the A-format in the system of this embodiment is defined as "a format in which communication information related to the communication middleware layer APL is described in a broadly defined text format." All formats described in the above-mentioned broad text format are included in this A-format. And figure 1
The exchange information (table) 1810 configured in the 0B table format may correspond to the "<table> Element area" (range from <table -> to </table>) in FIG. 15B(b).

Furthermore, in the A-format, the <tdl> Element, which is a Root Element, may be set as the parent element of the <table> Element. (Here above <tdl>
means transferring data language. ) Also, as described in Figure 15B(b), the date attribute (date attribute) is added as the attribute information (Attribute) of the <tdl> Element.
te) may be used to describe the creation date of the corresponding table. Here, in the description of FIG. 15B(b),
The creation date of the corresponding table is "December 25, 2014."

As shown in Figure 15B(b), the number attribute (number attribute) in the above <table> Element
r attribute) or name attribute corresponds to the exchange information type identification information 1840 shown in FIG. 10B. However, in the communication middleware data APLDT written in A-format, there is a place where information corresponding to the device type group code DTGC and device type code DTC is displayed, as in the E-format explained in Section 2.6. There is no. Instead, a table template predefines the items and information expression format of information to be collected regarding the state inside the device 1250, or the items and expression format of control information to be controlled to change the state of the device 1250 (setting change). Detailed settings are made for each supported device type. A table number and a table name are specified for each table template that is set in detail for each device type. As an example of this, the template number of the corresponding table may be directly designated by the numerical value specified by the number attribute, as shown in "number="02"" in FIG. 15B(b). Therefore, the above number attribute or name attribute corresponds to the <table> Element
By writing the communication middleware data in APLDT, it becomes possible to automatically write communication middleware data in APLDT that matches the table template. In addition, the present embodiment system is not limited to this, and the above-mentioned exchange information type identification information 1 that can be used for selecting a standard template used in the information exchange table
840 may correspond to other descriptive sentences. Similarly to the method of associating a table template according to the type of device 1250 by specifying a numerical value with the number attribute described above, the standard template for information exchange according to the type of composite module 1460, 1470 can be called (see FIG. You may use the composite module type identification information CMTID in e) (see 2 for details).
．． (See Section 5).

As an example of writing communication information in the communication middleware data APLDT in accordance with the A-format, in FIG. 15B(b), the amount of power used periodically accumulated in the smart meter 1124 in FIG. Service provider B_1 who provides electricity supply service with “
112-2 (server n_1116-n within). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, since this smart meter 1124 is also connected to the system controller α_1126 and the wholesaler A 1102 through a network line, the above communication information may be communicated to the system controller α_1126 and the wholesaler A 1102. . On the other hand, since the supplied voltage value is determined in advance depending on the location where this smart meter 1124 is installed (i.e., corresponding to a general household, building, or factory), the integrated current value is notified instead of the integrated power amount. . In addition, information described in a "broad text format" may be used for information communication with any device 1250 or any composite module 1460, 1470, without being limited to the description example in FIG. 15B(b).

As an example of the integrated current value notification shown in FIG. 15B(b), in the A-format, the template is "Table number 2" and the table/template name is "Device Nameplate T".
You may use the standard table (table template) of "able". Also, in A-format, Table may be abbreviated as "TBL". Therefore, numb in <table> Element
Write "number="02"" as the er attribute and "name="DEVICE_NAMEPLATE_TB" as the name attribute.
It is written as "L".

As already explained in Section 1.7, there are many types of smart meters 1124, including not only "electricity consumption" but also "gas consumption", "water consumption", and "sewage discharge". There is a smart meter 1124 that notifies the usage status of each public consumption product. On the other hand, Figure 15
In the description example in B(b), it means “measuring the amount of electricity used”, and the type attribute is “type=
"E_ELECTRIC_DEVICE_RCD". By the way, the above “RCD” is the Re of packedRecord.
It means cord. As already explained in Section 2.2, (part of) the communication middleware layer data APDLT described in FIG. 15B(b) is the MAC layer data/payload MSDU.
Communication is carried out in packaging. Therefore, “the above communication middleware layer data APD
The expression "packedRecord" is used to mean "packing (a part of) LT and recording it in a physical layer frame PPDU for communication."Therefore, <packedReco
rd> In the number attribute in Element, use the same word as above and write "name="E_ELECTRIC_DEVICE_
It is described as "RCD".

In the explanation in Section 2.1 using FIG. 10B, it is clear that both this A-format and the E-format explained in Section 2.6 include communication access control information 1830 in the exchange information (table) 1810. showed that. This communication access control information 1830 is then
It corresponds to the accessibility attribute within the Element or the <set> Element described below. This accessibility attribute allows the receiving node to request READWRITE, READONLY, or WRITEONLY. READ here refers to the receiving node (e.g. device 1).
250, composite modules 1460, 1470, etc.) and to respond with the read information (or to notify sense information), and corresponds to a "read request" in E-format. Also, WRITE means an information response or status change setting instruction to the receiving node side, and it is a "notification" or "read response" in E-format, or "
READWRITE is used to instruct the receiving node to respond to the response request 1872/response 1874 sequence in case 2 of FIG. 10B. In the configuration system, other descriptions may be made to correspond to the communication access control information 1830.In the example shown in FIG. Accessibility="WRITEONLY" is specified because the node (for example, server n_1116-n, controller α_1126, or wholesaler A1102) is notified.

Furthermore, the element in the embodiment shown in FIG. 15B(b) refers to "individual items such as sense target information, detection target state information, or state information to be controlled (setting change)". There is. Therefore, the information specified in advance in the template of the table selected according to the information content specified by the exchange information type identification information 1840 in FIG. Settings are described in each <element> Element for each item.

By the way, in the table template that is preset with "table number 2",
In the table template specified by type="E_ELECTRIC_DEVICE_RCD", <packe
The individual items specified in dRecord> Element are “E_KH” (periodically integrated electric energy), “E_KT” (test pulse output amount), “E_INPUT_SCALAR” (unit of communication information is specified, "E_ELEMENT" (indicates "what fraction" of the value input from the sensor is compressed?), "E_ELEMENT"
(local number of smart meter), “E_VOLTS” (instantaneous voltage value/voltage fluctuations in the power transmission system can be monitored in real time), and “E_AMPS” (periodically integrated current value) are prepared in advance. In the description example shown in FIG. 15B(b), only "E_KH" and "E_AMPS" are defined using <element> Element.

First, the <element> Element that specifies “E_KH” in the name attribute declares that “this communication information notifies the periodically accumulated amount of electricity.” According to the standard, <element nam
You can tell what "E_KH" means just by looking at the information in e="E_KH">. However, in order to understand the contents of the exchange information (table) 1810 without referring to the standard, <description>
t is set. A feature of the A-format is that it has a "function that allows supplementary explanations to be provided using text in a broad sense" within the A-format, which can be described in a text format in a broad sense. As a result, the description content can be understood without reference to the standard document, which has the effect of making it easier for the receiving node to understand the exchange information (table) 1810.

As an example of A-format, numerical values are set using <set> Element. However, the value is not limited to this, and the numerical value may be set using another description method. Also, before using <set> Element, “E_AMPS_RCD” is specified in the <element> Element with “E_KH” specified in the name attribute.
(<element name="E_AMPS"type="E_AMPS_RCD"), and "notify the item 'periodically integrated current value' as a packedRecord in the MAC layer data/payload MSDU". Make it clear. After that, <set> Element is defined using the same name “E_AMPS_RCD”.

The “periodic integrated current value” measured by the smart meter 1124 is <enum> Element (enum
means Electrical numerator). (Here, the smart meter 1124 automatically substitutes the measured value for $$$$ in value="$$$$".) Also, the variable name “E_AMPS” that means the value set here is Specified by name attribute in <enumerator> Element.

By the way, as a "supplementary explanation function" in A-format, <description> Element
explained t. However, the information is not limited to the above, and supplementary explanations may be provided using label attributes and text attributes. Section 2.8 Address table used in this embodiment system and its usage example From the explanations in Sections 2.3 to 2.7 above, different addresses are set duplicately for each layer for the same module. I know what will happen. For example, sensor module 1260-1 and drive module 1270-1 in FIG. 8A, or drive/communication module 1 in FIG. 8B.
FIG. 23 shows an example of a data structure in an address table showing a list of various addresses that can be set for the 470-2 and the sensor/communication module 1460-5. In addition to the method described in Section 2.8, this address table may be used in the manner described in Section 4.2.

Incidentally, in FIG. 23, various addresses that are set in duplicate in the drive/communication module 1470-2 and sensor/communication module 1460-5 in FIG. 8B are grouped together and described in the same vertical column. Also, a sensor module 1260-1 built in the device 1250-1 in FIG. 8A
Various addresses that are set in duplicate in the drive module 1270-1 and the drive module 1270-1 are also written together in the same vertical column. Incidentally, the IEEE extended address EXADRS included in one of the address items in the address table of FIG. 23 is assigned to the communication module chip 1202-4 (see section 2.3). Therefore, the IEEE extended address EXADRS corresponding to the sensor module 1260-1 and drive module 1270-1 in FIG.
An address related to the communication module chip 1202-4 built in -1 is set.

Among the address items listed in the address table in FIG.
In AC02, the IEEE extended address EXADRS is individually set as explained in Section 2.3. Next, in the Internet Protocol version 6 layer IPv6, as explained in Section 2.4, IP addresses IPADRS (sending side IP address information SIPADRS/receiving side IP address information DIPADRS) are individually set. On the other hand, communication middleware layer A
In PL06, the device type code DIDC within the same type is set in accordance with the E-format described in Section 2.6.

The system of this embodiment is characterized in that the list shown in FIG. 23, which is the above list plus the section information in which each module is currently located, is stored in the memory section 1232 of the system controller β_1134 and the system controller α_1126. . As a result, (1
) Provide services efficiently and accurately; (2) System controller β_1
134 and system controller α_1126.
) This makes it easier to detect errors that occur within the sending node or nodes along the communication path.
This has the effect of improving the reliability of information and communications.

As explained in Chapter 4, in the system of this embodiment, sections 1_1142-1 to m_
Service can be provided every 1142-m. Therefore, when controlling the status (changing the setting status) of multiple devices 1250 or multiple drive/communication modules 1470 in the same section 1142 as one form of the above service, the information in FIG. (Status change) It becomes very easy to select the target device 1250 or drive/communication module 1470.

Also, as explained in Section 2.1, when communicating information across different network lines (network line 1782 within the same system/network line 1788 outside the system/network line 2082 within the same domain), the format may be changed midway. There is. In this case, by using the information in FIG. 23, format conversion can be performed smoothly and accurately.

Here, equipment 1250 or composite module 14 located within system α_1132
System controller β_1 located in system β_1134 different from 60, 1470
A specific explanation will be given using information communication between 128 and 128 as an example. A case in which format conversion is performed within the relaying system controller α_1126 during this information communication will be explained.
However, the information shown in FIG. 23 may be used for any form of network communication in the system of this embodiment. As a prerequisite for this, the system controller α_1126
It is assumed that the information shown in FIG. Even if the location of the system controller β_1128 is far away from the system α_1132, the system controller β_1128 can use the information in Figure 23 to collect what information from within the system α_1132 and what kind of state control (state setting) it can collect from within the system α_1132. changes) can be made. In addition, since the system of this embodiment uses Internet protocol version 6 layer IPv6 for all information communication, the system controller β_
1128, all the devices 1250, and the composite modules 1460 and 1470 have IP address information IPADRS set in advance.

First, a method for converting the format from C-format to E-format regarding the communication middleware layers APL02 and APL06 within the system controller α_1126 during the above-mentioned information communication will be explained. As already explained in Section 2.5, the C-format itself does not have any address information, so information that needs to be set in the E-format cannot be obtained from this C-format information. However, as shown in FIG. 23, information related to the E-format is recorded in advance in FIG. Therefore, system controller α_112
6 (specifically, within the processor 1230), using the device type group code DTGC, device type code DTC, and device identification code within the same type DIDC described here.
- Create information that conforms to the format.

Conversely, the case of converting from A-format, E-format, or W-format to C-format will be explained. As already explained in section 2.5, the composite module 14
60, 1470 uses the C-format, the communication middleware layer APL02
Extended IEEE extended address EXEXAD in Figure 12B(d)(e) defined in a layer other than
Use RS. However, by utilizing the IEEE extended address EXADRS of each of the composite modules 1460 and 1470 described in FIG. 23, processing compatible with the C-format can be smoothly performed. If by any chance the expanded IE in the above IEEE extended address EXADRS
If you are using a format that does not include the EE extended address EXEXADRS,
Attribute information of the corresponding composite modules 1460 and 1470 can be obtained via the Internet using the per-chip setting address ADRSIEEE compliant with IEEE802.15.4. However, the method is not limited to this, and other methods may be used. In other words, the system of this embodiment takes advantage of the feature of commonly using Internet Protocol version 6 layer IPv6 for all information communications (even when communicating information using formats other than C-format), as explained in Section 2.4. 1
The extended IEEE extended address E of FIG. 12B(d) is included in the communication class information IPCLS of 3(d).
The information of XEXADRS may be stored in advance.

Next, a method for changing the format within the system controller α_1126 (specifically, within the processor 1230) with respect to the physical layers PHY02 and PHY06 and the media access layers MAC02 and MAC06 will be described. In this case, based on the common IP address IPADRS specified by Internet Protocol version 6 layer IPv6,
Using the information in step 3, only the physical layer and media access layer are replaced. That is, in the system of this embodiment, the transmitting side IP address information SIPADRS and the receiving side IP address information DIPADRS (see FIG. 13(b)) are commonly stored in the IPv6 header IPV6HD regardless of the intermediate communication line path. Therefore, by referring to the receiving side IP address information DIPADRS for the information in FIG. 23, the receiving side's PAN specific information PANID and IEEE extended address EXEADRS used in the Z-format can be extracted.

Finally, we will explain how the reliability of information communication using a network line is improved by using the information in FIG. 23. In the unlikely event that an error occurs within the information sending node or the node that relays information during the communication route (including system controller α_1126),
There is a risk that inappropriate information may be mixed into part of the communication information shown in FIG. 15B. When this happens, information communication within the network system is inhibited. To deal with this problem, by sequentially verifying communication information using the information shown in FIG. 23 within the system controllers α_1126 and β1128, it is possible to determine whether or not an error has occurred in the communication information and to identify the location of the error very easily. As a result, the reliability of information communication is improved. Chapter 3 Management/display method for each unit Section 3.1 Overview of basic unit management method As explained in Section 1.1 using Figures 1 and 2, in the system of this embodiment, "Domain/System / section / unit / equipment or composite module. i.e. domain 2_1122
-2 consists of one or more systems α_1132, and within one system is section 1.
It can be divided into 142 parts. A unit 1290 is arranged for each section 1142. Further, as a specific form of this unit 1290, a single device 1250, a single composite module 1295, or a mixed system thereof is acceptable. And further system α_113
System controller α_11 that manages or controls network communication within 2 and collects information
26 exists and manages this unit 1290. In order to be able to respond to unforeseen circumstances such as power outages and failures, alternative management/control/information collection by another system controller β_1128 is also possible as appropriate. Furthermore, this replaceable system controller β_
1128, “movable” or “at least temporarily corresponding system α_11
Arrangements outside of 32" are permitted.

As a unit management method based on the above hierarchical structure, the system of this embodiment is characterized by "managing the units belonging to each system α_1132". As described above, the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128) manages/controls/collects information on network communication for each system. Therefore, as mentioned above, by "collectively managing all the units 1290 included in the same system α_1132 in units of system α_1132", it is convenient to manage/control/collect information on network communication of system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128). It has the effect of improving sex.

In addition, the "plug-in processing", "plug-out processing", or "check-in processing" described later in Section 4.2 can be used to "manage within the system α_1132 according to the units 1290 entering and exiting the system α_1132." The point where the target unit 1290 is switched also has the following characteristics. In other words, the specific unit 1290 is the system α_11
32, system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_
1128) automatically detects it and assigns that particular unit 1290 to the managed unit 1290 of system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128).
Automatically register as . Conversely, when another predetermined unit 1290 leaves the system α_1132, the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128)
automatically detects it and connects the other predetermined unit 1290 to the system controller α_1.
126 (or system controller β_1128) from the managed unit 1290.

As a result, even if a plurality of units 1290 frequently come in and out of the specific system α_1132, network communication management within the specific system α_1132 can be performed while maintaining stability and high reliability.
For example, when an external hard disk device, external optical disk device, or USB memory device is connected to a conventional computer system, it is automatically recognized (plug-in processing) as a "new additional drive" (for example, D drive or E drive). “Drive management” is performed. Here, if the number of units 1290 belonging to the same system α_1132 is small, each unit 1290 may be managed as an individual drive as described above. However, the system of this embodiment allows a large number of units 1290 to belong to the same system α_1132. If unit 1 is added within the same system α_1132 as described above,
If drives are added sequentially such as "D drive", "E drive", etc. for each 290 drive, drive management will fail when the "Z drive" is exceeded. Unit 1 using conventional technology in this way
When trying to manage 290 units, A] there is a problem that it cannot cope with the increase in the number of units 1290 within the same system α_1132. Similarly, if we consider not only drive management but also port allocation for network communication control, etc., a further related problem arises: B) The increase in the number of units 1290 causes the corresponding port allocation to fail. If a unique and novel countermeasure is attempted to avoid problems [A] and [B], an additional problem will arise: C) compatibility with conventional computer system management methods will be broken.

As a method for simultaneously solving the above-mentioned problems [A] to [C], this embodiment has a major feature in that ``units are managed using a method similar to file management via a computer network''. Then, it is assumed that "1 unit 1290=1 pseudo file". Here, from the perspective of the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128) that manages the unit 1290, the process of "collecting predetermined information from the unit 1290 (for example, collecting sensor information)" is defined as "information reproducing (READ) process from the unit 1290". ” Similarly, from the perspective of the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128) that manages the unit 1290, “changes in the setting state for the unit 1290”
The process of "control)" is managed as "write process of changed setting state information (contents to be controlled) to the unit 1290".

However, when managing files via a computer network, "URL (Uniform Resource Locator)" is often used to specify a file storage location on the network. However, since the location of the unit 1290 is determined to be within the same system α_1132, this embodiment also has the feature of ``assigning the system α_1132 to be managed as one drive, folder, or directory instead of specifying a URL.'' Yes. Above [A
] If an individual drive is assigned to each unit 1290, it becomes difficult to cope with an increase in the number of units 1290. However, as mentioned above, by ``assigning only one drive, folder, or directory to one system α_1132'', unit 1290
Not only can it flexibly respond to an increase in the number of computers, but port assignments will not fail, and compatibility with conventional management methods in the computer world can be ensured.

Next, a method for realizing the above basic concept will be explained. In order to apply the above-described "unit 1290 management method" on application software using a computer network, there is a method of defining a new "unit management compatible API (Application Interface)." Furthermore, the invention is not limited to this, and new "unit management compatible built-in functions and referenced/usable subprograms" may be defined. Here, a program called a "subroutine" may be used as the subprogram that can be referenced/used by the other program. Furthermore, the above-mentioned built-in function may be a program called a "function" or a predetermined program called a "method" that is embedded and utilized in a specific application software (specific class) using JavaScript. Section 3.2 Unit Management Means As a means of realizing the basic concept of unit management explained in Section 3.1, in addition to the application software support described above, the following hardware improvements are also made.

Figure 18 shows the hardware configuration and software hierarchy around a conventional computer system.
Shown in A. A processor 3010 built into the computer is connected to a communication control section 3028 and a recording medium control section 3024 via a bus line 3012. In information communication between the processor 3010 and the recording medium control section 3024, command/status information corresponding to a device drive (commonly known as a device driver) is mutually communicated via a connection section 3018 that is directly connected to a bus line 3012. Then, the recording medium control unit 3024 decodes the content and directly drives the recording medium (hardware unit) 3014. By the way, specific examples of this recording medium (hard part) 3014 include a hard disk, an optical disk, and a USB memory.

On the other hand, the information communication execution unit 3016 represents a part that actually executes network communication, and has communication means depending on wired/wireless communication media. This information communication execution unit 3016 is also controlled by the processor 3010 in the same manner as described above.
Conventional computer control from the perspective of software includes a device driver area 30 that is involved in controlling the recording medium (hardware part) 3014 in the OS (Operating System) layer 3030.
22 and a communication driver area 3026 involved in controlling the information communication execution unit 3016.
On the other hand, the application software 3050 provides an API (Application Software) to the OS layer 3030.
n Programming Interface) command 3045 to issue the application software 305
Performs execution processing of 0.

Compared to the conventional type described above, the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128), as shown in FIG. It has a major feature in that it does this. In order to make this possible, as shown in FIG. 18B, an information communication execution unit 3017 for connection outside the system and an information communication execution unit 30 for connection inside the system
I own both 15. By the way, for convenience of explanation, both are physically separated and described in FIG. 18B. However, the structure is not limited to this, and a structure may be adopted in which a part of the information communication execution unit 3017 for connection outside the system and the information communication execution unit 3015 for connection within the system overlaps/is used in common.
There may be a broad inclusion relationship in which one is substantially included in the other.

The information communication execution unit 3017 for external connection and the information communication execution unit 3015 for connection within the system in FIG. 18B refer to a radio wave (including detection) transmission/reception unit or a communication information transmission/reception unit for wired communication. Therefore, there is a communication control unit 3029 for external connections and a communication control unit 3021 for internal connections that control them. Furthermore, for convenience of explanation, the OS layer 3030 is described as having a predetermined program area corresponding to the communication driver area 3027 for connection outside the system and a predetermined program area corresponding to the communication driver area 3025 for connection within the system. However, in reality, there is no need for independent subprograms to exist, and there are cases where a part of both is shared, or when one of the program steps in both is BIOS (Basic Input/
(Output System) control area 3020 may be overlapped with/shared with the program area.

As a means of realizing the operation overview described in Section 3.1, the embodiment shown in FIG. A management/control area 3034 (physically or virtually) of the units within the system corresponding to the terminology (using terminology used) is formed (physically or virtually). The intra-system unit management/control area 3034 includes (at least a part of) a processor 3010 having a hardware structure including a control program corresponding to an intra-system connection communication driver area 3025, and an intra-system connection communication control unit. 3021, and bus line 3 that connects the two.
012 (including the connection part 3018).

The configuration within the management/control area 3034 of this in-system unit corresponds to the processor/communication module 1465 described in FIG. 4D. In other words, as already explained in Section 1.3, the part of the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128) that is involved in network communication using the same system network line 1782 is the composite module 1295 called the processor/communication module 1465. It consists of

By the way, even if a special line called the intra-system network line 1782 is used, the parts involved in network communication should be considered as part of the communication control unit 3028 and communication driver area 3026 in FIG. 18 in terms of conventional technology. Conceivable. However, as explained in Section 3.1,
When managing the unit 1290 by considering that 1 unit 1290≒1 pseudo file, the above-described system unit management/control area 3034 is functionally close to the device driver area 3022 in FIG. 18A. Accordingly, in the example embodiment of FIG. 18B, at least a portion of the management/control area 3034 of the unit within the system is included within the device drive area 3022 within the OS layer 3030. As described in FIG. 18B, "a part of the control program corresponding to the existing device driver area 3022 may be used for managing the unit 1290". Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to this, and a part of the control program corresponding to the existing BIOS control area 3020 may also be used for unit 1290 management (that is, the BIOS
A part of the control program corresponding to the control area 3020 may be included in the management/control area 3034 of the unit within the system).

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 18B, a case has been described in which a predetermined OS (Operating System) is used within the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128). However, the system controller α_1126 (
Alternatively, execution processing by the system controller β_1128) may be performed.

In the embodiment application example shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, the unit 12 is
We have shown a means to manage 90 items. In this JavaScript, instead of using a predetermined OS (Operating System), a JVM (Java Virtual Machine) is installed for each corresponding processor 3010. The program environment executed here is composed of a group of classes 3160, and for example, a main method 3148 in an application class 3158 is executed in response to a user request. Here, the class group 3160 includes various programs written in JavaScript (Java language).

In FIG. 19A, the processor 3010 and the intra-system connection compatible information communication execution unit 3015 represent a hardware unit. And this intra-system connection compatible information communication execution unit 3015
The operation is controlled by the intra-system connection compatible communication control unit 3021.
However, in the prior art, the program involved in file management within the class group 3160 is the file class 3 which is composed of a plurality of file class instance method groups 3144.
154. On the other hand, in the applied example of the embodiment, a management/control class 3150 of the system unit for managing the unit 1290 is newly set in the class group 3160. In the system unit management/control class 3150, there is an area in which a unit management/control related method group 3140 is stored. Here, unit 129
There are various methods of programs that execute subdivided operational processes related to the management/control of 0. A collection of these various methods is called a method group, and constitutes the management/control related method group 3140 of the unit.

