TWI682641B - Communication system, apparatus control system, communication device, communication control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a communication system, a machine control system, a communication device, a communication control method, and a program that can easily realize cooperation between a plurality of second systems. The communication system (10) includes a first system (1), a plurality of interfaces (3), and a plurality of second systems (2). A plurality of interfaces (3) are connected to the transmission path (12), and communicate by overlapping signals superimposed on the first signal. Each of the plurality of interfaces (3) is configured to transmit the second signal received from the corresponding second system (2) in the plurality of second systems (2) to the other second system as an overlapping signal through the other interface (3) (2). Each of the plurality of interfaces (3) is configured to adjust the timing of sending the overlapping signal according to the state of the transmission path (12) when sending the overlapping signal.

Description

Communication system, machine control system, communication device, communication control method and program

The present disclosure generally relates to a communication system, a machine control system, a communication device, a communication control method and a program, and more specifically relates to a communication system, a machine control system, a communication device, and a communication system having a first system and a plurality of second systems Control methods and programs.

Document 1 (JP2009-55371A) describes a communication system in which a slave machine and an overlay communication mechanism are connected in parallel to a master machine via a 2-wire communication line. The base unit outputs the first signal of positive and negative polarity change to the communication line. The slave sets the first signal as a power source, and communicates with the master through the first signal. The superimposed communication mechanism sets the first signal as a power source, and communicates with the parent device by the second signal superimposed on the first signal.

In the communication system described in Document 1, when a plurality of second systems (subsystems) are connected to the first system including the parent machine, since there is no function to integrate the communication between the plurality of second systems, It is difficult to achieve collaboration between multiple second systems.

The present disclosure is made in view of the above-mentioned reasons, and its object is to provide a communication system, a machine control system, a communication device, a communication control method, and a program that can easily realize cooperation between a plurality of second systems.

An aspect of the communication system of the present disclosure includes a first system, a plurality of interfaces, and a plurality of second systems. The above-mentioned first system includes one or more first terminals that communicate by transmitting the first signal through the transmission path. The plurality of interfaces are connected to the transmission path, and communicate by the superimposed signal superimposed on the first signal. The plurality of second systems described above include one or more second terminals that communicate with the second signal. The plurality of second systems are asynchronous with each other, and are in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of interfaces to connect. Each of the plurality of interfaces is configured to transmit the second signal received from the corresponding second system of the plurality of second systems to the other second system through the other interface with the superimposed signal. Each of the plurality of interfaces is configured to adjust the timing of transmitting the overlapping signal according to the state of the transmission path when transmitting the overlapping signal.

One aspect of the machine control system of the present disclosure is provided with the aforementioned communication system. The one or more first terminals include a collective control terminal that collectively controls a plurality of machines, and the one or more second terminals include a single control terminal that controls the plurality of machines individually for each machine.

The communication device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is used in the communication system as one of the plurality of interfaces.

One aspect of the communication control method of the present disclosure is in a communication system. When each of the multiple interfaces sends an overlapping signal, the timing of sending the overlapping signal is adjusted according to the state of the transmission path. The above-mentioned communication system includes a first system, plural interfaces, and plural second systems. The above-mentioned first system includes at least one first terminal communicating with the first signal transmitted by the above-mentioned transmission path. The plurality of interfaces are connected to the transmission path and communicate by the superimposed signal superimposed on the first signal. The plurality of second systems described above include one or more second terminals that communicate with the second signal. The plurality of second systems are asynchronous with each other, and are in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of interfaces to connect. Each of the plurality of interfaces is configured to transmit the second signal received from the corresponding second system of the plurality of second systems to the other second system through the other interface with the superimposed signal.

An aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer system to execute the above communication control method.

(Embodiment 1)

(1) Overview

The communication system of this embodiment is used in facilities such as office buildings, shops, hospitals, schools or workshops, and constitutes a machine control system for controlling equipment such as lighting fixtures installed in the facilities. In this embodiment, a case where a machine control system using a communication system is used as a lighting control system for controlling lighting appliances will be described as an example.

As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 10 of this embodiment includes a first system 1, a plurality of (here, two) second systems 2A, 2B, and a plurality of (here, two) interfaces 3A, 3B. Hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between the plural second systems 2A and 2B, each of the plural second systems 2A and 2B is referred to as "second system 2". Similarly, when there is no particular distinction between a plurality of interfaces 3A, 3B, each of the plurality of interfaces 3A, 3B is called "interface 3". In the present embodiment, the first system 1 constitutes a "master system" which is an upper system in the communication system 10, and each second system 2 constitutes a "subsystem" which is a lower system in the communication system 10. Therefore, a plurality of second systems 2 can be managed comprehensively in the first system 1 which is the main system.

Here, the interface 3 is a communication device having at least a communication function. In other words, the communication device is used as one of the plurality of interfaces 3 in the communication system 10.

The first system 1 includes more than one (here, four) first terminals 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D. Hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between plural first terminals 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D, each of the plural first terminals 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D is referred to as "first terminal 11". The first terminal 11 communicates by the first signal transmitted by the (first) transmission path 12.

The second system 2A includes one or more (here, three) second terminals 21A, 21B, and 21E. In addition, the other second system 2B includes one or more (here, three) second terminals 21C, 21D, and 21F. Hereinafter, when there is no particular distinction between the plural second terminals 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E, and 21F, each of the plural second terminals 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E, and 21F is referred to as the 2 Terminal 21｣. The second terminal 21 communicates via the second signal transmitted by the (second) transmission path 22.

Here, the plurality of second systems 2A and 2B are asynchronous with each other. In this embodiment, the second terminal 21 included in each second system 2 communicates with other second terminals 21 included in the same second system 2 due to the second signal transmitted by the transmission path 22, whereby the second The system 2 operates independently. That is, the second system 2 constructs separate systems. In the present embodiment, the plurality of independent second systems 2 can be connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via the interface 3 to perform cooperation between the plurality of second systems 2.

As an example in FIG. 1, a plurality of (here, two) luminaires 4A, 4B are connected to the first terminal 11A, and a plurality of (here, two) luminaires 4C, 4D are connected to the first terminal 11B. In addition, a lighting fixture 4A is connected to the second terminal 21A, a lighting fixture 4B is connected to the second terminal 21B, a lighting fixture 4C is connected to the second terminal 21C, and a lighting fixture 4D is connected to the second terminal 21D. In the following, when there is no particular distinction between a plurality of lighting fixtures 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, each of the plurality of lighting fixtures 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D is referred to as "lighting fixture 4". The plurality of lighting fixtures 4 constitute a plurality of devices to be controlled by the device control system 100 using the communication system 10. In the present embodiment, a description will be given of constituent elements of the lighting system 4 that is not included in the communication system 10 as the control target.

The plurality of interfaces 3A and 3B are connected to the transmission path 12 and communicate by the superimposed signal superimposed on the first signal. “Overlap” in this disclosure means that multiple signals transmitted on the same transmission path overlap each other. That is, the superimposed signal is a signal transmitted on the transmission path 12 together with the first signal in a state of being superimposed on the first signal transmitted on the transmission path 12. The plurality of second systems 2 and the plurality of interfaces 3 are in one-to-one correspondence and connected. As an example in this embodiment, the second system 2A is associated with the interface 3A and connected to the interface 3A. The second system 2B corresponds to the interface 3B and is connected to the interface 3B. In other words, the second system 2A is connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via the interface 3A, and the second system 2B is connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via the interface 3B.

In this way, the interface 3 and the second system 2 are in one-to-one correspondence, and one interface 3 and one second system 2 are grouped (paired). Hereinafter, the second system 2 corresponding to the specific interface 3 in the plurality of second systems 2, that is, the second system 2 directly connected to the specific interface 3 is also referred to as the "subordinate second system 2" of the interface 3. . In this embodiment, the second system 2A is subordinate to the interface 3A, and the second system 2B is subordinate to the interface 3B.

Moreover, each of the plurality of interfaces 3A, 3B is configured to transmit the second signal received from the corresponding second system 2 in the plurality of second systems 2A, 2B to the other second system 2 through the other interface 3 as an overlapping signal. That is, the interface 3A transmits the second signal received from the corresponding second system 2A to the other second system 2B through the other interface 3B as an overlapping signal. On the other hand, the interface 3B transmits the second signal received from the corresponding second system 2B to the other second system 2A via the other interface 3A as an overlapping signal.

In short, the second system 2A is connected to the transmission path 12 of the common first system 1 via the interface 3A and the second system 2B via the interface 3B. Therefore, a plurality of interfaces 3A, 3B communicate with each other by overlapping signals, and data can be exchanged between different second systems 2A, 2B. As a result, even during the operation of the first system 1, by using the overlapping signal of the first signal superimposed on the first system 1, the transmission path 12 common to the first system 1 is used, and a plurality of second systems 2A and 2B can also cooperate.

However, in the communication system 10 of this embodiment, each of the plurality of interfaces 3A, 3B is configured to adjust the timing of transmitting the overlapping signal according to the state of the transmission path 12 when transmitting the overlapping signal. That is, when the interface 3 receives the second signal from the subordinate second system 2, it does not immediately send the overlapped signal, but temporarily stores the data contained in the second signal, and functions as a buffer for transmitting the overlapped signal in the observation timing. For example, when interface 3 receives the second signal from the second system 2 of the subordinate, if the first terminal 11 of the first system 1 is in communication, it will send an overlapping signal after waiting for the communication of the first terminal 11 to end .

