WO2021059710A1 - 無線通信装置及び配線器具システム - Google Patents

無線通信装置及び配線器具システム Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021059710A1
WO2021059710A1 PCT/JP2020/028311 JP2020028311W WO2021059710A1 WO 2021059710 A1 WO2021059710 A1 WO 2021059710A1 JP 2020028311 W JP2020028311 W JP 2020028311W WO 2021059710 A1 WO2021059710 A1 WO 2021059710A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
wireless communication
communication device
housing
unit
cover
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/JP2020/028311
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English (en)
French (fr)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
修次 松浦
弘務 石橋
中野　真一
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Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
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Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co Ltd
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Publication of WO2021059710A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021059710A1/ja
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02G—INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
    • H02G3/00—Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles
    • H02G3/02—Details
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04B—TRANSMISSION
    • H04B1/00—Details of transmission systems, not covered by a single one of groups H04B3/00 - H04B13/00; Details of transmission systems not characterised by the medium used for transmission
    • H04B1/38—Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
    • H04W88/00—Devices specially adapted for wireless communication networks, e.g. terminals, base stations or access point devices
    • H04W88/08—Access point devices

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to a wireless communication device and a wiring device system in general, and more particularly to a wireless communication device and a wiring device system having a function as an access point for wireless communication with a communication terminal.
  • Patent Document 1 discloses a wireless communication device (wireless LAN access point) that wirelessly communicates with a communication terminal (wireless LAN client terminal) such as a smartphone.
  • the wireless communication device described in Patent Document 1 can determine whether or not to perform transmission beamforming control depending on whether or not the throughput value required by the user on the communication terminal side can be obtained. Is. In Patent Document 1, it is assumed that a plurality of communication terminals exist in the vicinity of the wireless communication device.
  • the location of the access point is restricted by the propagation characteristics of radio waves, etc. There is a problem that the degree of freedom is low.
  • the present disclosure has been made in view of the above reasons, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a wireless communication device and a wiring device system in which the degree of freedom in installing an access point is increased.
  • the wireless communication device includes a wireless communication unit, a housing, and a cover.
  • the wireless communication unit functions as an access point for wireless communication with a communication terminal.
  • the housing is fixed to the construction surface.
  • the housing accommodates the wireless communication unit.
  • the cover covers the front surface of the housing.
  • the wiring equipment system includes the wireless communication device and the wiring equipment.
  • the wiring device is fixed to the construction surface side by side with the housing.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a facility into which the wireless communication device according to the first embodiment is introduced.
  • FIG. 2A is a front view of the wireless communication device of the same, with a cover attached to the housing.
  • FIG. 2B is a front view of the wireless communication device of the above, in a state where the cover is removed from the housing.
  • FIG. 3 is a block diagram conceptually showing the network system according to the first embodiment.
  • FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a mounting structure of the same wireless communication device on the construction surface.
  • FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing a state in which the wireless communication device of the above is attached to the construction surface.
  • FIG. 5A is a front view showing one aspect of the wireless communication device of the second embodiment.
  • FIG. 5B is a front view showing another aspect of the wireless communication device of the same.
  • FIG. 6A is a front view showing one aspect of a wiring equipment system using the same wireless communication device.
  • FIG. 6B is a front view showing another aspect of the wiring fixture system of the same.
  • FIG. 7 is a block diagram conceptually showing the network system according to the second embodiment.
  • the wireless communication device 1 is a device having a function as an access point 101 that performs wireless communication with the communication terminal 2.
  • a communication terminal 2 that performs wireless communication conforming to a standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) is connected to a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) by being connected to an access point.
  • the wireless communication device 1 has a function as such an access point.
  • the wireless communication device 1 includes a wireless communication unit 11 (see FIG. 3), a housing 12 (see FIG. 2B), and a cover 13 (see FIG. 2A).
  • the wireless communication unit 11 functions as an access point 101 that wirelessly communicates with the communication terminal 2.
  • the housing 12 is fixed to the construction surface 300 (see FIG. 2B).
  • the housing 12 accommodates the wireless communication unit 11.
  • the cover 13 covers the front surface 121 of the housing 12.
  • the wireless communication unit 11 that functions as the access point 101 is housed in the housing 12 fixed to the construction surface 300, a space for placing the stationary access point is secured. You can install the access point smartly without it. Moreover, since the front surface 121 of the housing 12 is covered with the cover 13, the cover 13 can protect the housing 12 from dust, moisture, oil, external force, etc., and further, the construction surface 300 It doesn't spoil the appearance. Therefore, according to the wireless communication device 1 according to the present embodiment, the degree of freedom in installing the access point 101 is high.
  • the wireless communication device 1 includes a wireless communication unit 11 and a housing 12.
  • the wireless communication unit 11 functions as one of the plurality of access points 101 in the mesh network including the plurality of access points 101.
  • Each of the plurality of access points 101 wirelessly communicates with the communication terminal 2.
  • the housing 12 is fixed to the construction surface 300. The housing 12 accommodates the wireless communication unit 11.
  • the wireless communication unit 11 that functions as the access point 101 is housed in the housing 12 fixed to the construction surface 300, a space for placing the stationary access point is secured. You can install the access point smartly without it.
  • the wireless communication unit 11 functions as one of a plurality of access points 101 included in the mesh network. That is, the wireless communication unit 11 functions not as a mere access point 101 but as an access point 101 for constructing a mesh network.
  • the mesh network By constructing the mesh network, if the communication terminal 2 is within the communicable range of any one of the plurality of access points 101, the communication terminal 2 can be connected to the mesh network.
  • the wireless communication device 1 According to the wireless communication device 1 according to the present embodiment, the degree of freedom of movement of the communication terminal 2 during communication is high.
  • the wireless communication device 1 is fixed to the construction surface 300 of the facility F1 (see FIG. 1).
  • the "construction surface” referred to in the present disclosure is the surface of a member to which the wireless communication device 1 is fixed, for example, the surface of a building such as a wall, ceiling or floor of a building, a desk, a shelf, a counter stand, or the like. Includes the surface of furniture (including fittings).
  • the facility F1 in which the wireless communication device 1 is installed is, for example, a residential facility such as a detached house or an apartment house, or a non-residential facility such as an office, a store, a school, a factory, a hospital or a nursing facility.
  • the wireless communication device 1 is an embedded wiring device attached to a construction surface 300 formed of a wall surface of a detached house.
  • the "communication terminal” referred to in the present disclosure is a terminal having a function of wirelessly communicating with the access point 101, and is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal or a wearable terminal, a personal computer, a computer game machine, an equipment or the like.
  • Home appliances, etc. Examples of home appliances include network televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, and the like.
  • Each of these communication terminals 2 has an operation input function for receiving an input signal from, for example, a touch panel display or an external operation device (keyboard, pointing device, etc.) as a function of accepting a person's operation.
  • each of these communication terminals 2 has a display function of displaying information on a display, for example, as a function of presenting information to a person.
  • Wireless communication means non-contact communication using radio waves as a transmission medium.
  • the access point 101 (wireless communication device 1) and the communication terminal 2 can communicate in both directions.