Next, the relationship between the program 3188 written in the main method 3148 in the application class 3158 and the unit management/control related method group 3140 will be explained using FIG. 19B.
When starting the application class 3158, the file class 3154 specified in advance
Then, incorporation processing 3174 and 3170 (import processing) of the management/control class 3150 of the unit in the system newly proposed in the applied example of this embodiment is performed. Then, a file class instance method group 3144 included in the incorporated (imported) file class 3154 and a unit management/control related method group 3140 contained in the system unit management/control class 3150 can be used from within the application class 3158.

Next, a predetermined method in the file class instance method group 3144 is referenced 3194 from within the program step 3188 written in the main method 3148, and execution processing related to the file system can be efficiently performed. A group of unit management/control related methods 3140 from another program step 3188 similarly described in the main method 3148
By referring to the specific method included in the unit 1290, management/control/information collection regarding the unit 1290 can be efficiently performed.

In the application example of this embodiment, a predetermined organization different from the user creates a program corresponding to the management/control class 3150 of the unit in the system in advance, and sends it to the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128) as appropriate via the Internet. Install additionally. Also, since the program step 3188 that refers to a specific method in the unit management/control related method group 3140 in the main method 4148 is one line (several lines at most), it is very easy to use the unit 12 in the application class 3158.
90 management/control/information collection is possible. By using the above method, it is possible to easily incorporate the management/control/information collection means of the unit 1290 with almost no burden on the software developer of the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128).

FIG. 20 shows a comparison between the existing file system and the unit management method according to this embodiment. In the existing file system, the storage location of basic management information is in the storage medium, but in the unit management method of this embodiment, the storage location is the memory unit in the system controller α_1126.
232 is different. Next, a method of accessing content (a predetermined file in a file system/a predetermined unit in unit management) will be explained. In existing file systems, a file name (including the URL where the file is saved) is specified, and a range in which specific information within the file is recorded is specified using a relative address range within the file. In contrast, in the unit management method of this embodiment, addresses of corresponding units are specified. The designated address means an address listed in the address table of FIG. 23 (eg, IP address IPADRS or IEEE extended address EXADRS). Note that in the unit management method in this embodiment, since the information size of the information owned by the unit 1290 (setting state information and sensor information to be changed) is relatively small, one unit 1290
Read/write information as a whole. Therefore, it has the effect of greatly simplifying management/control/information collection compared to existing file systems.

In existing file systems, FAT (File Allocation Table) and UDF (Universal Disk Format) are used as management information to manage the entire file or the entire unit 1290.
In the unit management method of this embodiment, the address table of FIG. 23 corresponds. In the existing file system, the information to be read/changed corresponds to the content (data) in a file, whereas in the unit management method of this embodiment, the information to be read/changed corresponds to sensor information and various status information/setting status (of the object to be changed). Furthermore, the unit management method in this embodiment is not limited to this, and the exchange information (table) 18 shown in FIG.
10 is also included in the read/change target information.

However, there is a major difference between the existing file system and the unit management method of this embodiment in the presence or absence of a function to list all contents. That is, in existing file systems, although a "file name list" can be known from the file management information described above, there is no means to easily know the entire file contents. Therefore, if it is necessary to know the contents of all files, it is necessary to open all the files one by one and newly tally the contents, which is very time-consuming. In contrast, in the unit management method of this embodiment, since there is a time-series information tracking table shown in FIG. 28, the contents of the entire unit 1290 can be grasped instantly. As described above, since the unit management method according to the present embodiment has a means for independently grasping the contents of the entire unit 1290, there is an effect that management/control/information collection of all the units 1290 in the system α_1132 can be performed quickly and easily. . Section 3.3 Specific unit management examples and display examples In many cases, system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128) automatically controls unit 1.
290 and performs control. However, there may be cases where the user wants to manually control the specific unit 1290 or collect information from the specific unit 1290. In this case, a display example of the management screen of the unit 1290 displayed on the user I/F unit 1234 in the system controller α_1126 shown in FIG. 2 will be described below. Incidentally, the following description will be given as an example of a display screen, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a similar method may be used as a management method for each unit 1290 based on the system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128).

As already explained in Section 3.1, the feature of this embodiment is that "only one drive, folder, or directory is assigned to one system α_1132." The situation is shown in FIG. 21A. The multiple units 1290 within the system α_1132 are provided with various hierarchical structures (folder hierarchical structure or directory structure) to facilitate management.

Figure 21A(a) is hierarchical for each content of unit 1290 (folder/directory division)
Fig. 21(b) shows an example of section 11 divided within the same system α_1132.
This shows an example of hierarchization (folder/directory division) into 42 sections. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to appropriately hierarchize (folder/directory division) according to the user's convenience.

Here, examples of display/management when moving to a lower layer according to the hierarchy (folder/directory division) shown in FIG. 21A(a) are shown in FIGS. 21B to 21D. In the display/management example shown in FIG. 21A(a), there is a list data folder 2610 and a unit 1290 in which the address table shown in FIG. 23, the estimation/judgment collation table shown in FIG. 27, and the time series information tracking table shown in FIG. Folders divided by format are arranged in the "T drive" corresponding to the unit management pseudo drive. As already explained in Section 1.2 using FIG. 3A, the form of the unit 1290 is “
There are "equipment 1250 alone", "composite module 1295 alone", "mixed form of both", and "other".In addition, in FIG. 21A(a), the device corresponding folder 2612
and a composite module corresponding folder 2614 are arranged.

Next, an example of the display contents (internal structure) in the composite module compatible folder 2614 is shown below.
Shown in FIG. 21B. As already explained in Section 1.3, the composite module 1295 includes a sensor/communication module 1460, a drive/communication module 1470, a processor/communication module 1465, a memory/communication module 1475, a display/communication module 1478, etc. Permissible. Accordingly, in FIG. 21B, a sensor/communication module folder 2622, a drive/communication module folder 2624, a processor/communication module folder 2626, a memory/communication module folder 2628, and another function/communication module folder 2630 are included in FIG. and each is managed accordingly.

Furthermore, the display contents (internal structure) in the sensor/communication module compatible folder 2622
An example is shown in Figure 21C. As already explained in Section 2.5, the sensor/communication module 14
There are two types of sensor information detected and acquired by the sensor 60: binary information and multi-value information. Accordingly, in FIG. 21C, a binary data compatible folder 2634 and a multivalued data compatible folder 2638 are arranged and managed accordingly.

Finally, in FIG. 21D(a), all the sensor/communication modules 1460 belonging to the binary data corresponding folder 2634 are arranged as pseudo files. By displaying/managing in this manner, it is possible to manage/control/collect information in units of one unit 1290 in a very simple manner. The sensor information content detected/acquired by the sensor/communication module 2_1460-2 can be displayed to the user as shown in FIG. 21D(b) by clicking, for example, like opening a conventional file. When the inside of the drive/communication module 1470 is opened, the current setting status is displayed. Then, paste (insert) another value in the display area of FIG. 21D(b) regarding the unit 1290 that can control (change setting state) the drive/communication module 1470, etc.
By doing so, control (setting state changes) can be easily performed. By adopting such a display method and management method, there is an effect that the user can control (change setting state) the specific unit 1290 very easily and quickly. Chapter 4 Overview of Sections in the System of this Embodiment In this Chapter 4, we will first explain the basic concept of "sections" in the system of this embodiment. Then, we will explain how to collect information and provide services using the concepts in that section. Finally, we will explain a method for detecting the location of a transmitting node using radio waves emitted from the transmitting node and services using this method. Section 4.1 Positioning of sections within the system of this embodiment A “section” in the system of this embodiment is defined as “a unit related to the integration or management of information collected within the system” and “a unit related to the integration or management of information collected within the system” and “a unit related to the provision of services performed within the system”. defined as at least one of the following: Therefore, the units corresponding to the above sections may be used both for the purpose of integrating/managing collected information and for providing services.
In addition, when serving both purposes in this way, services may be provided to users in conjunction with (or based on) the results of the integration/management of the collected information.

Furthermore, the above unit may refer to a group of functions related to information collection and service provision within the same system. Furthermore, the unit is not limited to this, and as another form of the above unit, it may mean a group of predetermined spatial relationships within the same system. The specific content of this spatially related group may be a group in a predetermined continuous space within the same system. However, the specific content of the spatially related clusters is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, a predetermined collection of discretely distributed (stepping stone) clusters of continuous spaces. In this case, different sections 1_1122 within the same system α_1132
-1 and section 2_1122-2 may be in a mixed state.

As shown in FIG. 1, the same system α_1132 is composed of one or more sections. Therefore, the entire system α_1132 may spatially completely overlap one section 1_1122-1, or may be divided into a plurality of sections 1_1122-1 to m_1122-m. In addition, it is not limited to this, but multiple different sections 1_1122-1 to m_
1122-m may spatially overlap with each other.

First, the positioning of the above sections will be explained using an example shown in FIG. FIG. 25 shows a situation where one building is divided into two rooms. And for each room, section 1_1122-1 (room on the left) and section 2_1122-2 (room on the right)
Assign a spatial unit called . Here, as shown in Fig. 25(a), the lighting fixtures are turned on in the left room (section 1_1122-1), and the lighting fixtures are turned on in the right room (section 2_1).
122-2) considers a state in which the lighting equipment is turned off (unlit state). Then, a plurality of optical sensors (a sensor module 1260 with a light detection function may be built into the device 1250 (FIG. 1), or a sensor/communication module 1460 may be configured as shown in FIG. 8B) are installed in both sections 1_1122. -1, 2_1122-2. Then, when (system controller α_1126) integrates/manages the sensor information obtained from the optical sensors arranged in section 1_1122-1, a large amount of light amount detection information can be obtained from all the sensor information. On the other hand, only small light amount detection information can be obtained from all the optical sensors arranged in section 2_1122-2. Thus sections 1_1122-1 and 2_1122
Commonality appears in the sensor information obtained from within -2. and Section 1_1122-1,
2_1122-2 Integrate or manage various sensor information obtained for each section 1_
A major feature of the system of this embodiment is that the state within 1122-1 and 2_1122-2 is estimated/judged. Then, to estimate/judge the state within the same section 1122, the results of integrating or managing multiple pieces of information collected from this section 1122 are used to estimate/judge the state within the same section 1122.
This has the effect of improving the accuracy of judgment.

Next, under a very cold outside air environment, section 1_1122 is
Consider the case where only the air conditioner installed in -1 is operated for air conditioning. In this case, since the air conditioning is not working in section 2_1122-2, the "warmth service" is not provided to the user in the room on the right. However, no matter where the user is in the room on the left, a "warmth provision service" is being provided to the user. In this way, the same service can often be provided in common within the same section 1122. In this way, in the system of this embodiment, the same system α_
This has the effect of facilitating service management for users within 1132. Furthermore, compared to the service provided by the entire system α_1132, by providing the service in units of sections 1 to m_1142-1 to m, detailed services can be provided to the users, which has the effect of improving end user satisfaction.

Here, an example of a "room" is used to explain a section, but the system of this embodiment is not limited to this, and any spatial unit that meets the above definition may correspond to a section.
However, in the system of this embodiment, the system controller α_1126, which controls/manages/collects information on network communication within the network system α_1132,
The inside of 1132 may be divided into sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m. Here, as described above, the system controller
By automatically detecting the area that became brighter at the same time or the area where the temperature rose or decreased at the same time, it can be automatically divided into sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m. It may be divided based on the shooting result.However, the section is not limited to this, and sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142 can be directly specified by the user.
-m classification may also be performed. Section 4.2 How to manage the placement locations of various modules and devices within sections As explained in the examples from Sections 4.1 to 4.3, system controller α_1126 collects information within the corresponding system α_1132. Section 1_114
2-1 to m_1142-m To estimate/judge the status of each unit, each unit 1290 (equipment 1
250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) respectively.
It is necessary to know in advance whether it is located within 1142-1 to m_1142-m.
In order to make this possible, information on sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m arranged for each of one or more units 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) existing in the same system α_1132 is managed. There is a great feature in that. Another way to express this feature is as follows. That is, a plurality of units 1290 (FIG. 2) each having a function (which is handled by the communication module 1660 in FIG. 4A) of independently acquiring or creating information (corresponding to the function of the other functional module 1440 in FIG. 4A) and communicating the obtained information. and a system controller α_1126 (FIG. 1) that acquires and manages the information from the plurality of units 1290, and the system controller α_112
6 manages each unit 1290 by dividing it into sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m, and manages the sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142 to which each unit 1290 belongs.
The system controller α_1126 holds information regarding -m.

On the other hand, if we look at the above characteristics from the perspective of system α_1132 (client system),
The characteristics of the client system can be expressed as follows. In other words, this client system (system α_1132) is connected to an external cloud (server n_1116-n)
The system controller α_1126 includes a system controller α_1126 that manages information and a unit 1290 that has a function of acquiring or creating and transmitting information to be provided to the system controller α_1126.
0 is divided into sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m, and each unit 12
It is characterized by holding information regarding the section to which the section 90 belongs.

By the way, as information regarding the section belonging to each unit 1290 mentioned above, FIG.
3 address tables correspond.
Therefore, in this section 4.2, we will mainly explain the management method for realizing the above features. Note that the following explanation is based on a system model in which a system controller α_1126 installed in the system α_1132 shown in FIGS. 2 and 8A/B manages, operates, or controls the network communication system α_1132. However, the following explanation is not limited to this, and the explanation below is based on the system controller β_112 installed outside the system α_1132 in FIG.
8 or the server n_1116-n may be adapted to a system model in which the network communication system α_1132 is managed, operated, or controlled via the router (gateware) 1300. In this case, the system controller α_11 in the explanation below
26 may be replaced with the system controller β_1128 or the server n_1116-n.

In order to manage the units 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) arranged in each section 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m, the address table in FIG. 23, which will be described later, is stored in the memory in the system controller α_1126 shown in FIG. 1232 (and within system controller β_1128 in FIG. 1). Here, the example of entry in the address table in FIG. 23 shows that the sensor/communication modules 1460-1 to 5 and drive/communication modules 1470-1 to 2 in FIG. 8B and the devices 1250-1 to 3 in FIG. 8A are in the same system α_1132. An example of a mixed arrangement is shown. However, in the system of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8A, a plurality of sensor modules 1260 are installed in one device 1250-1.
-1 and 2 built-in are allowed. Different types of sensor information are obtained from each sensor module 1260-1 and 1260-2. Therefore, we collect various information and section 114
In order to estimate/judge the status of each device 1250-1 to 1250-3, instead of managing the installation locations of devices 1250-1 to 3 using an address table, the individual sensor modules 1260-1 to 1260-1 built into the devices 1250-1 to 3 are Section 1_11 where 5 and individual drive modules 1270-1 are installed
It is desirable to manage the information of 42-1 to m_1142-m.

In the example of entry in the address table in FIG. 23, the sensor module 1260-1, the drive module 1270-1, and the drive/communication module 147 are in a horizontal row related to "section information".
0-2, the section locations where the sensor/communication module 1460-5 is arranged are collectively described. From this, it can be seen that the sensor module 1260-1 is located within section 2_1142-2. In the system of this embodiment, through the creation and maintenance of the address table, the various composite modules 14 arranged in each section 1142
60, 1470, each sensor module 1260, and each drive module 1270 are managed in real time. However, in the system of this embodiment, the method is not limited to the above method, and any method of managing placement locations that can be managed by the system controller α_1126 may be used.

The system of this embodiment is characterized in that it allows a plurality of different systems (client systems) to coexist at the same time. The following content can be specified as a newly generated feature by combining the result of taking into account the features and the content described in FIG. 2 and the above-mentioned address table (FIG. 23). That is, the client system (system α_1132) is connectable to an external cloud (server n_1116-n), and the unit 1290 has a function (played by the communication module 1660 in FIG. 4A) of communicating independently acquired or created information.
and a system controller α_1 that acquires and manages the information from the unit 1290.
126 and a plurality of client systems α_1132 (client systems α_
1126 and client system β_1134))
The client system α_1132, which corresponds to domain 2_1122-2 in FIG. The system controller α_1126 manages the plurality of units 1295-1 to 1295-7 by dividing them into sections (section 1_1142-1, section 2_1142-1, and section m_1142-m in FIG. 2), and manages the units to which each unit belongs. It has the feature of holding information regarding sections (address table in FIG. 23).

Next, FIG. 22 shows a method for creating and maintaining the address table. First of all, as Step 101, section 1_1142-1 ~ within the same system_1132
Define m_1142-m. The system of this embodiment is characterized in that a section is first defined (Step 101), and based on this definition, arrangement information is set for each section 1142 or arrangement information is managed (Step 102 or Step 103).
In this way, by managing the placement locations of various modules and various devices according to the initially defined section division state, there is an effect that it becomes easier to estimate and judge the state of each section in real time. In addition to this, another effect is created, which is that it is easier to manage the placement locations of various modules and various devices.

In particular, as described later in Section 5.2.3, in the field of social infrastructure, there may be multiple different section definition methods within the same region. In other words, in the example of FIG. 35, instead of setting each section 1142 for each address on the map, the sections 1142 may be divided along the piping of a water pipe or the sections 1142 may be set along the wiring route of the distribution power line. There may be multiple definition methods such as dividing. Therefore, in the field of social infrastructure, it is desirable to define a method for dividing sections 1142 independently for each purpose of use, based on some standard information such as map information.

On the other hand, in the consumer field, the section 1142 may be defined automatically according to the user's definition, such as ``room allocation within a single house''. For example, a user can take a picture of the inside of their home with a video camera (or smartphone, tablet, or mobile phone with a built-in camera) equipped with a GPS (Global Positioning System) function, and automatically analyze the captured video as shown in Figure 24. This section 1142 can be automatically defined. In the above example, the user specifies how to define section 1142. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and for example, "section 1142 division is defined by room allocation" may be set in advance as a default. By setting the default like this, Step
This has the effect of reducing the burden on the user at step 101. Alternatively, after the section is automatically divided according to the default section division method, the user may partially modify the section division method using the user I/F unit 1234 in the system controller α_1126 in FIG. 8A. Alternatively, the center position information of each room may be input using the GPS function, and the input results may be analyzed to automatically define the sections. In this embodiment, sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-
Physical spatial position information of m may also be obtained. For example, in the method described above, some kind of user intervention is required to define this section. However, the physical spatial position information of sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m may be obtained without any user intervention. As an example of a specific method, a robot cleaner equipped with a camera and a GPS function may be used to sweep across rooms (section 1142) in a predetermined house while measuring the room layout and the location information of each room. Using this method has the effect that the physical spatial position information of sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m can be obtained very easily without placing any burden on the user.

In addition, as another application example of this embodiment, it is possible to define various units 1290 (composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470 and equipment 125) without performing section definition (Step 101) first.
Section definition may be automatically performed using the information obtained from 0). In other words, various composite modules 1460, 1470 and various devices 12 arranged in system α_1132
At least a portion of 50 is actuated first and division of section 1142 occurs after actuation. As a result, the user is not aware of the section definition (Step 101) within the same system, which has the effect of reducing the psychological burden on the user. The specific details of the above method will be explained below. As described later, initial settings (Step 102) and automatic tracking of movement position (Step 102)
p103) allows the system controller α_1126 to grasp the arrangement information of the various composite modules 1460, 1470 and the various devices 1250 in real time. Also, as explained in Section 4.1 using FIG. 25(a), when the user acts and the state in section 2_1142-2 changes, synchronization is performed from the composite modules 1460, 1470 and equipment 1250 placed therein. state change related information can be obtained. Therefore, by checking the synchronicity with respect to changes in information (sense information, state setting control information, etc.) obtained from the units 1290 (composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470 and equipment 1250) arranged in the system α_1132, various composite modules The relationship between the locations of 1460, 1470 and various devices 1250 can be predicted. By repeating this synchronicity detection multiple times over time, the units 1290 (composite modules 1295, 1460, 14
70 and equipment 1250) can be estimated/judged. and system controller α_
1126 enters the estimation/judgment result in the section information column in the address table of FIG.

Next, various units 1290 (composite module 129
5, 1460, 1470 and the device 1250) will be explained. In the internal structure of the sensor/communication module 1460 in FIG. 5, a near-field communication module 1560 is compatible with near-field wireless, such as TransferJet, a near field wireless transfer technology, and FeliCa (a coined word combining Felicity and Card), a contactless IC card standard. may be built-in. Further, although not shown, a similar near-field communication module 1560 may be built into the drive/communication module 1670 and the device 1250. The system α_ when the composite modules 1460, 1470 or the device 1250 in one example of the system of this embodiment is newly installed
At the time of initial setting in the near-field communication module 1560, a portable external device (not shown) having a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) function may be brought close to communicate with the near-field communication module 1560. By the way, this portable external device is connected to the same system network line 1782 (2.1 using FIG.
It also has a built-in communication module 1202 that can communicate information with the system controller α_1126 via the system controller α_1126. During this initial setting, the system controller α_1126 inputs the IP address information IPADRS (for details, refer to the explanation in Section 2.4 using FIG. 13) of the new composite module 1460, 1470 or device 1250 (targeted for initial setting). Automatically register. Also, during this near-field communication, the system controller α_1
126 to a new composite module 1460, 1470 or equipment 1250 (1)
This newly registered IP address information IPADRS, (2) System controller α_11
26 side IP address information IPADRS, (3) PAN-specific identification information PANID of the location where the current portable external device is located (see explanation in section 2.3 using Figure 12A), (4) system controller α_1126 PAN-specific identification information P corresponding to the location where it is installed
ANID, (5) IEEE extended address E owned by system controller α_1126
Sends each piece of XADRS information. Then, using this near-field communication, the new composite module 1460, 1470 or device 1250 (targeted for initial settings) sends (6) information about the IEEE extended address EXADRS that it owns to the system controller α_1126. . In this way, by exchanging information between the two using means such as near-field communication at the stage of initial setting (Step 102), preparations for information communication using the same system network line 1782 are completed. Here, a method using the above-mentioned near-field communication has been described as an example of a method for exchanging information at the time of initial setting. However, the system of this embodiment is not limited to this, and information exchange at the time of initial setting may be performed by other means. Alternatively, as will be described later as another initial setting method, formal address exchange may be performed by first performing temporary communication on the same system network line 1782 using a temporary address. Therefore, instead of performing such near-field communication, the aforementioned portable external device with GPS function may simply be brought close. At this time, the system controller α_1126 automatically recognizes the GPS position information obtained from the portable external device as location information of the corresponding unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250). On the other hand, this system controller α_1126 compares the above GPS information with the GPS range information for each section 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m obtained in advance in the section definition in Step 101. Based on the comparison result, the newly placed unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250) is assigned to which section 1_11.
42-1 to m_1142-m is automatically estimated/determined, and the result is registered in the corresponding location in the address table of FIG. Also, the result is shown in Figure 8A by user I.
/F section 1234 displays the information to notify the user, and allows the user to confirm whether the information is correct or not, and to make corrections and registrations as necessary.

In the above embodiment, a user operation is required for initial setting (Step 102) of the unit 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite module 1295). However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and initial settings (Step 102) may be performed automatically. An example of its specific implementation will be explained. In the present embodiment, the user uses the unit 1290 (composite modules 1295, 146) midway.
0, 1470 and the device 1250), automatic tracking of the unit 1290 (composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470 and the device 1250) is possible as in Step 103. Here, the method described later in Section 4.4 is used for this automatic tracking.
Accordingly, during initialization, using the automatic tracking techniques described above, system controller α_1126 monitors the location of the unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or equipment 1250) to be initialized. Then, the resulting placement location information is compared with the GPS range information for each section 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m, and the unit 1290 (complex module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device
50) is automatically estimated/determined and registered in the corresponding section in the address table of FIG. 23.

In addition, the unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470
or when the device 1250) initially performs provisional communication on the network line 1782 within the same system, α) on the sending side in FIG.
AN-specific identification information SPANID, β) PAN-specific identification information DPANI on the receiving side
D, γ) IEEE extended address DEXADRS on the receiving side, and (2
．． Section 4) δ) Sending side IP address information SIPADRS, ε) Receiving side IP address information D
Each information storage area of IPADRS may be left blank or a predetermined default value may be stored in Z-format (see Section 2.1). In this way, when the initial provisional communication is received from the unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250) to be initialized, the system control α_1126 uses this default value (or blank state) to Information communication to the unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250) to be set can be started.
Next, among the communication information sent from the system control α_1126, the aforementioned α) PAN-specific identification information SPANID on the initial setting target side and δ) IP address information SIPADRS on the initial setting target side are communication middleware data. It may be stored and transmitted in the APLDT storage area (see explanation in Section 2.2 using FIG. 11). Even in this case, it is known that the unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250) to be initialized is located in the system α_1132, so there is a risk that it will be initialized in another domain 1122 by mistake. There is no gender. Since the above method does not involve the user during the initial setting, it has the advantage that the initial setting operation can be performed automatically without placing any burden on the user.