In this way, in the communication system 10, each interface 3 adjusts the timing of sending overlapping signals to the transmission path 12 according to the state of the transmission path 12, and each second system 2 can communicate with the other second system 2 regardless of the communication timing. Therefore, according to the communication system 10, there is an advantage that the cooperation between a plurality of second systems 2 (subsystems) can be easily realized.

(2) Composition

Next, the configuration of the communication system 10 of this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 1.

As described above, the communication system 10 includes the first system 1, plural (here, two) second systems 2, and plural (here, two) interfaces 3.

(2.1) The first system

The first system 1 includes a plurality of (four in this case) first terminals 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D. Any one of the plurality of first terminals 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D is electrically connected to the 2-wire transmission path 12. The plurality of first terminals 11A, 11B, 11C, and 11D include three types of terminals: "control terminal", "monitoring terminal", and "transmission unit". In the example of FIG. 1, the first terminals 11A and 11B are control terminals, the first terminal 11C is a monitoring terminal, and the first terminal 11D is a transmission unit.

The first terminals 11A and 11B as control terminals perform control of the device (lighting fixture 4) to be controlled by the device control system 100. As an example in FIG. 1, the first terminals 11A and 11B are separate from the lighting fixture 4 to be controlled. Each of the first terminals 11A and 11B has a function of controlling the relays or remote control relays built in the first terminals 11A and 11B and illuminating based on a message sent from the first terminal 11D as a transmission unit On/off control of appliance 4. The "message" in this disclosure is a set of data sent and received between devices according to a specific form. In the example of FIG. 1, the first terminal 11A collectively controls a plurality of (two in this case) lighting appliances 4A by turning on/off relays (or remote control relays) provided on the power supply paths to the lighting appliances 4A, 4B , 4B's "collective control terminal". The first terminal 11B collectively controls a plurality (two in this case) of the lighting devices 4C, 4D by turning on/off the relay (or remote control relay) provided on the power supply path to the lighting devices 4C, 4D. terminal". However, it is not limited to this example, and the first terminals 11A and 11B as control terminals may be integrated with the lighting fixture 4 as the control target, and may have a function of performing control such as dimming or color adjustment of the lighting fixture 4. Each of the first terminals 11A and 11B has a memory for storing its own address allocated separately. When each of the first terminals 11A and 11B has a plurality of relays, the unique address of each relay is stored in the memory.

The first terminal 11C, which is a monitoring terminal, is composed of, for example, a switch device or a sensor device that is mounted on a wall or the like and accepts the user's operation. The sensor device mentioned here is, for example, a human sensor, an illuminance sensor, or a temperature sensor. For example, the first terminal 11C as a monitoring terminal uses a switch to detect the user's operation or a sensor to detect the presence of a person. If a specific phenomenon occurs, a message is sent to the first terminal 11D as a transmission unit. In the example of FIG. 1, the first terminal 11C is a switch device that accepts the user's operation. If any one of the plurality of switches detects the user's operation, a message corresponding to the operated switch is sent. The first terminal 11C has a memory for storing its own address allocated separately. When the first terminal 11C has a plurality of switches, the address unique to each switch is memorized in the memory.

The first terminal 11D as a transmission unit repeatedly transmits the first signal Si1 in the signal format shown in FIG. 2 for the 2-wire transmission path 12, for example. In addition, the first terminal 11D as a transmission unit has a memory that stores the correspondence between addresses of the first terminal 11 other than the first terminal 11D. Here, the first signal Si1 is a signal having a time-sharing method of a voltage waveform divided into a plurality of regions in the time axis direction. In the example of FIG. 2, the first signal Si1 includes 7 regions of the interruption zone T1, the short-circuit detection zone T2, the stop zone T3, the preliminary interruption zone T4, the preliminary zone T5, the transmission zone T6, and the reply zone T7. ±24 V) time division multiple signal. Here, a series of intervals from the interruption zone T1 of the first signal Si1 to the end of the reply zone T7 is set to 1 frame.

The interruption zone T1 is used to detect the presence or absence of an interruption signal described later, and the short-circuit detection zone T2 is used to detect a short-circuit period. The stop zone T3 is used during the time when processing is too late. The preliminary interruption zone T4 is used to detect whether there are two interruptions, and the preliminary interval T5 is a period set in conjunction with the interruption zone T1 and the short-circuit detection zone T2. The transmission band T6 is used for the first terminal 11D (transmission unit) to transmit data to the other first terminal 11 and the reply band T7 is used for the first terminal 11D (transmission unit) to receive the reply from the other first terminal 11 Period of information.

The first terminal 11D as a transmission unit normally performs the following regular polling: the transmission mode data is the first signal Si1 in the normal mode, and the address data included in the transmission band T6 of the first signal Si1 changes periodically, And sequentially access the other plurality of first terminals 11. During the regular polling, the first terminal 11 whose address data contained in the sending band T6 is consistent with its own address receives the message contained in the sending band T6, and sends the message to the first in the next reply band T7 Terminal 11D. Here, the first terminal 11 sends back a message by the current mode signal synchronized with the response band T7 of the first signal Si1. The "current mode signal" referred to in this disclosure is a signal expressed by a change in current generated by switching the state between the lines of the open 2-wire transmission path 12 and the state of the low-impedance element connected between the lines. As a result, one or more first terminals 11 included in the first system 1 communicate with the first signal Si1 transmitted on the transmission path 12. The power for operation of the internal circuit of the first terminal 11 other than the first terminal 11D is generated by rectifying and stabilizing the first signal Si1.

(2.2) The second system

The second system 2A includes plural (here, three) second terminals 21A, 21B, and 21E. Any one of the plurality of second terminals 21A, 21B, and 21E is electrically connected to the 2-wire transmission path 22 of the second system 2A. Like the second system 2A, the second system 2B includes plural (here, three) second terminals 21C, 21D, and 21F. Any one of the plurality of second terminals 21C, 21D, and 21F is electrically connected to the 2-wire transmission path 22 of the second system 2B. As an example in this embodiment, the second systems 2A and 2B are systems based on the DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) specification. The plural second terminals 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E, and 21F include two types of terminals: "slave device" and "master device". In the example of FIG. 1, the second terminals 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D are slave devices, respectively, and the second terminals 21E, 21F are respectively master devices.

The second terminals 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D that are slave devices perform control of the device (lighting fixture 4) to be controlled by the device control system 100. As an example in FIG. 1, the second terminals 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D are separate from the lighting fixture 4 that is the control target. Each of the second terminals 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D has the following function: According to the messages sent from the second terminals 21E and 21F as the master device, the connection to the second terminals 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D, respectively, is performed. Control of on/off, dimming or color adjustment of the lighting fixture 4. In the example of FIG. 1, the second terminal 21A is connected to the lighting fixture 4A, the second terminal 21B is connected to the lighting fixture 4B, and each of the second terminals 21A and 21B individually controls a plurality of units for each lighting fixture 4 (here "2 sets" of lighting appliances 4A, 4B "individual control terminal". The second terminal 21C is connected to the lighting fixture 4C, the second terminal 21D is connected to the lighting fixture 4D, and each of the second terminals 21C and 21D individually controls the lighting of a plurality of units (here, two) for each lighting fixture 4 "Individual control terminal" of appliances 4C and 4D. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the second terminals 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D as slave devices may be integrated with the lighting fixture 4 that is the control target. Each of the second terminals 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D has a memory that stores its own address allocated separately.

The second terminals 21E and 21F as the main control device are constituted by, for example, a switch device or a sensor device which is mounted on a wall or the like and accepts the operation of the user. The sensor device mentioned here is, for example, a human sensor, an illuminance sensor, or a temperature sensor. The second terminals 21E, 21F as the master control device, for example, use a switch to detect the user's operation, or use a sensor to detect the presence of a person, etc. If a specific phenomenon occurs, it is sent to the second terminal 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D message. In the example of FIG. 1, each of the second terminals 21E and 21F is a switch device that accepts the user's operation, and if any one of a plurality of switches is used to detect the user's operation, a switch corresponding to the operated switch is sent. message. Each of the second terminals 21E and 21F has a memory for storing its own address allocated separately.

One or more second terminals 21 included in the second system 2 communicate with the second signal transmitted on the transmission path 22. Here, the communication protocol of the second system 2, that is, the protocol of the second signal is at least different from the communication protocol of the first system 1, that is, the protocol of the first signal Si1.

(2.3) Interface

Any one of the plural (here, two) interfaces 3A, 3B are electrically connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1. The plurality of interfaces 3A and 3B are configured to be able to communicate with each other via the transmission path 12 by the superimposed signal Si0 superimposed on the first signal Si1. Moreover, the interface 3A is electrically connected to the transmission path 22 of the second system 2A. The interface 3B is electrically connected to the transmission path 22 of the second system 2B. As a result, a plurality of (in this case, two) second systems 2A, 2B that are not synchronized with each other are connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via the interfaces 3A, 3B. As a result, a plurality of second systems 2A, 2B independent of each other can cooperate via the interfaces 3A, 3B and the transmission path 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, each interface 3 includes a control unit 30, a rectifier 31, an overlapping signal transmitting unit 32, an overlapping signal receiving unit 33, a first signal transmitting unit 34, a first signal receiving unit 35, and a second signal transmitting and receiving unit 36, And insulated circuit 37. Each interface 3 further includes a collision detection unit 38 and a priority setting unit 39.

