WO2019203341A1

WO2019203341A1 - Sensor device and battery device

Info

Publication number: WO2019203341A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/016795
Authority: WO
Inventors: 小山　和宏; 正浩鈴鹿; 翔佐賀; 俊隆福嶋; 雄太笠間; 顕宏岡部
Original assignee: ノバルス株式会社
Priority date: 2018-04-20
Filing date: 2019-04-19
Publication date: 2019-10-24
Also published as: JPWO2019203341A1

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sensor device capable of facilitating introduction of a system which uses sensor data. A sensor device 4 has: an outer positive electrode terminal 43 and an outer negative electrode terminal 44 respectively attached to the front and rear end surfaces of a case 41 that has a shape compliant with a battery standard so as to enable mounting to a battery box of a battery-driven device 6; and an inner positive electrode terminal 45 and an inner negative electrode terminal 46 that are located inside the case 41 and that are respectively connected to the outer positive electrode terminal 43 and the outer negative electrode terminal 44. The sensor device 4 is provided with: a battery storage part 42 that stores a battery 48; a wireless communication antenna 58; a sensor 49 that measures at least one of temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure; and a transmission part that transmits data measured by the sensor 49 to an external information processing device 3 via the antenna 58.

Description

Sensor device and battery device

The present invention relates to a sensor device and a battery device.

Technology against so-called IoT (Internet of Things), where everything around us is connected to the Internet, is rapidly developing against the background of the evolution of Internet technology and various sensor technologies. In IoT, many sensor devices having a communication function are used, and sensor data of the sensor device is used. A sensor device used in IoT is also referred to as an IoT device. Currently, introduction of systems using sensing data collected from IoT devices is progressing in various fields. For example, temperature and humidity data can be collected with an IoT device installed on a farm, and the frequency and amount of watering can be managed using the collected data. Moreover, it can detect that the electric pot was used with the IoT device with which the electric pot was mounted | worn, and can utilize for the elderly person living alone using the detected data.

However, in order to introduce a system using an IoT device, it is necessary to secure an installation place of the IoT device and perform installation work. These operations are troublesome for the user, and have been a barrier for introducing a system using an IoT device.

The purpose is to provide a sensor device and a battery device that facilitate the introduction of a system utilizing sensor data.

In the sensor device according to the present embodiment, the outer positive terminal and the outer negative terminal are respectively exposed and attached to a case having a shape conforming to a battery standard that can be attached to a battery box of a battery-driven device or another shape, Inside the case, there are an inner positive terminal and an inner negative terminal connected to the outer positive terminal and the outer negative terminal, respectively, a battery accommodating portion for accommodating a battery, and an antenna for wireless communication And a sensor that measures at least one of temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure, and a transmitter that transmits data measured by the sensor to the external information processing device via the antenna.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an air conditioning management system using the sensor device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of the sensor device of FIG. FIG. 3 is a view showing a cross section of the sensor device of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the sensor device of FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in the off-linked mode of the sensor device of FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in the on-linked mode of the sensor device of FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an air temperature data collection system using the sensor device according to the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, the sensor device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be given only when necessary.

The sensor device 4 according to the present embodiment has a shape and size conforming to the battery standard, and is attached to the battery box of the battery-driven device 6. Examples of the battery-driven device 6 include a desk lamp 61, a TV remote control 62, a battery-driven timepiece 63, and a battery ignition-type gas range 64. In the air conditioning management system shown in FIG. 1, the sensor device 4 is connected to a programmable logic controller (hereinafter simply referred to as PLC) 3 in accordance with a short-range wireless communication standard, typically Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. The sensor device 4 transmits the measured temperature data to the PLC 3. The PLC 3 holds the data of the air conditioner control program, and controls the air conditioner 5 in order to change the set temperature, air volume, and wind direction of the air conditioner 5 according to the temperature data measured by the sensor device 4. As a result, the living room temperature can be kept constant at the user's preferred temperature. Furthermore, by disposing the plurality of sensor devices 4 in the living room, the direction of the wind blown from the air conditioner 5 can be controlled, and the entire room can be maintained at a constant temperature.

