Communication device, information processing system, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide a system capable of repeatedly urging an information processing device to execute a process by using a beacon signal.SOLUTION: A communication device 2 receives status information 35 including a status value related to whether a beacon signal has been received. The status is associated with each of the identification information 25_1 to 25_n. When the communication device 2 receives the status information 35 after transmitting a beacon signal, the communication device 2 selects, on the basis of the status information 35, another identification information 25 different from the identification information 25 of the immediately preceding beacon signal, and transmits a beacon signal including the selected identification information 25 in place of the immediately preceding beacon signal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, an information processing system, and an information processing method, and more particularly to a communication device, an information processing system, and an information processing method that utilize communication by beacons, for example. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increase in services that use beacon devices that periodically transmit signals including identification information such as UUID, Major, and Minor (hereinafter also referred to as "beacon signals") via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0003] For example, there is a known service in which beacon devices are placed at designated locations indoors or outdoors, and when a user carrying a mobile terminal enters an area where a beacon signal emitted from the beacon device can reach (hereinafter also referred to as a "beacon area"), the mobile terminal communicates with a server in response to receiving the beacon signal, and the mobile terminal receives information related to that area from the server and presents the information to the user (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Generally, in a service using a beacon device, an information processing device as a mobile terminal that receives a beacon signal manages a status (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "status") regarding whether or not a beacon signal has been received (detected), and executes various processes (data processing, etc.) when the status changes. Here, the status regarding whether or not a beacon signal has been received can be said to represent the status of the mobile terminal's entry / exit into the beacon area. The status is set to either "received (entered)" or "not received (exited)."

[0005] For example, when the information processing device receives a beacon signal, it sets the status to "received (entered)". On the other hand, when the information processing device no longer receives a beacon signal, it sets the status to "not received (exited)".

[0006] In this manner, the information processing device executes various processes when the status regarding whether or not a beacon signal has been received changes, thereby realizing the above-mentioned services. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-208409 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Prior to filing this application, the inventor of the present application considered the development of a system in which a beacon device repeatedly prompts an information processing device to execute a process (to generate an event) by using a beacon signal. The consideration revealed the following problems.

[0009] After the information processing device receives a beacon signal, if the information processing device remains within the beacon region of the beacon signal, the reception (entry) state is maintained and no status switching occurs.

[0010] In addition, in the status managed by the information processing device, the status is switched from not received (exit) to received (enter) instantly in response to the detection of a beacon signal by the information processing device, while the status is switched from received (enter) to not received (exit) in response to the determination result that a beacon signal has not been received for a certain period of time. Therefore, even if the information processing device is moved out of the beacon area, it takes a certain amount of time for the status to be switched. In addition, in order to detect that a beacon signal has not been received for a certain period of time, the information processing device measures the time during which a beacon signal has not been received, but if a beacon signal is detected even once during the measurement of time, the measurement time is reset. Therefore, there is a risk that the time lag until the status is switched from received (enter) to not received (exit) will become even longer.

[0011] In this way, in the conventional method using a beacon device, if an information processing device receives a beacon signal even once, the status does not change unless the information processing device leaves the beacon area for a certain period of time or more. Therefore, it is not easy to repeatedly prompt the information processing device to execute a process (to generate an event) using a beacon signal.

[0012] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a system capable of repeatedly prompting an information processing device to execute a process by using a beacon signal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] A communication device according to a representative embodiment of the present invention has a first communication unit that transmits a beacon signal including identification information, a second communication unit that communicates with an external information processing device, a first memory unit that stores a plurality of different identification information, and a first control unit that selects one identification information from the plurality of identification information and instructs the first communication unit to transmit a beacon signal including the selected identification information, wherein the second communication unit receives status information including a status value regarding whether or not the beacon signal has been received, the status being associated with each of the identification information, and the first control unit, when receiving the status information by the second communication unit after transmitting the beacon signal by the first communication unit, selects other identification information different from the identification information of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before based on the status information, and instructs the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize a system capable of repeatedly prompting an information processing device to execute a process by using a beacon signal. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an information processing system including a communication device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of status information. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an overview of communication between a communication device and an information processing device. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a detailed flow of processing by the communication device. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for determining a beacon signal (identification information) to be transmitted next by a communication device. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a detailed flow of processing by the information processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] 1. Overview of the embodiment First, a typical embodiment of the invention disclosed in this application will be outlined. In the following description, as an example, reference numerals in the drawings corresponding to components of the invention are given in parentheses.