The control unit 30 controls the overlapping signal transmitting unit 32, the overlapping signal receiving unit 33, the first signal transmitting unit 34, the first signal receiving unit 35, the second signal transmitting and receiving unit 36, the collision detection unit 38, and the priority setting unit 39. The control unit 30 is constituted by a microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory as a main structure. In other words, the control unit 30 is realized by a computer having a CPU and a memory, and the CPU executes a program stored in the memory, and the computer functions as the control unit 30. Although the program is recorded in the memory of the control unit 30 in advance here, it can also be provided through an electrical communication line such as the Internet or a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

The rectifier 31 is composed of a diode bridge (referred to as “DB” in FIG. 3 ). The rectifier 31 is electrically connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1.

The superimposed signal transmission unit 32 is connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via a rectifier 31. The superimposed signal transmitting unit 32 transmits the superimposed signal Si0 superimposed on the first signal Si1. Compared with the first signal, the overlapping signal Si0 is a signal with a sufficiently high frequency and the amount of data that can be transmitted per frame (of the first signal) is sufficiently large. Therefore, the communication using the overlapping signal Si0 can speed up the communication speed compared to the communication using the first signal, and is suitable for transmission of information with a relatively large amount of data like an analog quantity, for example. Hereinafter, when distinguishing the overlapping signal Si0 from the interface 3A from the overlapping signal Si0 from the interface 3B, the overlapping signal Si0 from the interface 3A is called "Si0-1", and the overlapping signal Si0 from the interface 3B is called "" Si0-2｣ (refer to FIG. 4). In FIG. 4 and the like, only the case where the overlapping signal Si0 overlaps the first signal Si1 is shown schematically. Actually, the signal in which the overlapping signal Si0 is synthesized with the waveform of the first signal Si1 as shown is not generated on the transmission path 12.

The superimposed signal receiving unit 33 is connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via the rectifier 31. The superimposed signal receiving unit 33 receives the superimposed signal Si0 superimposed on the first signal Si1.

The first signal transmission unit 34 is connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via the rectifier 31. The first signal transmission unit 34 transmits the first signal Si1.

The first signal receiving unit 35 is connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via the rectifier 31. The first signal receiving unit 35 receives the first signal Si1.

The second signal transceiver 36 is electrically connected to the transmission path 22 of the second system 2 under the interface 3. The second signal transceiver 36 can perform communication according to the communication protocol of the second system 2. The second signal transmitting and receiving unit 36 transmits and receives the second signal via the transmission path 22 between the second terminal 21 included in the second system 2 under the interface 3. That is, the second signal transceiving unit 36 uses the second signal to send and receive messages bidirectionally by wired communication between the second terminal 21.

The insulating circuit 37 is inserted between the control unit 30 and the second signal transmission/reception unit 36. The insulating circuit 37 electrically insulates the control unit 30 and the second signal transmission/reception unit 36.

The collision detection unit 38 is connected to the overlapping signal receiving unit 33 and detects the collision of the overlapping signals Si0 of the transmission path 12 with each other. For example, in the case where the overlapping signal transmitting unit 32 of the interface 3A and the overlapping signal transmitting unit 32 of the interface 3B simultaneously transmit the overlapping signal Si0, there may be a collision of the overlapping signals Si0 on the transmission path 12. In this case, the collision detection sections 38 of the interfaces 3 detect the collision of the overlapping signals Si0 with each other.

The priority setting unit 39 accepts the priority setting information. That is, on each interface 3, the priority is set according to the setting information of the priority accepted by the priority setting unit 39. As an example in this embodiment, it is assumed that the priority level "1" is set on the interface 3A, and the priority level "2" is set on the interface 3B. Here, the higher the priority of the interface 3 (the smaller the value), the higher the priority of the transmission of the overlapping signal Si0. The setting information of priority can be manually input by the user through a two-line component switch or the like, or can be input to the interface 3 by a setting terminal or the like.

The interface 3 configured as described above transmits the second signal received from the subordinate second system 2 to the other second system 2 via the other interface 3 as an overlapping signal Si0. That is, the interface 3A transmits the second signal received from the subordinate second system 2A to the other second system 2B via the other interface 3B as the overlapping signal Si0. On the other hand, the interface 3B transmits the second signal received from the subordinate second system 2B to the other second system 2A via the other interface 3A as an overlapping signal Si0.

Furthermore, when the interface 3 transmits the overlapping signal Si0, the timing of transmitting the overlapping signal Si0 is adjusted according to the state of the transmission path 12. That is, when the interface 3 receives the second signal from the subordinate second system 2, it does not immediately send the overlapping signal Si0, but temporarily stores the data contained in the second signal, and functions as a buffer for observing the timing to send the overlapping signal Si0 . For example, when the interface 3 receives the second signal from the subordinate second system 2, if the first terminal 11 of the first system 1 is in communication, it will send an overlapping signal after waiting for the communication of the first terminal 11 to end Si0.

Specifically, the control unit 30 of the interface 3 has a function of monitoring the first signal Si1 by the first signal receiving unit 35 and analyzing the transmission status of the first signal Si1 (hereinafter, referred to as "status"). The interface 3 uses the analysis result of the state of the control unit 30 to determine whether it is located in the overlappable band suitable for the overlap of the overlap signal Si0, and at the timing determined as the overlappable band, the overlap signal transmitter 32 transmits the overlap signal Si0.

As an example in this embodiment, the overlapping bands are the regions (sections) of the stop band T3, the preliminary interruption band T4, the preliminary band T5, and the reply band T7 in the first signal Si1. That is, even if the overlap signal Si0 on the stop zone T3, the preliminary interruption zone T4, the preliminary zone T5, and the reply zone T7 overlaps, the first signal Si1 is unlikely to be affected, and the overlap signal Si0 is not easily affected by the first signal Si1. In particular, the response band T7 has a longer time to stabilize the signal level of the first signal Si1 than other regions. Because the proportion of the first frame of the first signal Si1 is larger, it is suitable for overlapping the overlapping signal Si0.

The other areas (interruption zone T1, short-circuit detection zone T2, and transmission zone T6) are the relatively short time for the signal level of the first signal Si1 to stabilize. If the overlapping signal Si0 overlaps, it will easily affect the first signal Si1, and the overlapping signal Si0 It is also easily affected by the first signal Si1. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the interruption zone T1, the short-circuit detection zone T2, and the transmission zone T6 are not used for the overlapping area of the overlapping signal Si0 (hereinafter, referred to as "non-overlapping band").

Even if it is the reply tape T7, the control unit 30 determines that the reply tape T7 used for the return of the current mode signal from the first terminal 11 is not overlapped. That is, the interface 3 uses the reply band T7 that does not return the current mode signal from the first terminal 11 as the overlapped band suitable for the overlap of the overlap signal Si0 and is used for the overlap of the overlap signal Si0. Therefore, the control unit 30 determines whether to return the current mode signal to the area recognized by the first signal receiving unit 35 as the reply tape T7, and determines that the reply tape T7 that does not perform the return is an overlapping tape.

(3) Action

Next, the operation of the communication system 10 of this embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, three operations of the operation of the first system 1, the operation of the second system 2, and the cooperative operation of the plurality of second systems 2 of the communication system 10 will be described in order. Thereafter, the retransmission operation and the time-sharing transmission operation for responding to the collision of the overlapping signals Si0 from the plurality of interfaces 3 will be described in order. In this embodiment, a retransmission operation and a time-sharing transmission operation will be described. However, retransmission actions and time-sharing actions can also be used in combination.

(3.1) Operation of the first system

First, the operation of the first system 1 will be described. Here, in the communication system 10 of FIG. 1, the operation of the first system 1 in the case where the switch corresponding to the first terminal 11A is operated with the first terminal 11C as the monitoring terminal will be described.

The first terminal 11C, such as an operation switch, generates an interrupt signal if a specific phenomenon occurs. If the first terminal 11D as a transmission unit detects the interrupt signal generated by the first terminal 11C in the interrupt band T1 of the first frame of the first signal Si1, the mode data contained in the transmission band T6 of the first signal Si1 Switch from normal mode to interrupt polling mode. In the interrupt polling mode, the first terminal 11D obtains the address of the first terminal 11C of the source of the interrupt signal, and specifies the address of the first terminal 11C of the source of the interrupt signal. Then, the first terminal 11D sends a reply request message to the first terminal 11C, which is the source of the interrupt signal, and receives a monitoring message (monitoring message) from the first terminal 11C by the current mode signal.

The first terminal 11D that received the monitoring message from the first terminal 11C transmits a control message (control message) to the first terminal 11A corresponding to the address included in the monitoring message. The control message sent at this time includes at least the control content and the address that becomes the destination of the control message. The first terminal 11A that has received the control message performs on/off control of the lighting fixtures 4A, 4B, which are the control objects, according to the control content of the control message.

