WO2020170780A1

WO2020170780A1 - Gateway device, communication method, and computer program

Info

Publication number: WO2020170780A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/003875
Authority: WO
Inventors: 順一古川
Original assignee: パナソニックＩｐマネジメント株式会社
Priority date: 2019-02-22
Filing date: 2020-02-03
Publication date: 2020-08-27
Also published as: JP7113319B2; JPWO2020170780A1

Abstract

A first communication unit 40 communicates with a first apparatus in accordance with a first communication protocol. A second communication unit 42 communicates with a second apparatus in accordance with a second communication protocol. An access control unit 32, when a request transmitted from the first apparatus to the second apparatus and conforming to the first communication protocol has been received by the first communication unit 40, refers to a routing table 50 and identifies the second communication protocol as the communication protocol used by the second apparatus. The access control unit 32 delegates, to the second communication unit 42 corresponding to the second communication protocol, a process for transmitting the request to the second apparatus.

Description

Gateway device, communication method and computer program

The present disclosure relates to communication technology, and particularly to a gateway device, a communication control method, and a computer program.

Currently, in homes, connection to networks such as air conditioners, lighting, and solar power generation devices, so-called "IoT (Internet of Things)" is becoming popular.

Patent No. 4745337

　The interface (in other words, communication path) of multiple devices installed in a house etc. may not be one, and the communication protocol used by each device may be different. Under such circumstances, it is required to efficiently link a plurality of devices installed in a house or the like.

The present disclosure has been made in view of such circumstances, and one object thereof is to preferably realize cooperation of a plurality of devices connected to different interfaces and operating with different protocols.

In order to solve the above problems, a gateway device according to an aspect of the present invention provides a plurality of communication units corresponding to different types of communication protocols and a communication protocol used by each of a plurality of devices connected to the device. A storage unit for storing and a control unit are provided. The plurality of communication units include a first communication unit that communicates with the first device according to the first communication protocol and a second communication unit that communicates with the second device according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol. And a communication unit. The control unit refers to the storage unit when the request transmitted from the first device to the second device and the request complying with the first communication protocol is accepted by the first communication unit, A process of identifying the second communication protocol as a communication protocol used by the second device and transmitting a request to the second device to the second communication unit corresponding to the second communication protocol among the plurality of communication units. Delegate.

Another aspect of the present invention is a communication method. This method is a method executed by the gateway device, and the gateway device uses a plurality of communication units corresponding to a plurality of different types of communication protocols and a communication protocol used by each of a plurality of devices connected to the device. And a storage unit for storing. The plurality of communication units include a first communication unit that communicates with the first device according to the first communication protocol and a second communication unit that communicates with the second device according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol. And a communication unit. When the request transmitted from the first device to the second device and complying with the first communication protocol is accepted by the first communication unit, the second device is referred to by referring to the storage unit. The second communication protocol is identified as the communication protocol used by, and the process of transmitting the request to the second device is delegated to the second communication unit corresponding to the second communication protocol among the plurality of communication units.

It should be noted that any combination of the above constituent elements and the expression of the present disclosure converted between a system, a computer program, a recording medium recording the computer program, etc. are also effective as an aspect of the present disclosure.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to preferably realize cooperation of a plurality of devices connected to different interfaces and operating with different protocols.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the communication system of an Example. It is a block diagram which shows the functional block of the gateway of FIG. It is a figure which shows the function mounted in each communication part. It is a figure which shows the example of a routing table. It is a sequence diagram which shows operation|movement of a communication system.

The subject of the device or method according to the present disclosure includes a computer. The functions of the subject of the apparatus or method according to the present disclosure are realized by the computer executing the program. The computer includes a processor that operates according to a program as a main hardware configuration. The processor may be of any type as long as it can realize the function by executing the program. The processor is composed of a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or one or more electronic circuits including an LSI (large scale integration). Although referred to as IC or LSI here, they may be called system LSI, VLSI (very large scale integration) or USLI (ultra large scale integration) depending on the degree of integration. A field programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable logic device that can reconfigure the junction relation inside the LSI or set up the circuit section inside the LSI can be used for the same purpose. You can The plurality of electronic circuits may be integrated on one chip or may be provided on the plurality of chips. The plurality of chips may be integrated in one device or may be provided in the plurality of devices. The program is recorded in a non-transitory recording medium such as a computer-readable ROM, an optical disk, a hard disk drive. The program may be stored in the recording medium in advance, or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide area communication network such as the Internet.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a communication system 10 of the embodiment. The communication system 10 is built in a building such as a house, and includes a plurality of interfaces (in other words, communication paths) and a plurality of devices. The plurality of devices are so-called IoT devices connected to a network, and include, for example, home electric appliances such as air conditioners and lights, information devices such as smartphones, and household equipment devices such as solar power generators and power storage devices.