2 and 3, the sensor device 4 has a shape conforming to the battery standard or other shapes. The sensor device 4 typically has an AA shape. Of course, the shape, size, and the like of the sensor device 4 are arbitrary depending on the battery used in the battery-driven device 6, and may be configured as a single shape, for example.

The sensor device 4 has a cylindrical case 41 having a height and a diameter in accordance with the AA battery standard. An outer positive terminal 43 and an outer negative terminal 44 are attached to the front and rear end faces of the case 41 in accordance with the AA battery standard. Inside the case 41, a battery accommodating portion 42 having a shape and size conforming to the smaller standard AAA battery standard is provided. An inner positive terminal 45 and an inner negative terminal 46 that are in contact with the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the AAA battery 48 accommodated therein are respectively attached to the front and rear end faces of the battery accommodating portion 42. The inner positive terminal 45 and the inner negative terminal 46 attached to the battery housing part 42 are connected to the outer positive terminal 43 and the outer negative terminal 44, respectively.

The battery housing part 42 is offset in the radial direction with respect to the cylindrical central axis of the case 41 with respect to the cylindrical central axis. Due to this offset, a small space is secured inside the case 41. An electronic circuit board 47 that realizes various functions of the sensor device 4 is accommodated in this small space. In the present embodiment, a temperature sensor 49 that measures temperature is mounted on the electronic circuit board 47. The peripheral surface portion of the case 41 opposite to the electronic circuit board 47 is cut out in an oval shape. The length of the notch is equal to or slightly shorter than that of the AAA battery, and the width is slightly wider than that of the AAA battery. Thereby, the AAA internal battery 48 can be inserted into and removed from the battery accommodating portion 42 through the notch.

The sensor device 4 is mounted on a battery box of a battery-driven device 6 having a power switch 7, measures the temperature around the battery-driven device 6, and transmits the measured temperature data to the PLC 3 wirelessly. And also functions as a power source for the battery-powered device 6. The battery 48 accommodated in the battery accommodating portion 42 is a power source for components such as the temperature sensor 49 mounted on the electronic circuit board 47 and also a power source for the battery-driven device 6.

As shown in FIG. 4, a DCDC converter 59, a comparator 57, an output transistor 55, an RFIC (high frequency integrated circuit) 56, and the like are mounted on an electronic circuit board 47 that realizes the function of the sensor device 4. The DCDC converter 59 generates the power supply voltage Vdd of the comparator 57 and the RFIC 56 using the battery voltage of the internal battery 48 accommodated in the battery accommodating portion 42. The RFIC is simply referred to as a processing unit as appropriate.

The comparator 57 detects the on / off of the power switch 7 of the battery-powered device 6 based on the internal current value of the electronic circuit board 47, here the current value between the inner negative terminal 46 and the outer negative terminal 44. Specifically, the detection resistor 51 is interposed between the inner negative terminal 46 and the outer negative terminal 44. The current between the inner negative terminal 46 and the outer negative terminal 44 is converted into a voltage by the detection resistor 51, and the voltage across the detection resistor 51 (detection voltage) is applied to the input terminal (inverted input terminal) of the comparator 57. The battery voltage of the internal battery 48 is divided by the voltage dividing resistors 52 and 53 and applied as a reference voltage to the other input terminal (non-inverting input terminal) of the comparator 57. The comparator 57 compares the detection voltage with the reference voltage. The detection voltage varies according to the on / off state of the power switch 7. In order to change the comparison result of the comparator 57 in accordance with the change in the detection voltage, the resistance values of the voltage dividing resistors 52 and 53 are adjusted.

The output transistor 55 functions as a switching element that switches the output of the internal battery 48 on and off. The output transistor 55 is controlled to be turned on and off by a gate voltage applied by a gate control signal from the RFIC 56. Specifically, the output transistor 55 is typically a P-channel MOSFET, and is interposed between the inner positive terminal 45 and the outer positive terminal 43. The source terminal is connected to the inner positive terminal 45, the drain terminal is connected to the outer positive terminal 43, and the gate terminal is connected to the OUT terminal of the RFIC 56. When the gate voltage is lower than the threshold voltage (when the PWM signal is at a low level), the output transistor 55 is turned on. On the other hand, when the gate voltage is higher than the threshold voltage (when the PWM signal is at a high level), the output transistor 55 is turned off. Therefore, the output of the internal battery 48 can be substantially adjusted by changing the duty ratio of the PWM signal. Of course, by changing the circuit configuration, the output transistor 55 may be an N-channel MOSFET or a bipolar transistor.