As described above, in the first system 1, if a specific phenomenon occurs in the first terminal 11C as a monitoring terminal and an interrupt signal is generated, it is transmitted from the first terminal 11D as a transmission unit to the first terminal 11A as a control terminal Control messages. In short, in the first system 1, the first terminal 11C communicates with the first terminal 11A via the first terminal 11D as a transmission unit according to the polling and selection method agreement. As a result, for example, if the switch of the first terminal 11C is operated, by controlling the relay with the first terminal 11A corresponding to the switch, the lighting fixtures 4A and 4B corresponding to the switch are controlled.

(3.2) Operation of the second system

Next, the operation of the second system 2 will be described. Here, in the communication system 10 of FIG. 1, the operation of the second system 2A in the case where the switch corresponding to the second terminal 21A is operated with the second terminal 21E as the master control device will be described.

The second terminal 21E, such as an operating switch, sends a control message (control message) corresponding to the operated switch to the transmission path 22 as a second signal if a specific phenomenon occurs. This second signal is sent to the second terminal 21A corresponding to the operated switch. The control message sent at this time includes at least the control content and the address that becomes the destination of the control message. When the second terminal 21A receives the control message, it controls, for example, the on/off control of the lighting fixture 4A, which is the control target, according to the control content of the control message.

As described above, in the second system 2A, if a specific phenomenon occurs in the second terminal 21E as a master device, a control message is sent to the second terminal 21A as a slave device. In short, in the second system 2, the second terminal 21E directly communicates with the second terminal 21A. As a result, for example, if the switch of the second terminal 21E is operated, the lighting device 4A corresponding to the switch is controlled by controlling the second terminal 21A corresponding to the switch.

(3.3) Collaborative actions between multiple second systems

Next, the cooperative operation between the plural second systems 2 will be described. Here, in the communication system 10 of FIG. 1, the second system 2A in the case where the switch corresponding to the second terminal 21C of the other second system 2B is operated with the second terminal 21E as the master device of the second system 2A And the cooperative operation of the second system 2B will be described.

The second terminal 21E, such as an operating switch, sends a control message (control message) corresponding to the operated switch to the transmission path 22 as a second signal if a specific phenomenon occurs. This second signal is sent to the second terminal 21C corresponding to the operated switch. The control message sent at this time includes at least the control content and the address that becomes the destination of the control message.

Here, since the second terminal 21C does not exist on the transmission path 22 of the second system 2A connected to the second terminal 21E, the control message is sequentially transmitted through the interface 3A, the transmission path 12 of the first system 1, and the interface 3B To the second terminal 21C. That is, first, the interface 3A connected to the second system 2A receives the second signal sent from the second terminal 21E, and the control information is obtained from the subordinate second system 2A. The interface 3A for obtaining the control message includes the control message in the superimposed signal Si0 superimposed on the first signal Si1, and sends the superimposed signal Si0 to the interface 3B through the transmission path 12 of the first system 1. At this time, the interface 3A adjusts the timing of sending the overlapping signal Si0 according to the state of the transmission path 12. The interface 3A transmits, for example, the overlap signal S0 including the stop tape T3, the preliminary interrupt tape T4, the preliminary tape T5, or the reply tape T7 including the first signal Si1 as described above.

If the interface 3B receives the overlapping signal Si0 from the interface 3A, the control message included in the overlapping signal Si0 is included in the second signal and sent to the transmission path 22 of the subordinate second system 2B. When the second terminal 21C receives the second signal from the interface 3B, it controls, for example, the on/off control of the lighting fixture 4C, which is the control target, according to the control content of the control message.

As described above, the interface 3A transmits the second signal (control message) received from the subordinate second system 2A to the other second system 2B through the other interface 3B as the overlapping signal Si0. Therefore, in the second system 2A, if a specific phenomenon occurs in the second terminal 21E as the master device, a control message is sent to the second terminal 21C as the slave device of the other second system 2B. As a result, for example, if the switch of the second terminal 21E is operated, the lighting device 4C corresponding to the switch is controlled by controlling the second terminal 21C corresponding to the switch. Therefore, the plurality of second systems 2A, 2B that are independent of each other can perform cooperation between the plurality of second systems 2A, 2B by connecting to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via the interface 3.

(3.4) Resend action

Next, a retransmission operation for responding to a collision operation of overlapping signals Si0 from a plurality of interfaces 3 will be described. Here, in the communication system 10 of FIG. 1, a retransmission operation in a case where the overlap signal Si0 collides with each other by the simultaneous transmission of the overlap signal Si0 by the interface 3A and the interface 3B will be described.

The plurality of second systems 2 are originally asynchronous to each other, and each of the plurality of second systems 2 operates independently. Therefore, in the plurality of interfaces 3, there is a case where the second system 2 under each receives the message (second signal) at the same time. In this case, there are cases in which the plurality of interfaces 3 simultaneously send the overlapping signal Si0. As a result, the overlapping signals Si0 transmitted from the plurality of interfaces 3 collide with each other on the transmission path 12, and there is a possibility that the overlapping signals Si0 are not normally received.

Therefore, in the communication system 10 of the present embodiment, if each of the plurality of interfaces 3 collides with the signal (the overlap signal Si0) transmitted from the other interface 3, the overlap signal Si0 is retransmitted. Specifically, each of the plurality of interfaces 3 retransmits the overlapping signal after the standby time (backoff time) elapses when the collision detection unit 38 detects the occurrence of the collision of the overlapping signals Si0 on the transmission path 12 with each other Si0. Here, each of the plurality of interfaces 3 transmits the overlapping signal Si0 after a random standby time has elapsed since the collision signal was retransmitted. That is, each of the plurality of interfaces 3 retransmits the overlapping signal Si0 after a random length of waiting time elapses since the collision detection unit 38 detects that the overlapping signal Si0 collides with each other.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, each of the plurality of interfaces 3 transmits the overlapping signal Si0 at a timing when no signal is transmitted from the other interfaces 3. Specifically, each of the plurality of interfaces 3 retains the transmission of the overlapping signal Si0 when the collision detection unit 38 detects that the overlapping signal Si0 is transmitted from the other interface 3 on the transmission path 12. Moreover, each of the plurality of interfaces 3 transmits the overlapping signal Si0 after waiting for the transmission of the overlapping signal Si0 from other interfaces 3 to end. This function is effective when each of the plurality of interfaces 3 retransmits the overlapping signal Si0, that is, when the retransmission operation is performed.

By the retransmission operation described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the retransmission of the overlap signal Si0 is performed. In the example of FIG. 4, in the response band T7 of the first frame F1 of the first signal Si1, an overlap signal Si0-1 from the interface 3A and an overlap signal Si0-2 from the interface 3B collide with each other (｢C1 in the figure) ｣).

In this case, after a random standby time elapses from the detection time point of the collision of the overlapping signals Si0-1 and Si0-2, the interface 3A overlaps in the stop band T3 of the second frame F2, which is the first overlapable band. Retransmission of signal Si0-1. Here, after confirming that the overlapping signal Si0-2 has not been transmitted from the other interface 3B, the interface 3A transmits the overlapping signal Si0-1. On the other hand, the interface 3B passes the random standby time from the detection time point when the overlapping signals Si0-1 and Si0-2 collide with each other, and then overlaps the preliminary interruption band T4 of the second frame F2 which is the first overlappable band. Retransmission of signal Si0-2. At this time, after confirming that the overlapping signal Si0-1 has not been transmitted from the other interface 3A, the interface 3B transmits the overlapping signal Si0-2. As a result, in the second frame F2 of the first signal Si1, the overlapping signals Si0-1 and Si0-2 from each interface 3 are transmitted without collision with each other.

(3.5) Time-sharing sending action

Next, a description will be given of a time-sharing transmission operation in response to a collision operation of overlapping signals Si0 from a plurality of interfaces 3. Here, it is assumed that the communication system 10 includes two interfaces 3C, 3D (refer to FIG. 9) and two second systems 2C, 2D (refer to FIG. 9) in addition to the example in FIG. 1. The second system 2C is connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via the interface 3C, and the second system 2D is connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via the interface 3D. Hereinafter, when distinguishing the overlapping signal Si0 from the interface 3C from the overlapping signal Si0 from the interface 3D, the overlapping signal Si0 from the interface 3C is referred to as "Si0-3", and the overlapping signal Si0 from the interface 3D is referred to as "" Si0-4｣ (refer to FIG. 5).

As explained in the column of "(3.4) Resend action", in the plurality of interfaces 3, there is a case where the second system 2 under each of them receives messages at the same time, in this case, there are a plurality of interfaces 3 simultaneously The case of sending the overlapping signal Si0. In the communication system 10, by replacing the retransmission operation and adopting the time-sharing transmission operation, it can cope with the collision of such overlapping signals Si0.

That is, in the communication system 10 of the present embodiment, the first signal Si1 is a periodic signal, and as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of times set in one frame of the first signal Si1 are allocated to the plurality of interfaces 3, respectively. Slots Ts1 ~ Ts4. Each of the plurality of interfaces 3 transmits the overlapping signal Si0 at the corresponding time slot among the plurality of time slots Ts1 to Ts4. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, when the reply band T7 of the first signal Si1 that can be overlapped is set to correspond to a plurality (here, 4) of a plurality of interfaces 3 (here, 4), respectively Slots Ts1 ~ Ts4.