  • the wireless communication between the access point 101 (wireless communication device 1) and the communication terminal 2 is a wireless communication compliant with Wi-Fi (registered trademark).
  • the "mesh network” referred to in the present disclosure means a network that includes a plurality of access points 101 and that the communication terminal 2 can seamlessly connect to the plurality of access points 101.
  • the plurality of access points 101 that construct the mesh network communicate with each other and cooperate with each other to realize seamless switching of the access points 101 that communicate with the communication terminal 2.
  • Wi-Fi registered trademark
  • the mesh network constructed by the plurality of access points 101 is a mesh. Wi-Fi (registered trademark).
  • SSID Service Set Identifier
  • password passphrase
  • “Seamless” as used in this disclosure means seamless continuity. That is, even if the communication terminal 2 moves from the communicable range of one access point 101 to the communicable range of another access point 101, the connection destination of the communication terminal 2 is seamlessly switched between the two access points 101. As a result, the connection state of the communication terminal 2 to the mesh network is seamlessly maintained.
  • the "communicable range” referred to in the present disclosure means a range in which wireless communication with the access point 101 is possible. That is, if the communication terminal 2 is within the communicable range of a certain access point 101, normal wireless communication with the access point 101 is possible. On the other hand, if the communication terminal 2 is outside the communicable range of a certain access point 101, normal wireless communication with the access point 101 becomes difficult.
  • the communicable range includes, for example, SN ratio (Signal-Noise Ratio), received signal strength (RSSI: Received Signal Strength Indicator), error rate, transmission speed, etc. in wireless communication between the access point 101 and the communication terminal 2. It is defined using the evaluation value to be expressed. As an example, the range in which the evaluation value representing the SN ratio in the wireless communication between the access point 101 and the communication terminal 2 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold value is the communicable range of the access point 101.
  • a plurality of access points 101 including the wireless communication device 1 according to the present embodiment construct a network system 100 composed of a mesh network.
  • the network system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of access points 101 including the wireless communication device 1.
  • the network system 100 constructs a mesh network with these plurality of access points 101. That is, the network system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of access points 101 for constructing a mesh network. Then, at least one of these plurality of access points 101 is the wireless communication device 1 according to the present embodiment.
  • the plurality of access points 101 (five in the example of FIG. 1) constituting the network system 100 (mesh network) are all wireless communication devices 1. That is, the plurality of access points 101 are composed of a plurality of wireless communication devices 1 having the same configuration. Therefore, in the following, unless otherwise specified, the configuration described for one wireless communication device 1 is a configuration common to all of the plurality of access points 101.
  • the plurality of access points 101 for constructing the mesh network are configured to be able to communicate with each other.
  • the term "communicable” as used in the present disclosure means that signals can be exchanged directly or indirectly via a network or a repeater by an appropriate communication method of wired communication or wireless communication.
  • the plurality of access points 101 are all connected by wire by being connected to the electric wire L1.
  • the wireless communication device 1 further includes a wired communication unit 14 (see FIG. 3).
  • the wired communication unit 14 performs wired communication with an access point 101 different from the wireless communication unit 11 among the plurality of access points 101.
  • communication between the wireless communication device 1 and the other access point 101 is realized by wired communication using the electric wire L1 as a medium.
  • the wireless communication unit 11 of the wireless communication device 1 also functions as an access point 101, as a result, communication between a plurality of access points 101 is realized by wired communication.
  • the electric wire L1 is a signal line for communication, and more specifically, a LAN cable. That is, in the present embodiment, the communication method between the plurality of access points 101 for constructing the mesh network is the wired LAN method.
  • the backhaul for connecting a plurality of access points 101 is realized by wire (electric wire L1).
  • the plurality of access points 101 are connected by a wired backhaul, particularly an Ethernet (registered trademark) backhaul (Ethernet (registered trademark) Backhaul) to form a mesh network.
  • the connection topology between a plurality of access points 101 is a star type.
  • the access point 101 as one or more slave units, which will be described later is directly connected to the access point 101 as the master unit, which will be described later.
  • a plurality of slave units are connected to one master unit by the electric wire L1.
  • the wired communication unit 14 communicates with another access point 101 by wire through the electric wire L1 arranged on the back side of the construction surface 300.
  • the "back side of the construction surface 300" here means the space behind the wall, strictly speaking, the space behind the wall when the construction surface 300 is a wall surface.
  • the underfloor space under the floor
  • the under-ceiling space behind the ceiling. Is the "back side of the construction surface 300".
  • the wired communication unit 14 realizes the wired communication by using the concealed wiring installed so as to pass through the back side of the construction surface 300 as the electric wire L1. Therefore, even though the plurality of access points 101 for constructing the mesh network are connected by wire, the electric wire L1 connecting the plurality of access points 101 is not exposed and looks good. Moreover, even when connecting a plurality of access points 101 installed in different rooms, the electric wire L1 can be wiredly connected between the plurality of access points 101 by passing through the back side of the construction surface 300. It will be possible. FIG. 1 does not faithfully represent the path through which the electric wire L1 actually passes, but merely schematically represents the electric wire L1 arranged on the back side of the construction surface 300.
  • the plurality of access points 101 are distributed and arranged in a plurality of rooms in the facility F1.
  • one access point 101 is installed in one room.
  • the communicable range of the mesh network constructed by the plurality of access points 101 can be expanded.
  • the entire facility F1 is included in the communicable range of the mesh network.
  • the communication terminal 2 can wirelessly communicate with any of the plurality of access points 101 for constructing the mesh network anywhere in the facility F1, and as a result, can be connected to the mesh network.
  • the network system 100 as a mesh network is connected to an external network 3 (see FIG. 3) different from the mesh network.
  • the external network 3 is a public network such as the Internet.
  • the network system 100 is connected to the external network 3 via the optical network unit 4.
  • the optical network unit 4 is referred to as "ONU" (Optical Network Unit).
  • the optical network unit 4 is installed in the facility F1 and is connected to the optical fiber drawn into the facility F1.
  • the optical line termination device 4 is connected to the external network 3 by an optical line (optical fiber) and performs mutual conversion between an optical signal and an electric signal.
  • the network system 100 is connected to the external network 3 via the optical line termination device 4 and the optical line (optical fiber).
  • the plurality of access points 101 for constructing the mesh network are classified as either a master unit or a slave unit. There is only one master unit in the mesh network, and one or more slave units in the mesh network.
  • the mesh network (network system 100) includes an access point 101 as one master unit and an access point 101 as a slave unit of a plurality of units (four in the example of FIG. 1). There is.
  • the master unit is connected to the external network 3, and one or more slave units are connected to the master unit.
  • the access point 101 (wireless communication device 1) as a master unit is indirectly connected to the external network 3 via the optical line termination device 4 by being connected to the optical line termination device 4.
  • the access point 101 (wireless communication device 1) as a master unit and the optical line termination device 4 are connected by, for example, a LAN cable.
  • the master unit has a function as a "router”
  • the slave unit has a function as a "satellite”. Therefore, the SSID and password of one or more slave units are the same as the SSID and password of the master unit.
  • the plurality of access points 101 include a master unit connected to an external network 3 different from the mesh network, and one or more slave units connected to the master unit.