The RFIC 56 controls the sensor device 4 in an integrated manner. An antenna 58 for wireless communication is connected to the ANT terminal of the RFIC 56. The GND terminal is connected to the GND of the electronic circuit board 47. The output terminal of the temperature sensor 49 is connected to the SENSOR terminal. A power supply terminal of the temperature sensor 49 is connected to the Vs terminal. The gate terminal of the output transistor 55 is connected to the OUT terminal. The output terminal of the comparator 57 is connected to the IN terminal. The RFIC 56 detects the temperature via the temperature sensor 49. Typically, the antenna 58 is accommodated in the case 41. However, the antenna 58 may be attached to the outer surface of the case 41.

The RFIC 56 functionally includes a wireless communication unit, a PWM signal generation unit, and a control unit. Here, the sensor device 4 includes a temperature sensor 49. However, instead of the temperature sensor 49, a configuration including various sensors that acquire environmental information of a place where the sensor device 4 is installed, such as a humidity sensor that measures humidity, a pressure sensor that measures atmospheric pressure, and a sound sensor that detects sound. It may be a structure provided with a plurality of types of sensors. Typically, the sensor 49 is accommodated in the case 41. However, the sensor 49 may be adhered to the outer surface of the case 41, or a part of the case 41 may be opened and exposed from there.

The wireless communication unit transmits temperature data to the PLC 3 registered in advance as the output destination of the sensor data according to the control of the control unit. In addition, the wireless communication unit receives a control signal instructing opening / closing of the output transistor 55 from a portable information processing terminal registered in advance as a user terminal for changing various settings of the sensor device 4 according to control of the control unit. When two external devices cannot be connected to the sensor device 4 at the same time, the control unit controls the wireless communication unit, allows the sensor device 4 to connect one external device, and connects the other external device. Ban. For example, in the regular mode described later, the control unit controls the wireless communication unit in order to connect the PLC 3 to the sensor device 4 and not connect the portable information processing terminal. In the interlock mode described later, the control unit controls the wireless communication unit to connect the PLC 3 to the sensor device 4 and not to connect the portable information processing terminal while the temperature sensor 49 is being driven. While 49 is not driven, the wireless communication unit is controlled so that the portable information processing terminal is connected to the sensor device 4 and the PLC 3 is not connected. The mode is initialized to, for example, the on-linked mode by restarting the RFIC 56 by inserting / removing the battery 48 from / into the battery accommodating portion 42. Thereby, even if the mode is always selected, the mode can be selected by restarting the RFIC 56.

The PWM signal generator generates a PWM signal (pulse width signal modulation) with a duty ratio corresponding to the control signal received from the portable information processing terminal. The PWM signal generated by the PWM signal generator is supplied to the gate of the output transistor 55. When the output command value is 0%, the PWM signal generator generates a PWM signal with a duty ratio of 0% (only high level). When the output command value is 100%, a PWM signal having a duty ratio of 100% (low level only) is generated. When the output command value is 50%, the PWM signal generator generates a drive signal with a duty ratio of 50% (the ratio between the low level and the high level is half).

The control unit includes a normal mode in which the temperature sensor 49 is always operated, and an interlocking mode in which the on / off of the temperature sensor 49 is interlocked with the on / off of the power switch 7 of the battery-driven device 6. Of course, if the device is not provided with the power switch 7, the on / off of the power switch 7 is replaced with the insertion / extraction of the sensor device to / from the battery box of the battery driven device 6, and the on / off of the temperature sensor 49 is the battery driven type. This is linked to the on / off of the operation of the device 6. Further, in the interlock mode, the temperature sensor 49 is operated when the battery-driven device 6 is in an on state, and the temperature sensor 49 is stopped when the battery-driven device 6 is in an off state, and the battery-driven device 6 is And an off-linked mode in which the temperature sensor 49 is operated in the off state and the temperature sensor 49 is stopped when the battery-powered device 6 is in the on state. These modes are selected according to an instruction from a specific portable information processing terminal connected to the sensor device 4. The mode can be selected during a period in which the temperature sensor 49 is in an off state or a predetermined period after the battery 48 is attached to the battery housing part 42. Thereby, even when the normal mode is selected, the temperature sensor 49 can be driven for a predetermined period after the battery 48 is mounted in the battery housing portion 42, and the mode can be selected during that period. .