Here, on each interface 3, the priority is set according to the priority setting information accepted by the priority setting unit 39. In the plurality of interfaces 3, a plurality of time slots Ts1 to Ts4 are allocated according to the priority. Here, in each of the plurality of interfaces 3, it is assumed that a higher priority is set in the order of the interfaces 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D. Therefore, time slot Ts1 is allocated to interface 3A, time slot Ts2 is allocated to interface 3B, time slot Ts3 is allocated to interface 3C, and time slot Ts4 is allocated to interface 3D.

In addition, the plural time slots Ts1 to Ts4 include a first slot and a second slot. Moreover, the starting point of the second slot is between the starting point and the end point of the first slot, and the ending point of the first slot is between the starting point and the end point of the second slot. Here, the first slot and the second slot are a pair of adjacent time slots among a plurality of time slots Ts1 to Ts4. Therefore, for example, when focusing on a pair of time slots Ts1 and Ts2, the time slot Ts1 is the first slot and the time slot Ts2 is the second slot. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the first half of the immediate slot Ts1 and the second half of the instantaneous slot Ts2 overlap (overlap). Similarly, when focusing on a pair of time slots Ts2 and Ts3, the time slot Ts2 is the first slot and the time slot Ts3 is the second slot. In addition, the first half of the immediate slot Ts2 and the second half of the immediate slot Ts3 overlap (overlap). Similarly, a part overlaps between a pair of time slots Ts3 and Ts4. In other words, each of the plurality of time slots Ts1 to Ts4 includes an overlapping period that overlaps with other time slots Ts1 to Ts4. That is, the plural time slots Ts1 to Ts4 are set to be slightly offset in the time axis direction (less than the time of each time slot).

In addition, in FIG. 5, although only the reply tape T7 of the first signal Si1 is described, each of the overlapping tapes other than the reply tape T7, that is, the stop tape T3, the preliminary interruption tape T4, and the preliminary tape T5, also responds to The band T7 similarly sets a plurality of time slots Ts1 to Ts4. For a plurality of time slots Ts1 to Ts4 set in each of the stop zone T3, the reserve interruption zone T4, and the reserve zone T5, the offset period is also set to be slightly offset in the time axis direction (less than the time of each slot) ).

Furthermore, in this embodiment, each of the plurality of interfaces 3 transmits the overlapping signal Si0 at a timing when no signal is transmitted from the other interfaces 3. Specifically, each of the plurality of interfaces 3 retains the transmission of the overlapping signal Si0 when the collision detection unit 38 detects that the overlapping signal Si0 is transmitted from the other interface 3 on the transmission path 12. Moreover, each of the plurality of interfaces 3 transmits the overlapping signal Si0 after waiting for the transmission of the overlapping signal Si0 from other interfaces 3 to end.

With the above time-sharing transmission operation, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the transmission of the superimposed signal Si0 is performed in a time-sharing manner. In the example of FIG. 6, suppose that in the stop zone T1 of the first frame F1 of the first signal Si1, the two interfaces 3A, 3B attempt to transmit the overlapping signals Si0-1, Si0-2. Also, in the example of FIG. 6, it is assumed that in the reply band T7 of the first frame F1 of the first signal Si1, three interfaces 3A, 3B, and 3C try to overlap the transmission of the signals Si0-1, Si0-2, and Si0-3. situation. In FIG. 6, the overlapping signal Si0 which is not actually transmitted is indicated by a broken line.

In this case, first, in the stop zone T3 of the first frame F1, the interface 3A transmits the overlapping signal Si0-1 first than the interface 3B, which has a lower priority than the interface 3A. Thereby, at the time when the interface 3B attempts to send the overlapping signal Si0-2, the overlapping signal Si0-1 from the other interface 3A has been sent. Therefore, the interface 3B does not transmit the overlapping signal Si0-2 in the stop zone T3 of the first frame F1, but transmits the overlapping signal Si0 in the first interruptible band that is the preliminary interruption zone T4 of the first frame F1. -2. At this time, after confirming that the overlapping signal Si0-1 has not been transmitted from the other interface 3A, the interface 3B transmits the overlapping signal Si0-2.

In addition, in the reply band T7 of the first frame F1, the interface 3A and the interfaces 3B and 3C, which have a lower priority than the interface 3A, first transmit the overlapping signal Si0-1. Thereby, at the time when the interfaces 3B and 3C try to send the overlapping signals Si0-2 and Si0-3, the overlapping signal Si0-1 from the other interface 3A has been sent. Therefore, the interfaces 3B and 3C do not transmit the overlapping signals Si0-2 and Si0-3 in the reply band T7 of the first frame F1, and the first overlapping band that follows is the stop band of the second frame F2 T3 attempts to send the overlapping signals Si0-2 and Si0-3.

Furthermore, in the stop zone T3 of the second frame F2, the interface 3B first transmits the overlapping signal Si0-2 over the interface 3C which has a lower priority than the interface 3B. By this, at the time when the interface 3C attempts to transmit the overlapping signal Si0-3, the overlapping signal Si0-2 from the other interface 3B has been transmitted. Therefore, the interface 3C does not transmit the overlapping signal Si0-3 in the stop zone T3 of the second frame F2, but transmits the overlapping signal Si0 in the subsequent interruptable band T4, which is the first overlapping band that is the second frame F2. -3. At this time, after confirming that the overlapping signals Si0-1 and Si0-2 have not been transmitted from the other interfaces 3A and 3B, the interface 3C transmits the overlapping signal Si0-3.

As a result, the superimposed signals Si0-1, Si0-2, Si0-3 from each interface 3 are transmitted without colliding with each other in the first frame F1 and the second frame F2 of the first signal Si1.

However, in the time-sharing operation, when each interface 3 does not send the overlapping signal Si0 from the other interface 3 having higher priority than itself, it can also send the overlapping signal Si0 before the start of the time slot allocated to itself. That is, when the interface 3 allocated with the second slot does not send a signal to the first slot from another interface 3, it can also start to overlap the signal Si0 after the starting point of the first slot and before the starting point of the second slot send.

For example, when focusing on the case of a pair of time slots Ts1 and Ts2, the interface 3B allocated with the second slot instant slot Ts2 can advance the start time of the transmission of the overlapping signal Si0-2. In short, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the interface 3B transmits the overlapping signal Si0-2 in the reply band T7, generally speaking, the interface 3B transmits the overlapping signal Si0-2 at the time slot Ts2 allocated to itself. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7B, if the overlap signal Si0-1 is not sent from the other interface 3A to the first slot instant slot Ts1, the interface 3B can advance the start of the transmission of the overlap signal Si0-2. That is, in the example of FIG. 7B, the interface 3B starts the transmission of the overlapping signal Si0-2 after the start of the time slot Ts1 and before the start of the time slot Ts2. In this way, the interface 3B can transmit the overlapping signal Si0-2 early by starting the transmission of the overlapping signal Si0-2 in advance. In the example of FIGS. 7A and 7B, by delaying the start of the transmission of the overlapping signal Si0-2 earlier, the delay time from the beginning of T7 to the beginning of the transmission of the overlapping signal Si0-2 is shortened from "Td1" to "Td2" ｣(Td1>Td2).

In addition, as another example of the time-division transmission operation, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of time slots Ts1 to Ts4 may be set. In the example of FIG. 8, each of the plurality of time slots Ts1 to Ts4 does not include overlapping periods that overlap with other time slots Ts1 to Ts4. Here, the stop zone T3 of the first signal Si1 constitutes the time slot Ts1, the preliminary interruption zone T4 constitutes the time slot Ts2, the preliminary zone T5 constitutes the time slot Ts3, and the reply tape T7 constitutes the time slot Ts4. That is, in the example of FIG. 8, a plurality of time slots Ts1 to Ts4 are dispersedly set in the time axis direction, and there is no part overlapping each other.

In this case, in the first frame of the first signal Sil, the overlapping signals Si0-1, Si0-2, Si0-3, and Si0-4 from each interface 3 can be transmitted without colliding with each other.

(4) Variation

Embodiment 1 is only one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. In the first embodiment, if the purpose of cost disclosure is achieved, various changes can be made according to the design and the like. In addition, the same functions as the communication system 10 of the first embodiment can be embodied by a communication control method, a (computer) program, or a non-transitory recording medium that records a program. In one communication control method, in the communication system 10, when each of the plurality of interfaces 3 transmits the overlapping signal Si0, the timing of transmitting the overlapping signal Si0 is adjusted according to the state of the transmission path 12. The communication system 10 mentioned here includes a first system 1, a plurality of interfaces 3, and a plurality of second systems 2. The first system 1 includes at least one first terminal 11 that communicates with the first signal Si1 transmitted through the transmission path 12. The plurality of interfaces 3 are connected to the transmission path 12 and communicate by the superimposed signal Si0 superimposed on the first signal Si1. The plurality of second systems 2 includes one or more second terminals 21 that communicate with the second signal. The plurality of second systems 2 are asynchronous with each other, and are in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of interfaces 3 to connect. Each of the plurality of interfaces 3 transmits the second signal received from the corresponding second system 2 in the plurality of second systems 2 to the other second system 2 via the other interface 3 as an overlapping signal Si0. An aspect (computer) program is a program for causing a computer system to execute the above communication control method.