As explained above, a major feature of this embodiment is that "the position of the initial setting object is detected at the time of initial setting". This allows you to confirm that the system controller α_1126 is placed within the corresponding system α_1132 and its associated domain 2_1122-2. This has the advantage that there is no risk of initial settings (registration). Furthermore, since the initial setting method does not require any manual effort from the user, it not only reduces the user's mental burden, but also improves the reliability of the initial setting process by preventing human errors. Furthermore, this embodiment has the following feature in that ``the section belonging state of the initial setting object is also defined at the time of initial setting''. As a result, even immediately after the initial settings, it is possible to provide services in section units using the initial settings object.

By the way, here is the newly purchased unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1
470 or the device 1250) can be used within the domain 2_1122-2 is defined as "initial setting", and may also be particularly called "check-in". On the other hand, after initialization, the unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250) once leaves domain 2_1142-2, re-enters the same domain 2_1142-2, and enters system α_1132 or system β_1134. The process of restoring the network to a state where network communication is possible may be defined as a "plug-in."

Units 1290 (composite modules 1295, 1460,
1470 or device 1250) has previously set "δ) Plug-in side IP address information SIPADRS" and "ε) Partner system regarding either system controller α_1126 or β_1128 belonging to the same domain 2_1122-2. The IP address information DIPADRS set in the controller is known. Therefore, Figure 10
As explained in Section 2.1 using A, as long as Internet Protocol version 6 layer IPv6 is used for network communication, the unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250) targeted by this plug-in In principle, network communication is possible no matter where you are in the world.

Therefore, in the system of this embodiment, the plug-in target unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250) is placed within the physical area defined by either system α_1132 or β_1134 belonging to the same domain 2_1122-2. Automatic plug-in processing may be performed depending on whether the plug-in is installed or not. Specifically, system α_
1132 and β_1134 check the placement location of the unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250) targeted by the plug-in using the same method as the initial setting described above. In other words, the system controllers α_1132 and β_1134 always use the network line 1782 within the same system (see explanation in Section 2.1 using FIGS. 10A and 16).
A unit 129 that monitors the information communication status and is registered in the address table of FIG.
0 (equipment 1250 (sensor module 1260 and drive module 1270 therein) and composite modules 1295, 1460, and 1470). The unit 1290 (equipment 1250 (
sensor module 1260 and drive module 1270) and composite module 1295,
1460, 1470), the content of the sender's IP address information SIPADRS is checked. And this sending side IP address information SIPADRS
If the content is information used in the past in systems α_1132 and β_1134, plug-in processing is started. If the information is other than that, initialization processing is started. In other words, system controllers α_1126 and β_1128 control units 1290 (equipment 1250 (sensor module 1260 and drive module 12 in systems α_1132 and β_1134).
70) and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) are always managed. And the plug-in target units 1290 (composite modules 1295, 1460, 14
70 or device 1250) entering the physical area defined by either system α_1132 or β_1134 belonging to the same domain 2_1122-2, and automatically performs plug-in processing. During this plug-in process, the user I/F unit 1234 may be used to confirm with the user whether or not the plug-in is possible. Then, at the final stage of plug-in processing, the unit 1290 (composite modules 1295, 1460, 147
0 or device 1250) in the address table of FIG. 23.
In this way, the system controllers α_1126 and β_1128 automatically start plug-in processing according to the position of the plug-in object, so there is no need for any manual work by the user. This has the effect that "plug-in" processing can be executed very easily without placing any burden on the user.

When the plug-in processing described above is viewed from the viewpoint of the system α_1126 (client system) described in Chapter 1, the following characteristics can be shown. That is, the client system (system α_1126) in the system of this embodiment includes a unit 1290 that has a function of acquiring or creating information and communicating, and a system controller α_1126 that acquires and manages the information from the unit, and the system controller α_112.
6 connects each of the plurality of units 1290 to sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m.
Sections 1_1142-1 to m_1 to which each unit 1290 belongs
142-m (address table in FIG. 23), and also holds information regarding the units (FIG. 21D), and information regarding sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m to which each unit 1290 belongs. When registering a new unit different from the unit 1290 already registered in the address table of FIG. (2) Confirm that the new unit is not registered in the above information (address table in Figure 23), (3) Check the above information (address table in Figure 23). The new unit is registered in the address table of FIG. The new unit is characterized in that information regarding the section to which the new unit belongs is added to the address table (address table) of the new unit.

In particular, the above address table includes information regarding the first section of the plurality of units 1290 (i.e., information of the units 1290 belonging to the first section) and information regarding the second section (i.e., the information of the units 1290 belonging to the second section).
The feature is that it includes 90 pieces of information).

Furthermore, regarding the above address table, the following feature also exists in that the information is recorded as time series information.
As the features have been clarified above, this embodiment has a particularly significant feature in that it is possible to "detect the position of an object and plug in". Furthermore, it has the following feature in that ``the section belonging state of the object is also defined at the time of plug-in''. The effects of these features match the effects of the initial settings described above.

Further, whether or not plug-in processing corresponding to this embodiment has been performed is determined by the address table (stored in the memory section 1232 in the system controller α_1126 shown in FIG. 2) managed by the system controller α_1126 (see FIG. 23). ) can be easily determined by deciphering the changes in the written content.

Another confirmation method is to check the unit 1290 (composite module 12
95, 1460, 1470 or the device 1250) from outside to inside the system α_1132, changes in the contents of the communication information transmitted from the newly registered unit 1290 may be examined. That is, for example, at the beginning, the unit 1290 (composite module 129
5, 1460, 1470 or device 1250) in another domain 1_1122-1. Then, the receiving side IP address information DIPADRS (FIG. 13(b)/2.
Section 4) is the receiving side IP address information DIPADRS corresponding to the above system α_1132.
A different address is stored. Similarly, media access layer MAC02, MAC
The receiving side address set in 06 (FIG. 10A & FIG. 16 & FIG. 11/Section 2.2) also stores information different from that of system α_1132. After that, this new registration target unit 12
90 (composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250) into the system α_1132, and confirm the corresponding address after the plug-in processing is completed. After the plug-in process is completed, the newly registered unit 1290 (composite module 12
95, 1460, 1470 or device 1250)).
P address information DIPADRS matches system α_1132 (or system controller β_1128 in the system of FIG. 9). Also, media access layer MAC02
, the receiver address configured in MAC06 (e.g., Figure 12A(e) related to Section 2.3)
The PAN-specific identification information DPANID on the receiving side and the IEEE extended address DEXADRS on the receiving side) also match the system α_1132 (or system controller β_1128 in the system of FIG. 9).

For reference, changes in the address information in the communication information during the plug-in process will be explained below. First, we will begin with a description of what happens immediately after the location of the newly registered unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250), which was previously connected to the network in another domain 1_1122-1, is moved. If this new registration target unit 1290 is the device 1250-1, there is a GPS in the new registration target unit 1290.
Since the function is installed, the device 1250 itself can recognize the movement of the placement location. And once (
(Before this plug-in process) If you have experience of being placed in this system α_1132, the IP address information IPADRS of the system controller α and the media access layer MAC02, The address set within MAC06 is saved. Therefore, the compatible device 1250-1 uses this information to communicate information to the system controller α. From now on, the sending IP address shown in Figure 13(b) will be used.
When address information SIPADRS and receiving side IP address information DIPADRS are collectively referred to, they are simply expressed as IP address information IPADRS. Similarly, when the IEEE extended address DEXADRS on the receiving side and the IEEE extended address SEXADRS on the transmitting side shown in FIG. 12A(e) are collectively called, they are written as IEEE extended address EXADRS.

On the other hand, if the compatible device 1250-1 has not been placed in this system α_1132 before, the information in the media access layer MAC02 and MAC06, such as the sending side IP address information SIPADRS and the IEEE extended address SEXADRS on the sending side, Either leave the set address area blank or store predetermined dummy information so that the system
_1132 and prompts the system controller α_ to perform initial setting processing (Step 102 in FIG. 22).

However, the above newly registered unit 1290 is the composite module 1295, 1460, 14.
70 basically does not have a GPS function. Therefore, in this case, the newly registered unit 1290 (composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) does not know that the location has been moved. Therefore, this newly registered unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1
460, 1470) transmits the same communication information within the system α_1132 as when it was located in another domain 1_1122-1 even after the location is moved.

System controller α_1126 (or β_1128) always
The communication information within 132 is monitored. Therefore, network line 17 within the same system
Unexpected IP address information IPADRS and IEEE extended address EXADRS are set in the media access layer MAC02 and MAC06 in the physical layer frame PPDU (Fig. 11(f)) communicated on 82 (Fig. 10A, Fig. 16). When it is discovered that address information is stored, the location of the source of the corresponding physical layer frame PPDU is confirmed using the method described later in Section 4.4 (and FIGS. 31 to 34). Then, the location of the target transmission source (S in Figure 22)
If it is within the area of step α_1126 (based on the section definition result of step 101), initial setting processing (Step 102) or plug-in processing is started.

Both the initial settings and plug-in processing are performed on the media access layer MAC02, MA
Using the sending side address (such as the IEEE extended address SEXADRS on the sending side) set in C06 and stored in the above physical layer frame PPDU, the system controller α_1126 (or β_1128) sends a new registration target unit 1290 (composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470). By receiving this information, the new registration target unit 1290 (composite module 1295,
1460, 1470) know the IP address IPADRS of the system controller α_1126 (or β_1128) and the addresses in the media access layers MAC02 and MAC06 (and the IP address IPADRS set on the receiving side at the time of initial setting).

As the next step, the unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250-1) to be newly registered (initial setting/plugin target) uses the above received information to use the system controller α_1126 (or β_1128
). As a result, the unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250-1) to be initialized/plugged in can confirm that correct address information has been acquired. Then, the system controller α_1126 (or β_1128) is the unit 1290 (target for new registration/initial settings/plug-in).
After checking the contents of the communication information sent from the composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or the device 1250-1) and confirming that the initial settings or plug-in processing have been performed correctly, the address table shown in FIG. Perform formal registration processing.

In this embodiment, as explained in Section 1.8 using FIG. 8B, the sensor/communication module 1
A composite module 1295 such as 460-5 can exist alone. Alternatively, it may exist in the form of being inserted or mixed into a specific product or part. Therefore, the user can carry this composite module 1295 and move around. Therefore, the specific composite module 12 carried by the user
95, 1460, 1470 (or equipment 1250) also have different section 1 after initial configuration.
It is possible to move between 142 and 142. That is, a composite module 1295, 1460 that can be moved with the user, existing alone or inserted or mixed in a product or part.
, 1470 (or device 1250), the movement position is automatically tracked as shown in Step 103 of FIG. 22, and the section to which the current location belongs after movement can be repeatedly determined as shown in Step 104 of FIG. 22. . Based on the latest placement information, the composite modules 1460, 1470 and equipment 1 for each section 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m
Collect sense information and status information from 250 and provide services to users (Step 105)
), the accuracy of grasping the status of each section 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m is improved, which has the effect of improving user satisfaction.

Next, a detailed explanation will be given regarding the automatic tracking method of the moving position of the unit 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) described in Step 103 of FIG. 22. In this step 103, as described later in Section 4.4, a technique for detecting the location of the source of the radio waves transmitted from the target unit 1290 (device 1250 or composite module 1295, 1460, 1470) may be used. . That is, when wireless is used as the physical medium (communication medium) of the network line 1782 (FIG. 10A or FIG. 16) within the system α_1132, the unit 1290 (device 1250 or composite module
295, 1460, 1470) to send wireless radio waves to the system controller α_112.
Information communication to 6 is performed. Then, the communication information is analyzed within the system controller α_1126 (for example, as described later, the sending side IP address information in FIG. 13(b) and the IEEE extended address SEXADRS on the sending side are extracted and the address table in FIG. 23 is referred to) This makes it possible to determine in real time which unit 1290 (device 1250 or composite module 1295, 1460, 1470) in the system α_1132 is transmitting radio waves for each physical layer frame PPDU (FIG. 11). At the same time, by using the radio wave transmission source location detection technology described later in Section 4.4, it is possible to obtain the physical location information of the radio wave transmission source in real time for each physical layer frame PPDU. In this way, by comparing the two pieces of information for each physical layer frame PPDU, the physical position information for each unit 1290 (each device 1250 or composite module 1295, 1460, 1470) is determined.

In this way, each time the system controller α_1126 receives the above-mentioned physical layer frame PPDU, the system controller α_1126 (in the same manner as the initialization described above)
The section 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m to which the composite module 1295, 1460, 1470) belongs (arranged therein) is determined. The discrimination results and Figure 23
Compare the contents of the address table with the contents of the address table. If there is no difference in the comparison results, it is assumed that ``the corresponding device 1250 and the composite modules 1460 and 1470 have not moved beyond the section 1142,'' and the address table is not rewritten. On the other hand, if a difference is found in the comparison results, the specific device 1250 or the specific composite module 146
0, 1470 may have moved beyond section 1142, the address table may be rewritten, and the process may proceed to the next step 104. In this way, in this embodiment, "
A major feature is that it owns information related to section 1142 (address table, etc.). In the movement position automatic tracking step (Step 103) of the unit 1290 (equipment or composite module), the presence or absence of movement beyond the section 1142 is determined using the information related to the section 1142. And in Step 103, unit 1290
Because the placement location management for each (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) is performed in each section 1142, for example, if the unit 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) moves slightly within the same section 1142. Even if
It is assumed that there has been no movement beyond section 1142, and predetermined processing such as rewriting the address table is not performed. This has the effect of efficiently collecting information and providing services to users. In order to explain this effect, a comparison will be made with a method of giving feedback sequentially to slight movements of the unit 1290 (equipment or composite module). For example, when a user wears a particular portable composite module, there are frequent opportunities for the user to move within the same section 1142. If feedback processing (such as updating the address table or transitioning to the next Step 104) is performed every time the user moves slightly, the processing within the system controller α_1126 becomes extremely complicated. On the other hand, in Section 4.1, Figure 25(a)
As described above, even if the unit 1290 (device or composite module) moves slightly within the same section 1142, the content of the obtained sensor information often does not change.
Further, as explained in FIG. 25(b), services are often provided to users in units of sections 1142. Therefore, even if feedback is provided every time the user moves slightly,
The efficiency of improving the quality of service provided to users is not very high.

As a result of automatic tracking of the moving position of the unit 1290 (equipment or composite module) in Step 103 in FIG.
0 or composite module 1295, 1460, 1470) occurs, proceed to the next step.
Proceed to step 104. Therefore, if there is no movement beyond section 1142, this Step
You may skip step 104 and proceed to step 105. By the way, the specific "processing to determine the section to which the existing position of the unit 1290 (equipment or composite module) whose location has been moved" in Step 104 refers to the address table correction processing and the system controller α_
This means the recombination processing of the units 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) arranged in each section 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m, which is performed in the unit 1126.

Here, when modifying this address table, only changes within a predetermined frame (inside a cell) are made, and rearrangement in units of vertical columns is not performed. and section 1_1142-1~m_1142-m
In order to improve the efficiency of state management and sensor information collection on a per-unit basis, system controller α_11
The above address table is copied to the temporary storage area in the processor 1230 of 26, and the unit 1290 (equipment 125
0 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) (rearrangement in vertical column units).

Further, in Step 105 in FIG. 22, "collection of sensor/state information from the target unit 1290 (device or composite module) or provision of service to the user" is performed for each section 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m. The specific contents are shown in Figures 26A to 3.
0 and utilize the method described in Section 4.2.

Thereafter, automatic tracking of the moving position of the unit 1290 (equipment or composite module) (St.
ep103) and repeat the above series of processes.
However, in the system of this embodiment, "plug-out" processing may be automatically performed for a specific unit 1290 (equipment 1250 or composite module 1295, 1460, 1470) using automatic tracking of the moving position. In other words, each section 1_1 defined in Step 101
142-1 to m_1142-m. Unit 1290 (equipment 12
50 or composite module 1295, 1460, 1470) is found, it is assumed that the corresponding network communication system α_1132 is not managed, and the corresponding item (the entire corresponding vertical column) is temporarily deleted from the address table. Delete target. However, in order to flexibly respond to future "re-plugin" processing, unit 1290 (equipment 1250) has been temporarily deleted.
or composite module 1295, 1460, 1470) IP address IPADRS and I
Information on the EEE extended address EXADRS is recorded in the memory unit 1232 (inside the system controller α_1126 in FIG. 8A). Immediately before performing the "plug-out" process, it may be displayed on the user I/F unit 1234 (in the system controller α_1126 in FIG. 8A) to inquire of the user whether or not the plug-out is possible.

The characteristics of the above plug-out process will be explained from the perspective of the system α_1132 (client system) as follows. That is, the client system that is the system of this embodiment includes a unit 1290 that has a function of acquiring or creating information and communicating, and a system controller α_1126 that acquires and manages the information from the unit 1290, and the system controller α_1126 has a plurality of units. It manages the units 1290 by dividing them into sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m, and holds information regarding the section to which each unit belongs (address table in FIG. 23), as well as information regarding the unit (FIG. 21D). do. Further, if the information from the unit cannot be reacquired, the system controller α_1126 temporarily removes the information (address table in FIG. 23) regarding the section to which each unit belongs from being managed.

On the other hand, in the re-plug-in process described above, if the information from the unit can be re-acquired in addition to the above as a further feature of the client system, the system controller α_1126 receives the information regarding the section to which each unit belongs. (address table in FIG. 23).

Regarding the above plug-out process, information regarding the first section of the plurality of units 1290 (i.e., information of the units 1290 belonging to the first section) and information regarding the second section (i.e., the information of the second section) regarding the plurality of units 1290 is used as an address table. The feature is that it includes (information on the unit 1290 belonging to the section).

Furthermore, the following feature also exists in that the information is recorded as time series information in the address table in relation to the above plug-out processing.
Now, check the communication history from the system controller α_1126 (or β_1128) after moving the unit 1290 (composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470 or equipment 1250) previously placed in the system α_1132 out of the system α_1132. This will tell you whether or not this "plug-out" process can be executed. That is, when a "plug-out" process is performed, unit 1290 (composite modules 1295, 1460, 14
70 or equipment 1250) out of system α_1132, this unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or equipment 1250)
There is no information communication from the system controller α_1126 (or β_1128) to the communication history.

In other words, the system controller α_1126 (or β_1128), which manages, operates, and controls the network communication system α_1132, identifies the source of communication information on the network line 1782 within the same system in units of physical layer frames PPDU as shown in FIG. 11(f). The placement position is monitored. Then, the physical layer frame PPDU is sent from outside the system α_1132.
is sent, the corresponding unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 125) is sent from the address table in FIG.
0) to complete the plug-out process. Once the plug-out process is completed, the system controller α_1126 (or β_1128)
There is no information communication from the corresponding unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250).

On the other hand, due to timing issues, a specific unit 1290 (
The system controller α_1126 (or β_1128) may not be aware of the fact that the composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or the device 1250) has been moved. In this case, from the system controller α_1126 (or β_1128) to the corresponding unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1
250) Communicate information to the addressee. However, in this case, the system controller α_1126 (
Or β_1128) is not answered. If no reply is received, information communication is performed again, and if no reply is received twice in a row, the relevant location in the address table of FIG. 23 is deleted and the plug-out process is completed. By the way, during the plug-out processing described above, an inquiry may be made to the user via the user I/F unit 1234 (FIGS. 8A & 8B) in the system controller α_1126.

However, outside of the system α_1126, a specific unit 1290 (composite module 1295,
If the time required between moving the device (1460, 1470 or device 1250) and completing the plug-out is too long, system α_1132 and user behavior/
Request estimation/judgment accuracy decreases. Here, as a delay time until the service is provided in response to a state change, a typical user can tolerate a delay of up to 5 or 10 minutes. Also, if you are a patient user, you can tolerate a delay of about 15 minutes. However, if the delay exceeds an hour, most users become dissatisfied. Therefore, in the system of this embodiment, a specific unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250) is provided outside the system α_1126.
The time required from moving the device to completing plug-out is 15 minutes or less, preferably 5 minutes or less. Also, for the above reasons, the duration should be one hour or less in the worst case.

A major feature is that ``the unit 1290 (composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 or device 1250) that has gone outside the physical range of the system α_1132 is plugged out''. In this way, the unit 1290 (composite module 1
295, 1460, 1470 or the device 1250), it is possible to easily operate the plug-in while maintaining high reliability without placing any burden on the user. In other words, the physical communication medium of the network line 1782 (FIG. 16) within the same system
When wireless is used for ation media), there is a risk that the personal information protection function will be degraded due to accidental crosstalk with a network communication line in another adjacent domain 1122. In order to avoid the above-mentioned risks, the user is required to perform complicated initial setting processing and plug-in/plug-out processing. On the other hand, if the initial setting process and plug-in/plug-out process can be performed without burdening the user by using the automatically detected placement position information as described above,
Another benefit is that it prevents crosstalk with other adjacent network communication lines, ensuring security and ensuring the protection of personal information.

By the way, until now the system controller α_1126 was placed in the system α_1132.
However, the series of processing shown in FIG. 22 was explained. However, the system controller β_1128 and the server n_1116-, which are placed outside due to the spatial arrangement of this system α_1132, can be used without limitation, for example, by using the configuration in which FIGS. 8A to 8B described in Section 1.8 are mixed.
n may perform the operation shown in FIG. Section 4.3 Processing method from information collection to service provision for each section In this section 4.3, we will explain the specific processing content from “collection of sensor/status information to provision of service to users” related to Step 105 in Figure 22. Explain. In particular, the characteristics described in Section 4.3 of this book from the perspective of system α_1132 (client system) are as follows. That is, the client system that is the system of this embodiment includes a unit 1290 that has a function of acquiring or creating information and communicating, and a system controller α_1126 that acquires and manages the information from the unit, and the system controller α_1126 has a plurality of units. Section 1_1142-1 to m_114 every 1290
2-m, and holds information regarding the section to which each unit belongs (address table in FIG. 23). Further, state change information from one unit 1290 is communicated to the system controller α_1126, and the other units 1290 in the same section 1142 are controlled based on the state change information. Furthermore, another feature of the system controller α_1126 is that other units within the same section are controlled using state changes from one unit 1290 at predetermined time intervals.

Furthermore, when looking at the above characteristics from the relationship with the server n_1116-n (cloud) shown in FIG. 1, the system controller α_112 acts as a server client system.
6 is connected to an external cloud (server n_1116-n), and the system controller α_1126 not only communicates state changes from one unit 1290 to the system controller α_1126 but also sends them to the cloud (server n_1116-n). Send. The other units 1290 in the same section are controlled based on information from the cloud (server n_1116-n).

In other words, a major feature of the content explained in Section 4.3 is that ``services are provided based on multiple pieces of collected information.'' For example, if only a single piece of information is collected, the accuracy of estimating/determining the current state or the user's actions and requests decreases, making it difficult to provide services that satisfy the user. However, as explained here, "using multiple pieces of information" improves the accuracy of estimation/judgment, which has the effect of improving user satisfaction with the provided services.

On the other hand, ``when providing a service, multiple state change control (change of setting state)
There is also a big feature in "implementing". By controlling multiple state changes (changes in setting conditions) within the same system α_1132 as a form of service provision that responds to user actions and requests, it is possible to provide users with detailed state changes, which increases user satisfaction. The effect of improving is created.

FIG. 26A shows a processing process within the system controller α_1126 from collecting various information from the system α_1132 to providing services. Here, the process of FIG. 26A is based on the embodiment system shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 8A/B. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the system controller β placed outside the system α_1132 as shown in FIG.
_1128 may collect information/provide services. In this case, it is necessary to change the system controller α_1126 in the explanation below to the system controller β_1128.

First, upon receiving a service execution request (Step 110) from server n_1116-n or system controller β_1128, system controller α_1126 starts collecting information from within system α_1132 (Step 111). Here, the information to be collected is not limited to sensor information from the sensor/communication module 1460, but also from the device 1250.
This includes sensor information from various sensor modules 1260 within the device, current setting state information within the drive/communication module 1470, and current setting state information for the device 1250 (mainly the drive module 1270 within). Furthermore, as shown in Step 112, the system controller α_1126 is connected to the server n_1116-n or the system controller β_
Information may also be collected from 1128. When a series of information collection is completed in this way, all the collected information is integrated and organized in the system controller α_1126, and necessary information is stored in the internal memory unit 1232 (Step 113).