  • the slave unit uses the same identifier as the identifier of the master unit (SSID as an example).
  • a plurality of access points 101 as a master unit are directly connected to the access point 101 as a master unit by a star-type connection topology. Access point 101 is connected.
  • the wireless communication device 1 as the master unit since a plurality of slave units are provided, at least the wireless communication device 1 as the master unit has a plurality of slave units for connecting the plurality of slave units by the electric wire L1 (here, a LAN cable). Has a port.
  • the wireless communication device 1 can be used as either a master unit or a slave unit, and either the master unit or the slave unit can be used. It is configured so that it can be switched whether it is used in. Therefore, the wireless communication devices 1 used as the plurality of access points 101 have a common configuration. Therefore, in the present embodiment, each of the wireless communication devices 1 has a plurality of ports.
  • the network system 100 as a mesh network is connected to an external network 3 such as the Internet. Therefore, the communication terminal 2 is connected to the external network 3 such as the Internet via the mesh network by being connected to the mesh network.
  • the entire facility F1 is included in the communicable range of the mesh network, so that the communication terminal 2 can be connected to the external network 3 via the mesh network anywhere in the facility F1. It becomes.
  • the wireless communication device 1 is an embedded wiring device attached to the construction surface 300 formed of the wall surface of the facility F1 (house). That is, the wireless communication device 1 is a wiring device fixed to the construction surface 300 and configured to be able to connect wiring (including the electric wire L1) passing through the back side of the construction surface 300.
  • the housing 12 is fixed to the construction surface 300 in a state where at least a part of the housing 12 is embedded in the construction hole 301 (see FIG. 4A) formed in the construction surface 300. It is an embedded type wiring device.
  • the wireless communication device 1 also has the function of a switch device. Since the wireless communication device 1 is attached to the construction surface 300 made of a wall surface, it constitutes a so-called "wall switch”. Therefore, the wireless communication device 1 is inserted between the power supply and the load 5 (see FIG. 1).
  • the term "insertion” as used in the present disclosure means insertion between two electrically connected parties, and the wireless communication device 1 is located between the power supply and the load 5 in a circuit composed of the power supply and the load 5. Will be electrically connected to. In other words, the load 5 is electrically connected to the power source via the wireless communication device 1.
  • the power supply is, for example, a single-phase 100V, 60Hz commercial AC power supply (system power supply).
  • the load 5 is a lighting device (lighting fixture) including, for example, a light source made of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and a lighting circuit for lighting the light source. With this load 5, the light source lights up when power is supplied from the power source. Therefore, the wireless communication device 1 functioning as a switch device switches the supply / non-conduction of power from the power source to the load 5 by switching the continuity / non-conduction between the power source and the load 5.
  • Wiring equipment as such a switch device is generally installed at a higher position on the construction surface 300 (wall surface) than an outlet (Outlet) or the like. That is, in consideration of its operability and the like, the switch device is often installed at a height that is difficult to hide by furniture and is easy for the user to operate in a standing posture. Also in this embodiment, it is assumed that the wireless communication device 1 that functions as a switch device is installed at a higher position than an outlet or the like. As an example, the wireless communication device 1 is fixed to the construction surface 300 so that the center of the wireless communication device 1 in the vertical direction is 110 cm or more and 120 cm or less from the floor surface.
  • the wireless communication device 1 includes a circuit block 10, a housing 12, and a cover 13.
  • the circuit block 10 has a circuit board (printed wiring board) and various electronic components mounted on the circuit board. As will be described in detail later, the circuit block 10 includes at least the wireless communication unit 11 (see FIG. 3). The circuit block 10 may include a plurality of circuit boards.
  • the housing 12 is fixed to the construction surface 300 as described above.
  • the housing 12 accommodates the wireless communication unit 11. Strictly speaking, the housing 12 accommodates the circuit block 10 including the wireless communication unit 11, so that the wireless communication unit 11 is accommodated together with the circuit block 10.
  • the housing 12 appropriately houses internal parts such as terminal plates constituting the terminals.
  • the housing 12 is made of a synthetic resin having electrical insulation.
  • the housing 12 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is formed to have the same size as a wiring device having three module dimensions.
  • the housing 12 has a front surface 121 exposed to the front (indoor side) with the housing 12 attached to the construction surface 300.
  • the front surface 121 of the housing 12 has a rectangular shape in which the vertical dimension is larger than the horizontal dimension.
  • a switch 71, a display unit 72, a setting operation unit 73, a setting switch 74, and an operation display unit 75, which will be described later, are arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12.
  • the housing 12 is integrated with the mounting frame 19 for fixing the housing 12 to the construction surface 300.
  • the switch plate 8 is attached to the attachment frame 19.
  • the mounting frame 19 and the switch plate 8 are included in the components of the wireless communication device 1. That is, the wireless communication device 1 further includes a mounting frame 19 and a switch plate 8.
  • the mounting frame 19 and the switch plate 8 are included in the components of the wireless communication device 1, and at least one of the mounting frame 19 and the switch plate 8 is not included in the components of the wireless communication device 1. You may.
  • the mounting frame 19 and the switch plate 8 will be described in detail in the column of "(2.4) Mounting structure of wireless communication device".
  • the cover 13 covers the front surface 121 of the housing 12.
  • the cover 13 has a size and shape that covers the entire front surface 121 of the housing 12.
  • the cover 13 is made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin and is formed in a rectangular plate shape.
  • the cover 13 has a front surface 131 that is exposed forward with the wireless communication device 1 attached to the construction surface 300.
  • the front surface 131 of the cover 13 has a rectangular shape that is one size larger than the front surface 121 of the housing 12.
  • FIG. 2A shows a state in which the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12, and FIG. 2B shows a state in which the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12.
  • FIG. 2A shows the front surface 121 of the housing 12 is covered with the cover 13 in the state where the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12.
  • FIG. 2B shows the front surface 121 of the housing 12 when the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12, the front surface 121 of the housing 12 is exposed. That is, the cover 13 can be moved between the first position that covers the front surface 121 of the housing 12 and the second position that exposes the front surface 121 of the housing 12.
  • the cover 13 is located at the first position, and when the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12 as shown in FIG. 2B, the cover 13 is the first position. Located in 2 positions.
  • the cover 13 also has a function as a switch handle. That is, the cover 13 is movable so as to be displaceable with respect to the housing 12 while being attached to the housing 12, and when the cover 13 is operated by the user, the wireless communication device 1 functions as a switch device. ..
  • a switch 71 that can be pressed from the front surface 121 side of the housing 12 is arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12.
  • the "pushing operation" referred to here is an operation of pushing the switch 71 backward.
  • the switch 71 is composed of, for example, a cantilever-shaped lever formed on a part of the front wall of the housing 12, and a push button switch arranged behind the lever. When the switch 71 is pressed, the wireless communication device 1 that functions as a switch device switches between conduction and non-conduction between the power supply and the load 5.
  • the cover 13 has a shaft portion at one end portion (here, the left end portion) in the left-right direction in front view.
  • the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12 so as to be rotatable about the shaft portion.
  • the cover 13 has an operation unit 132 that projects rearward from a part of the back surface thereof.