In the following, a variation of the first embodiment will be listed. The variations described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

The communication system 10 of the present disclosure includes, for example, a computer system in the interface 3 and the like. The computer system has the processor and memory as hardware as the main components. The function of the communication system 10 of the present disclosure is realized by the processor executing the program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program can be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, can also be provided through an electrical communication line, and can also be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, optical disc, hard drive, etc. that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one to a plurality of electronic circuits including an integrated circuit (IC: Integrated Circuit) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI: Large Scale Integration). The plurality of electronic circuits may be collected in one chip, or may be distributed on the plurality of chips. The plurality of wafers may be collected in one device, or may be distributed in a plurality of devices.

In addition, for example, a plurality of functions provided in the communication system 10 may be collected in one housing, or may be distributed in a plurality of housings. As an example, the plurality of functions of the interface 3 may be collected in one casing, or may be distributed in a plurality of casings. Furthermore, at least a part of the functions of the communication system 10 can also be realized by, for example, the cloud (cloud computing). Furthermore, in the first embodiment, at least a part of the functions of the communication system 10 dispersed in a plurality of devices may be collected in one housing.

In addition, the communication system 10 and the device control system 100 are not limited to facilities such as office buildings, shops, hospitals, schools, workshops, etc., and may also be introduced into houses such as collective houses or single-family houses.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 1, although the communication system 10 includes two second systems 2 and interfaces 3 respectively, it is not limited to this example, and the communication system 10 may also include more than three second systems 2 and interfaces 3 each. By. Similarly, the number of the first terminals 11 of the first system 1, the number of the second terminals 21 of the second system 2, and the number of devices (lighting appliances 4) to be controlled are not limited to the example of FIG. 1 and may be appropriate change.

In addition, the first system 1 is not limited to a system in which a plurality of first terminals 11 communicate with each other via a first terminal 11 as a transmission unit according to a polling and selection method agreement. For example, the first system 1 may be a structure in which a plurality of first terminals 11 directly communicate with each other through the first signal Si1.

In addition, each of the plurality of second systems 2 may not be a system based on the DALI standard, and the communication method of the second terminal 21 may be, for example, wireless communication using optical waves as a transmission medium, or optical communication. When the communication method of the second terminal 21 is wireless communication, the free space for wireless communication is the transmission path 22 of the second system 2. Furthermore, each of the plurality of second systems 2 is not limited to a system that controls the machine (lighting fixture 4) to be controlled by the machine control system 100, and at least a part of the plurality of second systems 2 may be, for example, Measuring system or monitoring system, etc.

In addition, at least a part of the first terminal 11 may also have a function of communicating with the interface 3 through the superimposed signal Si0. In this case, it is possible not only to cooperate between a plurality of second systems 2 but also to give and receive data between the first system 1 (the first terminal 11) and the second system 2 (the second terminal 21) .

Moreover, the machine control system 100 using the communication system 10 is not limited to the lighting control system, and the control objects of the machine control system 100 may also be, for example, air-conditioning equipment, ventilating fans, electric shutters, air purifiers, water heaters, television receivers, washing machines Or refrigerator. Furthermore, the communication system 10 is not necessarily used for the machine control system 100 originally, and may also be used for, for example, a measurement system or a monitoring system.

In addition, in the communication system 10, it is not necessary for the first system 1 to constitute a main system, and each second system 2 constitutes a subsystem. For example, each second system 2 may constitute a main system.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, although the lighting fixture 4 to be controlled is not included in any of the components of the communication system 10 and the device control system 100, it is not limited to this configuration. That is, the lighting fixture 4 may be included in any constituent element of the communication system 10 and the device control system 100.

(Embodiment 2)

The difference between the communication system 10 of this embodiment and the communication system 10 of Embodiment 1 is that each of the plurality of interfaces 3 has a signal filtering function. Hereinafter, the same configuration as in the first embodiment is denoted by common symbols, and the description is omitted as appropriate.

The "filtering function" mentioned in this disclosure is in interface 3, at least for "uplink communication" from the second system 2 to the first system 1, and "downlink communication" from the first system 1 to the second system 2. One is the function of passing only specific messages. Specifically, for the upstream communication, the interface 3 analyzes the second signal Si2 (refer to FIG. 9) from the second system 2 to determine whether to pass the message from the second system 2 side to the first system 1 side. In addition, for the downstream communication, the interface 3 analyzes the overlapping signal Si0 from the first system 1 to determine whether to pass the message from the first system 1 side to the second system 2 side.

In this embodiment, each of the plurality of interfaces 3 is configured to determine whether to transmit the overlapping signal Si0 to the transmission path 12 based on the second signal Si2 received from the corresponding second system 2 in the plurality of second systems 2. As an example, the interface 3 determines whether to pass the message from the second system 2 side to the first system 1 side based on the value of the upstream flag included in the second signal Si2 from the second system 2. For example, if the value of the upstream flag is "1", interface 3 passes the message from the second system 2 side to the first system 1 side. If the value of the upstream flag is "0", interface 3 does not enable the message to The second system 2 side passes to the first system 1 side.

Furthermore, each of the plurality of interfaces 3 is configured to determine whether to transmit the second signal Si2 to each of the plurality of second systems 2 based on the overlapping signal Si0 received from the transmission path 12. As an example, the interface 3 determines whether to pass the message from the first system 1 side to the second system 2 side based on the value of the downstream flag included in the overlapping signal Si0 from the first system 1. For example, if the value of the downstream flag is "1", interface 3 passes the message from the first system 1 side to the second system 2 side. If the value of the downstream flag is "0", then interface 3 does not cause the message to The first system 1 side passes to the second system 2 side.

In short, in this embodiment, the interface 3 has a filtering function for both upstream communication and downstream communication, and only passes specific messages. The uplink flag is set by, for example, the second terminal 21 which is the transmission source of the message. For the downlink flag, for example, the interface 3 which is the transmission source of the overlapping signal Si0 is set.

According to the communication system 10 of this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, each interface 3 can be used to pass only specific messages. In the example of FIG. 9, the communication system 10 includes two interfaces 3C, 3D, and two second systems 2C, 2D. The second system 2C is connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via the interface 3C, and the second system 2D is connected to the transmission path 12 of the first system 1 via the interface 3D.

In the example of FIG. 9, the interfaces 3A and 3B decide whether to send the overlapping signal Si0 to the transmission path 12 based on the second signals Si2 received from the subordinate second systems 2A and 2B, respectively. Here, it is assumed that the value of the upstream flag included in the second signal Si2 from the second system 2A is "1", and the value of the upstream flag included in the second signal Si2 from the second system 2A is "0". Therefore, if the interface 3A receives the second signal Si2 from the subordinate second system 2A, it transmits the overlapping signal Si0 to the transmission path 12. On the other hand, even if the interface 3B receives the second signal Si2 from the subordinate second system 2B, it does not send the superimposed signal Si0 to the transmission path 12 (shown by the broken line in FIG. 9).

In the example of FIG. 9, the interfaces 3C and 3D determine whether to transmit the second signal Si2 to the subordinate second systems 2C and 2D based on the overlapping signals Si0 received from the transmission path 12, respectively. Here, it is assumed that the value of the downstream flag included in the overlapping signal Si0 received by the interface 3C is "1", and the value of the downstream flag included in the overlapping signal Si0 received by the interface 3D is "00". Therefore, if the interface 3C receives the superimposed signal Si0 from the transmission path 12, it transmits the second signal Si2 to the subordinate second system 2C. On the other hand, even if the interface 3D receives the superimposed signal Si0 from the transmission path 12, it does not send the second signal Si2 to the subordinate second system 2D (indicated by a broken line in FIG. 9).

According to the communication system 10 of the present embodiment, the increase of the flow rate of the first system 1 can be suppressed by the filtering function of the upstream communication, and the increase of the flow rate of the second system 2 can be suppressed by the filtering function of the downstream communication. However, it is not necessary for the communication system 10 that the interface 3 has a filtering function for both uplink communication and downlink communication, and the interface 3 may also have a filtering function for only one of uplink communication and downlink communication.

The structure described in Embodiment 2 (including modified examples) can be adopted in appropriate combination with the various structures described in Embodiment 1 (including modified examples).

(Summary)

As described above, the communication system (10) of the first aspect includes the first system (1), a plurality of interfaces (3), and a plurality of second systems (2). The first system (1) includes at least one first terminal (11) communicating with the first signal (Si1) transmitted by the transmission path (12). A plurality of interfaces (3) are connected to the transmission path (12), and communicate by the superimposed signal (Si0) superimposed on the first signal (Si1). The plurality of second systems (2) includes one or more second terminals (21) that communicate with the second signal (Si2). The plurality of second systems (2) are asynchronous with each other, and are in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of interfaces (3) to connect. Each of the plurality of interfaces (3) is configured to pass the second signal (Si2) received from the corresponding second system (2) in the plurality of second systems (2) through the other interface (3) as an overlapping signal (Si0) Transfer to other second system (2). Each of the plurality of interfaces (3) is configured to adjust the timing of transmitting the overlapping signal (Si0) according to the state of the transmission path (12) when transmitting the overlapping signal (Si0).

According to this aspect, the plurality of second systems (2) are respectively connected to the transmission path (12) of the common first system (1) via the interface (3). Therefore, the plurality of interfaces (3) communicate with each other by using the overlapping signal (Si0), and data can be exchanged between the plurality of second systems (2). As a result, even during the operation of the first system (1), by using the superimposed signal (Si0) of the first signal (Si1) superimposed on the first system (1), the first system (1 ) A common transmission path (12), multiple second systems (2) can also cooperate. Moreover, since each interface (3) adjusts the timing of sending the overlapping signal (Si0) to the transmission path (12) according to the state of the transmission path (12), each second system (2) can communicate with other 2 System (2) communication. Therefore, according to the communication system (10), there is an advantage that the cooperation between a plurality of second systems (2) can be easily realized.