The interface 1 is an IP network, and the communication protocol is Echonet Lite (“Echonet” is a registered trademark). The device 11, the device 12, the controller 20, and the router 22 are connected to the interface 1. The controller 20 is a device that controls the operation of each device in the communication system 10. For example, the controller 20 is a HEMS (Home Energy Management System) controller. The router 22 is connected to the server 24 on the cloud.

The communication protocol of the interface 2 is BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, "Bluetooth" is a registered trademark). The device 13 and the device 14 are connected to the interface 2. The communication protocol of the interface 3 is serial communication. A device 15 is connected to the interface 3. The communication protocol of the interface 4 is a specific low power radio (920 MHz band radio or the like). The device 16 and the device 17 are connected to the interface 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 10 does not have one type of interface to which a plurality of devices are connected, and does not have one type of communication protocol used by each device. The communication system 10 is provided with a gateway 26 in order to link devices having different communication protocols on different interfaces. The gateway 26 is a communication device that absorbs a difference in interface and a difference in communication protocol between a plurality of devices and relays data transmitted and received between the plurality of devices.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functional blocks of the gateway 26 of FIG. Each block shown in the block diagram of the present disclosure can be realized by an element such as a CPU/memory of a computer or a mechanical device in terms of hardware, and by a computer program or the like in terms of software. , The functional blocks realized by their cooperation are drawn. Those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combining hardware and software.

The gateway 26 includes a communication unit 30, an access control unit 32, and an object database 34. A computer program including a plurality of modules in which the functions of the plurality of functional blocks illustrated in FIG. 2 are implemented may be stored in a recording medium and installed in the storage of the gateway 26 via the recording medium. Alternatively, the above computer program may be installed in the storage of the gateway 26 via a communication network. The CPU of the gateway 26 may perform the function of each functional block by reading the computer program into the main memory and executing the computer program.

The communication unit 30 communicates with an external device and transmits/receives data to/from the external device. The communication unit 30 includes a first communication unit 40, a second communication unit 42, a third communication unit 44, and a fourth communication unit 46 that support different types of communication protocols. The first communication unit 40, the second communication unit 42, the third communication unit 44, and the fourth communication unit 46 are collectively referred to as a communication unit.

The first communication unit 40 is connected to the interface 1 and communicates with the controller 20, the router 22, the device 11, and the device 12 according to the Echonet Lite protocol. The second communication unit 42 is connected to the interface 2 and communicates with the device 13 and the device 14 in accordance with the BLE protocol. The third communication unit 44 is connected to the interface 3 and communicates with the device 15 according to the serial communication protocol. The fourth communication unit 46 is connected to the interface 4 and communicates with the device 16 and the device 17 in accordance with the protocol of extra small radio.

Each of the first communication unit 40, the second communication unit 42, the third communication unit 44, and the fourth communication unit 46 includes a plurality of functions (API (Application (Application Programming Interface)). FIG. 3 shows a function implemented in each communication unit. Among the functions shown in FIG. 3, “init”, “get”, and “set” are functions called from an external device, and “tx” and “rx” are functions called from the access control unit 32.

Returning to FIG. 2, the object database 34 holds in memory a plurality of virtual objects corresponding to a plurality of devices connected to the gateway 26. For example, the object database 34 stores a virtual object corresponding to the device 11, a virtual object corresponding to the device 13, and a virtual object corresponding to the device 15. The virtual object of the embodiment includes identification information of the corresponding device (for example, a class ID and an object ID described later) and information indicating the state of the corresponding device.

The access control unit 32 executes processing for relaying data between multiple devices. The access control unit 32 includes a routing table 50, a notification unit 51, a search unit 52, a specifying unit 54, a transfer unit 56, and an updating unit 58.

The routing table 50 stores, for each of a plurality of devices connected to the gateway 26, information about a communication protocol used by each device for communication. In other words, the routing table 50 stores a correspondence relationship between a plurality of devices, an interface to which each device is connected, and a communication protocol used by each device. As a modification, the routing table 50 may store a correspondence relationship between a plurality of devices and communication units (the first communication unit 40, the second communication unit 42,...) Connected to the respective devices.