  • the operation unit 132 includes protrusions arranged at positions facing the switch 71.
  • the wireless communication device 1 further includes a switch 71 that can be pressed and operated from the front surface 121 side of the housing 12.
  • the cover 13 includes an operation unit 132 for pressing and operating the switch 71 through the cover 13.
  • the switch 71 can be operated through the cover 13 in the state where the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12, that is, in the state where the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12. Is.
  • the display unit 72, the setting operation unit 73, the setting switch 74, and the operation display unit 75 are located on the front surface 121 of the housing 12. Have been placed.
  • the display unit 72 displays the connection information.
  • the "connection information" referred to in the present disclosure is information used when connecting the communication terminal 2 to the wireless communication unit 11, and includes, for example, an SSID and a password as identifiers.
  • the display unit 72 is arranged at the center of the front surface 121 of the housing 12, for example, as shown in FIG. 2B. Therefore, in the state where the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12, that is, in the state where the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12, the display unit 72 is covered by the cover 13.
  • the display unit 72 is exposed and becomes visible. That is, the wireless communication device 1 is arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12, and includes a display unit 72 that displays connection information used when connecting the communication terminal 2 to the wireless communication unit 11. At least when the cover 13 is in the second position, the display unit 72 is visible.
  • the display unit 72 is a sticker attached to a predetermined area on the front surface 121 of the housing 12. That is, the display unit 72 is formed by attaching a sticker on which the connection information is printed to the front surface 121 of the housing 12.
  • a plurality of stickers as the display unit 72 are bundled with one wireless communication device 1. That is, as described above, the wireless communication device 1 is configured so that it can be switched between the master unit and the slave unit. Since the slave unit uses the same SSID and password as the master unit, if there are a plurality of stickers as the display unit 72, the slave unit can be used with one or more slave units in addition to the master unit.
  • a display unit 72 on which the same connection information is displayed is provided. In short, the display unit 72 displays the identifier of the master unit (SSID as an example) when the wireless communication unit 11 functions as a slave unit.
  • the setting operation unit 73 accepts an operation for setting the function of the wireless communication unit 11.
  • the setting operation unit 73 is a slide switch arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12 as shown in FIG. 2B. Therefore, in the state where the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12, that is, in the state where the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12, the setting operation unit 73 is covered by the cover 13. On the other hand, when the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12, that is, when the cover 13 is in the second position where the front surface 121 of the housing 12 is exposed, the setting operation unit 73 is exposed and can be operated. ..
  • the wireless communication device 1 is arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12, and includes a setting operation unit 73 that accepts an operation for setting the function of the wireless communication unit 11. At least when the cover 13 is in the second position, the setting operation unit 73 can be operated.
  • the setting operation unit 73 can switch between three operation modes of the wireless communication unit 11, for example, a normal mode, an off mode, and a setting mode.
  • the normal mode is a mode for enabling the function of the wireless communication unit 11 as an access point 101.
  • the off mode is a mode in which the function of the wireless communication unit 11 as an access point 101 is invalidated. That is, when stopping the wireless communication of the wireless communication device 1, the off mode may be selected by the setting operation unit 73.
  • the setting mode is, for example, a mode for setting connection information, switching between a master unit and a slave unit, and the like.
  • the setting switch 74 is a switch for setting the connection.
  • the "connection setting" referred to in the present disclosure is a setting for establishing wireless communication between the communication terminal 2 and the wireless communication unit 11, in other words, a setting for connecting the communication terminal 2 to the access point 101. is there.
  • the connection setting is executed by inputting the SSID and password of the wireless communication unit 11 at the communication terminal 2.
  • some communication terminals 2 do not have a user interface for inputting an SSID and a password (equipment equipment, etc.), and it is necessary to set the connection for such a communication terminal 2 by another means. There is.
  • the setting switch 74 is a switch for setting the connection by WPS. That is, the wireless communication device 1 includes a setting switch 74 for establishing wireless communication between the communication terminal 2 and the wireless communication unit 11.
  • the setting switch 74 is a push button switch arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12, as shown in FIG. 2B. Therefore, in the state where the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12, that is, in the state where the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12, the setting switch 74 is covered by the cover 13. On the other hand, when the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12, that is, when the cover 13 is in the second position where the front surface 121 of the housing 12 is exposed, the setting switch 74 is exposed and can be operated. That is, the setting switch 74 is arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12. The cover 13 covers the setting switch 74 at the first position and exposes the setting switch 74 at the second position.
  • the operation display unit 75 displays the operation status of the wireless communication unit 11.
  • the "operating state” referred to in the present disclosure is a state related to the operation of the wireless communication unit 11, such as unconnected, completed connection, communicating, or abnormal connection.
  • the operation display unit 75 is arranged in the upper left corner of the front surface 121 of the housing 12, and is an indicator lamp (LED or the like) that displays the operation state of the wireless communication unit 11 in a light emitting state. ).
  • the "light emitting state” here includes, for example, lighting / extinguishing of the operation display unit 75, a blinking pattern (blinking cycle), a emission color, and the like.
  • the operation display unit 75 is covered by the cover 13.
  • the operation display unit 75 is exposed. That is, the wireless communication device 1 is arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12, and includes an operation display unit 75 that displays the operation state of the wireless communication unit 11.
  • the cover 13 facing the operation display unit 75 has light transmission.
  • the term "light transmissive" as used herein means translucent or transparent, and means at least the property of transmitting visible light.
  • the circuit block 10 includes a wireless communication unit 11, a wired communication unit 14, a processing unit 15, a storage unit 16, a switching unit 17, and a load control unit 18. .
  • the wireless communication device 1 includes a processing unit 15, a storage unit 16, a switching unit 17, and a load control unit 18 in addition to the wireless communication unit 11 and the wired communication unit 14. Since the circuit block 10 is housed in the housing 12, not only the wireless communication unit 11 but also the wired communication unit 14, the processing unit 15, the storage unit 16, the switching unit 17, and the load control unit 18 are contained in the housing 12. Will be contained.
  • the wireless communication unit 11 functions as an access point 101 that wirelessly communicates with the communication terminal 2.
  • the wireless communication unit 11 communicates with the communication terminal 2 by Wi-Fi (registered trademark).
  • the wireless communication unit 11 corresponds to IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11ac / 11n / 11a / 11g / 11b.
  • the wireless communication unit 11 can use both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands at the same time.
  • the wireless communication unit 11 functions as one of the plurality of access points 101 in the mesh network including the plurality of access points 101, each of which wirelessly communicates with the communication terminal 2.
  • the wired communication unit 14 performs wired communication with the access point 101 different from the wireless communication unit 11 among the plurality of access points 101 for constructing the mesh network. That is, the wired communication unit 14 realizes the communication between the wireless communication unit 11 and the other access point 101 by the wired communication using the electric wire L1 (here, the LAN cable) as a medium. As a result, a backhaul for connecting a plurality of access points 101 is realized.
  • the electric wire L1 here, the LAN cable
  • the processing unit 15 includes, for example, a microprocessor having one or more processors and one or more memories as a main configuration.