[0017] [1] A communication device (2) according to a representative embodiment of the present invention includes a first communication unit (21) that transmits a beacon signal including identification information (25), a second communication unit (22) that communicates with an external information processing device (3), a first storage unit (24) that stores a plurality of different identification information (25_1 to 25_n), and a first control unit (23) that selects one identification information (25) from the plurality of identification information and instructs the first communication unit to transmit a beacon signal including the selected identification information, wherein the second communication unit receives status information (35) including a status value regarding whether or not the beacon signal has been received, and the status is associated with each of the identification information, and when the status information is received by the second communication unit after the first communication unit transmits the beacon signal, the first control unit instructs the first communication unit to select another identification information different from the identification information of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before based on the status information and transmit the beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before.

[0018] [2] In the communication device described in [1] above, the value of the status is set to a first value (received (enter)) or a second value different from the first value (not received (exit)), and the first control unit may instruct the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the other identification information, the status of which is set to the second value, instead of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before, when, in the received status information, the status corresponding to the identification information (25) included in the immediately preceding transmitted beacon signal is set to the first value and the status corresponding to the other identification information is set to the second value.

[0019] [3] In the communication device described in [2] above, when, in the received status information, the status corresponding to the identification information of the beacon signal transmitted most recently is set to the first value, and the status corresponding to the other identification information is set to the first value, the first control unit may select the identification information of the beacon signal that has not been transmitted for the longest time, and instruct the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the beacon signal transmitted most recently.

[0020] [4] In the communication device described in [2] above, the first control unit may store the new identification information in the first memory unit when the received status information includes new identification information that is not stored in the first memory unit and a value of the status corresponding to the new identification information.

[0021] [5] In the communication device described in [1] to [4] above, when the second communication unit receives a response indicating that the information processing device has received the beacon signal after the first communication unit transmits the beacon signal, the first control unit may instruct the second communication unit to transmit data (26) to the information processing device.

[0022] [6] An information processing system (1) according to a representative embodiment of the present invention includes a communication device (2) and an information processing device (3). The communication device includes a first communication unit (21) that transmits a beacon signal including identification information (25), a second communication unit (22) that communicates with the information processing device, a first storage unit (24) that stores a plurality of different identification information (25_1 to 25_n), and a first control unit (23) that selects one identification information (25) from the plurality of identification information and instructs the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the selected identification information. The information processing device includes a third communication unit (31) that receives the beacon signal, a fourth communication unit (32) that communicates with the communication device, a second storage unit (34) that stores, for each of the identification information, status information (35) including a status value regarding whether or not the beacon signal for each of the identification information has been received, and updates the status information in response to reception of the beacon signal and instructs the fourth communication unit to transmit the status information. and a second control unit (33) that instructs the fourth communication unit to update a value of the status corresponding to the identification information of the beacon signal received by the third communication unit among the status information stored in the second storage unit, and to transmit the updated status information to the communication device, wherein the status is associated with each of the identification information, and when the first communication unit transmits the beacon signal in the communication device and the third communication unit receives the beacon signal in the information processing device, the second control unit instructs the fourth communication unit to update a value of the status corresponding to the identification information of the beacon signal received by the third communication unit among the status information stored in the second storage unit, and to transmit the updated status information to the communication device, and when the second communication unit receives the status information after the first communication unit transmits the beacon signal, the first control unit selects, based on the status information, other identification information different from the identification information included in the beacon signal transmitted immediately before, and instructs the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before.

[0023] [7] In the information processing system described in [6] above, in the information processing device, when the third communication unit receives the beacon signal, the second control unit sets a status corresponding to the identification information of the received beacon signal to a first value (received (entry)), and when the third communication unit does not receive the beacon signal, sets a status corresponding to the identification information of the not received beacon signal to a second value (not received (exit)), and in the communication device, the first control unit may select the identification information whose status is set to the second value in the received status information from among the multiple identification information, and instruct the first communication unit to transmit a beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before.

[0024] [8] In the information processing system described in [7] above, when, in the received status information, the status corresponding to the identification information of the beacon signal transmitted most recently is set to the first value, and the status corresponding to the other identification information is set to the first value, the first control unit may select the identification information of the beacon signal that has not been transmitted for the longest time, and instruct the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the beacon signal transmitted most recently.