The next step is to estimate the state within the same system α_1132 and make a decision (Ste
p114). Also, based on the estimated/judged state, the current behavior of the user is estimated and determined (Step 115). Here, the estimation/judgment of the state in Step 114 or the estimation/judgment of the user's current behavior in Step 115 includes estimating/judging the user's individual state, such as the height of the user and the color of clothes and accessories worn by the user. Judgments are also made. An example of how the estimation/judgment of the user state affects the subsequent provision of services to the user (Step 119) is the sensitivity setting of a touch pad or a capacitive button. For example, for large adults with thick fingers, stable user input is possible even if the sensitivity of the touchpad or capacitive buttons is low. On the other hand, children and women with thin fingers may not be able to handle this without increasing the sensitivity of the touchpad or capacitive buttons. Therefore, the estimation/judgment result of the user state affects the provision of services to the user. After estimating/determining the thickness of the user's fingers, the communication information described in Section 2.5 is changed to change the sensitivity setting of the touch pad or capacitive button.

Then, based on the state/judgment (Step 114) result in the system α_1132 and the user's current behavior estimation/judgment (Step 115) result, the user's future behavior prediction (Step 115) is performed.
Step 116) and user request estimation/prediction (Step 117).
Thereafter, the series of estimation/prediction results described above are displayed on the user I/F unit 1234 (FIGS. 8A and 8B), and the user is inquired and confirmed (Step 118). If the above series of estimation/prediction results are incorrect, the estimation/prediction of the state within the system α_1132 is started again in Step 114. Further, if the content of the confirmation to the user is correct, a service is provided to the user in Step 119. Then, the series of processing steps up to providing the service to this user are repeated as appropriate. Also, at the necessary timing, the server n_1116-n or the system controller β_1128 is notified of the above service provision (Step 109).

By the way, the various estimation/judgment processes executed in Steps 114 to 117 in FIG. 26A are as follows.
A feature of this embodiment is that multiple pieces of information collected in Step 111 or Step 112 are used. The use of multiple pieces of information has the effect of improving the accuracy of estimation/judgment compared to estimation/judgment using only a single piece of information. The situation will be explained in detail using FIG. 26B.

When the state changes within the system α_1132 or when the user takes an action, a situation in which one of the ○ units 1290 (equipment 1250 or composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) moves across the section 1142 or ○ unit 1290 (equipment 1250
Situations often occur in which the contents of various types of information obtained from the multifunction modules 1295, 1460, 1470) change. Therefore, if only the section 1142 that corresponds to the above is selected in the system α_1132 and the series of estimation/judgment processes described above are performed only within the corresponding section 1142, the processing efficiency within the system controller α_1126 is increased. The process of finding the section 1142 in which either of the above two situations has occurred is performed by S in FIG. 26B.
Corresponds to step120. Further, the work of extracting the unit 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) arranged in the corresponding section 1142 corresponds to Step 121. Here, in this Step 121, the address table shown in FIG. 23 is used.

Then, information is collected for a plurality of modules arranged in the same section 1142 from among the sensor module 1260, drive module 1270, sensor/communication module 1460, and drive/communication module 1470 listed in this address table. As a specific example, as shown in case 2 of FIG. 10B, the system controller α_1126 transmits a response request 1872 to each of the target modules, and obtains a response 1874 thereto.

In particular, as a method of providing services to users shown in FIG. 26B, the corresponding section 1142
The system automatically extracts states that do not conform to the estimation/determination results performed at each time, and performs a conformance process by controlling the state change or instructing a setting state change to the non-conforming portion. An example of this service provision method is shown below. For example, when ``the user turns off the lights and TV in the room he was in and tries to leave the room'', the situation where ``the air conditioner in the room where the lights were turned off remains in operation'' is automatically considered a non-compliant state. Examples of methods include "automatically controlling the operating status of the air conditioner" as a suitable process. What is particularly important here is that it is difficult to predict what the user will do in the future with a single piece of information such as ``the user turned off the TV in the room he was in.'' However, in addition to that, by collecting multiple pieces of information within the same section 1142 such as "turn off the lights in the room", the accuracy of estimation/determination is improved. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by "extracting states that do not match the estimated/determined results" as described above, there is an effect that efficient service can be provided to users.

The above examples of "turning off the TV in the room the user has been in" and "the user turning off the lights in the room" are based on the units 1290 (equipment 1250, composite modules 1295, 1460, etc.) placed in a specific section. 1470) and current status information (Step 122). After collecting multiple pieces of information within the same section 1142 (Step 122), state estimation/determination within the corresponding section (Step 123)
, estimation/judgment of user behavior (Step 125) and estimation/judgment of user request (Step 12)
Perform 7). Then, extract information that does not match each estimation/judgment result (Step 124)
, 126, 128) and inquires of the user about a state change control method (a setting state change method) for adapting the extracted nonconformity information to the estimation/judgment result (Step 129). This inquiry to the user is made by the user I/F unit 1234 in the system controller α_1126.
You may also use the display. If the user rejects the estimation/judgment using the plural pieces of collected information (Steps 123, 125, 127), the process is restarted.

When permission is obtained from the user as a result of an inquiry to the user, the drive module 1270 built into the device or the drive module 127 in the drive/communication module 1470
A command 1852 (Case 1 in FIG. 10B) is given to 0 to control the state change in the corresponding section 1142 (change of state setting) to provide a service to the user (Step 130).

In relation to Step 120 in FIG. 26B, ○ Extraction of units 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) that move across section 1142
Ya○ Unit 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite module 1295, 1460, 14
70) and whose contents have changed, the left side of the time-series information tracking table in FIG. 27/FIG. 28(b) may be used. This time-series information tracking table is the system controller α
Information that records the history of various information collected by _1126 and the history of various estimations/judgments based on it in the form of a list in chronological order along the elapsed time 2310, and is added at the appropriate time and stored in the system controller α_1126. The data is stored in the memory unit 1232 of. And Figure 27/Figure 2
In the description example of 8(b), various sensor modules 1260- in the device 1250-1 of FIG. 8A
Various sensor information obtained from 1 and 2 or the states (setting values) set in the drive module 1270-1 are all described in a form such as state A. The number of the section where this device 1250-1 is located is also listed. On the other hand, the sense information of the sensor/communication module 1460-5, which is obtained as sense information in binary values of presence and absence, is also written on the left side of this time-series information tracking table. Also listed is the section number in which this sensor/communication module 1460-5 is located, which is obtained as a result of position detection using the method described later in Section 4.4.

For example, the sensor/communication module 1460-5 has a built-in photodetection sensor module, and the user wearing the sensor/communication module 1460-5 can move from section 2_1142-2 where the light is on to section 5_1142-5 where the light is off. This will be explained using an example when moving to . In this case, when the elapsed time 2310 is "t3", this sensor/communication module 1460-5 is located in section 2_1142-2. Further, the optical information detected by this sensor/communication module 1460-5 becomes "present". When the user moves between elapsed time 2310 "t3" and "t4", the sensor/communication module 1460-5 after the move is placed in section 5_1142-5. Also, the optical information detected at this time changes to "nothing". Using the time-series information tracking table in this way, device 1
250 and the sections 1142 of the composite modules 1460 and 1470, and extraction of changes in the collected information contents can be easily performed.

However, Steps 114 to 117 in FIG. 26A and Steps 123, 125, and 127 in FIG. 26B
The estimation/judgment comparison table shown in FIGS. 27/28(a) is used for the estimation/judgment processing performed in FIG. First, a status item 232 for each section 1142, such as "in a predetermined section is in use"
Candidates for estimation/judgment results regarding 0 are set in advance as state α, state β, etc., and are sequentially written in the horizontal row direction of this estimation/judgment collation table. On the other hand, the states collected as information from the device 1250-1, such as "the air conditioner is in operation" and "the timer setting time of the air conditioner", are defined as states A, B, etc. List them in order in the column direction. Furthermore, sensor information such as sensor information detected by the sensor/communication module 1460-5 that detects "the presence or absence of light" and a state setting value representing the current state in the drive/communication module 1470-2 are also used in this estimation/communication module. Write them in order in the vertical columns of the judgment reference table. The correlation value between the two is written in the corresponding cell in this estimation/judgment collation table. For example, if there is a positive correlation between state A of "the air conditioner is active" and state α in the state item 2320 such as "the specified section is in use," As a correlation coefficient “
80" is written in the corresponding cell. Furthermore, "light is present" information in the same section 1142 obtained from the sensor/communication module 1460-5 and status items 2320 such as "the specified section is in use" are entered. Even if there is a positive correlation with the state α, "57" is written in the corresponding cell as the correlation value.On the other hand, if there is a negative correlation (inverse correlation), the correlation value is A negative value may be written in the corresponding cell as a number.

Then, during state estimation/determination in section 1142, the sum of correlation coefficients in the same column is calculated for each state α, β, . . . and is made to correspond to the value of state probability 2330. Then, it is estimated/determined that the states α, β, · with the highest total value represent the states within the corresponding section 1142. By calculating the total value of correlation coefficients in the same column in this way, it is not the only information collected,
Multiple pieces of collected information within the same section 1142 can be used. By using a plurality of pieces of collected information in this way, it is possible to not only make multifaceted estimations/judgments, but also have the effect of increasing the accuracy of estimations/judgments.

Similarly, candidates for estimation/judgment results regarding the user's action item 2440 are action α, action β, etc.
・Set in advance and write them sequentially in the horizontal row direction of this estimation/judgment collation table. Furthermore, candidates for estimation/judgment results regarding the user's request item 2360 are set in advance as request α, request β, etc.
They are written in order in the horizontal rows of this estimation/judgment collation table. Furthermore, each correlation coefficient value is entered in the corresponding cell in the same manner as above.

Furthermore, as the elapsed time 2310, each action α, β sequence and request α are displayed for each t1, t2, t3, etc.
The total value of the correlation coefficients is calculated for each column of , β, and is sequentially entered in the corresponding locations on the right side of the time-series information tracking table in FIG. 27/FIG. 28(b) as the values of the action probability 2350 and the request probability 2370.
By using the above-mentioned time-series information tracking table, it is possible to estimate/judge the state within the section 1142 and the user's actions and requests in real time. For example, an example of a service providing method using this time-series information tracking table will be explained using the example shown in FIG. 27/FIG. 28(b). For example, consider a case where the user moves from section 2_1142-2, where the lights are on, to section 5_1142-5, where the lights are off, while carrying the sensor/communication module 1460-5. In this case, the light in section 2_1142-2 remains on, so section 2
There is not much change in the value of the state probability 2330 of state α in _1142-2, which indicates that “the corresponding section is in use”. In comparison, the action probability 2350 of action α corresponding to "user movement" rapidly increases from 4% to 87% between t3 and t4. As a result, it can be estimated/determined that "the user moved between t3 and t4". In addition, “Section 5_1142-
The request probability of request α corresponding to the request “I want to turn on the light at No. 5” also increases to 4% between t3 and t4.
It has rapidly increased from 98% to 98%.

By utilizing this time-series information tracking table, it is possible to obtain the result of estimating/determining the user request shown in Step 127 of FIG. 26B, for example, "I want to turn on the lights in section 5_1142-5." However, as information that does not meet this user request, the sensor/communication module 146
From 0-5, information such as "There is no light inside section 5_1142-5" is obtained. In response to this, a service is provided to the user in Step 130. Specifically, the system controller α_1126 issues a setting state change command (command issue) 1852 to the drive/communication module 1470-2, which has the function of "turning on the light in section 5_1142-5" (see FIG. 10B). is served.

In the above, the internal state estimation/judgment of each section 1142 and the section 1142 are mainly performed.
We explained the estimation/judgment of user behavior and the estimation/judgment of user requests based on the information collected in each case. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as other embodiments, for example, estimation or judgment may be made regarding the state of the entire system α_1132, or estimation/judgment of user behavior or estimation/judgment of user requests may be made based on information collected from the entire system α_1132. You may make a judgment.

Next, the method of providing services to users described in Step 119 of FIG. 26A or Step 130 of FIG. 26B will be described using FIG. 29. First, Step 124 in FIG. 26B,
Based on the nonconformity information extraction results performed in steps 126 and 128, state change control candidates within the unit 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) in the corresponding section 1142 are extracted (Step 141). Thereafter, after making an inquiry to the user (Step 129), the setting state is sequentially changed (state change control) as shown in Steps 142 to 143.

Here, as the example mentioned above, if the lights are off in section 5_1142-5 where the user is moving, the air conditioner and television may also be in a stopped state. Therefore, Step in FIG. 26B
124, 126, and 128, the same section 5_1142-5
It is necessary to change the setting state (state change control) for multiple items. In that case, as shown in Step 142 to Step 143 in FIG. The major feature is that it performs change control). As a result, the same section 5_114
This has the effect of shortening the time it takes to set the optimal environment within 2-5.

However, when changing the setting state of multiple items sequentially or simultaneously (state change control), as shown in case 1 of FIG. 10B, the same system controller α_112
6 to multiple units 1290 (drive/communication module 1470 or equipment 1250)
Information communication corresponding to a plurality of commands (command issuance) 1852 is performed sequentially or simultaneously. However, in each physical layer frame PPDU (FIG. 11(f)) indicating communication information corresponding to a plurality of commands (command issues) 1852, the contents of the sending side IP address information SIPADRS (FIG. 13(b)) and , the sending side address information in the communication middleware layers APL02 and APL06 (for example, the contents of the PAN-specific identification information SPANID on the sending side and the IEEE extended address SEXADRS on the sending side in FIG. 12A(e)) match. Furthermore, Figure 1
In some cases, some information on the receiving side such as PAN-specific identification information DPANID on the receiving side of 2A(e) also matches.

Therefore, when changing the setting status of multiple items sequentially or simultaneously (status change control), the system controller α_1126 (or the system controller β_1128 in the system shown in FIG. It is desirable to perform information communication corresponding to the command (command issue) 1852 corresponding to the above. By collectively communicating information in this way, a plurality of different pieces of communication information can be created by the above-described copying process of the common information.
Therefore, using the above method has the effect of improving the processing efficiency of system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1128 in the system shown in FIG. 9).

It is already stated in Section 4.2 that ``A typical user can tolerate a delay of up to 5 or 10 minutes in response to a change in service.Also, a patient user can tolerate a delay of around 15 minutes.'' However, if the delay exceeds one hour, most users will be dissatisfied. Therefore, in the system of this embodiment, when services related to multiple items are performed sequentially, the services provided consecutively are The time difference between them should be 15 minutes or less, preferably 5 minutes or less, and at worst less than 1 hour. This has the effect of minimizing stress on the user.

The above description has mainly focused on providing services for each section 1142. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as another embodiment, for example, the entire system α_1132 may be provided as a service.
As already mentioned above, "While the user is carrying the sensor/communication module 1460-5, the section 2_1142-2 where the light is on is the section 5_1142- where the light is off.
I explained how to provide the service using an example. In this regard, a supplementary explanation will be given regarding a processing method when a specific unit 1290 (equipment 1250 or composite module 1295, 1460, 1470) moves across different sections 1142.

In this case, as shown in Step in FIG. 30, it is necessary to extract section information before and after the movement of the unit 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470). The time-series information tracking table shown in FIG. 27/FIG. 28(b) described above is useful for this extraction. Here, in the section column of the sensor/communication module 1460-5 in FIG. 27/FIG. 28(b), the value changes from "2" to "5" between elapsed times 2310t3 and t3. By searching for this change location, section information before and after the movement can be easily extracted. In this case, services are often provided especially for the sections before and after the move. Therefore, the system of this embodiment can be used to simultaneously or sequentially provide services to both sections 2_1122-2 and 5_1122-5 before and after a specific unit 1290 (equipment 1250 or composite module 1295, 1460, 1470) has moved. It has characteristics. In this way, system controller α_112
6 (or system controller β_1128 when compatible with the system shown in FIG. 9) can efficiently provide services to users by intensively providing services to sections 2_1122-2 and 5_1122-5 before and after movement. Here, the series of processes from Step 155 to Step 158 in FIG. 30 corresponds to the process in FIG. 26B. Furthermore, as Step 151 in FIG. 30 shows, the unit 1290 (device 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460,
70) is extracted. Then, through the same processing process, section 2_1122 before moving
-2, services are also provided to the users (Step 130). Furthermore, as already mentioned above, the setting states may be changed (state change control) for a plurality of items in the pre-movement section 2_1122-2 either sequentially or simultaneously.

Also, when providing services simultaneously or sequentially to both the front and rear sections 2_1122-2 and 5_1122-5, the system controller α_1126 (
Alternatively, it is desirable to perform information communication corresponding to the command (command issue) 1852 corresponding to the above at once, without inserting another process in the system controller β_1128) in the system shown in FIG. By collectively communicating information in this way, a plurality of different pieces of communication information can be created by the above-described copying process of the common information. Therefore, by using the above method, system controller α_1126 (or system controller β_1 in the system shown in FIG. 9)
128) has the effect of improving the processing efficiency. Section 4.4 How to track the movement of various modules and devices between sections In Section 4.4 of this book, the communication module 120 built in the device 1250
A method of detecting the position where the communication module 1660 built into the communication module 2 or the composite module is located will be explained.

However, when wireless is used as the physical communication medium used on the same system network line 1782 in FIG. 10A, the communication module 1
There are times when radio waves are emitted from 202 and 1660. A feature of the present embodiment is that this timing is used to detect the position of the communication module 1202, 1660 or a device or composite module in which they are built from the emission position of the radio wave. GPS technology is known as a conventional device position detection method. However, as long as this technology is adopted,
Only the GPS-related parts installed in the device are expensive. In comparison, the above method does not require any additional parts necessary for position detection, so it has the effect of making it possible to reduce the cost and size of the communication modules 1202 and 1660 (or the device or composite module in which they are built). Yes.

In addition to the above-mentioned GPS technology for knowing location information, a technology called a beacon is also known. GPS technology uses radio waves emitted from artificial satellites. In comparison, the beacon technology described above uses terrestrial radio waves, such as those used in a short-range wireless standard called Bluetooth. That is, a plurality of devices that transmit the above-mentioned short-range radio waves are installed at a plurality of locations on the ground, and the short-range radio waves transmitted from each device are received to calculate relative reception locations. However, this method also requires a circuit to determine the position on the receiving side, so
The circuit scale of the receiver increases, resulting in an increase in the size and price of the receiver. In contrast, in the system of this embodiment, the composite module 1295 (or unit 129
0), it is possible to reduce the cost and size of the target composite module 1295 (or unit 1290).

FIG. 31 shows the principle of position detection in this embodiment. Here, the system controller α_1126 and devices 1250-1 and 4, which receive the radio waves and detect the location of the transmission source, each have a built-in GPS function. Therefore, the installation locations of the system controller α_1126 and the devices 1250-1 and 4 are known in advance. Then, the radio wave emission position is measured using the radio wave characteristics when these system controller α_1126 and devices 1250-1 and 4 receive the radio waves.

And the receiving side involved in position detection (system controller α_1126 and equipment 1250)
-1, 4) ``Using the reception timing of radio waves (reception timing) for position detection'' has the following characteristics. In a network communication system in which there are multiple radio wave transmission sources, the transmission source is identified using the reception timing of the radio waves. Alternatively, it may be said that in a network communication system in which a plurality of radio wave transmission sources exist, the transmission source is identified using the content of communication information. For example, in the description example in FIG.
The communication module 1460-5 and the drive/communication module 1470-3 emit radio waves at different timings. Therefore, depending on the reception timing, it is possible to identify which of the sensor/communication module 1460-5 and the drive/communication module 1470-3 emitted the radio waves. By using the reception timing of radio waves for position detection in this way, multiple different positions can be detected at the same time, which has the effect of improving the efficiency of position detection. On the other hand, the position detection method in this embodiment is not limited to the above method, and a signal from a beacon (compliant with the Bluetooth Smart standard) may be used as another method.

A specific method for identifying the source of radio waves will be explained. Same system network line 178
2, information is communicated in units of blocks of physical layer frames PPDU shown in FIG. 11(f). Here, the system controller α_1126 controls or manages the system network line 1782 so that physical layer frames PPDU transmitted from a plurality of different transmission sources do not overlap at the same time.

Further, address information indicating the transmission source is stored in the one physical layer frame PPDU. As a specific example, the sender IP address information SIPA in FIG. 13(b) explained in Section 2.4
DRS can be used for source identification. In addition, the MAC layer header MACHD (Figure 1
As the information stored in 1(a), for example, the IEEE extended address SEXADRS on the sending side in FIG. 12A(e) described in Section 2.3 may be used for source identification. Therefore, in addition to measuring the radio wave characteristics at the time of reception on the radio wave receiving side, the corresponding physical layer frame P
Decipher the source address information written in the PDU. Thereby, it is possible to obtain radio wave characteristics for each radio wave transmission source.

An additional feature is that it calculates the location information of the transmitter by comparing the radio wave characteristics received at multiple locations at the same time. By using the radio wave characteristics at multiple locations in this way,
This has the effect of improving position detection accuracy. Here, there is a method that uses "radio field intensity" as the radio wave characteristics used to detect the location of the transmission source. That is, in an ideal state, the radio field strength at the receiving location is inversely proportional to the square of the distance to the transmitting source. Therefore, when comparing the received radio wave strength for each system controller α_1126 and devices 1250-1 and 4, it is found that the sensor/communication module 1460
-5 and the relative position information of the drive/communication module 1470-3 can be estimated.

Furthermore, "radio wave phase" may be used as another radio wave characteristic used to detect the location of the transmission source. In other words, the phase of the radio waves during reception differs depending on the distance between the sender and receiver, so
This phenomenon is used for position detection. And system controller α_1126 and equipment 12
By comparing the phases of radio waves received simultaneously by 50-1 and 50-4, the relative position information of sensor/communication module 1460-5 and drive/communication module 1470-3 can be estimated.

However, the present invention is not limited to the above, and the "progressing direction of radio waves" may be used as another radio wave characteristic used to detect the position of the transmission source. As a method for detecting the direction of travel of radio waves, this implementation involves ``comparing each detection signal obtained from multiple receivers with different detection sensitivities for the direction of travel of radio waves to measure the direction of travel of radio waves.'' It has morphological characteristics. Furthermore, the following feature is found in that the position is detected using trigonometry based on the traveling direction of the radio waves emitted from the transmission source obtained here. By using this embodiment, it is possible to accurately detect the location of the transmission source using very inexpensive equipment. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the radio wave characteristics used for position detection are not limited to the "progressing direction of radio waves", but may be combined with reception strength, phase at the time of reception, or other radio wave characteristics.

For example, if the system controller α_1126 and the device 1250-1 in FIG. 31 can individually detect the traveling direction of the radio waves transmitted from the sensor/communication module 1460-5,
Using trigonometry, the location of the source can be detected easily and accurately. As long as trigonometry is used here, the position can be detected as long as there are at least two receiving points for the radio waves. However, (1) the system controller α_1126 manages/operates/controls information communication on the system network line 1782; (2) the system controller α_1126 always uses the physical layer frame P
This system controller α_1126 analyzes the information in the PDU, and (3) it is more efficient if the location where the radio wave characteristics are detected and the location where the source location is calculated are physically closer. It is desirable to play one role. A general device 1250 with a built-in GPS function may be used as another radio wave receiving point, or a dedicated device for detecting the source position may be installed.

Next, the principle method for measuring the traveling direction of radio waves will be explained using FIG. 32(b). As an example, the detection sensitivity of the Pola Bora antenna 2760 used for terrestrial wave reception has direction dependence of the received radio waves. For example, the Pola Bora antenna 2760 from which the detection signal α is obtained has a reception radio wave of A
The detection sensitivity is highest when the radio waves come from directions B and C, and the detection sensitivity is low for received radio waves coming from directions B and C. In this way, the Pola Bora antenna 2760 has the characteristic that "the detection sensitivity differs depending on the direction in which the radio waves travel." On the other hand, the Pola Bora antenna 2760, which provides the detection signal β, has the highest detection sensitivity when the received radio wave comes from the direction B, and the Pola Bora antenna 2760, which provides the detection signal γ, has the highest detection sensitivity when the received radio wave comes from the direction C. High sensitivity. Therefore, received radio waves arriving from any direction are simultaneously received by three Pola Bora antennas 2760, and detection signals α,
By comparing the intensities between β and γ, it is possible in principle to predict the traveling direction of the received radio waves. This process of predicting the traveling direction of the received radio waves corresponds to the method of "measuring the traveling direction of the radio waves by comparing each detection signal obtained from a plurality of receivers."