The communication system (10) of the second aspect is in the first aspect, each of the plurality of interfaces (3) is configured for overlapping signals (Si0), if there is a collision with signals sent from other interfaces (3) , Then retransmit the overlapping signal (Si0).

According to this aspect, by retransmitting the overlapping signal (Si0), the success rate of communication using the overlapping signal (Si0) is improved.

The communication system (10) of the third aspect is in the second aspect, each of the plurality of interfaces (3) is configured to be sent after a random standby time since the collision occurs when the overlapping signal (Si0) is retransmitted Overlap signal (Si0).

According to this aspect, since the overlapping signal (Si0) is retransmitted at random timing, collision of the overlapping signals (Si0) is unlikely to occur when the overlapping signal (Si0) is retransmitted.

The fourth aspect of the communication system (10) is in any of the first to third aspects, and the first signal (Si1) is a periodic signal. In the plurality of interfaces (3), a plurality of time slots (Ts1 to Ts4) respectively set in the 1 frame of the first signal (Si1) are allocated. Each of the plurality of interfaces (3) is configured to use the corresponding time slots (Ts1 to Ts4) in the plurality of time slots (Ts1 to Ts4) to transmit the overlapping signal (Si0).

According to this aspect, since the transmission timing of the overlapping signal (Si0) is different for each interface (3), the success rate of communication using the overlapping signal (Si0) is improved.

The communication system (10) of the fifth aspect is in the fourth aspect, and each of the plurality of interfaces (3) has a priority setting part (39) that accepts setting information of priority. In the plurality of interfaces (3), a plurality of time slots (Ts1 to Ts4) are allocated according to the priority.

According to this aspect, since the transmission order of the overlapping signals (Si0) of the plurality of interfaces (3) is determined by the priority, the success rate of communication using the overlapping signals (Si0) is improved.

The communication system (10) of the sixth aspect is in the aspect of the fourth or fifth aspect, and the plural time slots (Ts1 to Ts4) include the first slot and the second slot. The starting point of the second slot is between the starting point and the end point of the first slot, and the ending point of the first slot is between the starting point and the end point of the second slot.

According to this aspect, since the first slot includes the overlapping period overlapping with the second slot, the number of time slots (Ts1 to Ts4) that can be set per unit time increases.

The communication system (10) of the seventh aspect is in the sixth aspect, and the interface (3) with the second slot assigned to the plurality of interfaces (3) is configured as follows. That is, when the interface (3) assigned to the second slot does not send a signal to the first slot from another interface (3), the overlapping signal starts after the start point of the first slot and before the start point of the second slot (Si0).

According to this aspect, when the interface (3) assigned to the second slot does not transmit the signal to the first slot from the other interface (3), the transmission of the overlapping signal (Si0) can be started in advance.

The communication system (10) of the eighth aspect is in the aspect of the fourth or fifth aspect, and each of the plurality of time slots (Ts1 to Ts4) does not include overlapping periods that overlap with other time slots (Ts1 to Ts4).

According to this aspect, it is difficult for collisions of overlapping signals (Si0) sent from a plurality of interfaces (3) to occur.

The communication system (10) of the ninth aspect is in any of the aspects of the first to the eighth, and each of the plurality of interfaces (3) is configured to overlap at a timing when signals are not transmitted from other interfaces (3) Signal (Si0).

According to this aspect, it is difficult for collisions of overlapping signals (Si0) sent from a plurality of interfaces (3) to occur.

The communication system (10) of the tenth aspect is in any of the aspects of the first to ninth aspects, and each of the plurality of interfaces (3) is constructed as follows. That is, each of the plurality of interfaces (3) decides whether to send an overlapping signal to the transmission path (12) based on the second signal (Si2) received from the corresponding second system (2) in the plurality of second systems (2) (Si0).

According to this aspect, the unnecessary overlapping signal (Si0) sent from the interface (3) to the transmission path (12) of the first system (1) can be suppressed, and the increase in the communication traffic of the first system (1) can be suppressed .

The eleventh aspect of the communication system (10) is in any of the first to tenth aspects, and each of the plurality of interfaces (3) is constructed as follows. That is, each of the plurality of interfaces (3) determines whether to send the second signal (Si2) to each of the plurality of second systems (2) based on the overlapping signal (Si0) received from the transmission path (12).

According to this aspect, the unnecessary second signal (Si2) from the interface (3) can be suppressed from being sent to the second system (2), and the increase in the communication traffic of the second system (2) can be suppressed.

The machine control system (100) of the twelfth aspect is provided with the communication system (10) of any one of the first to eleventh aspects. More than one first terminal (11) includes a collective control terminal that collectively controls a plurality of machines, and more than one second terminal (21) includes an individual control terminal that individually controls a plurality of machines.

According to this aspect, the plurality of second systems (2) are respectively connected to the transmission path (12) of the common first system (1) via the interface (3). Therefore, the plurality of interfaces (3) communicate with each other by using the overlapping signal (Si0), and data can be exchanged between the plurality of second systems (2). As a result, even during the operation of the first system (1), by using the superimposed signal (Si0) of the first signal (Si1) superimposed on the first system (1), the first system (1 ) A common transmission path (12), multiple second systems (2) can also cooperate. Moreover, since each interface (3) adjusts the timing of sending the overlapping signal (Si0) to the transmission path (12) according to the state of the transmission path (12), each second system (2) can communicate with other 2 System (2) communication. Therefore, according to the machine control system (100), there is an advantage that the cooperation between a plurality of second systems (2) can be easily realized. Furthermore, as the entire machine control system (100), the collective control of a plurality of machines in a collective control terminal and the individual control of a plurality of machines in a single control terminal can coexist.

The machine control system (100) of the thirteenth aspect is in the twelfth aspect, and each of the plural machines is a lighting appliance (4).

According to this aspect, various controls of the lighting fixture (4) can be performed.

The communication device of the fourteenth aspect is used as one of the plurality of interfaces (3) in the communication system (10) of any one of the first to eleventh aspects.

According to this aspect, the plurality of second systems (2) are respectively connected to the transmission path (12) of the common first system (1) via the interface (3). Therefore, the plurality of interfaces (3) communicate with each other by using the overlapping signal (Si0), and data can be exchanged between the plurality of second systems (2). As a result, even during the operation of the first system (1), by using the superimposed signal (Si0) of the first signal (Si1) superimposed on the first system (1), the first system (1 ) A common transmission path (12), multiple second systems (2) can also cooperate. Moreover, since each interface (3) adjusts the timing of sending the overlapping signal (Si0) to the transmission path (12) according to the state of the transmission path (12), each second system (2) can communicate with other 2 System (2) communication. Therefore, according to the communication device (interface 3), there is an advantage that the cooperation between a plurality of second systems (2) can be easily realized.

The communication control method of the fifteenth aspect is in the communication system (10), when each of the plurality of interfaces (3) transmits the overlapping signal (Si0), the transmission overlapping signal is adjusted according to the state of the transmission path (12) ( Si0) timing. The communication system (10) includes a first system (1), a plurality of interfaces (3), and a plurality of second systems (2). The first system (1) includes at least one first terminal (11) communicating with the first signal (Si1) transmitted by the transmission path (12). A plurality of interfaces (3) are connected to the transmission path (12), and communicate by the superimposed signal (Si0) superimposed on the first signal (Si1). The plurality of second systems (2) includes one or more second terminals (21) that communicate with the second signal (Si2). The plurality of second systems (2) are asynchronous with each other, and are in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of interfaces (3) to connect. Each of the plurality of interfaces (3) transmits the second signal (Si2) received from the corresponding second system (2) in the plurality of second systems (2) to the overlapping signal (Si0) through the other interface (3) to Other second systems (2).

According to this aspect, the plurality of second systems (2) are respectively connected to the transmission path (12) of the common first system (1) via the interface (3). Therefore, the plurality of interfaces (3) communicate with each other by using the overlapping signal (Si0), and data can be exchanged between the plurality of second systems (2). As a result, even during the operation of the first system (1), by using the superimposed signal (Si0) of the first signal (Si1) superimposed on the first system (1), the first system (1 ) A common transmission path (12), multiple second systems (2) can also cooperate. Moreover, according to the communication control method, when the overlapping signal (Si0) is transmitted from each of the plurality of interfaces (3), the timing of transmitting the overlapping signal (Si0) is adjusted according to the state of the transmission path (12). Therefore, each second system (2) can communicate with other second systems (2) regardless of the timing of communication. Therefore, according to the communication control method, there is an advantage that the cooperation between a plurality of second systems (2) can be easily achieved.

The program of the 16th aspect is a program for causing the computer system to execute the communication control method of the 15th aspect.