  • the microcontroller realizes the function as the processing unit 15 by executing the program recorded in one or more memories by one or more processors.
  • the program may be pre-recorded in memory, provided by being recorded on a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card, or provided through a telecommunication line.
  • the above program is a program for causing one or more processors to function as the processing unit 15.
  • the processing unit 15 controls at least the wireless communication unit 11 and the wired communication unit 14. Then, the processing unit 15 switches the operation mode of the wireless communication unit 11 between the normal mode / off mode / setting mode in response to the operation of the setting operation unit 73, for example. Further, the processing unit 15 executes the connection setting of the wireless communication unit 11 in response to the operation of the setting switch 74, for example.
  • the storage unit 16 stores information necessary for the operation of the wireless communication device 1.
  • the storage unit 16 includes a rewritable non-volatile memory.
  • the storage unit 16 stores at least the SSID and the password as identifiers. Further, the storage unit 16 also stores information necessary for connecting a plurality of access points 101 to each other to construct a mesh network.
  • the switching unit 17 switches between the master unit and the slave unit for the wireless communication unit 11. That is, as described above, the wireless communication device 1 can be used as either a master unit or a slave unit, and is configured to be able to switch between the master unit and the slave unit. As an example, when the wireless communication device 1 accepts a specific operation such as pressing and holding the setting switch 74 with the setting mode selected in the setting operation unit 73, the switching unit 17 switches between the master unit and the slave unit. Is switched. Of course, a switch (such as a DIP switch) for switching between the master unit and the slave unit may be provided.
  • a switch such as a DIP switch
  • only one wireless communication device 1 serves as a master unit, and the remaining one or more wireless communication devices 1 all serve as slave units.
  • the master unit / slave unit is selected.
  • the SSID and password of the master unit are transmitted to one or more slave units through the back hole (electric wire L1), and the SSID and password of the slave unit are the SSID and password of the master unit. Is shared with.
  • the load control unit 18 controls the load 5 according to the pressing operation of the switch 71.
  • the load control unit 18 includes a semiconductor switch such as a transistor or a bidirectional thyristor, for example.
  • the wireless communication device 1 includes a pair of terminals, and the load control unit 18 is electrically connected between the pair of terminals.
  • the wireless communication device 1 electronically switches between conduction and non-conduction between the power supply and the load 5 by electronically controlling the semiconductor switch by the load control unit 18 in response to the pressing operation of the switch 71. It is a so-called electronic switch. That is, when the switch 71 is pushed through the cover 13, the wireless communication device 1 switches between conduction and non-conduction between the power supply and the load 5. As a result, the wireless communication device 1 functions as a switch device for switching the energized state of the load 5.
  • the wireless communication device 1 has a power supply circuit that generates electric power for operation of the internal circuit (circuit block 10) from the voltage applied to both ends of the semiconductor switch.
  • the power supply circuit is included in, for example, the circuit block 10.
  • the wireless communication device 1 receives the voltage applied between the power supply and the pair of terminals as an input to generate electric power for operating the internal circuit. That is, the wireless communication device 1 is a so-called two-wire type wiring device that can secure electric power for operating an internal circuit with two electric wires connected to a pair of terminals. In such a two-wire wiring device, it is not necessary to provide a power supply terminal for supplying electric power for operating the internal circuit separately from the pair of terminals, and the wiring work when installing the wireless communication device 1 is performed. Will also be easy.
  • the wireless communication device 1 is an embedded wiring device as described above, for example, a mounting member 85 such as an embedded switch box is used on the construction surface 300 (here, the wall surface). It is attached. That is, a construction hole 301 is formed on the construction surface 300, and the wireless communication device 1 is attached to the attachment member 85 such as a switch box arranged on the back side (back of the wall) of the construction surface 300 through the construction hole 301. Be done.
  • the mounting frame 19 is, for example, a mounting frame for a large-angle continuous wiring device standardized by the Japanese Industrial Standards.
  • the mounting frame 19 is integrated with the housing 12.
  • the mounting frame 19 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front.
  • the housing 12 and the mounting frame 19 are integrated so that the housing 12 is located inside the mounting frame 19.
  • the mounting frame 19 is made of synthetic resin as an example.
  • the mounting frame 19 is formed with a pair of mounting holes 191 and a pair of plate fixing holes 192.
  • the mounting frame 19 is mounted on the construction surface 300 by tightening the pair of mounting screws 83 to the mounting member 85 such as the switch box through the pair of mounting holes 191.
  • the switch plate 8 has a decorative plate 81 and a fixed plate 82. That is, in the present embodiment, the switch plate 8 is composed of two members, a decorative plate 81 and a fixing plate 82.
  • the switch plate 8 (decorative plate 81 and fixed plate 82) is made of synthetic resin as an example.
  • the fixing plate 82 is fixed to the mounting frame 19.
  • the decorative plate 81 is attached to the fixing plate 82 so as to cover the front surface of the fixing plate 82. In this way, the decorative plate 81 is indirectly fixed to the mounting frame 19 integrated with the housing 12 via the fixing plate 82.
  • a window hole 801 is formed in the decorative plate 81, and when the switch plate 8 is attached to the mounting frame 19, the front surface 131 of the cover 13 is exposed from the window hole 801.
  • the switch plate 8 is a frame-shaped member having the window hole 801 and is combined with the mounting frame 19 so as to expose the front surface 131 of the cover 13 from the window hole 801.
  • the front surface 131 of the cover 13 is located inside the switch plate 8 (decorative plate 81) (inside the window hole 801) in the front view.
  • the switch plate 8 covers the periphery of the housing 12 and the cover 13 in a state where the switch plate 8 is attached to the construction surface 300 together with the housing 12 and the cover 13, and the mounting The frame 19 and the construction hole 301 are not exposed and the appearance is improved.
  • the decorative plate 81 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front.
  • a window hole 801 that penetrates the decorative plate 81 in the front-rear direction is formed in the central portion of the decorative plate 81.
  • the decorative plate 81 is mechanically coupled to the fixing plate 82 in a removable state by the snap-fit structure. That is, the decorative plate 81 and the fixing plate 82 utilize the elasticity of at least one of the decorative plate 81 and the fixing plate 82 to hook one of the nails of the decorative plate 81 and the fixing plate 82 into the hole of the other, thereby causing a machine. Are combined.
  • the fixed plate 82 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. Further, the fixing plate 82 is formed with a pair of through holes 821. The fixing plate 82 is attached to the mounting frame 19 by tightening the pair of fixing screws 84 to the pair of plate fixing holes 192 of the mounting frame 19 through the pair of through holes 821.
  • the network providing method is a method of providing a mesh network constructed by a plurality of access points 101 including the wireless communication device 1 by using the wireless communication device 1 having the above-described configuration. .. That is, as described above, the wireless communication unit 11 of the wireless communication device 1 functions as one of the plurality of access points 101 in the mesh network including the plurality of access points 101. Therefore, a mesh network can be constructed by installing a plurality of the wireless communication devices 1 on the construction surface 300 (here, the wall surface) of the facility F1.
  • the wireless communication device 1 is constructed by using, for example, a mounting member 85 such as an embedded switch box. Attached to 300.