A direction detection antenna structure with higher directional accuracy is shown in FIG. 32(a). This basic structure is
It is composed of a stealth plate 2730 having a substantially triangular or substantially quadrangular pyramid shape. An antenna 2710-1 is arranged in a cross shape on the side surface of this approximately triangular pyramid or approximately quadrangular pyramid. This antenna 2710-1 is composed of a pair of antennas orthogonal to each other. Here, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 32(a), only one pair of cross-shaped antennas 2710-1 may be arranged on one side of the stealth plate 2730. In addition, the figure 32 is not limited to this.
As shown by the broken line in (b), a plurality of sets of cross-shaped antennas 2710-1 to 2710-3 may be arranged on one side of the stealth plate 2730. Here, the antennas 2710-2 and 2710-3 shown by broken lines in FIG. 32(b) are attached to the antenna 2710-1, which is perpendicular to the cross shape, rotated by 30 degrees. Using this cross-shaped antenna 2710-1, A
) receiving the communication information on the system network line 1782; and B) detecting the location of the source.
Do both. Here, an amplifier and signal processing circuit 2720 is arranged between each of the antennas 2710-1 to 2710-3 arranged in a cross shape. Further, detection signals α, β, γ, and δ are obtained individually from each amplifier and signal processing circuit 2720. However, it is not necessary that the shapes of the stealth plates 2730 are properly triangular or quadrangular pyramids, and it is sufficient that the sides of the stealth plates 2730 face in different directions.

However, the cross-shaped antenna 2 placed on the side surface of the stealth plate 2730 in FIG. 32(a)
The detection sensitivity of 710 has reception direction dependence. Therefore, a set of cruciform antennas 2710
This corresponds to the above-mentioned "receiving unit with different detection sensitivities depending on the direction of propagation of radio waves". The comparison between the individual detection signals α, β, γ, and δ obtained from each amplifier and signal processing circuit 2720 corresponds to the above-mentioned “comparison of each detection signal”.

An enlarged view of one side of FIG. 32(a) is shown in FIG. 33(a). Cross-shaped antenna 271
The stealth plate 2730 placed on the back side of the cross-shaped antenna 2710 serves to (1) prevent radio waves from entering the cross-shaped antenna 2710 from the back side, and (2) absorb radio waves that have passed through the cross-shaped antenna 2710. By arranging the stealth plate 2730 on the back side of the "antenna 2710 that detects the traveling direction of radio waves" in this way, the effect of suppressing unnecessary radio wave reflections that reduce detection accuracy and improving the accuracy of position detection of the transmitting source is achieved. Yes. In order to exhibit this effect, the stealth plate 2730 has a two-layer structure as shown in FIG. 33(b). This layer on the back side is composed of a metal plate layer 2734 whose surface has a fine uneven structure. By arranging the metal plate layer on the back side in this manner, transmission of radio waves is strongly prevented, thereby preventing radio waves from entering the cross-shaped antenna 2710 from the back side.

However, reflection of radio waves occurs on the surface of the metal plate layer 2734. Therefore, various measures have been taken to prevent the radio waves reflected here from entering the cross-shaped antenna 2710. One of the ideas is to make the side surfaces of a substantially triangular pyramid or a substantially quadrangular pyramid curved, as shown in FIG. 33(c). By forming the curved surface in this way, the traveling direction of the incident radio waves 2800 that are incident approximately parallel to each other is changed depending on the incident position. Further, the surface of the metal plate layer 2734 is provided with a fine uneven structure to diffusely reflect the incident radio waves 2800 that are incident approximately parallel to the metal plate layer 2734.

However, the original purpose (2) of the stealth plate 2730 is not to reflect radio waves but to absorb radio waves. In order to realize this function (2), a weakly conductive organic layer 2738 having a fine uneven structure on both the front and back surfaces is arranged on top of the metal plate layer 2734 whose surface inside the stealth plate 2730 has a fine uneven structure. . The detailed structure of the weakly conductive organic layer 2738 having a fine uneven structure on both the front and back surfaces may be a structure in which metal powder is solidified with an organic layer, or it may be formed entirely of a weakly conductive organic material. In this weakly conductive organic layer 2738, an incident radio wave 2800
be absorbed. However, since the weakly conductive organic layer 2738 cannot completely absorb the incident radio wave 2800, the incident radio wave 2800 is diffusely reflected on the uneven surface. Furthermore, the diffused reflection efficiency is increased between the weakly conductive organic layer 2738, which has a fine uneven structure on both the front and back surfaces, and the metal plate layer 2734, whose surface has a fine uneven structure, and the radio waves diffusely reflected here are transferred to the weakly conductive organic layer 2738. 2738 and prevents it from reaching the cross-shaped antenna 2710.

The detailed structure of the cross-shaped antenna 2710-1 shown in FIG. 32(a) and the principle regarding the detection signal characteristics will be explained using FIG. 34. The internal structure of the above-mentioned cross-shaped antenna 2710 is shown in FIG.
4(a), there is a structure in which two antennas 2710 arranged in the horizontal direction (X direction) are connected by a resistor 2920, and a structure in which two antennas 2710 arranged in the vertical direction (Y direction) are connected. A structure connected by a resistor 2920 is combined. Incidentally, in addition to the resistor 2920, a capacitor or an inductance may be appropriately placed in the connection between the two antennas 2710 in order to improve the frequency characteristics of signal detection. The amplifier and signal processing circuit 2720 is comprised of voltage difference devices 2940-1 and 2940-2 that detect the voltage difference generated between each resistor 2920, and an adder 2960 that adds each signal obtained from each. .

For example, as shown in FIG. 32(b), when a radio wave whose polarization plane is tilted by θ with respect to the horizontal axis (X-axis) and has an electric field amplitude A passes perpendicularly to the cross-shaped antenna 2710, From voltage differentiator 2940-1
A signal of A2ei2ωtcos2θ (1) is obtained, and from the voltage differentiator 2940-2
A2ei2ωtsin2θ (2) is obtained. In equations (1) and (2), the phase term of the detection signal is expressed in complex numbers. Therefore, the output signal from the adder 2960 that adds the above signals is
A2ei2ωt (3). A major feature of this equation (3) is that the tilt angle θ of the plane of polarization does not appear. That is, it can be seen that as long as the radio waves pass perpendicularly to the cross-shaped antenna 2710, the obtained detection signal has constant characteristics independent of the tilt angle θ of the polarization plane.

Further, as shown in FIG. 34(c), the output signal from the adder 2960 when the radio wave passes through the cross-shaped antenna 2710 at an angle tilted by ξ from the vertical direction is
It is given by A2ei2ωtsin2ξ (4). Equation (4) above indicates that the output signal of the adder 2960 changes depending on the direction in which the radio waves travel with respect to the cross-shaped antenna 2710 (the angle of inclination of the cross-shaped antenna 2710 from the vertical direction). There is. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 32(a), the antennas are obtained from each cross-shaped antenna 2710 arranged on the stealth plate 2710 facing in different directions (adder 296
The traveling direction of the radio waves can be calculated by comparing the output signals α, β, γ, and δ (of 0) and applying the above equation (4).

However, when the tilt angle ξ is particularly small in FIG. 34(c), the output signal amount tends to be largely dependent on the vibration plane of the radio waves. In order to alleviate this adverse effect, a plurality of pairs of cross-shaped antennas 2710-2 and 2710-3, which have rotation angles with respect to each other, are arranged as indicated by broken lines in FIG. 32(a). Then, among the output signals obtained from the individual cross-shaped antennas 2710-1 to 2710-3, only the output signal that is significantly different from other output signals is discarded, and the average of the remaining two output signals is taken, so that the tilt angle ξ is small. Detection signal error can be reduced when

As shown in equation (3) above, if the antennas 2710 are arranged at right angles (without being affected by the plane of polarization), the traveling direction of the radio waves can be efficiently measured. However, the antennas 2710 are not limited to this (if some correction is added when calculating the traveling direction of the radio waves), and the antennas 2710 may be arranged at any angle. Furthermore, the shape of the antenna 2710 is not limited to the linear shape described above.
Other shapes such as a "leaf shape" as shown in (d) may also be used.

Note that in the method of detecting the position of the transmission source from the direction in which the radio waves travel, the detection accuracy may decrease due to reflections from walls, ceilings, etc. in the middle of the travel path of the radio waves. As a countermeasure against this, radio waves in a plurality of different frequency bands may be used for position detection. For example, as reference frequencies used for short-range wireless communication, frequency bands of 2.4 GHz, 915 MHz, 950 MHz, and 868 MHz can be used depending on the region. Therefore, for example, wireless communication using the above-mentioned different reference frequencies may be performed in parallel. However, the reflection characteristics of radio waves on walls, ceilings, etc. along their travel path vary depending on the reference frequency used. Therefore, by comparing the results of position detection using wireless communication using different reference frequencies, the accuracy of position detection of the transmission source can be improved.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, when trigonometry is used for position detection, the position of the transmission source can be detected basically by simply measuring the traveling direction of the radio waves at two locations. However, in order to prevent a decrease in position detection accuracy due to reflections during the radio waves' traveling route, the traveling direction of the radio waves may be measured at three or more reception points. In this way, the measurement results at three or more reception points are compared to improve the accuracy and reliability of position detection of the transmitter. Furthermore, instead of using only one of the above methods, a method of increasing the number of receiving points for position detection and increasing the number of reference frequencies to be used may be combined. As described above, the above-mentioned measures have the effect of improving the accuracy of detecting the location of the transmission source. Section 4.5 Compatibility between different systems of units (compound modules and devices) System α_113 in this embodiment system
2 has the characteristic that it can be applied to a wide range of network communication systems, from systems applied to the consumer field, systems applied to the health care field, to systems applied to the social infrastructure field. Furthermore, in the system of this embodiment, as explained in Section 4.2, the unit 1290
(device 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) system α_113
It has the feature that initial settings (Check-in), plug-ins, and plug-outs within 2 can be performed very easily. When the above features are combined, the system of this embodiment has ``Unit 1290''.
A new feature is created in which the device 1250 and the composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470 can be easily incorporated and used in multiple systems of different types. Furthermore, it becomes possible to use the same unit 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) across multiple different systems.

Therefore, by using the system of this embodiment, unit 1 can be applied to a very wide range of fields.
290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, and 1470) has the effect of ensuring versatility. In particular, if the composite module 1295, 1460, 1470 has versatility to a very wide range of application fields, the composite module 1295, 1460, 1 due to the mass production effect.
This makes it easier to lower the price of the 470. And even lower-priced composite modules 1295 and 1460
, 1470 can be used across multiple different systems, so the composite module 1295,
This also has the effect of greatly improving the usability of the 1460 and 1470.

Identical units 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 147
The relationship between a plurality of systems α_1132 and system β_1134, which are used across the domain 2_1122-2, may be included in the same domain 2_1122-2 as shown in FIG. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the plurality of systems α_1132 and system β_1134 may belong to separate domains 1_1122-1 and 2_1122-2, respectively.

This section 4.5 describes the initial setting (Check-in), plug-in, and plug-out method of the unit 1290 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) between multiple different systems α_1132 and system β_1134. explain.
First, the case where the functions are different between the system α_1132 and system β_1134 will be explained. In this case, system controller α_112 in system α_1132
6 and system controller β_1128 in system β_1134 are individually connected to unit 12.
90 (equipment 1250 and composite modules 1295, 1460, 1470) to identify whether the system is compatible or not. Now, the object of this system conformity/nonconformity identification is the device 125.
In the case of 0, the exchange information 1810 (see FIG. 10B) is exchanged and identified in the communication middleware layer APL06 as described in Section 2.1 using FIG. 16 or FIG. 17B. On the other hand, if the target of this system conformity/nonconformity identification is the composite module 1295, 1460, 1470, as explained in Section 2.1 using FIG. 10A, communication information in the media access layer MAC02 is used. and identify it. For example, as described in Section 2.3 using FIG. 12A(e), the IEEE extended address SEXADRS on the sending side included in the communication information sent from the composite modules 1295, 1460, and 1470 may be used. In this case, from the information of the obtained IEEE extended address SEXADRS, the server n_
1116-n to obtain the background information of the composite modules 1295, 1460, and 1470, and identify whether the system is compatible or not.

As a result of the above processing, the corresponding unit 1290 (equipment 1250 or composite module 129
5, 1460, 1470) is determined to be system compatible, the user I/F unit 1234 (
2, 9, or 8A/B) to confirm with the end user whether it is OK to incorporate it into the corresponding system.

First, if the functions of the system α_1132 and system β_1134 match, as explained in Section 4.2, the unit 1290 (equipment 1250 or composite module 129
5, 1460, 1470) is used to identify whether the system is compatible or not.

Next, the same unit 1290 (equipment 1250 or composite module 1295, 1460, 1
470) is used across multiple systems α_1132, system β_1134, etc., and how to deal with the situation will be explained. As an example of the unit 1290, the C-format may be used as the communication middleware layer APL02 used when the composite module 1295 communicates information with the system controller β_1128, as shown in FIG. 17A. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to this, and other formats may be used for information communication with the composite module 1295 as the communication middleware layer APL02. On the other hand, unit 1
As another example of 290, the communication middleware layer APL06 used when the device 1250 communicates information with the system controller β_1128 uses the A-format, the E-format, or the W-format as shown in FIG. 17B. Alternatively, the extended application layer EXL06 may be used. In this way, communication middleware layer AP
The format used in L02 and APL06 is the unit 1290 (equipment 1) used.
250 and composite modules 1295, 3583).

FIG. 36A shows an example configuration of a system controller 3581 that can communicate with various units 1290 (composite module 3583). In FIG. 36A, for ease of explanation, various processing execution units are shown in hardware form. In this way, the structure within the system controller 3581 may be composed of hardware connections. In addition, the system controller α_1126 is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. Corresponds to the processing flow to be executed.

As the unit or the composite module 3583 as an example thereof, there are a plurality of composite modules 3583 developed by different manufacturers. Furthermore, the use of different formats (standards) on the communication middleware layer APL02 is allowed for each composite module 3583. To this end, the communication middleware layer APL02 must support multiple different formats (first communication standard to nth communication standard) so that the same system controller 3581 can communicate with various composite modules. There are features that make it possible. In order to make this possible, different communication standards are identified within the communication standard recognition unit 3581c in the system controller 3581, and appropriate processing according to the communication standard is performed according to the identification result. This improves the versatility of the system controller 3581 and enables information communication with a plurality of different composite modules 3583 developed by different manufacturers.

By the way, among the various formats used in the communication middleware layers APL02 and APL06 explained in Section 2.1, ○A-format is "described in a broad text format", and ○C-format is "described in a command format". /Request/Response/Status” format ○E-
The format is ``Storing the setting code in a predefined area'' ○ The W-format is characterized by ``Entered by the sender in the specified field'' or ``Tag specific to HTML/HTML5 is written.'' Yes. Therefore, by analyzing the information written in the communication middleware layers APL02 and APL06 (information written in the communication middleware data APLDT in Figure 11) and determining which of the above characteristics corresponds to the corresponding communication standard, the corresponding communication standard is identified. can.

As the example of FIG. 17A shows, composite module 3583 is connected to access point 3584.
It is connected to the Internet 3585 via a and/or base station 3584b. Here, Figure 3
The Internet 3585 in 6A is the external network line 178 in FIG. 17A.
Corresponds to 8. Although not shown in FIG. 37A, a router (gateway) 1300 with a built-in battery shown in FIG. 17A is installed between the Internet 3585 and the Internet connection section 3581a in the system controller 3581.

However, the composite module 3583 may include a sensor module 1260 as shown in FIG. 4B (a) or (b), and a detection signal from the sensor module 1260 may be transmitted. Alternatively, identification data is stored in the self-attribute data storage area 1793 (FIG. 7B) in the communication module 1660 in the composite module 3583, and this information (or the address of the composite module 3583 itself (for example, the IP address SIPADRS, DIPAD in FIG. 13)
RS)) may be accessed from the outside via the Internet 3584 and the base station 3584b.

Furthermore, as explained in Section 1.6, the communication module 1660 having the structure of FIG. 7A or 7B is the communication module 120 in the system controller 3581 and α_1126.
2-3 (Figure 2) is also used. Therefore, the Internet connection 3581 in FIG. 36A
a corresponds to the information communication execution unit 3016 in FIG. 7A. Similarly, the protocol recognition unit 3581b in FIG. 36A corresponds to the physical layer frame analysis unit 1918 in FIG. 7A, and the data detection unit 3581d in FIG. 36A corresponds to the content extraction unit 1938 in FIG. 7A. Further, the Internet compatible data output unit 3581g in FIG. 36A corresponds to the physical layer frame generation unit 1914 in FIG. 7A. Furthermore, the communication standard recognition unit 3581c and communication standard compatible format setting unit 3581f in FIG. 36A both correspond to the combination unit of the signal processing unit 1780 and processor 1736 in FIG. 7B. However, the processing performed within the data processing unit 3581e in FIG. 36A is executed within the processor 1230 in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 17A, the composite modules 3583 and 1295
It can be connected to the system controller 3581 (system controller β_1128) via 85. The communication information used at this time has the structure shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 13, sending side IP address information SIPADRS and receiving side IP address information DIPADRS are stored therein.

The received signal received by the Internet connection unit 3581a is sent to the protocol recognition unit 3581.
b. In the protocol recognition unit 3581b, the IPv6 header IPv6 in FIG.
HD and communication middleware data APLDT (and extension data EXDT) are extracted individually. After that, the extracted communication middleware data APLDT (and extension data EXD)
T) is analyzed within the communication standard recognition unit 3581c. The communication standard recognition unit 3581c then
It is equipped with data processing routines for analyzing formats of various communication standards in advance. Therefore, the communication standard recognition unit 3581c easily determines whether the composite module adopts the A/E/W-format (FIG. 17B) or the C-format (FIG. 17A). can do. After the corresponding communication standard is recognized, the content (for example, sensor detection data) extracted by the data detection unit 3581d is input to the data processing unit 3581e.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, after automatically determining the communication standard to which the communication middleware data APLDT (and extended data EXDT) in the received communication information conforms, the communication middleware data APLDT (and extended data EXDT) and transmits a response to the transmission destination unit 1290, which has the following characteristics. Specifically, the communication standard (communication middleware layer APL) identified in the communication standard recognition unit 3581c described above
02, APL06 format), the communication standard compatible format setting unit 3
Communication middleware data APLDT (and extension data EXDT) is generated within 581f. As a result, the system controller 3581 can stably communicate information with a plurality of different units 1290 (or composite modules 1295) developed by different manufacturers.

That is, as described above, within the communication standard recognition section 3581c, the corresponding unit 1290 (
Or the communication middleware layers APL02 and APL0 used by the composite module 3583)
6 (and the extended application layer EXL06) is already recognized.
Therefore, based on this information, the communication standard compatible format setting unit 3581f converts the transmission data from the data processing unit 3581e into communication middleware data APLDT (FIG. 11) and extension data EXDT as necessary. As a result, the sending (replying) destination unit 1290
(or the composite module 3583) can recognize the communication middleware data APLDT (and the extended data EXDT). The transmission data in a predetermined data format is then input to the Internet compatible data output section 3581g. FIG. 36B shows an example in which the composite module 3583 (or unit 1290) described above moves to various different areas. Here, different network systems α_1132 and β_1134 are configured for each area. Therefore, system controllers 3581-1, 3581-2, and 3581-3 are installed for each area to control/manage/collect information on network communication within the network system. Here, the system controller 3581-1, system controller 3581-2, and system controller 3581-3 arranged in each area are shown in FIG. 36A.
It has the same configuration as the system controller 3581. As mentioned above, all system controllers 3581-1, 3581-2, and 3581-3 are connected to the communication middleware layer APL02.
, flexibly supports different formats (communication standards) on APL06 (and extended application layer EXL06). Therefore, composite module 3583 (or unit 1290)
The system controller 3581-1, 3581-2, 3
Mutual communication with 581-3 becomes possible. Chapter 5 Application examples for each application field Section 5.1 Application examples in the consumer field Section 5.1.1 Application examples of the wide area network system in the consumer field (Consumer Electronics Technology ), "specific information" may be associated with products distributed between wholesaler B1_1104-1, service provider B_1112-2, and system α_1132. For example, service provider B_1112-2 is a wholesaler B1 such as the Japan Meteorological Agency, police station, or Road Traffic Corporation.
_1104-1 will collect wide-area weather information, accident information, and road congestion information as raw materials, process it, and publish useful information for each region on the Internet. A general end user may operate a personal computer (system controller α_1126) to receive this information viewing service.

In addition, as an example of application to the consumer field, one domain 1 to 3_1122-1 to 3 shown in Figure 1
corresponds to a predetermined activity area on the network of members (including single individuals) who constitute a family (in the case of a single person, one person is considered to constitute a household) or a specific group related to business, hobbies, or region. Also good. In addition, as the specific group mentioned above, SNS (Social Network Service)
The above specific members may form one specific domain 1-3_1122-1-3.

As another specific example, if the system α_1132 in FIG. It can be made compatible. In this case, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet owned by the user while out and about corresponds to the system controller β_1128. However, this system β_1134 is not only compatible with just one mobile terminal, but also a local (
The entire network space (constructed within a specific area that is physically or geographically close to each other) may correspond to the entire system β_1134. As an example of the relationship between system α_1132 and system β_1134 in domain 2_1122-2, system β_
From within 1134, the user operates the mobile terminal (system controller β_1128) to enter domain 2_1122-2 using the domain-specific identification information ID and unique password, and enters the system α_1132 built in his home. or a unique service based on information from a predetermined sensor module in your home (system α_1132) (for example, a method to suggest dinner recipes on the go from ingredient information stored in your refrigerator at home). There are ways to receive (e.g., get). Section 5.1.2 Example of application of composite module to the civilian field The above sensor/communication module 1460 is an example of application to the civilian field.
By attaching the drive/communication module 1470 to existing small home appliances such as alarm clocks, flashlights, toothbrushes, and hair dryers, it is possible to dramatically improve the functions of the small home appliances at low cost. Here, the sensor/communication module 1460 and the drive/communication module 1470
As a method of attaching it to an existing small home appliance, it is not necessarily necessary to fix it with screws or the like; for example, temporary attachment using double-sided tape or adhesive may be used. For example, simply by attaching (attaching) various sensor/communication modules 1460 to these small home appliances, various sensor functions can be added to these small home appliances very easily. Various types of information detected by these sensors/communication modules 1460 are then aggregated within the system controller α_1126. Further, new additional functions can be added to these small home appliances very easily by simply attaching (attaching) a drive/communication module 1470 that generates sound or light, for example, to these small home appliances. Here, these additional functions are integrally controlled by the system controller α_1126. Small home appliances with new additional functions can provide optimal services depending on the user's behavior and condition. For example, if a user has trouble waking up in the morning, an alarm clock can provide a strong warning with a human voice. Alternatively, if a user leaves behind a particular small home appliance or loses it in the house, the small home appliance itself can provide a service to notify the user of the user's whereabouts.

Other application examples will be described below. For example, sensor/communication modules 1460 with functions such as temperature sensors, wind sensors, sound sensors, light sensors, or short-range human sensors are installed throughout section 2_1142-2 (room), and the system controller α_112
6 to enable communication within system α_1132. At the same time, a drive/communication module 1470 is built into the remote control that controls devices such as air conditioners, televisions, and lighting equipment, so that devices such as air conditioners, TVs, and lighting devices can be controlled from the system controller α_1126 via this remote controller. do. As a result, the system controller α_1126 can grasp detailed distribution characteristics of temperature, wind power, sound, light brightness (illuminance), and human movement within section 2_1142-2. Then, based on the grasped results, the above-mentioned equipment is controlled under optimal conditions for the user. Particularly in large rooms, the heating and cooling effects are unevenly distributed, so the temperature and wind power tend to fluctuate dramatically depending on the location. On the other hand, by applying the above service method, the satisfaction level of users living in large rooms can be greatly improved. Using this method, you can simply replace the existing remote control with the drive/communication module 1470 built-in remote control without having to replace the existing main unit equipment (air conditioners, televisions, lighting equipment, etc.) that has already been installed. This has the effect of increasing the satisfaction level of many users.

At the location, the drive/communication module 1470 built-in remote control is connected to the drive/communication module 14 in FIG. 8B.
For communication when used as a built-in device 1450-4 of 70-2, the C-format is used, which allows very simplified communication information to be communicated, as explained in Chapter 2 using Figure 25. Also good. However, the remote control structure is not limited thereto, and the remote control structure may be improved to the level of a device 1250-1 that internally includes a drive module 1270-1, a communication module 1202-4, and a device controller 1240-1 as shown in FIG. 8A. In this case, the A-format or E-format, which will be described later, may be used for communication within the system α_1132 with the system controller α_1126.

Next, another example of application will be shown. FIG. 37B shows milk 3506 purchased by the purchaser being stored in refrigerator 3521. A composite module 3523 is attached to the milk 3506 container. This composite module 3523 is then covered with a seal and fixed to the outside of the milk container. On the one hand, a system controller 3522 is installed inside the refrigerator 3521, and this system controller 3522 can intercommunicate with a composite module 3523.