Figure 4 shows an example of the routing table. The routing table in the figure shows a routing table for the device 13. Data related to the actual device 13 is stored in the real object column of the routing table. In the interface/protocol type of the real object sequence, the type of communication protocol used by the device 13 is recorded. In the embodiment, the interface/protocol type is associated with any of the plurality of communication units in advance. Therefore, the interface/protocol type is information that can identify the communication unit connected to the interface to which the device 13 is connected. For example, when the interface/protocol type is BLE, the second communication unit 42 is specified.

In the address length and address of the real object sequence, the address and the length of the device 13 in the interface (that is, the interface 2) to which the device 13 is connected are recorded. The class ID and the object ID of the real object sequence include data for uniquely identifying the device 13 in the communication system 10 (in the system of Echonet Lite in the embodiment), in other words, a unique ID indicating the device 13. Will be recorded.

The virtual object column of the routing table stores data related to a virtual object (a virtual object in Echonet Lite in the embodiment) corresponding to the device 13. Echonet write is recorded in the interface/protocol type of the virtual object sequence. In the address length and address of the virtual object sequence, the address and the length of the device 13 in the calling side interface (interface 1 in the embodiment) are recorded. The class ID and the object ID of the virtual object sequence include data for uniquely identifying the device 13 in the communication system 10 (in the Echonet Lite system in the embodiment), in other words, a unique ID indicating the device 13. Will be recorded.

Return to the explanation of FIG. Hereinafter, a device that uses the first communication protocol is referred to as a first device, and a device that uses a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol is referred to as a second device. For example, the first communication protocol may be Echonet Lite and the first device may be the controller 20. Further, the second communication protocol may be BLE, and the second device may be the device 13 and the device 14.

The notification unit 51 uses the device information including the information of the second device as the information of the device capable of communicating using the first communication protocol when the predetermined notification condition is satisfied. Notify to. The notification condition may be that the first device has started up, or that the first device has notified that the first device has started up. Further, the notification unit 51 may notify each device connected to the gateway 26 of the latest device information when a predetermined time has passed from the previous notification, that is, periodically. The device information may include information on a virtual object corresponding to the second device, and may include, for example, a set of a class ID and an object ID of each of one or more second devices.

When the request sent from the first device to the second device and the request conforming to the first communication protocol is accepted, the search unit 52 searches the object database 34 and determines the request destination. Confirm that the second device is connected. In other words, the search unit 52 confirms whether or not a virtual object corresponding to the second device exists in the object database 34.

When the requesting second device is connected, the specifying unit 54 refers to the routing table 50 and specifies the interface to which the second device is connected and the communication protocol used by the second device. To do. For example, the identifying unit 54 identifies the interface/protocol type of the real object sequence by referring to the routing table 50 regarding the second device. As described above, the specifying unit 54 holds the correspondence between the interface/protocol type and the communication unit. The identifying unit 54 further identifies the interface to which the second device is connected and the communication unit corresponding to the communication protocol used by the second device (that is, one of the first communication unit 40 to the fourth communication unit 46). To do.

The transfer unit 56 delegates the process of transmitting the request to the communication unit corresponding to the interface and the communication protocol of the request destination second device, which is specified by the specifying unit 54.

When the response to the request is received from the second device, the updating unit 58, based on the content of the response, the virtual object corresponding to the second device among the virtual objects stored in the object database 34. To update.

The operation of the communication system 10 having the above configuration will be described.
FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the communication system 10. FIG. 5 shows an operation when writing data from the controller 20 that uses Echonet Write as a communication protocol to the device 13 that uses BLE as a communication protocol. For example, when the device 13 is a lighting device, the following write request may be data for instructing lighting.

Although not shown in FIG. 5, the notification unit 51 of the gateway 26 determines a device that can communicate using the communication protocol of the interface 1 when a predetermined condition is satisfied, such as when the activation of the controller 20 is detected. The device information shown is notified to the controller 20 via the first communication unit 40. The device information includes, for example, information on the device 13, the device 14, the device 15, and the like as devices that can communicate with Echonet Lite. As a result, the controller 20 can be made to recognize that the device 13, the device 14, the device 15 and the like can be accessed by Echo Net Write (in other words, the communication protocol used by the controller 20).