  • a mounting member 85 such as an embedded switch box. Attached to 300.
  • one wireless communication device 1 is installed in one room so that the entire facility F1 is included in the communicable range of the mesh network.
  • the electric wire L1 (LAN cable) for connecting the wired communication unit 14 is a concealed wiring (preceding wiring) installed so as to pass through the back side of the construction surface 300. Therefore, when fixing the wireless communication device 1 to the construction surface 300, the wireless communication device 1 is connected to the electric wire L1. As a result, a plurality of wireless communication devices 1 are connected by wire via the electric wire L1. Further, the wireless communication device 1 is also connected to the power supply and the load 5.
  • initial settings such as selection of a master unit / slave unit are performed.
  • the SSID and password of the master unit are transmitted to one or more slave units through the back hole (electric wire L1), and the SSID and password of the slave unit are the SSID and password of the master unit.
  • a display unit 72 (sticker) displaying connection information such as the SSID and password of the master unit is attached to the master unit and one or more slave units, so that the same display unit is applied to all access points 101. 72 is provided.
  • the connection setting for connecting to the access point 101 is executed. That is, for the communication terminal 2 having a user interface such as a smartphone, the connection setting is made by inputting the SSID and password of the master unit on the communication terminal 2.
  • the wireless communication device 1 is arranged on the front surface 121 of the housing 12, and includes a display unit 72 that displays connection information used when connecting the communication terminal 2 to the wireless communication unit 11. At least when the cover 13 is in the second position, the display unit 72 is visible. Therefore, the user can confirm the connection information (SSID, password, etc.) on the display unit 72 of the wireless communication device 1 installed nearby, for example.
  • the connection setting is performed by operating the setting switch 74 for performing the connection setting by WPS.
  • a plurality of wireless communication devices 1 are installed, a plurality of wireless communication devices 1 are connected to each other, and initial settings are performed to construct a network system 100 as a mesh network. That is, the mesh network is provided by the above network providing method, and the communication terminal 2 can connect to the mesh network by wirelessly communicating with any one of the plurality of access points 101 for constructing the mesh network.
  • the communicable range of the mesh network composed of the network system 100 can be set over a wide range.
  • the entire facility F1 is included in the communicable range of the network system 100, so that the communication terminal 2 can be located anywhere in the facility F1 via the external network 3 via the mesh network. Can be connected to.
  • the user connects the communication terminal 2 to the external network 3 via the mesh network in the living room on the first floor of the facility F1, or connects to the external network 3 via the mesh network in the bedroom on the second floor of the facility F1.
  • the communication terminal 2 wirelessly communicates with, for example, an access point 101 composed of a wireless communication device 1 installed in the living room in the living room, and an access point 101 composed of the wireless communication device 1 installed in the bedroom in the bedroom. Wireless communication. Therefore, the communication terminal 2 can be stably connected to the network system 100 (and the external network 3) in a wide range of the facility F1 as compared with the case where only one access point 101 is installed in the facility F1. it can.
  • the network system 100 is a mesh network, even when a plurality of communication terminals 2 are connected to the network system 100 (and the external network 3) at the same time, they can be stably connected.
  • the first user connects the first communication terminal 2 to the external network 3 via the mesh network in the living room on the first floor of the facility F1.
  • the second user connects the second communication terminal 2 to the external network 3 via the mesh network in the bedroom on the second floor of the facility F1.
  • the first communication terminal 2 is connected to the wireless communication device 1 (access point 101) installed in the living room
  • the second communication terminal 2 is the wireless communication device 1 (access point) installed in the bedroom. It is connected to 101). Therefore, the access from the communication terminal 2 is distributed to a plurality of wireless communication devices 1, and the communication load of the wireless communication device 1 is reduced as compared with the case where the access is concentrated on one wireless communication device 1.
  • a repeater may be used as a means for expanding the communicable range, but in a mesh network, unlike the repeater, all access points 101 have the same function. Therefore, in the case of a repeater, the communication load tends to be concentrated on one master unit, whereas in the mesh network, the communication load can be distributed and stable and high-speed communication can be easily realized.
  • the communication terminal 2 can be seamlessly connected to a plurality of access points 101.
  • the communication partner of the communication terminal 2 switches from the wireless communication device 1 (access point 101) installed in the living room to the wireless communication device 1 (access point 101) installed in the bedroom. ..
  • these plurality of wireless communication devices 1 also have a common SSID and password and construct a mesh network, seamless switching of the access point 101 that communicates with the communication terminal 2 is realized.
  • the communication partner of the communication terminal 2 seamlessly switches from the wireless communication device 1 installed in the living room to the wireless communication device 1 installed in the bedroom. Therefore, even when the communication terminal 2 moves in the facility F1, the communication terminal 2 can be stably connected to the network system 100 (and the external network 3) in a wide range of the facility F1.
  • the first embodiment is only one of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • the first embodiment can be changed in various ways depending on the design and the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved.
  • Each figure described in the present disclosure is a schematic view, and the ratio of the size and the thickness of each component in each figure does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio.
  • the function equivalent to that of the wireless communication device 1 according to the first embodiment may be realized by a wireless communication method, a (computer) program, a non-temporary recording medium on which the program is recorded, or the like.
  • the wireless communication device 1 in the present disclosure includes a computer system in the processing unit 15 and the like.
  • a computer system mainly consists of a processor and a memory as hardware.
  • the program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through a telecommunications line, and may be recorded on a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card, optical disk, hard disk drive, etc. that can be read by the computer system. May be provided.
  • a processor in a computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large scale integrated circuit (LSI).
  • IC semiconductor integrated circuit
  • LSI large scale integrated circuit
  • the integrated circuit such as IC or LSI referred to here has a different name depending on the degree of integration, and includes an integrated circuit called a system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration).
  • an FPGA Field-Programmable Gate Array
  • a plurality of electronic circuits may be integrated on one chip, or may be distributed on a plurality of chips.
  • the plurality of chips may be integrated in one device, or may be distributed in a plurality of devices.
  • the computer system referred to here includes a microprocessor having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microprocessor is also composed of one or a plurality of electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.
  • the wireless communication device 1 it is not essential for the wireless communication device 1 that at least a part of the functions of the wireless communication device 1 are integrated in one housing, and the components of the wireless communication device 1 are contained in a plurality of housings. It may be provided in a dispersed manner.
  • the wireless communication unit 11 and the load control unit 18 may be provided in different housings.
  • at least a part of the functions of the processing unit 15 and the like may be realized by, for example, a server or a cloud (cloud computing).
  • connection topology between a plurality of access points 101 is not limited to the star type, and an appropriate connection topology can be adopted.
  • a plurality of access points 101 as slave units may be daisy-chained to the access point 101 as a master unit.
  • the first slave unit and the second slave unit are connected to the master unit, the first slave unit is directly connected to the master unit and the second slave unit is the first.
  • the second slave unit is indirectly connected to the master unit via the first slave unit.
  • an access point 101 as a master unit and an access point 101 as a plurality of slave units may be connected to a switching hub. In this case, the plurality of slave units are indirectly connected to the master unit via the switching hub.
  • the wireless communication device 1 includes the wired communication unit 14, and the wired communication unit 14 can be omitted as appropriate.