The always mode is a mode in which the sensor device 4 always functions as an IoT device. By selecting the constant mode, the sensor device 4 can be specialized as an original IoT device. When the constant mode is selected, the control unit is configured to cause the PWM signal generating unit to supply a PWM signal having a predetermined duty ratio to the output transistor 55 in order to intentionally reduce the power output to the battery-powered device 6. May be controlled. Thereby, the function as a power supply of the battery-powered apparatus 6 can be reduced, and the time during which the sensor device 4 functions as an IoT device can be lengthened.

The interlocking mode is a mode in which the period during which the sensor device 4 functions as an IoT device is limited to a period in which the battery-driven device 6 is in an on state or an off state. By selecting the interlock mode, it is possible to shorten the drive time of the temperature sensor 49 compared to the normal mode, suppress the consumption of the battery 48, and ensure the function as a power source of the battery-driven device 6 for as long as possible. it can. The temperature sensor 49 must be disposed close to the internal battery 48. If the internal battery 48 is warmed by self-heating, the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 49 may be higher than the actual temperature. By selecting the off-linked mode, the temperature sensor 49 can be driven only during the period in which the battery-powered device 6 is in the off state, and the sensor device 4 can transmit only reliable temperature data to the PLC 3. There is also an effect. The effect is high when the mounting target of the sensor device 4 generates heat in a use state such as a desk lamp or a battery ignition type gas range.

FIG. 5 shows an operation procedure in the off-linked mode of the sensor device 4 according to the present embodiment. In the initial state, the power switch 7 is off. When the internal battery 48 is accommodated in the battery accommodating portion 42, the RFIC 56 is activated, and the sensor device 4 is wirelessly connected to the PLC 3. The temperature sensor 49 is driven by the RFIC 56 (step S11), and the temperature data measured by the temperature sensor 49 is input to the RFIC 56 (step S12). The temperature data is transmitted to the PLC 3 by the RFIC 56 (step S13). Step S12 and step S13 are repeatedly executed at a preset period until the power switch 7 is turned on (step S14, OFF). When the power switch 7 is turned on (step S14, ON), the driving of the temperature sensor 49 is stopped by the RFIC 56, and the data transmission to the PLC 3 is stopped (step S15). When the power switch 7 is turned off (step S16, OFF), it waits until a preset standby time elapses (step S17, NO). After the standby time elapses (step S17, YES), the process goes to step S11. Returning, the temperature sensor 49 is driven again, and the measurement of temperature data is resumed. By providing the standby time, it is possible to secure a time until the battery 48 heated by self-heating is cooled and to ensure the reliability of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 49.

FIG. 6 shows an operation procedure in the on-linked mode of the sensor device 4 according to the present embodiment. In the initial state, the power switch 7 is off. When the battery 48 is accommodated in the battery accommodating portion 42, the RFIC 56 is activated. When the power switch 7 is turned on (step S21, ON), the temperature sensor 49 is driven by the RFIC 56 (step S22), and the temperature data measured by the temperature sensor 49 is input to the RFIC 56 (step S23). The temperature data is transmitted to the PLC 3 by the RFIC 56 (step S24). Step S23 and step S24 are repeatedly executed at a preset cycle until the power switch 7 is turned off (step S25, ON). When the power switch 7 is turned off (step S25, OFF), the driving of the temperature sensor 49 is stopped by the RFIC 56, and the data transmission to the PLC 3 is stopped (step S26). When the power switch 7 is turned on, the process starts again from step S21.