The controller 20 sends to the interface 1 a write request to the device 13 that complies with Echonet Write (S10). The write request conforming to Echonet Write is a write request conforming to the format and procedure defined by Echonet Write. For example, it is a write request in which the class ID and the object ID of the device 13 notified in advance are specified as the object of Echonet Light. In addition, the write request calls “set” among the functions (FIG. 3) disclosed by the first communication unit 40 of the gateway 26, and specifies the device 13 (class ID and object ID) of the write destination and the write content as parameters. It may be one that does.

The first communication unit 40 of the gateway 26 receives the write request transmitted from the controller 20 via the interface 1 (S12). The first communication unit 40 transmits a write request to the virtual object corresponding to the device 13 to the access control unit 32 based on the received write request (S14).

Upon receiving the write request to the virtual object corresponding to the device 13, the search unit 52 of the access control unit 32 confirms whether the virtual object corresponding to the device 13 is stored in the object database 34 (S16). If the virtual object including the set of the class ID and the object ID designated by the write request is stored in the object database 34, the search unit 52 determines that the virtual object corresponding to the writing destination device is stored. In other words, it is determined that the writing destination device is connected.

If the virtual object corresponding to the device 13 is stored in the object database 34, the access control unit 32 continues the process of transmitting the write request to the device 13. On the other hand, if the virtual object corresponding to the device 13 is not stored in the object database 34, the access control unit 32 stops the process of transmitting the write request to the device 13.

Here, it is assumed that the virtual object corresponding to the device 13 has been stored in the object database 34. The identifying unit 54 of the access control unit 32 identifies the actual interface and communication protocol of the device 13 with reference to the routing table 50, and communicates with the interface and the communication module (the second communication unit 42 in this example). ) Is specified (S18).

Specifically, the identifying unit 54 refers to the routing table 50 and identifies the data of the real object having the combination of the class ID and the object ID designated by the write request to the virtual object corresponding to the device 13, The interface/protocol type “BLE” set in the data of the real object may be specified. Then, the specifying unit 54 may specify the second communication unit 42, which is a communication module preliminarily associated with the BLE.

The transfer unit 56 of the access control unit 32 delegates the process of transmitting the write request to the device 13 to the second communication unit 42 specified by the specifying unit 54 (S20). Specifically, the transfer unit 56 calls “tx” in the function (FIG. 3) disclosed by the second communication unit 42, and writes the address of the device 13 of the writing destination (the real address of the device 13 set in the routing table). ) And the contents to be written may be specified as parameters (eg, arguments).

The tx function of the second communication unit 42 is implemented so as to transmit data according to the BLE protocol (format, procedure, etc.). The second communication unit 42 executes the tx function and transmits a write request to the device 13 via the interface 2 according to the BLE protocol (S22). The device 13 updates its own data in response to the write request (S24). For example, when the device 13 is a lighting device, the lighting is turned on. The device 13 transmits a BLE response message indicating the completion of writing to the interface 2 (S26).

The second communication unit 42 of the gateway 26 receives the BLE response message transmitted from the device 13 via the interface 2 (S28). The second communication unit 42 transmits a request to update the virtual object corresponding to the device 13 (here, a request to write the response content) to the access control unit 32 based on the received response message (S30). The updating unit 58 of the access control unit 32 updates the data of the virtual object corresponding to the device 13 stored in the object database 34 based on the response content from the device 13. For example, when the response content from the device 13 indicates the latest state of the device 13 (for example, lighting), the update unit 58 writes the latest state in the virtual object.

According to the gateway 26 of the embodiment, it is possible to absorb the interface difference and communication protocol difference between a plurality of devices and facilitate the cooperation of the plurality of devices. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, even when there are a plurality of devices that operate with a plurality of types of protocols, the protocol used on the main interface (for example, Echonet Lite, etc.) is used to perform the plurality of devices. Can be controlled. As a result, it is possible to promote automatic control of equipment installed in a residential building, management of equipment status, and visualization of equipment information.

Above, the present disclosure has been described based on the embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that this embodiment is merely an example, and that various modifications can be made to the combination of each component or each processing process, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

The first modified example will be described. Although not mentioned in the above embodiment, the data of the virtual object stored in the object database 34 of the gateway 26 may be set manually or automatically. When automatically set, the gateway 26 may further include an object setting unit. When the device information (the attribute information including the interface/protocol type and the address) transmitted from the external device is accepted, the object setting unit uses the device information to acquire the data of the virtual object corresponding to the external device. May be set and stored in the object database 34. At that time, the object setting unit may give a unique class ID and object ID to the external device.