  • the wired communication unit 14 is omitted, communication between the wireless communication device 1 and another access point 101 is realized by, for example, wireless communication.
  • the plurality of access points 101 are connected by a wireless backhaul to form a mesh network.
  • the wireless communication device 1 can be used as both a master unit and a slave unit. That is, the wireless communication device 1 may function as either a master unit or a slave unit. In this case, a mesh network is constructed by one wireless communication device 1 that functions as a master unit and one or more wireless communication devices 1 that function as slave units. Further, in the wireless communication device 1, it is not necessary to distinguish between the master unit and the slave unit.
  • the network system 100 may have at least two access points 101, and in this case, the wireless communication device 1 as one master unit and the wireless communication device 1 as one slave unit.
  • a mesh network may be constructed with and.
  • the load control unit 18 not only switches between supplying power to the load 5 from the power supply and stopping the power supply, but also controls the amount of power supplied from the power supply to the load 5 as in the dimming function, for example. It may have a function.
  • the wireless communication device 1 has a function as a dimming device in addition to or instead of the function as a switch device.
  • the load 5 is not limited to a lighting device including a light source composed of LEDs, and may be a lighting device including a light source other than LEDs. Further, the load 5 is not limited to the lighting device, and may be, for example, a device (including a device, a system, and a facility) such as a ventilation fan, a display device, an electric shutter, an air conditioning device, or a security device. Further, the load 5 is not limited to one device, and may be a plurality of devices electrically connected in series or in parallel.
  • the cover 13 may be removable from the housing 12 as long as it can be moved between the first position that covers the front surface 121 of the housing 12 and the second position that exposes the front surface 121 of the housing 12.
  • the cover 13 may have a rotation axis at one end in the left-right direction in the front view, and may be supported by the housing 12 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis. In this case, the cover 13 can be opened and closed by rotating about the rotation axis. When the cover 13 is closed, the cover 13 is located at the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12, and when the cover 13 is open, the cover 13 exposes the front surface 121 of the housing 12. It will be located in two positions.
  • the cover 13 may include an operation unit 132 for pressing and operating the switch 71 through the cover 13, and it is not essential that the entire cover 13 constitutes a piano handle for pressing and operating the switch 71.
  • the cover 13 may be a switch handle other than the piano handle, for example, a seesaw operation.
  • the cover 13 may be configured such that a cantilever-shaped operating portion is formed in a part thereof, and only this operating portion moves to push the switch 71.
  • the portion of the cover 13 facing the operation display unit 75 has light transmission.
  • the operation display unit 75 is covered by the cover 13.
  • the cover 13 is removed from the housing 12, that is, when the cover 13 is in the second position where the front surface 121 of the housing 12 is exposed, the operation display unit 75 is exposed and becomes visible. ..
  • the setting operation unit 73 and the setting switch 74 may be operable even when the cover 13 is in the first position, as long as they can be operated at least in the state where the cover 13 is in the second position. ..
  • the setting switch 74 may be pushed through the cover 13 in the same manner as the switch 71. In this case, the setting switch 74 can be operated through the cover 13 in a state where the cover 13 is attached to the housing 12, that is, in a state where the cover 13 is in the first position covering the front surface 121 of the housing 12. ..
  • the switch 71 may be assigned different functions depending on whether the cover 13 is in the first position or the second position. For example, if the cover 13 is in the first position, the switch 71 may have a load control function, and if the cover 13 is in the second position, the switch 71 may have a function of a setting switch 74. In this case, if the switch 71 is operated while the cover 13 is in the second position, the connection setting is executed. In other words, the switch 71 is also used as the setting switch 74. Whether the cover 13 is in the first position that covers the front surface 121 of the housing 12 or the second position that exposes the front surface 121 of the housing 12 can be detected by an appropriate sensor. The function of the switch 71 is switched according to the detection result of such a sensor.
  • the display unit 72 is not limited to a sticker attached to a predetermined area on the front surface 121 of the housing 12, and for example, a name plate or a card is attached to the front surface 121 of the housing 12 to form the display unit 72. May be good. Further, the display unit 72 may be formed by being directly printed or engraved on the housing 12, or may be handwritten on the front surface 121 of the housing 12.
  • wireless communication between the access point 101 (wireless communication device 1) and the communication terminal 2 is not limited to Wi-Fi (registered trademark), for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark) or a license. It may be a low power radio (specific low power radio) or the like that is not required.
  • the wireless communication device 1A according to the present embodiment is different from the wireless communication device 1 according to the first embodiment in that it does not have a function as a switch device.
  • the same configurations as those in the first embodiment will be designated by common reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.
  • the cover 13 since the cover 13 does not have a function as a switch handle, it is not a movable type but a fixed type. That is, although the cover 13 is detachably attached to the housing 12, the cover 13 is not supposedly displaced with respect to the housing 12 in the state of being attached to the housing 12.
  • the wireless communication device 1A has a sensor 91 on a part of the front surface 131 of the cover 13.
  • the sensor 91 is a motion sensor that detects the presence or absence of a person.
  • the wireless communication unit 11 can be turned off or the power saving mode such as intermittent operation can be set to the wireless communication unit. The power consumption in 11 can be suppressed.
  • the wireless communication device 1A includes the sensor 91, and the wireless communication unit 11 operates according to the output of the sensor 91.
  • the sensor 91 is not limited to the motion sensor, and may be, for example, a brightness sensor, a vibration sensor, a proximity sensor or a sound sensor, or a combination thereof.
  • the wireless communication device 1A turns off the wireless communication unit 11 or intermittently operates if the brightness (illuminance) detected by the sensor 91 is equal to or less than the threshold value. Power saving mode.
  • the wireless communication device 1A has a USB (Universal Serial Bus) outlet (Outlet) 92 in a part of the front surface 131 of the cover 13.
  • the USB outlet 92 is one outlet.
  • the USB outlet 92 is a USB receptacle to which a USB plug of a device can be plugged and connected, and is configured to output a DC voltage of 5 V to the device through the USB plug. That is, the wireless communication device 1A includes a USB outlet.
  • the wireless communication device 1A has a power supply circuit that generates electric power for operating the internal circuit (circuit block 10). Therefore, by using the power for operation generated by this power supply circuit as the output of the USB outlet 92, the circuit scale is made smaller than the case where the power conversion circuit for the USB outlet 92 is provided separately from the power supply circuit. It is possible to suppress it.
  • the wireless communication device 1A constitutes the wiring equipment system 200 together with the other wiring equipment 201. That is, the wiring device system 200 according to the present embodiment includes the wireless communication device 1A and the wiring device 201.
  • the wiring device 201 is fixed to the construction surface 300 side by side with the housing 12.
  • the wiring device 201 included in the wiring device system 200 is a switch device having a single module size.
  • the housing 12 of the wireless communication device 1A is formed in two module dimensions, and is installed inside one switch plate 8 side by side in the vertical direction (vertical direction) with the wiring device 201 (switch device).
  • the wiring device system 200 includes two wiring devices 201 including a switch device having one module size.
  • the two wiring appliances 201 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction (vertical direction).