According to this aspect, the plurality of second systems (2) are respectively connected to the transmission path (12) of the common first system (1) via the interface (3). Therefore, the plurality of interfaces (3) communicate with each other by using the overlapping signal (Si0), and data can be exchanged between the plurality of second systems (2). As a result, even during the operation of the first system (1), by using the superimposed signal (Si0) of the first signal (Si1) superimposed on the first system (1), the first system (1 ) A common transmission path (12), multiple second systems (2) can also cooperate. Furthermore, according to the above formula, when each of the multiple interfaces (3) transmits the overlapping signal (Si0), the timing of transmitting the overlapping signal (Si0) is adjusted according to the state of the transmission path (12). Therefore, each second system (2) can communicate with other second systems (2) regardless of the timing of communication. Therefore, according to the above program, there is an advantage that it is possible to easily realize cooperation between a plurality of second systems (2).

Not limited to the above, various configurations (including variations) of the communication system (10) of the first and second embodiments can be controlled by the machine control system (100), communication device, communication control method, program, or recorded program. Temporary recording media and so on.

The configurations of the second to eleventh aspects are not required for the communication system (10) and can be omitted as appropriate.

1‧‧‧ First system 2‧‧‧ Second system 2A‧‧‧ Second system 2B‧‧‧ Second system 2C‧‧‧ Second system 2D‧‧‧ Second system 3‧‧‧Interface (communication device )3A‧‧‧Interface (communication device) 3B‧‧‧Interface (communication device) 3C‧‧‧Interface (communication device) 3D‧‧‧Interface (communication device) 4‧‧‧Lighting appliance (machine) 4A‧‧‧ Lighting equipment (machine) 4B‧‧‧Lighting equipment (machine) 4C‧‧‧Lighting equipment (machine) 4D‧‧‧Lighting equipment (machine) 10‧‧‧Communication system 11‧‧‧ Terminal 1 (collective control terminal) 11A‧‧‧1st terminal (collective control terminal) 11B‧‧‧1st terminal (collective control terminal) 11C‧‧‧1st terminal (collective control terminal) 11D‧‧‧1st terminal (collective control terminal) 12‧ ‧‧Transmission path 21‧‧‧ 2nd terminal (single control terminal) 21A‧‧‧ 2nd terminal (single control terminal) 21B‧‧‧ 2nd terminal (single control terminal) 21C‧‧‧‧2nd terminal (single control Terminal) 21D‧‧‧ 2nd terminal (separate control terminal) 21E‧‧‧ 2nd terminal (separate control terminal) 21F‧‧‧ 2nd terminal (separate control terminal) 22‧‧‧‧ Transmission path 30‧‧‧ Control 31‧‧‧Rectifier 32‧‧‧Overlapped signal transmission section 33‧‧‧Overlapped signal reception section 34‧‧‧‧First signal transmission section 35‧‧‧First signal reception section 36‧‧‧Second signal transmission section 37‧ ‧‧Insulation circuit 38‧‧‧Collision detection unit 39‧‧‧Priority setting unit 100‧‧‧Machine control system C1‧‧‧Collision F1‧‧‧First frame F2‧‧‧Second frame Si0‧‧ ‧Overlay signal Si1‧‧‧First signal Si2‧‧‧Second signal Si0-1‧‧‧Overlap signal Si0-2‧‧‧Overlap signal Si0-3‧‧‧Overlap signal Si0-4‧‧‧Overlap signal T1 ‧‧‧Interruption zone T2‧‧‧Short circuit detection zone T3‧‧‧Stop zone T4‧‧‧Preparation interruption zone T5‧‧‧‧Preparation zone T6‧‧‧Send zone T7‧‧‧Reply zone Td1‧‧‧Delay time Td2 ‧‧‧Delay time Ts1～Ts4‧‧‧‧slot (1st slot, 2nd slot)

FIG. 1 is a schematic system configuration diagram showing the communication system and the device control system of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic waveform diagram showing the signal format of the first signal used in the first system of the same communication system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the interface of the above communication system. 4 is a schematic waveform diagram for explaining the retransmission operation of the above communication system. 5 is a schematic waveform diagram for explaining the time-sharing transmission operation of the above communication system. 6 is a schematic waveform diagram for explaining the time-sharing transmission operation of the above communication system. 7A is a schematic waveform diagram showing the case of the time-sharing transmission operation of the above communication system, and the transmission of the overlapping signal is not started in advance. 7B is a schematic waveform diagram showing the case of the time-sharing transmission operation of the above communication system, and the transmission of the overlapping signal is started in advance. FIG. 8 is a schematic waveform diagram for explaining other time-sharing transmission operations of the above communication system. FIG. 9 is a schematic system configuration diagram showing the communication system of the second embodiment.

1‧‧‧ First system

2‧‧‧ 2nd system

2A‧‧‧The second system

2B‧‧‧The second system

3‧‧‧Interface (communication device)

3A‧‧‧Interface (communication device)

3B‧‧‧Interface (communication device)

4‧‧‧Lighting appliance (machine)

4A‧‧‧Lighting apparatus (machine)

4B‧‧‧Lighting appliances (machines)

4C‧‧‧Lighting appliance (machine)

4D‧‧‧Lighting appliance (machine)

10‧‧‧Communication system

11‧‧‧1st terminal (collective control terminal)

11A‧‧‧First terminal (collective control terminal)

11B‧‧‧First terminal (collective control terminal)

11C‧‧‧First terminal (collective control terminal)

11D‧‧‧1st terminal (collective control terminal)

12‧‧‧ Transmission path

21‧‧‧ 2nd terminal (individual control terminal)

21A‧‧‧2nd terminal (individual control terminal)

21B‧‧‧2nd terminal (individual control terminal)

21C‧‧‧2nd terminal (individual control terminal)

21D‧‧‧2nd terminal (individual control terminal)

21E‧‧‧2nd terminal (individual control terminal)

21F‧‧‧2nd terminal (individual control terminal)

22‧‧‧ Transmission path

100‧‧‧Machine control system

Claims (16)

A communication system comprising: a first system including at least one first terminal that communicates by transmitting a first signal through a transmission path; a plurality of interfaces, etc., connected to the above transmission path, and by overlapping Communicating with the superimposed signal of the first signal; and a plurality of second systems, including one or more second terminals communicating with the second signal; and the superimposed signal is superimposed on the first signal In the state, the signal transmitted on the transmission path together with the first signal; the plurality of second systems are asynchronous with each other, and are connected to the one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of interfaces; each of the plurality of interfaces It is configured to transmit the second signal received from the corresponding second system in the plurality of second systems to the other second system through the other interface with the overlapping signal; each of the plurality of interfaces is configured to send the overlapping signal At this time, the timing of sending the overlapping signal is adjusted according to the state of the transmission path. As in the communication system of claim 1, each of the plurality of interfaces is configured to retransmit the overlapping signal if a collision with a signal sent from another interface occurs for the overlapping signal. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of interfaces is configured to transmit the overlapping signal after a random standby time has elapsed since the collision was retransmitted. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first signal is a periodic signal; and the plurality of interfaces are allocated a plurality of time slots set in the 1 frame of the first signal, respectively; And each of the plurality of interfaces is configured to use the corresponding time slot in the plurality of time slots to transmit the overlapping signal. For example, in the communication system of claim 4, each of the plurality of interfaces has a priority setting unit that accepts setting information of priority; and on the plurality of interfaces, the plurality of time slots are allocated according to the priority. As in the communication system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of time slots include a first slot and a second slot; and the starting point of the second slot is located between the starting point and the ending point of the first slot, and the ending point of the first slot is located above Between the start and end of the second slot. As in the communication system of claim 6, wherein the interface in which the second slot is allocated among the plurality of interfaces is configured not to be faced from other interfaces In the case where the first slot performs signal transmission, the transmission of the overlapping signal is started after the start point of the first slot and before the start point of the second slot. As in the communication system of claim 4, each of the plurality of time slots does not include overlapping overlapping periods with other time slots. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the plurality of interfaces is configured to transmit the overlapping signal at a timing when the signal is not transmitted from the other interface. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the plurality of interfaces is configured to decide whether to transmit the transmission based on the second signal received from the corresponding second system in the plurality of second systems The path sends the above overlapping signal. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the plurality of interfaces is configured to determine whether to transmit the first to each of the plurality of second systems based on the overlapping signal received from the transmission path 2signal. A machine control system, comprising: the communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 11; and the above one or more first terminals include a collective control terminal that collectively controls a plurality of machines; the one or more second terminals Contains a separate control terminal that controls each of the above multiple machines individually for each machine. The machine control system according to claim 12, wherein each of the above-mentioned plurality of machines is a lighting appliance. A communication device used as one of the plurality of interfaces in the communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 11. A communication control method comprising: a first system including at least one first terminal communicating by transmitting a first signal through a transmission path; a plurality of interfaces, etc., connected to the above transmission path, and Communication is performed by an overlapping signal superimposed on the above-mentioned first signal; and a plurality of second systems including one or more second terminals respectively communicating through the second signal; and the above-mentioned overlapping signal is superimposed on the above In the state of the first signal, the signal transmitted on the transmission path together with the first signal; the plurality of second systems are asynchronous with each other, and are connected in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of interfaces; the plurality of interfaces Each of them transmits the second signal received from the corresponding second system in the plurality of second systems to the communication system of the other second system through the other interface with the overlapping signal, in each of the plurality of interfaces When transmitting the overlapping signal, the timing of transmitting the overlapping signal is adjusted according to the state of the transmission path. A program for causing a computer system to execute the communication control method as in claim 15.

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