Incidentally, a communication module 1666 with a built-in antenna exists in the composite module 3523 (FIG. 4A(b)), and self-attribute data 1793 can be stored in the communication module 1666. The system controller 3522 can then request the composite module 3523 to return the contents of the self-attribute data 1793. As a result, the system controller 3522 can check the "best before date data" included in the self-attribute data. Since the system controller 3522 has the current date data, it is possible to compare the obtained best-before date data with the date data and measure the degree to which the end of the best-before period of the milk is approaching. For example, the system controller 3522
can detect whether the expiration date is within one week, within four days, within two days, within one day, or if the expiration date has passed.

Furthermore, the system controller 3522 is not limited to this, and the system controller 3522 collects self-attribute data 1793 from a composite module 3523 provided for products, foodstuffs, etc. in the refrigerator 3521.
can be received. Thereby, the system controller 3522 can display list data of foods, products, etc. stored in the refrigerator on a display 3525 provided in the refrigerator 3521 using a communication line within the network. The user of the refrigerator 3521 who sees the display 3525 can check the status of the expiration date of the milk 3506. Based on the control from the system controller 3522, the status of the expiration date of the milk 3506 can be displayed by changing the color on the display 3525. For example, the expiry date of the milk 3506 is 1
If the expiration date is within a week, it is "green", if it is within 4 days, it is "blue", if it is within 2 days, it is "yellow", if it is within 1 day, it is "pink", and if the expiration date has passed, it is "red". , may be displayed respectively. Note that instead of changing the color as this display method, various display methods such as a bar display or a warning character display may be used. Furthermore, if the self-attribute data 1793 includes product purchase date data and identification data of the shop where the product was purchased, these data may be displayed on the display 3525.

FIG. 37C shows an example in which a composite module 3531 is embedded in the heel portion of a shoe 3505. This composite module 3531 includes a built-in pressure sensor, humidity sensor, and the like. Then, when the user returns home, the composite module 3531 and the home system controller 353
2, the system controller 3532 can read step count data and humidity data recorded in advance in the composite module 3531. This allows the system controller 3532 to calculate the number of steps the user takes in one day. In addition, the current shoes 35
Humidity information within 05 can also be obtained. Then, using the results, for example, smartphone 353
3 can display the user's daily step count and shoe humidity. Section 5.1.3 Example of application of the section division method to the civil sector In this section 5.1.3, an example of application of the section division method to the civil sector is explained. The example in FIG. 24 shows an example of division into sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m when the entire residential lot of one house is made to correspond to the system α_1132. By the way, in FIG. 25, sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m are associated with each room. In comparison, Figure 24 corresponds to a slightly broader concept, and the garden in the residential area is also one section 10_1142.
-10 is supported. Also, in FIG. 24, similarly to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the interior space of the vehicle corresponds to one section 1_1142-1. Similarly to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the location of the smart meter 1124 is excluded from the sections in FIG. 24, but the location of the smart meter 1124 may be defined as a specific independent section. In addition, sections 3_1142-3 to 8_1142-8 are allocated to each room, including toilets and bathrooms. However, in the system of this embodiment, it is not always necessary to divide each room into sections; for example, an "entire annex" whose interior is divided into a plurality of rooms may be assigned to one section 2_1142-2. Furthermore, a spatial area such as a storeroom where users are rarely present may be made to correspond to section 9_1142-9.

In addition, as an example of utilizing the results of integrating and managing information collected in each section 1142, system controller α_1126 (processor 1230 within it)
Status (Is the end user awake? Sleeping? Is the end user an adult or a child?
etc.) may be estimated or determined in units of sections 1 to m_1142-1 to m. In addition, sections 1~m_1142-1~ are used as units for integrating and managing collected information.
The determination is not limited to m units, but may be performed, for example, in units of systems α to β_1132 to 1134 (for example, estimating/judging how many users are at home in one residential property).

As an example of how to provide services to users, section 1~m_1142-1~
Air conditioner temperature setting in m units, lighting on/off control, lighting brightness control, TV
You may also adjust the output volume of the /radio/audio deck, etc. By providing detailed services for each section 1142, the system α~β_1132~1
There is also an effect of saving power consumption (corresponding to energy saving) within the 134. Section 5.2 Example of application to social infrastructure field Section 5.2.1 Example of application of wide area network system to social infrastructure field
When applied to wholesalers A_1102 and B1/2_1104-1/2, public institutions such as national and local governments, public corporations, and public interest corporations also correspond to wholesalers A_1102 and B1/2_1104-1/2. And this wholesaler A_1
The information (products) handled by 102, B1/2_1104-1/2 may include personal information regarding nationals, prefectural residents, metropolitan residents, prefectural residents, and citizens, such as domicile/residence records and tax history. Alternatively, information (products) handled by public road corporations and housing corporations include road congestion information, accident occurrence information,
Alternatively, information such as land cost (land price) and housing information for each region may also be provided. Particularly when applied to the social infrastructure field, wholesalers A_1102, B1/2_1104-1/2 own or manage/operate their own unique infrastructure (for example, power transmission lines, water and sewage pipes, city gas pipes, etc.) and products. It has the characteristic of being able to use delivery systems (delivery methods using trains, trucks, etc.).

First, we will show examples of services related to railways and transportation infrastructure, as examples of services provided based on contracts from public organizations such as national and local governments, public corporations, and public interest corporations. The system controller α_1126 periodically reports deterioration information for each region, such as roads, railway bridges, tunnels, and railways, to the server n_1116-n. Then, the service provider B_1112-2 integrates the information of all servers 1 to n_1116-1 to n to formulate future repair plans or issue abnormality warnings, and then Vendor A/B_1102/
1104)). As another example, we will explain examples of integrated management of systems such as railways, transportation, postal services, transportation, and air traffic control. Integrated management of various operation status and accident occurrence information periodically notified from system controller α_1126 to server n_1116-n, and service provider B_1112-2 issues operation change instructions as necessary to system controller α_1126 and system controller β_1128. Notify to: Specifically, the service provider B_1112-2 that provides these services corresponds to a specific social infrastructure management organization or social system management organization (a commercial company or a public interest corporation). Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above, and for example, an NPO corporation or an NPO organization may be associated with the service provider B_1112-2.

In the above service provision example, a service method provided by only a single service provider 1112 has been described. However, the system example of this embodiment is not limited to this, and a plurality of service providers A/B_1112/1114 may cooperate with each other to provide services. In other words, in the explanation in Section 1.7 using FIG. 1, service provider A_1112-1 and service provider B_1112-2, or service provider B_1112-2 and service provider C_1112-3 do not share information or collaborate and accommodate resources. 1114, and demonstrated that it is possible to improve the efficiency and sophistication of services. Smart meter 1124 is used for this mechanism.
By combining the information obtained, the effect of new effective use and effective diversion of public consumption materials will be created. As an example, a customer receives electricity using the infrastructure and distribution system of wholesaler A_1102, pays the amount of electricity to the electricity retailer's service provider A_1112-1, and uses the infrastructure and distribution system of wholesaler B1_1104-1. Consider a case in which water is supplied, sewage is treated using the infrastructure and delivery system of wholesaler B2_1104-2, and water and sewage usage is paid to service provider B_1112-2, a water and sewage retailer. Database 11 corresponding to server n_1116-n in service provider B
18-n contains information obtained from the smart meter 1124, such as the real-time amount of stored water in the system α1132 (the difference between the amount of water supplied via the water supply and the amount of water discharged via the sewer) and the amount of water stored in the system α1132. Water pressure information is being collected. Then, upon receiving "instantaneous spike information on electricity usage charges" or "request to limit electricity usage" during a specific time period from service provider A_1112-1, which is an electricity retailer, service provider B_1112-2, which is a water and sewage retailer, The server n_1116-n reads the stored information in the database 1118-n and determines whether or not hydroelectric power generation is possible based on the current amount of stored water and water pressure in the target system α_1132. If the determination result is that hydroelectric power generation is possible within the target system α_1132, the system controller α_11 is sent from the server n_1116-n to the system controller α_11.
26 is proposed to “switch to hydroelectric power generation” within system α_1132. This not only makes it possible to lower the electricity rate within the system α_1132, but also has the effect of avoiding the danger of exceeding the amount of electricity used in the region.

Next, another service provision form different from the content described above will be explained. In the system of this embodiment, there are multiple product supply routes (from wholesaler A_1102 in FIG. Head to smart meter 1124“
In Section 1.7, we explained that there is a direct route indicated by the "dashed line" and a route via service provider A_1112-1. Taking advantage of this feature, service provider A_1112-1 can connect to domain 2_1122-2 or system α_1132. Specific examples of service provision methods and the unique effects resulting from them are explained below.We will discuss below as examples of service-related products such as electricity, gas, water, gasoline, etc. whose prices vary depending on the area of use and the date and time of use. We will take consumer goods as an example.However, it is not limited to that and may also be applied to other services and products (for example, buying and selling general consumer goods, liquid assets, fixed assets, etc. using networks, distribution of specific information, etc.).For example, Domain 2_1122 when usage fees are high such as in summer/winter or during the day.
-2 or system α_1132, smart meter 1
The amount equivalent to the amount used from the wholesaler A_1102 measured in step 124 is stored in the predetermined product storage unit 1154.
(for example, storage batteries or water/gas tanks) and return it to wholesaler A_1102. On the other hand, public consumption goods are purchased from the wholesaler A1102 and stored in the predetermined product storage section 1154 when usage fees are low, such as when the air conditioning equipment is not needed or at night. This makes it possible to reduce usage fees paid by end users (users within domain 2_1122-2 or within system α_1132) for substantial public consumption items. At the same time, the service provider A_1112-1 can receive a portion of the price reduction (profit margin) of the public consumption material usage fee as a reward. Furthermore, by using the above method, the amount of public consumption materials used in a wide area (the amount of products (public consumption materials) supplied by wholesaler A_1102) is smoothed (the amount of public consumption materials used is temporarily adjusted depending on the season or time). A new effect is created that can reduce the amount of increase or decrease.

Then, when returning an amount equivalent to the usage amount of public consumption materials measured by the smart meter 1124 from the predetermined product storage section 1154 to the wholesaler A_1102 as described above, the charge/discharge amount control section or the storage/release amount control section High control accuracy is required. In order to achieve the high control accuracy, the system of this embodiment includes a charge/discharge amount monitor section or a storage/discharge amount monitor section (Fig. 1
Although the description is omitted, the detection information (detected charge/discharge amount or storage/release amount in the charge/discharge amount control section or storage/release amount control section (similarly, the portion corresponding to the inflow amount control section 1214 and the release amount control section 1212) based on the charge/discharge amount control section (signal) Provide real-time feedback. In addition, not only that, but as necessary,
Calculate the cumulative amount of charge/discharge or storage/release amount for each predetermined period as appropriate, compare it with a predetermined target value, and charge the amount according to the difference between the target value and the charge amount in the next predetermined period. /Feedback may be applied to the discharge amount or storage/release amount. Implementation of the above control method improves the control accuracy of the cumulative accumulated amount for each predetermined period, and has the effect of minimizing losses in the sale and purchase of public consumption goods (difference in sales profits due to insufficient control amount).

However, when applying a wide area network system to the social infrastructure field, one domain 1 to 3_1122-1 to 3 shown in Figure 1 may correspond to the entire specific social infrastructure or the entire specific social system. . For example, the operation of railways, transportation, postal services, air traffic control, transportation business, public consumption goods production business, etc. for each specified group (specified corporation or group of specified corporations), or the operation of status observation units, or any other social infrastructure or social system. And the unit for observing the state may be associated with each domain 1 to 3_1122-1 to 3. Furthermore, a large group of operations and status observations related to the activities of a specific community, a predetermined organization, or a predetermined corporation integrated by a network with distributed activities for each region may be associated with each domain 1 to 3_1122-1 to 3.

On the other hand, one system α/β_1132/1134 shown in FIG. 1 may correspond to one building or region. In other words, HEMS (Home Energy Management System), BEMS (Building Energy Management System)
Management System) or CEMS (Community Energy Management System), one system α/β_1132/1134 in this embodiment system is referred to as HEM
It may be associated with one management unit of S, BEMS, or CEMS.

Furthermore, the domain 1122 and system α/β_113 as a specific response method other than the above
An example of the relationship with 2/1134 will be explained. For example, if the domain 1122 corresponds to the operation and status observation of a specific railway company, automatic ticket gate system, ticket issuing system, commuter pass issuing system, etc.
Operation status management system for each train, automatic track damage management system, in-train damage management system, platform deterioration management system, power supply status management system for each train, abnormality warning system on the train/on the platform, Each system includes an in-vehicle molester arrest system, a crew/station staff work management/salary payment system, a salary payment/accounting system, etc.
It may be made to correspond to 132 to 4. In addition, when the domain 1122 corresponds to the operation and condition management of traffic and transportation businesses, it includes deterioration management systems for roads, railway bridges, and tunnels, road accident information management systems, congestion management systems, and damage to transportation means (trucks, etc.). A situation management system, a gate management system (for expressways, etc.) (including an ETC management system), an employee attendance and attendance management system, a payroll accounting system, etc. may correspond to each of the systems 1132-4.

On the other hand, in Section 1.7, when one system α_1132 corresponds to a specific area that is physically or geographically close, one domain 2_1122-2 corresponds to an area on the network that transcends the physical or geographical space. He explained that it would be possible to respond to According to this, if the entire deterioration management system for roads, railway bridges, and tunnels is made to correspond to one domain 2_1122-2,
Individual system α/β_113 for deterioration management units of roads, railway bridges, and tunnels set for each region
It may be made to correspond to 2/1134. Section 5.2.2 Example of Application of Composite Module to Social Infrastructure Field When the system of this embodiment is applied to a social system or social infrastructure, the sensor/communication module 1460 is installed at a traffic light, at an entrance/exit gate of a road or expressway, or at a public place. The system controller α_1126 monitors the traffic and traffic conditions of people and vehicles by placing it in or around a bulletin board (including electronic bulletin boards), and sends only the necessary information to the server n_1116.
-n may be notified. The device 1450 in this case may correspond to a traffic light, an electronic gate, an electronic bulletin board, or the like. Further, in this case, the sections described later in Chapter 4 may correspond to a predetermined area around the traffic lights, electronic gates, and electronic bulletin boards, or to roads within a specific range.

In particular, the sensor/communication module 1460 described above has the characteristics of being lightweight, compact, and power saving (no external power supply required). Therefore, by taking advantage of this advantage, a large number of various sensor/communication modules 1460 are installed in roads, bridge girders, tunnels, or piping sections (such as water and sewage systems), and long-term monitoring of deterioration points in roads, bridge girders, tunnels, or piping sections is possible. becomes easier. From the various sense information obtained here, it is possible to extract only the necessary information, such as detecting only the change component, within the system controller α_1126, so the server n_11
This facilitates analysis and data processing on the 16-n side.

Another example of applying the sensor/communication module 1460 to the social infrastructure field is to attach the sensor/communication module 1460 to a cart in a store such as a supermarket, convenience store, or department store, and collect behavioral history information of customers in the store. It's okay. Then, from the collected customer behavior history, for example, "departments where customers stay for a long time" and "the order in which customers go around" can be extracted and reflected in marketing (market research) such as in-store product display to improve store sales. An effect that can contribute is created.

On the other hand, for example, especially in large rooms such as offices, hospitals, and large stores, the heating and cooling effects are highly uneven, so the temperature and wind power tend to vary greatly depending on the location. Therefore, as in Section 5.1.2, the sensor/communication module 1460, which has functions such as temperature sensors, wind sensors, sound sensors, optical sensors, or short-range human sensors, can be used everywhere in offices, hospitals, large stores, etc.
By installing a system, the imbalance in heating and cooling effects within a large room can be significantly reduced, which has the effect of increasing the satisfaction level of many customers.

Another application embodiment in which the composite module 1295 is specifically utilized will be described. Figure 4A (
As shown in a) or (b), any composite module 1295 is connected to the communication module 16.
Including 60. Furthermore, as explained using FIG. 7B in Section 1.6, the communication module 16
60 includes a self-attribute data storage area 1793. and composite module 1295
The contents of the self-attribute data 1793 of products, products, parts, etc. equipped with this are changed and/or switched depending on the usage situation. The usage situation referred to here means a change in the area where the product, commodity, or part exists (that is, a change in the system in which the composite module 1295 is arranged as shown in FIG. 37B), a change in elapsed time, or a change in conditions. Including. When the composite module 1295 is used as the sensor/communication module 1460, it is possible to monitor the surrounding conditions in various usage environments depending on the combination with sensors.

FIG. 37A schematically shows, for example, an in-store area 3501 of a supermarket, a cash register area 3502, and an exit area 3503 of the supermarket. Here, the inside of the supermarket corresponds to one independent system α_1132 (see FIG. 1). The cash registers 3511a and 2511b in FIG. 37A operate as the system controller α_1126. It is assumed that shoes 3505, milk 3506, and bag 3507 are sold as products in the system α_1132.

Here, a sensor/communication module 1460 is mounted as a composite module 1295 on each of the shoes 3505, the milk 3506, and the bag 3507. As a specific mounting method, sheet-shaped sensor/communication modules 1460 (composite module 1295) are individually attached using adhesive. In addition, it is not limited to shoes 3505 and milk 350.
6. It may be inserted (or mixed) into the bag 3507. It is assumed that a part of the self-attribute data 1793 has an anti-theft flag (for example, "1"). When the purchaser completes payment, the cash register 35 in the cash register area 3502
The information on the anti-theft flag is erased under control from 11a or 2511b. Specifically, for example, when the cash register 3511a reads a barcode indicating the price of a product, it sends a reading completion signal to the composite module 1295 (or sensor/communication module 1460 or unit 1290) in the product. and the corresponding composite module 1295 (or sensor/communications module 1460 or unit 12
90) determines that the payment has been completed upon receiving the reading completion signal, and erases the anti-theft flag, setting it to "0". Furthermore, the cash registers 3511a and 2511b can add supermarket identification data and payment date data to the self-attribute data storage area 1793.

Here, if the product passes through the exit area 3503 of the supermarket without the anti-theft flag being erased (without being settled), a warning is automatically output. That is, a monitoring device 3512 capable of outputting an alarm is installed in the exit area 3503 of the supermarket. As explained in Section 4.4, in the system of this embodiment, all composite modules 129
5 (or sensor/communication module 1460) can be detected in real time. Therefore, when the composite module 1295 (or sensor/communication module 1460) passes through the supermarket exit area 3503, the system controller α_1 automatically
126 (cash registers 3511a, 2511b). When the anti-theft flag is "1", an alarm is output from the monitoring device. On the other hand, when the theft prevention flag is "0", the monitoring device 3512 does not output an alarm.

In the system example of the embodiment described above, a clerk is placed at the cash registers 3511a and 3511b, and an anti-theft flag is stored in the self-attribute data storage area 1793. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the sales price of the target product may be recorded in advance in the self-attribute data storage area 1793. Then, when the composite module 1295 (or sensor/communication module 1460 or unit 1290) in which the sales price has been recorded in advance passes through the exit area 3503 of the supermarket, the total amount paid by the purchaser is automatically displayed. On the other hand, the composite module 1295 (or the sensor/communication module 1460 or the unit 12
90) is installed, and when the purchaser passes through the unmanned cash registers 3511a and 3511b, the total amount of payment is automatically debited from the purchaser's bank account. In order to make this possible, the self-attribute data storage area 1793 in the composite module 1295 (or sensor/communication module 1460 or unit 1290) installed in the purchaser's equipment is provided.
The purchaser's bank account number and password are recorded in advance.

The composite module 1295 (or sensor/communication module 1460 or unit 1290) in which billing information for the purchaser is recorded is not mounted in the attached product as described above, but as described later in Section 5.3.2. It may also be present in the purchaser's body by swallowing or other methods.

As described above, the use of the composite module 1295 (or sensor/communication module 1460) not only prevents theft but also enables automatic billing without the need for a clerk. This will lead to significant savings in labor costs and will have the effect of helping supermarkets improve their profits.

For example, FIG. 37D shows an example in which the composite module is used in a system that inspects the corrosion status of steel frames that support building walls, tunnel walls, bridges, etc. For example, steel frames 3541a, 3541b, 3541c, . . . support the back side of a wall 3540 to be inspected, such as a tunnel. Composite modules 35 are installed on the surfaces of each of the steel frames 3541a, 3541b, and 3541c.
42,3543 is attached. In FIG. 30D, communication modules 3542 and 3543 attached to the steel frame 3541a appear on the drawing. Wall 354 to be inspected at
0 has a shielding effect against radio waves, an antenna 1480 is installed externally to the communication module 1660 in the composite module 1295 (FIG. 4A(a)).
This external antenna 1480 is arranged at a position where radio waves can be transmitted and received. That is, in the example of FIG. 37D, antennas 3542a and 3 of composite modules 3542 and 3543
543b is led out to the outer surface of the wall 3540 to be inspected via a lead wire that penetrates the wall 3540 to be inspected.

The sensor module 1260 (FIG. 4B(a)) in the composite module (sensor/communication module) 3542, 3543 is closely attached to the surface of the steel frame 3541a, 3541b, 3541c via an insulating film. If the surfaces of the steel frames 3541a, 3541b, and 3541c rust and swell, the adhesive film is torn and the sensor module 1260 comes into direct contact with the rust. When the sensor module 1260 comes into contact with rust, the sensor module 1
The resistance value within 260 decreases. Therefore, by knowing the resistance value inside the sensor module 1260, the state of rust on the surface of the steel frames 3541a, 3541b, and 3541c can be determined.

In the example embodiment systems described so far, in many cases the system controller 1126,
3546 was installed in a fixed system, and the unit 1290 (or composite module 1295) was movable. In contrast, the system example of the embodiment shown in FIG. 37D (and FIG. 37E, which will be described later) is characterized in that the unit 1290 (or composite module 1295) side is fixed, and the system controllers 1126 and 3546 are movable. For example, there may be cases where it is desired to obtain sensor information from a very wide area at once, or where it is difficult to install the system controller α_1126 due to system circumstances. In this case, the unit 1290 (or composite module 1295) is installed in a fixed system as described above, and the system controller
126 and 3546 are moved to collect sensor information of each unit 1290 (or composite module 1295). This has the effect of making it easier to obtain sensor information over a very wide area.

In the system of this embodiment, as explained in Section 4.5, the same unit 1290 (or composite module 1295) can be adapted to a plurality of different systems. Therefore, even in this case, multiple different system controllers 1126, 354 used for different applications
6 moves, the fixed unit 1290 (or composite module 1295) can operate properly for each application.

In the embodiment system example of FIG. 37D, a system controller 3546 is installed on a part of the inspection vehicle 3545 (in the diagram of FIG. 37D, the roof of the inspection vehicle 3545), and passes near the antennas 3542a and 3543b of the composite module. Each time the composite module passes near the antennas 3542a and 3543b, the system controller 3546 transmits a command request to each composite module (unit) 3542 and 3543 to "response to the resistance value in the sensor module 1260." In response to the request command, each composite module (unit) 3542, 3543 sends a message to the system controller 3546.
"Resistance value within sensor module 1260" is appropriately answered. Thereby, the system controller 3546 can inspect the rust state of all the steel frames 3541a, 3541b, and 3541c. In this way, periodic rust inspections can be easily and accurately performed. Note that the rust detection method described above is merely an example, and rust may be detected using other detection means.

If a decrease in the resistance value in the sensor module 1260 that is outside the allowable range is detected as a result of rust inspection, the system controller 3546, 1126 sends a message to the server n_1116-n in FIG. Information on the predetermined steel frame 3541 is notified. In this case, the wholesaler B1_1104-1 in FIG. 1 corresponds to the government or the National Highway Corporation. Then, the wall maintenance contractor commissioned by the government or road corporation mentioned above,
Corresponds to service provider B_1112-2. Based on the information about the rusted and deteriorated steel frame 3541 stored in the server n_1116-n, the wall maintenance company formulates a repair plan and provides the road corporation (wholesaler B1_1104-1) with a repair budget. Apply for.

An example application of an embodiment system in which a composite module 1295 or unit 1290 is used to detect leaks in, for example, gas pipes, water pipes, fire hydrant pipes, etc., is shown in FIG. 37E. Gas pipes, water pipes, fire hydrant pipes, etc. are often placed underground along roads. Therefore, a composite module (unit) 3549 is attached on the surface of a pipe 3548 such as a gas pipe, water pipe, or fire hydrant pipe. Here, the sensor module 1260 built into the composite module (unit) 3549 and used for detecting leaks in gas pipes, water pipes, fire hydrant pipes, etc. is a combination of gas sensors, moisture (water) sensors, sound sensors, vibration sensors, etc. A combined sensor may also be incorporated.