  • the housing 12 of the wireless communication device 1A is formed in the same three module dimensions as in the first embodiment, and is installed inside one switch plate 8 side by side with the two wiring devices 201 in the left-right direction.
  • the wireless communication device 1A may have a function as a switch device.
  • the wireless communication device 1A functions as a switch device with a sensor 91
  • the wireless communication device 1A functions as a switch device with a USB outlet 92. To do.
  • the wiring device 201 included in the wiring device system 200 is not limited to the switch device, and may be, for example, an outlet, a sensor device, a timer device, or the like.
  • the configuration (including the modified example) described in the second embodiment can be appropriately combined with various configurations (including the modified example) described in the first embodiment.
  • the wiring device system 200 can be configured in combination with another wiring device 201.
  • the network system 100A according to the present embodiment is different from the network system 100 according to the first embodiment in that the access points 101 and 102 include wireless devices 6 other than the wireless communication device 1.
  • the same configurations as those in the first embodiment will be designated by a common reference numeral and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.
  • the plurality of access points 101 and 102 are a master unit (access point 102) connected to an external network 3 different from the mesh network, and one or more slave units (access) connected to the master unit. Points 101) and are included.
  • the master unit (access point 102) is a wireless device 6 different from the wireless communication device 1.
  • the wireless device 6 is a stationary access point having a function as a router. Then, one or more access points 101 (wireless communication device 1) as slave units are directly connected to the access point 102 (wireless device 6) as the master unit. In the present embodiment, since a plurality of slave units are provided, a plurality of slave units are connected to one master unit by the electric wire L1. As a result, the wired communication unit 14 of the wireless communication device 1 performs wired communication with the other access points 101 and 102 through the electric wire L1.
  • the SSID and password of one or more slave units (access point 101) are the same as the SSID and password of the master unit (access point 102).
  • the network system 100A in constructing the network system 100A as a mesh network, it is not necessary to arrange all the access points 101 and 102 with the same wireless communication device 1. That is, by linking the wireless communication device 1 and the wireless device 6, it is possible to construct a network system 100A as a mesh network.
  • the wireless device 6 different from the wireless communication device 1 is used as the master unit (access point 102), but the present invention is not limited to this, and the wireless device 6 may be used as a slave unit.
  • the network system 100A is not limited to one wireless device 6, and may include a plurality of wireless devices 6.
  • the configuration (including the modified example) described in the third embodiment can be appropriately combined with various configurations (including the modified example) described in the first embodiment or the second embodiment.
  • the wireless communication device (1,1A) includes a wireless communication unit (11), a housing (12), and a cover (13).
  • the wireless communication unit (11) functions as an access point (101) that performs wireless communication with the communication terminal (2).
  • the housing (12) is fixed to the construction surface (300).
  • the housing (12) accommodates the wireless communication unit (11).
  • the cover (13) covers the front surface (121) of the housing (12).
  • the access point can be installed smartly without securing a space for placing the stationary access point. Moreover, since the front surface (121) of the housing (12) is covered by the cover (13), the cover (13) protects the housing (12) from dust, moisture, oil, external force, and the like. Furthermore, the appearance of the construction surface (300) is not easily spoiled. Therefore, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom in installing the access point (101) is increased.
  • the housing (12) is embedded in the construction hole (301) formed in the construction surface (300) in the first aspect. In this state, the housing (12) is fixed to the construction surface (300).
  • the amount of protrusion of the housing (12) from the construction surface (300) can be suppressed, and the housing (12) is less likely to get in the way.
  • the wireless communication device (1,1A) according to the third aspect further includes a switch (71) that can be pressed from the front surface (121) side of the housing (12) in the first or second aspect.
  • the cover (13) includes an operation unit (132) for pressing and operating the switch (71) through the cover (13).
  • the switch (71) can be pushed and operated through the cover (13), and the cover (13) can be used as a switch handle.
  • the cover (13) has a first position covering the front surface (121) of the housing (12) and the first position. It is movable to and from a second position that exposes the front surface (121) of the housing (12).
  • the cover (13) if the cover (13) is in the second position, the front surface (121) of the housing (12) can be exposed.
  • the wireless communication device (1,1A) further includes a display unit (72) in the fourth aspect.
  • the display unit (72) is arranged on the front surface (121) of the housing (12) and displays connection information used when connecting the communication terminal (2) to the wireless communication unit (11). At least when the cover (13) is in the second position, the display unit (72) is visible.
  • the user can confirm the connection information used when connecting the communication terminal (2) to the wireless communication unit (11) with the cover (13) at least in the second position.
  • the wireless communication device (1,1A) further includes a setting operation unit (73) in the fourth or fifth aspect.
  • the setting operation unit (73) is arranged on the front surface (121) of the housing (12) and accepts an operation for setting the function of the wireless communication unit (11).
  • the setting operation unit (73) can be operated at least when the cover (13) is in the second position.
  • the user can set the function of the wireless communication unit (11) at least with the cover (13) in the second position.
  • the wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to the seventh aspect is for establishing wireless communication between the communication terminal (2) and the wireless communication unit (11) in any one of the fourth to sixth aspects.
  • a setting switch (74) is further provided.
  • wireless communication between the communication terminal (2) and the wireless communication unit (11) can be established by the operation on the wireless communication device (1,1A) side.
  • the setting switch (74) is arranged on the front surface (121) of the housing (12).
  • the cover (13) covers the setting switch (74) at the first position and exposes the setting switch (74) at the second position.
  • the user can operate to establish wireless communication between the communication terminal (2) and the wireless communication unit (11) with at least the cover (13) in the second position.
  • the wireless communication device (1, 1A) according to the ninth aspect is arranged on the front surface (121) of the housing (12) in any one of the first to eighth aspects, and the operating state of the wireless communication unit (11).
  • the operation display unit (75) for displaying the above is further provided.
  • the user can confirm the operating state of the wireless communication unit (11).
  • the wireless communication device (1,1A) according to the tenth aspect further includes a sensor (91) in any one of the first to ninth aspects.
  • the wireless communication unit (11) operates according to the output of the sensor (91).
  • the operation of the wireless communication unit (11) becomes diverse.
  • the wireless communication device (1,1A) according to the eleventh aspect further includes a USB outlet (92) in any one of the first to tenth aspects.
  • the wireless communication unit (11) is one of a plurality of access points (101, 102) in the mesh network. Functions as one.
  • the mesh network includes a plurality of access points (101, 102), each of which wirelessly communicates with the communication terminal (2).
  • the connection destination of the communication terminal (2) is. It switches seamlessly between the two access points (101, 102).
  • the wiring equipment system (200) includes the wireless communication device (1,1A) according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, and the wiring equipment (201).
  • the wiring device (201) is fixed to the construction surface (300) side by side with the housing (12).
  • the configurations according to the second to twelfth aspects are not essential configurations for the wireless communication device (1,1A) and can be omitted as appropriate.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
  • Details Of Indoor Wiring (AREA)
  • Transceivers (AREA)
PCT/JP2020/028311 2019-09-24 2020-07-21 無線通信装置及び配線器具システム Ceased WO2021059710A1 (ja)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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JP2019-173514 2019-09-24

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