The sensor device 4 according to the present embodiment has a battery shape defined in the AA battery standard, and can be attached to the battery box of the battery-driven device 6. The sensor device 4 has a battery accommodating portion 42 that accommodates the AAA battery 48, and also functions as a power source for the battery-driven device 6. As a result, the temperature data can be collected from the sensor device 4 simply by mounting the sensor device 4 on the battery box of the existing battery-driven device 6, and the user needs to secure the installation location of the sensor device 4. Otherwise, there is no need to perform a special installation work for installing the sensor device 4. That is, by using the sensor device 4 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to facilitate the introduction of a system utilizing temperature data measured by the temperature sensor, and to lower the system introduction barrier.

In the present embodiment, the air conditioning management system using the sensor device 4 has been described, but the system using the sensor device 4 is not limited to this. For example, the sensor device 4 can be used in an air temperature data collection system. As shown in FIG. 7, the sensor device 4 is mounted outdoors, for example, on a battery-driven outdoor light 65 installed in a parking space of a residence, and outdoor temperature data measured by the sensor device 4 is used as a resident's smartphone 2. The temperature data is transmitted together with the position information to the server apparatus 9 as an external information processing device via the Internet 1 by the application software of the temperature data collection system activated on the smartphone 2. In this way, the server device 9 collects outdoor temperature data together with the position information, and generates temperature map data obtained by mapping the collected temperature data on the map according to the position information. The temperature map generated by the server device 9 is transmitted to the terminal 10 of the user of this system via the Internet 1, and the user displays the actually measured temperature on the map in real time, not the predicted temperature. Can be confirmed. Of course, when a barometric pressure sensor is provided, the sensor device 4 can be used in a barometric pressure data collection system. Thereby, the atmospheric pressure data collection system can provide the user of this system with an atmospheric pressure map obtained by mapping the actually measured atmospheric pressure on the map.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 4 ... Sensor apparatus, 6 ... Battery drive type device, 7 ... Power switch, 41 ... Case, 42 ... Battery accommodating part, 43 ... Outer positive terminal, 44 ... Outer negative terminal, 45 ... Inner positive terminal, 46 ... Inner negative terminal 47 ... Electronic circuit board, 48 ... Battery, 49 ... Temperature sensor, 56 ... RFIC, 58 ... Antenna.

Claims

The outer positive terminal and the outer negative terminal are respectively exposed and attached to a case having a shape conforming to an electrical standard that can be mounted on a battery box of a battery-driven device or another shape,
Inside the case, there are an inner positive terminal and an inner negative terminal connected to the outer positive terminal and the outer negative terminal, respectively, a battery accommodating portion for accommodating a battery, and an antenna for wireless communication And a sensor device that measures at least one of temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure, and a transmitter that transmits data measured by the sensor to an external information processing device via the antenna.
Inside the case, a switch detector for detecting on / off of a power switch of the battery-powered device, and transmitting the data when the power switch is off, and transmitting the data when the power switch is on. The sensor device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the sensor according to a detection result of the switch detection unit in order to stop transmission.
Inside the case, a switch detection unit that detects on / off of a power switch of the battery-powered device, and transmission of the data when the power switch is on, and transmission of the data when the power switch is off. The sensor device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the sensor according to a detection result of the switch detection unit in order to stop transmission.
The switch detector is configured to detect a current value between the inner positive terminal and the outer positive terminal or between the inner negative terminal and the outer negative terminal, and based on the detected current value. The sensor device according to claim 2, further comprising: a determination unit that determines whether the power switch is on or off.
Inside the case is an output transistor interposed between the inner negative terminal and the outer negative terminal or between the inner positive terminal and the outer positive terminal, and from an external information processing terminal via the antenna. The receiving part which receives the control signal which instruct | indicates opening and closing of the said output transistor, and the PWM signal generation part which generate | occur | produces the PWM signal which controls opening and closing of the said output transistor with the duty ratio according to the said control signal are further provided. The sensor device according to claim 2 or claim 3.
A case having a shape conforming to electrical standards or other shapes;
A battery housed in the case;
An external terminal connected to the electrode of the battery exposed to the outside of the case;
A sensor that measures at least one of temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure contained or exposed in the case;
An antenna for wireless communication housed in the case;
A processing unit that detects at least one of temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure via the sensor and transmits data related to at least one of the detected temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure to the external information processing device via the antenna;
A battery device comprising: a conversion unit that converts the voltage of the battery into a power supply voltage of the processing unit.