Similarly to FIG. 37D, in FIG. 37E, the system controller 354 is installed in the inspection vehicle 3545.
6 is mounted (in FIG. 37E, a system controller 3546 is mounted on the bottom of the inspection vehicle 3545), and leakage inspection is performed periodically. System controller 3 as in Figure 37D
In response to the request command 546, detection data from the sensor module 1260 is returned to the system controller 3546. The system controller 3546 can determine the location of gas leaks, water leaks, etc. by collecting and analyzing sensor information from each composite module (unit) 3549. Further, the system of the embodiment shown in FIG. 37E also has the effect of being able to discover a wide range of abnormalities in a very easy way, as in the case of FIG. 37D. Note that the system controller 3546 may be fixedly installed along the pipe installation line instead of being mounted on the inspection vehicle 3545.

An example in which a composite module (unit) is applied to a greenhouse cultivation device is shown in FIG. 37F. For example, a greenhouse cultivation device is sometimes called a greenhouse house, a plastic greenhouse, or the like. Inside the greenhouse house 3550, for example, a system controller 3551 and a surveillance camera 3552 are installed. This surveillance camera 3552 can image the state of the plants in the greenhouse house 3550 and transmit the imaged video signal to a monitor owned by the grower (owner).

It is assumed that vegetables such as carrots, radish, or burdock are grown in the greenhouse house 2550, for example. In the case of such vegetables, it is impossible to judge how well they are growing underground just by looking at them from the outside. Therefore, in the embodiment system shown in FIG. 37F, a plurality of composite modules (units)
Bar-shaped monitoring devices 3553a, 3553b, 3553c, . . . containing built-in devices are placed underground.

The right side of FIG. 37F shows an enlarged view of a typical bar-shaped monitoring device 3553c. Here, the pentagonal part inside the bar-shaped monitoring device 3553c is a mounting plate for the monitoring device 3553c, and has a sharp tip so that it can be easily inserted into the ground. A plurality of composite modules (units) FC1 to FC5 and FD1 to FD5 are installed in the longitudinal direction of this mounting plate. Furthermore, the composite modules (units) FC1 to FC5 are equipped with a sensor module 1260 that can measure the size of nearby substances by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, for example.
Furthermore, the composite modules (units) FD1 to FD5 are equipped with a sensor module 1260 that includes a humidity sensor that can measure humidity, for example. Then, the growth (length) information of neighboring vegetables (carrots or radish) is collected from the measurement results obtained from the composite modules (units) FC1 to FC5. Methods for collecting growth (length) information of vegetables (carrots or radish) that are close to each other are not limited to ultrasound;
Imaging may be performed using near-infrared rays in the nm range. Furthermore, the humidity measurement data obtained from the composite modules (units) FD1 to FD5 is effective for monitoring the moisture situation underground. And composite modules (units) FC1 to FC5, FD1 to FD5
The measurement data obtained based on the system controller 3551 is sent via the antenna ANT.
sent to.

The output data of the above composite modules (units) FC1 to FC5 and FD1 to FD5 are aggregated by the system controller 3551. Since the results of this tally are displayed on the monitor as appropriate, the supervisor can easily determine the harvest time. Furthermore, the supervisor is not limited to this, and by monitoring the aggregate results of the humidity measurement data obtained from the composite modules (units) FD1 to FD5, the supervisor can know the appropriate watering timing. In this way, good growth of vegetables can be monitored.

Further, inside the greenhouse house 3550, a composite module (unit) 3554 containing, for example, an infrared sensor and/or a high-frequency, high-sensitivity microphone is arranged. By operating periodically, this composite module (unit) 3554 can monitor the presence of pests and insects that attach to vegetables, for example.

As an application example showing another embodiment system, FIGS. 37G and 37H show an example in which a plurality of different types of composite modules (units) are combined and monitored. In particular, FIG. 37G is characterized in that it "detects combinations that are not normally possible." This produces the effect of being able to detect abnormalities with high accuracy and efficiency. Furthermore, the feature of FIG. 37H is that "association between a plurality of different identification data is detected." This has the effect of improving state detection accuracy. Simultaneously obtaining sensor information from a plurality of different types of composite modules (units) as described above has the effect of improving the accuracy of detecting state changes.

First, a method for "detecting combinations that are normally impossible" will be explained using FIG. 37G. For example, if a murder weapon is found in a hospital, school (elementary school, junior high school, high school, university), police station, or around the Imperial Palace (specifically, detecting a metal reaction using a metal detector), the system computer will detect an impossible object. It can be detected as a combination of As a specific example, FIG. 37G shows a room in a hospital. This room is equipped with, for example, a patient bed 3560 and a box 3561 for medical instruments. Here, a composite module (unit) 3560a is installed inside the patient bed 3560. Also, medical equipment box 3
Similarly, a composite module (unit) 3561a is attached to 561. Identification data of the bed 3560 is stored as self-attribute data 1793 (FIG. 7B) in this composite module (unit) 3560a. In response to a request from a system controller 3562 installed outside, identification data of the bed 3560 can be sent as a response. On the other hand, self-attribute data 1 in composite module (unit) 3561a
793 (FIG. 7B), identification data of the medical instrument box 3561 is stored. Then, in response to a request from a system controller 3562 installed externally, a box 356 of medical instruments is sent.
1 identification data can be sent as a reply. Based on this, the system controller 3562
can always know the combination of products that are present in the patient room. In this manner, the system controller 3562 is equipped with a database of various products that are allowed to be present in the hospital room.

Now suppose that a murder weapon 3565 such as a knife is brought into the hospital room. This knife and other deadly weapons 35
65 also has a built-in composite module (unit) 3565a. When this composite module (unit) 3565a transmits pre-stored self-attribute data 1793 (product identification data), the system controller 3562 recognizes that a product that is not allowed to exist in the hospital room has appeared. As a result, the system controller 3562 can quickly report abnormal conditions to the security office, supervisory authority, or security company.

The above example is not limited to a hospital room, but the same idea can be applied to various areas such as the security range around the Imperial Palace, the Presidential Palace, the Prime Minister's Office, schools (elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, universities, etc.), police stations, etc. It can be applied within the facility.
Another example in which multiple types of sense information obtained from multiple different composite modules 1295 (or units 1290) are combined and monitored is shown in FIG. 37H. Here passenger 3570
shows an example of traveling from airport 3567 to airport 3568 by airplane 3569. Here, passenger belongings such as passports, bags, hats, shoes, etc. are equipped with multiple modules (units).
3570a is built-in, and corresponding identification data is recorded in advance in a self-attribute data storage area 1793 (see FIG. 7B) in this composite module (unit) 3570a. Similarly, in the carry bag 3573 owned by this passenger, a composite module (unit) 3
573a is glued. Carry bag identification data is also recorded in advance in the self-attribute data storage area 1793 within this composite module (unit) 3573a.

Then, when the passenger 3570 boards the airplane 3569, the system controller 3571 collects identification data of the passenger's belongings (baggage) 3572 and carry bag 3573. Then, these multiple identification data (identification data of passenger's belongings 3572 and carry bag 35
73 identification data) are associated and recognized by the system controller 3571 as the required combination identification data of the passenger 3570.

On the other hand, another system controller 3572 is installed in advance at the airport 3568 to which the passenger 3570 is traveling. When the passenger 3570 arrives at the destination airport 3568, a plurality of pieces of identification data associated with the passenger 3570 (identification data of the passenger's belongings 3572 and identification data of the carry bag 3573) are transmitted via the Internet to the destination airport 3568. It is automatically transferred from the controller 3571 to the system controller 3572 installed at the destination. The system controller 3572 independently connects a composite module (unit) 3570a and a carry bag 35 built into passengers' belongings such as passports, bags, hats, and shoes.
Access the composite module (unit) 3573a built in 73 and check the respective identification data (identification data of passenger's belongings 3572 and identification data of carry bag 3573)
get.

Next, the multiple identification data obtained from the composite modules (units) 3570a and 3573a are compared with the multiple identification data obtained from the movement source system controller 3571 (identification data of the passenger's belongings 3572 and identification data of the carry bag 3573). do. As a result, the system controller 3572 at the destination is able to properly transfer the belongings of the passenger 3570 to the airport 357.
7 to airport 3568 can be determined. Section 5.2.3 Application example of section division method to social infrastructure field In this section 5.2.3, we will explain an example of section division when section division is applied to the social infrastructure field. The section division unit in this social infrastructure field tends to be larger than the scale explained in Section 5.1.3.

For example, if individual sections 1142 are made to correspond to each partition (room) within a building or to each floor, the average size of the partition area within the building will be larger than the average size of a room within a private residence. Further, each section 1142 may be assigned to each house in an apartment complex.
When section division is applied to the social infrastructure field, the section structure to be divided may have a hierarchy. For example, if we take the above-mentioned apartment complex as an example, the upper section division may be made to correspond to each house as the first upper hierarchy, and the lower section division may be made to correspond to the room allocation within each unit. Similarly, sections hierarchized by division scale may be made to correspond to a predetermined region. For example, in Japan, the country is divided into capitals, prefectures, and prefectures (higher sections correspond to the above units), and Tokyo is divided into multiple wards and cities. Also, some prefectures are divided into multiple cities and counties. Then, middle-level sections may be made to correspond to this division, and lower-order sections may be made to correspond to each address.

By the way, FIG. 35 is a diagram schematically showing a map of a specific area. As described above, individual sections 1142 may correspond to each address. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sections 1142 may be divided according to predetermined functions. An example will be explained. In Japan, water pipes and wired communication lines (telephone lines, optical fiber, etc.) are sometimes installed underground directly under major highways. There are also cases where power supply lines are installed in the sky along major arterial roads. In this way, the division 1900 into sections 1_1142-1 to 4_1142-4 may be performed for each region or for each predetermined interval along major arterial roads, water and sewage pipes, distribution power lines, and wired communication lines. Furthermore, in the system of this embodiment, a plurality of sensor modules 12 are provided in the section 1142.
60 or sensor/communication module 1460 and integrate or manage the sensor information obtained from there for each section 1142, it is possible to extract deteriorated places on the road and search for water leaks in water and sewage systems for each section 1142. Alternatively, it is possible to search for disconnections in distribution power lines or wired communication lines. As a result, it becomes easier to extract more detailed locations of deterioration on roads, search for water leaks in water and sewage systems, and search for disconnections in distribution power lines and wired communication lines.

Furthermore, regarding the grasp of traffic congestion on major arterial roads such as expressways, division 1900 into sections 1_1142-1 to 4_1142-4 may be performed along the main arterial road for each area or for each predetermined interval in the same manner as described above. By displaying the traffic congestion situation for each section 1142, it becomes easy to accurately grasp the traffic congestion situation. As a relatively similar content, the division method of section 1142 may be used to grasp the congestion situation within a predetermined area. In other words, when an event such as a soccer or baseball game or a concert is held, dividing the area around the event venue into multiple sections 1142 and understanding the traffic congestion in each section will make guiding passersby and deploying police more efficient. It can be done accurately.

In this way, in the system of this embodiment, by integrating and managing the information collection results in units of sections 1142, it not only becomes easier to grasp the situation in a wide area as a whole, but also has the effect of increasing the convenience of maintenance processing for social infrastructure systems. to be born.
Logistics management is an example of an application in the social infrastructure field that is somewhat similar to the above-mentioned understanding of traffic congestion on major arterial roads. For example, in order to transport seafood to a remote location while maintaining its freshness,
There is an air transport method that shortens transportation time. However, from the perspective of reducing transportation costs, methods are being considered to ensure freshness for a long period of time by transporting food to remote areas by vehicle. As a result of this study, it has been found that temperature control during transportation is important to ensure the freshness of seafood, vegetables, and fruits.

That is, the oxidation reaction rate and corrosion rate inside seafood, vegetables, and fruits depend on the ambient temperature, so from this point of view, it is desirable to set the storage temperature of seafood, vegetables, and fruits low. On the other hand, when fish are placed in a sub-zero environment, the blood in their bodies freezes and expands, resulting in a noticeable loss of freshness. Similarly, in the case of vegetables and fruits, the volume expansion due to the freezing of moisture adhering to the surface or moisture contained inside causes a clear decrease in freshness. Therefore, when transporting seafood, vegetables, and fruits to long distances by vehicle, it is necessary to maintain the temperature of seafood, vegetables, and fruits in the refrigerated vehicle within a range of 0±1°C.

For this reason, temperature sensors are installed inside packaging containers for seafood, vegetables, and fruits, and the air conditioning inside the refrigerated vehicle can be controlled based on temperature information obtained from each packaging container. The temperature sensor in this case corresponds to sensor/communication module 1460. Then, the section 1142 can be made to correspond to the "inside environment of each refrigerated vehicle".

However, the system of this embodiment is not limited to the above method, and other section division methods may be adopted. In the system of this embodiment, as described in Section 4.4, it is possible to detect the location of the source of the radio waves emitted by each sensor/communication module 1460. Therefore, by using position detection technology for the sensor/communication module 1460 that detects temperature, the transportation location of each packaging container of seafood, vegetables, and fruits can be tracked in real time. Furthermore, from the explanation in Section 2.3, the IEEE extended address SEXADRS (or 2.4
Each packaging container can be identified using the sender IP address information (SIPADRS) described in Section 3. Therefore, by combining the above technologies, it is possible to not only manage the transportation route and required transportation time for each packaging container of seafood, vegetables, and fruits, but also to prevent transportation delays due to traffic congestion on the transportation route of the refrigerated vehicle storing the packaging container. can be managed in real time. As a result, the refrigerated vehicle may be instructed as to whether or not traffic congestion can be avoided, taking into consideration the pre-storage time of the packaging container before transporting the vehicle.

When the present embodiment system is applied to the above-mentioned physical distribution management, the method of selecting a physical communication medium to be used for the same system network line 1782 in FIG. 10A, which will be described later, becomes important. For example, IEEE (Institute of Electrica
According to the 802.11n standard, the effective cell radius is said to be several hundred meters. Therefore, when medium-range wireless is adopted as this physical communication medium, it is necessary to set the physical size of each system α_1132 and β_1134 to 1 km or less. On the other hand, the cell radius of IEEE802.16e-2005, which supports long-distance wireless, is 1 to 3 km. Therefore, when medium-range wireless is adopted as this physical communication medium, it is desirable to set the physical size of each system α_1132 and β_1134 to around 3 km.

Each of the systems α_1132 and β_1134 of the above size is spatially divided into sections 1_1142-1 to m_1 along the transportation route (for example, the main highway in Figure 35).
142-m may also be defined. Managing the transportation locations for each packaging container of seafood, vegetables, and fruits in sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m in this way has the effect of being able to understand in detail the locations causing delivery delays due to traffic congestion along the transportation route, for example. . Then, by notifying other delivery vehicles of the results and instructing them to avoid traffic congestion areas, smooth transportation of other delivery vehicles becomes possible.

Another application example of the method of applying the system of this embodiment to the above-mentioned logistics management will be described below. This application example uses the "simple plug-in/plug-out method using composite module position detection" described in Section 4.2. In this case, short-range wireless is used as the physical communication medium of the same system network line 1782 (FIG. 10A).

Here, the inside of a large refrigerator in which packaging containers for seafood, vegetables, and fruits are stored before shipping, which has a built-in sensor/communication module 1460 that detects temperature, is made to correspond to the system α_1132.
Also, the space inside is divided into sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m.
is defined, the storage location of this packaging container in a large refrigerator is automatically managed. When this packaging container is shipped, it is taken out of the large refrigerator. As a result, automatic plug-out processing from the system α_1132 is performed, and the shipping date and time are managed within the system controller α_1126.

Next, the loading space inside the refrigerated vehicle for transporting this packaging container is made to correspond to the system β_1134. Also, a section 1142 is defined in detail within the space. A system controller β_1128 installed therein collects temperature information from the sensor/communication module 1460 and controls the air conditioner inside the refrigerated vehicle.

However, in the method described in Section 4.4, only the location of the communication module 1202 that supports wireless communication is detected. The position of module 1270 has not been detected. Therefore, if the temperature control accuracy inside the refrigerated car is high and temperature control for each packaging container is not necessarily required, a standalone communication module 1202 compatible with short-range wireless communication may be used instead of the sensor/communication module 1460. good.

The inside of the warehouse (large refrigerator) to which this refrigerated vehicle is delivered is made to correspond to the system γ. The system controller γ installed in this system γ shares information with the aforementioned system controllers α_1126 and β_1128, so information such as delivery delay information, pre-storage time in the warehouse before shipping, internal temperature during transportation, etc. The information can predict the freshness of seafood, vegetables, and fruits in packaging containers. In this way, the freshness after delivery can be predicted, which has the effect of improving the ease of pricing the corresponding seafood, vegetables, and fruits and the ease of selecting delivery destinations thereafter.

Furthermore, as another application example of the above-mentioned "simple plug-in/plug-out method using position detection of a composite module", it may be used for "automatic payment when passing through a gate or purchasing a product". Further, as a composite module used in this application example, a sensor/communication module 1460 that supports voice input may be used. However, currently in Japan, the contactless IC card standard is
Near-field wireless such as FeliCa (a word coined by combining Felicity and Card) is used for entry/exit control at the entrance to a designated room, ticket processing when passing through a railway-related ticket gate, and automatic payment when purchasing products. ing. However, since near-field wireless communication is used for communication with the contactless IC card, it takes time and effort for the user to take out the contactless IC card from the storage location when carrying it each time the user uses it.

On the other hand, changing from near-field wireless communication to short-range wireless communication (or medium-range wireless communication) has the advantage that the user does not have to take the device out of a carrying (storage) location such as a bag, purse, or pocket when using it. The physical shape of the package in which the sensor/communication module 1460-5 is mounted here does not necessarily need to be a card, and can have any shape that is easy to carry, such as a necklace or a tie pin. Then, the system α_1132 area is set only near the entrance door of a predetermined room, near the passage entrance of a railway-related ticket examination machine (gate), or near the purchase counter of a vending machine or store. However, in the method described in Section 4.4, only the location of the communication module 1202 that supports wireless communication is detected, and the sensor/communication module 1460
The position of the sensor module 1260 within the sensor module 1260 and the position of the drive module 1270 within the drive/communication module 1470 are not detected. Therefore, for traffic management at a predetermined room entrance door or railway-related ticket gate (gate), the communication module 1202 capable of wireless communication may be used alone in place of the sensor/communication module 1460-5.

Then, when the user comes in front of a designated entrance door, just before the ticket gate, or when the user approaches a vending machine or store purchase counter, "plug-in processing" (Section 4.2) is automatically performed. )
will be held. After that, when the user leaves the location, the "plug-out process" is automatically performed, but the user's history of passing through gates (entrance/exit doors and ticket gates) and purchase payment history is managed by the system controller α_1126. Further, by utilizing the position detection of this sensor/communication module 1460-5 (see Section 4.2), it is possible to automatically recognize an emergency situation such as an abnormal fall of the user from the platform onto the railway.

In particular, in front of a predetermined entrance door or at the passage of a ticket inspection machine (gate), a user passing through may hold his hand or place his finger at a predetermined place for personal verification. In this case, the personal authentication method is not limited to palm print verification or fingerprint verification, but may also be performed by imaging a vein pattern using near-infrared light reflected near the palm or finger surface. Furthermore, the identity verification may be performed by face recognition without using hands or fingers. Here, prior to the user's personal verification, the above plug-in process is performed when the user comes to a predetermined entrance door or just before a ticket gate. Immediately after this plug-in, the sensor/communication module 1460-5 or the communication module 120
2 unique identification information (for example, IEEE extended address EXADRS in Figure 12A(e))
The system controller α_1126 (see FIG. 8A or 8B) uses the server n
Access _1116-n and obtain information for personal verification (authentication) (palmprint/fingerprint/vein pattern/face pattern, etc.) in advance. Then, the information for personal verification (authentication) obtained in advance is compared with the information obtained in front of a predetermined entrance door or through a ticket inspection machine (gate). Here, only the users who match the verification information are allowed to pass through the entrance door or ticket inspection machine (gate), and the verification information is discarded. In this way, the system controller α_1126 obtains the information for personal verification (authentication) in advance immediately after plug-in, so there is an effect that quick personal verification (authentication) can be performed.

Furthermore, if user confirmation is required at the time of electronic payment, the user is asked to utter a voice indicating consent (such as a consent word). When the system controller α_1126 in FIG. 8B receives the voice (or generated word) information from the sensor/communication module 1460-5, the server n_
“User voiceprint verification” is performed using the information from 1116-n. Then, the above voiceprint and IP address information owned by the sensor/communication module 1460-5 (Figure 13(b))
Alternatively, personal authentication is performed by checking the information corresponding to the IEEE extended address EXADRS. Next, this system controller α_1126 may estimate/determine whether the words uttered by the user indicate "an intention to agree to electronic payment" using voice recognition technology. When all of the above confirmations are completed, communication is performed between the system controller α_1126 and the server n_1116-n related to the user's bank account management, and the electronic payment is completed.

If this mobile system is applied to any of the above-mentioned "logistics management"/"gate passage management"/"electronic payment at the time of product purchase", the corresponding sensor/communication module 1460-5
It has the advantage of being able to be manufactured very cheaply and distributed in large quantities. GPS (conventionally used for position detection)
Global Positioning System) related parts were extremely expensive, making it difficult to distribute them in large quantities.
In comparison, in this embodiment, the position is detected using the radio waves normally emitted by the sensor/communication module 1460-5, so there is no additional cost for detecting the position of the sensor/communication module 1460-5. Therefore, this sensor/communication module 1460-5
can be manufactured very cheaply.

As an example of application in the field of social infrastructure, the explanation has mainly focused on the use of the sensor/communication module 1460. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the drive/communication module 1470 may be used for remote control of a mobile robot built into a movement control unit. For example, sections 1_1142-1 to m_1142-m are defined for each room in a hotel or an apartment complex. The system controller α_1126 then controls the mobile robot using the position detection technology of the drive/communication module 1470 to move the mobile robot to the entrance of a predetermined room. This mobile robot may be made to clean inside a predetermined room or may be made to carry a predetermined baggage.

In addition to the above application examples, it can also be applied to agriculture. That is, within the plant factory, for example, each type of plant to be grown is divided into different systems α_1132 and β_1134, and each plant is grown under different growth conditions. Furthermore, it may be divided into sections 1142 for each growing location of plants of the same kind, and the amount of light, the amount of water supply/replenishment, temperature, and humidity may be controlled for each section, as well as the growth state of the plants may be managed. Section 5.3 Application example to the healthcare field Section 5.3.1 Application example of the wide area network system to the healthcare field As an example of the application of the wide area network system shown in Figure 1 to the healthcare field, for example, Corresponding wholesaler B1_110
4-1, service provider B_1112-2, which corresponds to a specific public institution, collects patient disease names and symptoms as well as individual patient genetic information from system α_1132, which corresponds to hospitals and local medical institutions. It is possible to envisage ways to collect and organize information on various diseases. In this case, this public institution (service provider B_1112-2) is the system controller α_1 that manages the database within the hospital or local medical institution (system α_1132).
126 via the network and automatically collect necessary information. The analysis results obtained will be reported to the state (wholesaler B1_1104-1) and made available to the public via the Internet or through news media such as newspapers/magazines. Section 5.3.2 Example of Application of Composite Module to Healthcare Field The sensor/communication module 1460 having the structure shown in Figure 5 has many benefits such as being lightweight, small, power saving (no external power supply required), and low cost. It has the following advantages. Therefore, by taking advantage of these advantages, the sensor/communication module 1460 can be directly attached to the body of a moving user. As a specific mounting method, the sensor/communication module 1460 may be directly mounted on the human body using a mounting member such as a wristwatch, glasses, or a tie pin, or it may be fixed to clothing. . The sensor/communication module 1460, which combines a temperature sensor, pulse sensor, respiration sensor (acceleration sensor), blood oxygen concentration sensor, etc., is then worn by patients and healthy people, which has the effect of being able to trace health conditions in real time. Yes. Furthermore, the system controller α_1126 installed in each hospital room or individual room analyzes the detection results in real time and notifies doctors and nurses only in the event of an abnormality, which has the effect of realizing efficient care for patients and healthy people. . Furthermore, since only necessary information can be selected and communicated to the server n_1116-n (FIG. 1) installed in each hospital, the efficiency of data management and data processing within the server n_1116-n can be improved.

The method described above describes how to attach the composite module directly to the human body. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the composite module (for example, composite module 7_1295-7 in FIG. 2) may be directly inserted/invaded or implanted into the human body. In this case, composite module 7_129
5-7 is installed in the network system α_1132 alone, but instead is built into the human body (specific user) and moves together with the human body (specific user). However, the above-described method of attaching the composite module to the human body places a mental burden on the user when attaching and detaching the composite module (the user feels it is troublesome). In comparison, as will be described later, by inserting/invading/embedding (embedding) the composite module into the human body in advance, the system controller α_1126 can obtain user-related information as appropriate without placing the burden on the user of attaching and removing the composite module. There is.