Similarly, the data of the routing table stored in the routing table 50 of the gateway 26 may be set manually or automatically. When automatically set, the gateway 26 may further include a routing table setting unit. When the device information (the attribute information including the interface/protocol type and the address) transmitted from the external device is accepted, the routing table setting unit sets the data of the routing table related to the external device based on the device information. However, it may be stored in the routing table 50.

The routing table setting unit may set the value of the real object column of the routing table based on the interface/protocol type, address, etc. indicated by the device information transmitted from the external device. At this time, the routing table setting unit may give a unique class ID and object ID to the external device and set the external device in the routing table. In addition, the routing table setting unit may set virtual object information in the routing table according to the communication protocol (eg, Echonet Write) of the request source for the external device. The virtual object automatic setting and the routing table automatic setting may be executed as a series of processes.

The second modification will be described. In the above embodiment, an example in which the controller 20 on the interface 1 (Echonet Lite) controls devices connected to other than the interface 1 has been described. However, the server 24 connected to the interface 1 connects to a device other than the interface 1. The same processing sequence as that of the embodiment is applied to the case of controlling the device (for example, acquisition or setting of data). Also, when controlling a device on the interface N (N≠M) from a device on the interface M (M is other than 1), the former device is the first device and the latter device is the second device. The processing sequence is similar to that of the embodiment.

Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present disclosure. The new embodiment generated by the combination has the effects of the combined example and the modified example. It is also understood by those skilled in the art that the functions to be achieved by the respective constituent elements described in the claims are realized by the individual constituent elements shown in the embodiments and the modified examples or by their cooperation.

The techniques described in the embodiments and the modifications may be specified by the following items.
[Item 1]
A plurality of communication units (30) corresponding to different types of communication protocols;
A storage unit (50) for storing a communication protocol used by each of a plurality of devices connected to the device;
A control unit (32),
The plurality of communication units (30),
A first communication unit (40) that communicates with a first device according to a first communication protocol;
A second communication unit (42) that communicates with a second device according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol,
The control unit (32) receives a request sent from the first device to the second device, the request complying with the first communication protocol being accepted by the first communication unit (40). In this case, the storage unit (50) is referred to identify the second communication protocol as the communication protocol used by the second device, and the second communication protocol of the plurality of communication units (30) Delegating a process of transmitting the request to the second device to a second communication unit (42) corresponding to a communication protocol,
A gateway device (26).
According to this gateway device, the difference in communication protocol between the first device and the second device can be absorbed, and the first device and the second device can be made to cooperate with each other. Further, in this gateway device, each communication unit corresponding to each communication protocol executes the process of actually communicating with the external device. As a result, the control unit does not need to implement processing according to each communication protocol, and the implementation cost of the control unit can be reduced.
[Item 2]
When the storage unit (50) is called a first storage unit (50),
A second storage unit (34) for storing a plurality of objects corresponding to a plurality of devices connected to the apparatus,
When the first communication unit (40) receives a request sent from the first device to the second device, the first communication unit (40) sends a request to an object corresponding to the second device to the control unit ( 32),
The control unit (32) continues the process for transmitting the request to the second device when an object corresponding to the second device exists.
The gateway device (26) according to item 1.
According to this gateway device, the interfaces of the communication unit and the control unit can be unified, and it is possible to prevent a request from being sent to an unconnected device.
[Item 3]
The second communication unit (42) receives a response to the request from the second device, transmits a request to update an object corresponding to the second device to the control unit (32),
The control unit (32) updates the object corresponding to the second device based on the content of the response,
The gateway device (26) according to item 2.
According to this gateway device, for example, the state of the second device after the request process can be reflected in the object corresponding to the second device, and the relay process according to the state of the second device after the request process is executed. be able to.
[Item 4]
A notification unit (51) for notifying the first device of device information including information of the second device as information of the device capable of communicating using the first communication protocol,
The gateway device (26) according to any one of Items 1 to 3.
According to this gateway device, it is possible to make the first device recognize that the second device is a device that can communicate using the first communication protocol.
[Item 5]
The first communication protocol is Echonet Lite
The second communication protocol is different from Echonet Lite.
The gateway device (26) according to any one of Items 1 to 4.
According to this gateway device, it is possible to control a device using a communication protocol different from that of Echonet Lite by using Echonet Lite used on the main interface.
[Item 6]
A method executed by the gateway device (26), comprising:
The gateway device (26),
A plurality of communication units (30) corresponding to different types of communication protocols;
A storage unit (50) for storing a communication protocol used by each of a plurality of devices connected to the device;
The plurality of communication units (30),
A first communication unit (40) that communicates with a first device according to a first communication protocol;
A second communication unit (42) that communicates with a second device according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol,
When a request sent from the first device to the second device and complying with the first communication protocol is accepted by the first communication unit (40), the storage unit ( 50), the second communication protocol that identifies the second communication protocol as a communication protocol used by the second device and corresponds to the second communication protocol of the plurality of communication units (30). Delegating to the unit (42) the process of transmitting the request to the second device;
Communication method.
According to this communication method, the same effect as item 1 is obtained.
[Item 7]
A computer program executed by the gateway device (26), comprising a storage unit (50) for storing a communication protocol used by each of a plurality of devices connected to the gateway device (26),
A plurality of communication modules (30) corresponding to different types of communication protocols;
A control module (32),
The plurality of communication modules (30) are
A first communication module (40) for communicating with a first device according to a first communication protocol;
A second communication module (42) for communicating with a second device according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol,
The control module (32) receives a request sent from the first device to the second device, the request complying with the first communication protocol being accepted by the first communication module (40). In this case, the storage unit (50) is referred to, the second communication protocol is identified as the communication protocol used by the second device, and the second communication protocol of the plurality of communication modules (30) is identified. Delegating a process of transmitting the request to the second device to a second communication module (42) corresponding to a communication protocol.
Computer program.
According to this computer program, the same effect as item 1 can be obtained.

The present disclosure can be applied to a communication gateway device.

10 communication system, 26 gateway, 30 communication unit, 32 access control unit, 40 first communication unit, 42 second communication unit, 51 notification unit, 52 search unit, 54 specific unit, 56 transfer unit, 58 update unit.

Claims

Multiple communication units that support different types of communication protocols,
A storage unit that stores a communication protocol used by each of a plurality of devices connected to the device,
And a control unit,
The plurality of communication units,
A first communication unit that communicates with a first device according to a first communication protocol;
A second communication unit that communicates with a second device according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol,
When the control unit receives a request sent from the first device to the second device and conforming to the first communication protocol, the storage unit stores the request. Unit, identifies the second communication protocol as a communication protocol used by the second device, and causes the second communication unit corresponding to the second communication protocol of the plurality of communication units to Delegates the process of transmitting the request to the second device,
Gateway device.
When the storage unit is called a first storage unit,
A second storage unit for storing a plurality of objects corresponding to a plurality of devices connected to the device;
The first communication unit, when accepting a request to the second device transmitted from the first device, transmits a request to an object corresponding to the second device to the control unit,
The control unit continues the process for transmitting the request to the second device when an object corresponding to the second device is present,
The gateway device according to claim 1.
The second communication unit receives a response to the request from the second device, transmits a request to update an object corresponding to the second device to the control unit,
The control unit updates an object corresponding to the second device based on the content of the response,
The gateway device according to claim 2.
A notification unit that notifies the first device of device information including information of the second device as information of the device capable of communicating using the first communication protocol,
The gateway device according to claim 1.
The first communication protocol is Echonet Lite
The second communication protocol is different from Echonet Lite.
The gateway device according to claim 1.
A method performed by the gateway device,
The gateway device,
Multiple communication units that support different types of communication protocols,
A storage unit that stores a communication protocol used by each of a plurality of devices connected to the device,
The plurality of communication units,
A first communication unit that communicates with a first device according to a first communication protocol;
A second communication unit that communicates with a second device according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol,
When a request sent from the first device to the second device and complying with the first communication protocol is accepted by the first communication unit, refer to the storage unit. , The second communication protocol is identified as a communication protocol used by the second device, and the second communication unit corresponding to the second communication protocol among the plurality of communication units is connected to the second device. Delegate the process of sending the request,
Communication method.
A computer program executed by the gateway device, comprising a storage unit that stores a communication protocol used by each of a plurality of devices connected to the gateway device,
Multiple communication modules that support different types of communication protocols,
With a control module,
The plurality of communication modules,
A first communication module that communicates with a first device according to a first communication protocol;
A second communication module that communicates with a second device according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol,
When the control module receives a request sent from the first device to the second device, the request conforming to the first communication protocol being accepted by the first communication module, the storage module stores Referring to the section, the second communication protocol is identified as a communication protocol used by the second device, and the second communication module corresponding to the second communication protocol among the plurality of communication modules is connected to the second communication module. Delegates the process of transmitting the request to the second device,
Computer program.