First, we will explain how to implant the composite module into the human body. There is a method of embedding a composite module 1295 shown in FIG. 4A(b) near a suture site immediately after an incisional surgery on a patient. Here, as the progress progresses after the surgery, there is a risk that the incision site or the affected area removal (amputation) site will become suppurated and there is a risk of internal bleeding. Therefore, it is important for post-surgical treatment to detect suppuration and internal bleeding at the site where the affected part is removed (cut) as soon as possible and take appropriate measures. If bacteria enters the incision site or the site where the affected area is removed (cut) and causes suppuration, the pH value (hydrogen ion index) of the suppuration site changes. Therefore, as a composite module 1295 embedded in the suture site, p
A sensor/communication module 1460 having a built-in pH sensor module or blood sensor module that detects the H value may be used.

Moreover, in this case, the period for follow-up observation after surgery does not need to be so long. Therefore, as explained in Section 1.6, the life management data 1794 or the operating period management data 1 in FIG.
795 may be used to control the sensor/communication module 1460 to operate only during the post-surgery follow-up period. In addition, the service life (battery life) of the power storage module (battery) 1554 in the sensor/communication module 1460 shown in FIG. Communication module 1460 may be rendered inoperable. This prevents unnecessary radio wave transmission from the composite module 1295 (sensor/communication module 1460) after the post-surgery follow-up period, and the network system α_11
This has the effect of reducing the burden on the system controller α_1126 that controls/manages network communications within the system.

Next, a method for inserting or invading the composite module into the human body will be explained. In this case, a composite module 1295 having the form shown in FIG. 4A(b) is enclosed in a capsule, and the user is asked to swallow the capsule along with water, soft drink, or the like. For example, by lowering the selling price of soft drinks mixed with the capsules, the composite module 1295 can be introduced into the body while reducing the mental burden on the user. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, when a user with a chronic illness takes medicine regularly, the capsule may be swallowed together with the user. The capsule containing the composite module 1295 remains in the user's body until it is excreted in a toilet or the like, and it is possible to continue transmitting user information. In addition, as mentioned above, life management data 1794, operating period management data 1795, or power storage module (battery) 1
By utilizing the battery life of 554, unnecessary radio wave transmission from composite module 1295 after excretion can be prevented.

By the way, examples of the use of this method include user health management, early detection of disease onset/onset, and user's daily exercise status management. First, we will explain application examples for user health management and early detection of disease onset/onset. In this case, the sensor module 1260 in FIG. 4B(b) is used as the other function module 1440 having functions other than communication in FIG. 4A(b). As an example of this sensor module 1260, a temperature sensor module that measures body temperature may be used.

Conventionally, as a method for early detection of patients suffering from influenza, there is a method of installing a sensor that measures a user's body surface temperature using infrared rays at an airport gate, for example. However, if the user passes the installed temperature sensor before the temperature rises due to the onset of influenza (that is, immediately before the onset of influenza), there is a risk of missing an influenza patient. In comparison, by tracking body temperature changes over time using a capsule with a built-in temperature sensor module 1260,
This has the effect of improving the accuracy of detecting influenza patients.

Further, as another example of the sensor module 1260 built into the capsule, a sensor module capable of measuring blood sugar level may be used. This method measures the carbohydrate content in blood from the near-infrared light spectrum pattern obtained from the blood. Compared to healthy people, diabetic patients
Blood sugar levels (sugar content in the blood) tend to increase. When a diabetic patient's blood sugar level exceeds an acceptable range, prompt action such as medication is required. Therefore, by constantly monitoring the blood sugar level in the patient's body with a capsule containing a blood sugar sensor module, abnormal blood sugar levels can be detected quickly, which increases the effectiveness of treatment for diabetic patients.

Traditionally, in hospitals and facilities, nurses regularly measured the body temperature and blood sugar levels of hospitalized patients. In comparison, by having inpatients regularly take capsules with a built-in composite module 1295, not only can sudden changes in the patient's condition be treated immediately, but also hospital management can save on labor costs associated with measuring body temperature and blood sugar levels. It also has the effect of increasing the efficiency of facility management. Furthermore, by combining the position detection of the composite module 1295 using the method explained in Section 4.4 using FIGS. 31 to 34,
It is also effective in detecting wandering of dementia patients within hospitals and facilities.

Furthermore, as part of the self-attribute data 1793 in the composite module 1295, the "name of the person who took the medicine" may also be recorded together with the "name of the medicine" (see the relevant section in Section 1.6). Cameras installed in hospitals and facilities constantly monitor the system and manage the timing at which inpatients and residents take their designated medications. Then, when the inpatient or resident takes the specified medicine, the system controller α_1126 records the above information in the composite module 1295. This makes it possible to constantly monitor the medication status of inpatients and residents, which helps prevent forgetting to take doses.

Next, we will explain an example of its use in managing a user's daily exercise status. In this case, an acceleration sensor may be used as the sensor module 1260 built into the capsule. By combining the output of the acceleration sensor built into the body and the position detection information of the composite module 1295 described above, the user's exercise status can be successively monitored in real time. If the managed daily exercise amount of the user does not reach the predetermined target value, the user I/F unit 1234 in the system controller α_1126 or the system controller β_112
A proposal for a countermeasure is presented to the user from the display section in 8.

Further, an example of an embodiment system will be described below in which the "detection of combinations that are not normally possible" described using FIG. 37G is used to determine whether or not drugs can be taken together. Generally, patients are often prescribed a combination of multiple drugs. In this case, it becomes possible to automatically determine whether or not to take different drugs together. For example, each composite module 1295 (unit 1290
). As described above, the composite module 1295 (unit 1290) is enclosed in a capsule made of a material that is harmless to the human body. If the entire capsule is taken out of the body at the same time as the patient excretes in the toilet, the composite module 1295 (unit 1290) will not affect the human body. The composite module 1295 mixed into the medicine tablet in this way
(Unit 1290) The built-in capsule also stops emitting radio waves when it exits the body using the same method as described above.

However, the composite module 1295 (unit 1290) includes a communication module 1660, as shown in FIG. 4A. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, self-attribute data 1793 is recorded in advance in this communication module 1660. In the system example of this embodiment, drug identification data is stored in this self-attribute data 1793.

As shown in FIG. 2, the memory unit 1232 of the drug testing system controller α_1126, which is dedicated to testing multiple prescribed drugs, contains a data table of drugs that can be combined in advance and drugs that may cause health problems. A data table showing the combinations is recorded. The moment the patient or the pharmacist who dispensed the medicine passes in front of the aforementioned drug testing system controller α_1126 with a plurality of prescribed medicines, it is possible to quickly and easily determine whether or not the medicines can be combined.

In the system of this embodiment, as explained in Section 4.4, the locations of all units 1290 or composite modules 1295 can be detected in real time. Therefore, when the composite module 1295 (unit 1290) mixed with the drug passes a predetermined location, the drug testing system controller α_1126 appropriately detects the situation. Then, the drug testing system controller α_1126 requests the composite module 1295 (unit 1290) mixed into the drug to respond with self-attribute data 1793 (drug identification data).
The drug testing system controller α_1126 can monitor the contents of multiple prescribed drugs as appropriate. By referring the drug information collected by the drug testing system controller α_1126 to the data table described above, combinations of drugs that are incompatible with each other can be easily extracted.
If an inappropriate combination of drugs is found, an appropriate warning is issued to the user or pharmacist via display or voice.

Conventionally, data tables showing combinations of medicines that pose health problems have been managed for each dispensing pharmacy or each medical office in a hospital. Additionally, in Japan, each patient has their own ``medication notebook,'' which is a system that allows patients to see the history of medications they have taken in the past. Therefore, by using the medicine notebook, pharmacists can easily identify inappropriate combinations of medicines. Therefore, by referring to the data table and the medicine notebook, it is possible to easily confirm incompatible combinations of medicines. However, when dispensing pharmacies and hospital medical offices become extremely crowded and there are many patients waiting for medicine, pharmacists do not have time to refer to data tables each time. In this case, there are many opportunities for relying on the pharmacist's memory to determine inappropriate drug combinations. As a result, there is a risk that pharmacists may misremember and unintentionally prescribe an inappropriate combination of drugs.

When the application example of the system of this embodiment described above is used, it becomes unnecessary for the pharmacist to manually refer to the data table. As a result, not only the dispensing efficiency of dispensing pharmacies is greatly improved, but also the ability to automatically check drug combinations at very high speed and with high precision.
Furthermore, in pharmacies and hospital medical offices, dispensing is done manually (pharmacists), so there is an inevitable risk of dispensing errors. On the other hand, by using the system application example of this embodiment, it becomes possible to detect dispensing errors with high accuracy. As a result, the patient's level of confidence in taking medication will also be significantly improved.

Note that in Section 5.3.2 of this book, a method of incorporating the composite module 1295 (or unit 1290) into a capsule has been described as a method for introducing the composite module 1295 (or unit 1290) into the body. However, the method is not limited to this, and any means may be used. For example, instead of being placed in a capsule, the composite module 1295 (or unit 1290) made up of one chip (or a hybrid chip) may be laminated (or coated) with a material that is harmless to the human body. Section 5.3.3 Example of applying the section division method to the healthcare field As an example of applying the section division method to the healthcare field, as in Section 5.2.3, section 1142 is divided into each floor or room of a ward. It may be divided, or the sections 1142 may be divided by medical department in the ward. In the system of this embodiment, various sensor information obtained from this may be integrated/managed for each section 1142. As a result, it is possible to grasp the situation for each hierarchical section, such as the frequency of nurse calls and the frequency of patients whose symptoms suddenly worsen. By reflecting the results in the staffing plan for nurses and other personnel, the quality of patient care services within the hospital can be improved.

On the other hand, as an example of application to the healthcare field, section 1_114 for each part of the human body.
It may be divided into 2-1 to m_1142-m. Here, sense information about the human body includes a wide variety of sense information such as local body temperature, local sweat rate, local skeletal muscle tension rate, local intravascular oxygen concentration changes, and local pulse status. can get. By integrating/managing these various sense information for each section 1142, abnormal locations can be easily identified in real time, which has the effect of making it easier to extract locations where symptoms are rapidly worsening and to understand the patient's medical condition.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.
The claims of the original application are appended below.
(Claim 1) A first connection to a network and a second connection to a predetermined module including a sensor function or a drive function;
a signal processing section connected to the first connection section and the second connection section;
a memory section connected to the signal processing section;
A unit comprising a processor that controls at least one of the signal processing section and the memory section,
the signal processing unit operates based on a first application;
A unit characterized in that the first application is modified, changed, added, or updated when the purpose of use of the unit changes, the usage environment changes, or the operating mode needs to be switched. (Claim 2) After the first application is modified, changed, added, or updated to the unit,
A unit according to claim 1, wherein the unit operates adaptively within a predetermined area in which the unit is included. (Claim 3) The memory unit stores life management data and/or operating period management data,
3. The unit according to claim 2, wherein the processor limits the operation of the unit based on the life management data and/or the operating period management data. (Claim 4) A first connection to a network and a second connection to a predetermined module including a sensor function or a drive function;
a signal processing section connected to the first connection section and the second connection section;
a memory section connected to the signal processing section;
A unit comprising a processor that controls at least one of the signal processing section and the memory section,
the signal processing unit operates based on a first application;
the first application is associated with a first system controller;
Communication is performed between the unit and a second system controller different from the first system controller,
a second application is specified by the second system controller based on the communication;
A unit characterized in that processing within the signal processing section is changed from a first processing content to a second processing content in response to the second application. (Claim 5) In response to an instruction from the second system controller or a change request to the second system controller from the unit,
5. The unit according to claim 4, wherein a change from the first application to the second application is performed. (Claim 6) When the unit moves from a predetermined area to another different area,
6. A unit according to claim 5, wherein changes to the second application are performed. (Claim 7) The unit according to Claim 6, wherein the change to the second application is executed based on movement within a manufacturing process within a predetermined factory. (Claim 8) One or more units having a network communication function are present in the network system,
One of the units is capable of information communication with a system controller or another unit,
The unit includes a first connection section, a second connection section, a signal processing section, a memory section, and a processor,
the first connection unit is connected to the network system;
The second connection part is connected to a predetermined module including a sensor function or a drive function,
The signal processing section is connected to the first connection section and the second connection section,
The memory section is connected to the signal processing section,
The processor controls at least one of the signal processing section and the memory section,
The signal processing unit operates based on an application,
A client system in which software for executing a new application is transferred via the first connection based on information related to the change of the application provided by the system controller. (Claim 9) Modification, change, addition, or update of an application within the unit is executed based on the transfer of the software;
9. The client system of claim 8, wherein the predetermined module is compliantly operated within the network system. (Claim 10) The system controller virtually forms a control area of the unit,
Modifying or changing, adding, or updating an application within the unit based on the transfer of the software;
9. The client system according to claim 8, wherein efficient management or control and information collection are performed for each unit. (Claim 11) When the purpose of use of the unit changes or the usage environment changes, or there is a need to switch the operation mode,
9. The client system according to claim 8, wherein the system controller provides information related to the change of the application to the unit. (Claim 12) The memory section includes an application storage area,
11. The client system according to claim 9, wherein common application software that continues to be used without being changed is stored in the application storage area after the application is modified, changed, added, or updated. (Claim 13
) The memory section stores life management data and/or operating period management data,
The client system according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the processor limits the operation of the unit based on the life management data and/or the operating period management data. (Claim 14) A method for controlling a unit including a first connection section, a second connection section, a signal processing section, a memory section, and a processor,
the first connection unit is connected to a network system;
The second connection part is connected to a predetermined module including a sensor function or a drive function,
The signal processing section is connected to the first connection section and the second connection section,
The memory section is connected to the signal processing section,
The processor controls at least one of the signal processing section and the memory section,
The signal processing unit operates based on an application,
A method for controlling a unit, in which software for executing a new application is transferred via the first connection based on information related to a change in the application provided from the outside. (Claim 15) Correcting, changing, adding, or updating an application within the unit based on the software transfer,
15. The method of controlling a unit according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined module operates compliantly within the network system. (Claim 16) When there is a change in the purpose of use or a change in the use environment of the unit, or when it becomes necessary to switch the operation mode,
16. The method of controlling a unit according to claim 15, wherein information related to changes in the application is provided. (Claim 17) The memory section includes an application storage area,
16. The unit control method according to claim 15, wherein common application software that continues to be used without being changed is stored in the application storage area after the application is modified, changed, added, or updated. (Claim 18) The memory unit stores life management data and/or operating period management data,
18. The method for controlling a unit according to claim 14, wherein the processor limits the operation of the unit based on the life management data and/or the operating period management data. (Claim 19) The unit control method according to any one of Items 14 to 18, wherein the application is modified, changed, added, or updated based on movement within a manufacturing process within a predetermined factory.

1102... Wholesaler A, 1104-1~-2... Wholesaler B1~B2, 1112-1~-3... Service providers A~C, 1114... Information sharing or collaborative accommodation of resources, 1116-1 to -n... Servers 1 to n, 1118-1 to -n... Database, 1122-1 to -3... Domains 1 to 3, 1124... Smart meter, 1126... System controller α, 1128... System controller β, 1132... System α, 1134... System β, 1142-1 to -m... Sections 1 to m, 1152... Predetermined product generation unit, 1154 ...Predetermined product storage section, 1202-1 to 10... Communication module, 1206... Release amount monitor section, 1208... Inflow amount monitor section, 1212... Release amount control section, 1214... Inflow amount control section, 1216... Release amount monitor section, 1218... Inflow amount monitor section, 1220... (car) battery, 1222... Sensor module, 1226... Display module, 1230... Processor, 1232, 1242, 1244, 1246...Memory unit, 1234...User I/F unit, 1240-1 to -3...Device controller (processor), 1242...Memory unit, 1244...・Memory part, 1246...Memory part, 1248...Memory part, 1250-1 to -5...Device, 1260-1 to -9...Sensor module, 1270-1 to -4 ...Actuator module, 1290-1 to -7...Unit, 1295-1 to -7...Combined module, 1300...Router (gateway) / built-in battery, 1330...Processor, 1406, 1416... Release amount monitor/communication module, 1408, 1418... Inflow amount monitor/communication module, 1412... Release amount control/communication module, 1414... Inflow amount control/communication module, 1440. ...Other function modules (functions other than communication), 1444...Remote cooperation, 1450-1 to -4...Device, 1460-1 to -5...Sensor/communication module, 1465...・Processor/communication module, 1470-1 to -2... Actuator/communication module, 1475... Memory/communication module, 1478... Display/communication module, 1480... Antenna, 1490...・Bus line, 1552... (Solar) power generation module, 1554... Energy storage module (battery), 1560... Near field communication module, 1602... Input terminal, 1604... Output terminal, 1606... ...Voltage output terminal, 1608... Infrared light emitting element, 1610... Variable resistance section, 1614... Continuity/disconnection switching section, 1618... Predetermined voltage generation section, 1620... Set resistance value storage section , 1624... Setting state storage section, 1628... Setting voltage storage section, 1644... Format conversion section, 1648... Infrared light emission drive circuit, 1660... Communication module, 1660-1... Insulating substrate on which a communication module is formed, 1666 Communication module with built-in antenna, 1670 Actuator module, 1680 Processor module, 1690 Memory module, 1700 Communication control 1710... Interface unit, 1734... Processor, 1736... Processor, 1738... Processor, 1740... Management information (table) related information recording area, 1742, 1744, 1746, 1748. ...Management information (table), 1752...Communication module compatible within the same system, 1758...Communication module compatible with outside the system, 1764...Communication module, 1766-1 to n...Other function modules, 1768. ...Communication module, 1770...Wireless, 1772...Antenna section, 1774...Antenna connection section, 1776...Power supply section, 1778...External module connection section, 1780...Signal processing section , 1782...Network line within the same system, 1788...Network line outside the system, 1790...Memory section, 1791...Application change software, 1792...Application storage section, 1793...Self attribute data , 1794... Life management data, 1795... Operating period management data, 1796... Sensor module management data, 1797... Drive module management data, 1799... Security target data, 1810... Exchange information (Table), 1830, (ESV)...Communication access control information, 1840, (EPC)...Exchange information type identification information, 1852...Command (command issue), 1854...Result report (Status) ), 1872...Request for response, 1874...Response, 1894...Regular/irregular report, 1900...Major arterial road or water/sewerage piping, distribution power line, wired line 1914... Physical layer frame generation section, 1918... Physical layer frame analysis section, 1924... Address information generation section, 1928... Address information extraction section, 1934... - Content setting section, 1938... Content extraction section, 1940... Address information I/F (interface) section, 1950... Content information I/F (interface) section, 1960... Processor, 2002... - Communication module, 2030... Processor, 2032... Memory unit, 2082... Network line within the same domain, 2100... Detection of direction or intensity or phase of radio wave source, 2310... Elapsed time , 2320...Status item, 2330...State probability, 2340...User action item, 2350...User action probability, 2360...User request item, 2370...User request probability, 2600...・Unit management pseudo drive, 2610... Folder for list data, 2612... Folder for equipment, 2614... Folder for composite module, 2616-1~-m... Folder for unit management in section, 2622. ...Sensor/communication module compatible folder, 2624...Drive/communication module compatible folder, 2626...Processor/communication module compatible folder, 2628...Memory/communication module compatible folder, 2630...Other functions/communication Module compatible folder 2634... Binary data compatible folder, 2638... Multivalue data compatible folder, 2710... Antenna, 2720... Amplifier and signal processing circuit, 2730... Stealth board, 2734... 2738... Weakly conductive organic layer with a fine uneven structure on both the front and back surfaces, 2760... Pola Bora antenna, 2800... Incident radio wave, 2920... Resistor, 2940-1, -2... Voltage difference device, 2960... Adder, 3010... Processor (hardware part), 3012... Bus line, 3014... Recording medium (hardware part) , 3015...Information communication execution unit for connection within the system, 3016...Information communication execution unit, 3017...Information communication execution unit for connection outside the system, 3018...Connection unit, 3020...BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) control area, 3022... Device driver area, 3021... Communication control unit supporting intra-system connection, 3024... Recording medium control unit, 3025... Communication driver area supporting intra-system connection, 3026 ...Communication driver area, 3027...Communication driver area supporting connection outside the system, 3028...Communication control unit, 3029...Communication control unit supporting connection outside the system, 3030...OS (Operating System) layer, 3034... Management/control area of units within the system (virtual device driver area), 3040... API (Application Programming Interface) command passage boundary line, 3045... API (Application Programming Interface) command, 3050... - Application software, 3120... JVM (Java Virtual Machine), 3140... Unit management/control related method group, 3144... Instance method group in file class, 3148... Main method, 3150... Management/control class for units within the system, 3154...File class, 3158...Application class, 3160...Class group, 3170, 3174...Incorporation (import), 3188...Program step, 3190, 3194...Reference, 3501...Supermarket store area, 3502...Supermarket cash register area, 3503...Supermarket exit area, 3505...Shoes, 3506...Milk, 3507... Bag, 3511a, 3511b... Cash register, 3512... Monitoring device, 3521... Refrigerator, 3522... System controller, 3523... Composite module (unit), 3525... Display device, 3531. ... Composite module (unit), 3532 ... System controller, 3533 ... Smartphone, 3540 ... Wall to be inspected, 3541a, 3541b, 3541c ... Steel frame, 3542, 3543 ... Complex module ( unit), 3542a, 3543b...antenna of composite module (unit), 3545...inspection vehicle, 3546...system controller, 3548...pipe such as gas pipe, water pipe, fire hydrant pipe, etc., 3549... - Composite module (unit), 3550... Greenhouse house, 3551... System controller, 3552... Surveillance camera, 3553a, 3553b, 3553c... Bar-shaped monitoring device with built-in composite module (unit), 3554... Composite module (unit), 3560... Patient bed, 3561... Medical equipment box, 3560a, 3561a, 3565a... Composite module (unit), 3562... System controller, 3565. ...Deadly weapon such as a knife, 3567, 3568...Airport, 3569...Airplane, 3570...Passenger, 3570a, 3573a...Combined module (unit), 3571, 3572...System controller, 3573. ...Carry bag, 3581...System controller, 3581a...Internet connection section, 3581b...Protocol recognition section, 3581c...Communication standard recognition section, 3581d...Data processing section, 3581e...Data Detection unit, 3581f... Communication standard compatible format setting unit, 3581g... Internet compatible data output unit, 3583... Composite module, 3584a... Access point, 3584b... Base station, 3585... Internet .

Claims (3)

A unit that communicates with a system controller that communicates with a server using a first communication means via the Internet using a local second communication means different from the first communication means, the unit comprising:
The unit is
It has a communication module that realizes a communication function and another function module that realizes a function other than the communication function,
The other functional module includes multiple types of sensor modules and/or drive modules,
The communication module includes a processor and a memory unit, the memory unit includes an application modification software storage unit,
When the moved area changes, the unit receives software for executing a new application from the system controller via the second communication means, and this software is stored in the application change software storage and the stored The processing of the processor is executed based on software, and in this case, one or more of the plurality of sensor modules and/or drive modules is selectively selected depending on the usage environment of the communication module. A unit characterized by being set. A method for controlling a system controller that communicates with a server using a first communication means via the Internet, and a unit that communicates using a local second communication means different from the first communication means. There it is,
The unit is
It has a communication module that realizes a communication function and another function module that realizes a function other than the communication function,
The other functional module includes multiple types of sensor modules and/or drive modules,
The communication module includes a processor and a memory unit, the memory unit includes an application modification software storage unit,
The control method includes:
when the moved area changes, the unit receives software for executing a new application from the system controller via the second communication means;
the software is stored in the application modification software storage;
The processing of the processor is executed based on the stored software, and in this case, one of the plurality of types of sensor modules and/or drive modules is selectively selected according to the usage environment of the communication module. one or more are set,
A method of controlling a unit characterized by: A communication method of a unit that communicates with a system controller that communicates with a server using a first communication means via the Internet using a local second communication means different from the first communication means. There it is,
The unit has a communication module that realizes a communication function and another function module that realizes a function other than the communication function,
The other functional module includes multiple types of sensor modules and/or drive modules,
The communication module includes a processor and a memory unit, the memory unit includes an application modification software storage unit,
Further, when the area to which the unit has moved changes, the unit receives software for executing a new application from the system controller via the second communication means, stores this software in the application change software storage, and stores the software in the application change software storage. The processing of the processor is executed based on software, and in this case, one or more types of sensor modules and/or drive modules are selectively selected from among the plurality of types of sensor modules and/or drive modules depending on the usage environment of the communication module. A communication method for a unit, characterized in that:

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