[0025] [9] In the information processing system described in [7] above, in the information processing device, when transmitting the status information, the second control unit generates new identification information when all of the statuses included in the status information are set to the first value, sets the status corresponding to the new identification information to the second value, generates new status information by adding the new identification information and the value of the status corresponding to the new identification information, and instructs the fourth communication unit to transmit the new status information; and in the communication device, the first control unit may store the new identification information in the first memory unit when the status information received by the second communication unit includes the new identification information not stored in the first memory unit and the value of the status corresponding to the new identification information.

[0026]

[10] In the information processing system described in any of [6] to [9] above, in the information processing device, when the third communication unit receives the beacon signal, the second control unit may transmit a response indicating that the beacon signal has been received to the communication device, and in the communication device, when the second communication unit receives the response, the first control unit may instruct the second communication unit to transmit data (26) to the information processing device.

[0027]

[11] A method according to a representative embodiment of the present invention is an information processing method by an information processing system (1) including a communication device (2) that stores a plurality of different identification information (25_1 to 25_n) and transmits a beacon signal including one of the identification information (25) selected from the plurality of identification information, and an information processing device (3) that stores status information (35) including a status value regarding whether or not the beacon signal has been received. In this method, the status is associated with each of the identification information. This method is characterized by including a first step (S1) in which the communication device transmits the beacon signal, a second step (S2) in which the information processing device receives the beacon signal, a third step (S3) in which the information processing device updates a value of the status corresponding to the identification information of the beacon signal received in the second step, which is included in the status information, by the information processing device, a fourth step (S4, S66) in which the information processing device transmits the status information updated in the third step to the communication device, and a fifth step (S7, S48) in which, when the communication device receives the status information, the communication device selects, based on the status information, other identification information different from the identification information included in the beacon signal transmitted immediately before, and transmits the beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before.

[0028]

[12] In the information processing method described in

[11] above, the third step may include a sixth step (S61 to S64) in which, when the information processing device receives the beacon signal, the information processing device sets a status corresponding to the identification information of the received beacon signal to a first value (received (entered)), and a seventh step (S13) in which, when the information processing device does not receive the beacon signal, the information processing device sets the status corresponding to the identification information of the not received beacon signal to a second value, and the fifth step may include an eighth step (S48) in which the communication device selects, from the multiple identification information, the identification information whose status is set to the second value in the received status information, and a ninth step (S7) in which the communication device transmits the beacon signal including the identification information selected in the eighth step in place of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before.

[0029] 2. Specific examples of embodiments Hereinafter, specific examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] <Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information processing system including a communication device according to an embodiment.

[0031] 1 includes a communication device 2 and an information processing device 3. The information processing system 1 is a system that enables data transmission and reception between the information processing device 3 and the communication device 2 by the information processing device 3 executing various processes in response to a change in a status regarding whether or not a beacon signal transmitted from the communication device 2 has been received.

[0032] The communication device 2 is a device capable of transmitting a beacon signal. In addition to the function of transmitting a beacon signal, the communication device 2 has at least a function of transmitting and receiving data by communicating with an external device, and a function of executing program processing.

[0033] The communication device 2 is a program processing device having a configuration in which a processor such as a CPU, various storage devices such as RAM, ROM, and flash memory, and peripheral circuits such as a counter (timer), a communication circuit, an A / D conversion circuit, a D / A conversion circuit, a clock generation circuit, and an input / output interface circuit are connected to each other via a bus or a dedicated line, and is capable of wirelessly communicating with external devices.

[0034] The communication device 2 transmits a beacon signal based on a predetermined communication standard. For example, the communication device 2 transmits a beacon signal in accordance with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy (BLE) standard. Note that the communication device 2 may transmit a beacon signal based on another communication standard such as the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) standard, and the communication standard of the beacon signal is not particularly limited.

[0035] The communication device 2 stores a plurality of different identification information 25_1 to 25_n (n is an integer equal to or greater than 2) and transmits a beacon signal including one piece of identification information selected from the plurality of identification information 25_1 to 25_n. When the identification information 25_1 to 25_n are not distinguished from one another, they are simply referred to as "identification information 25."

[0036] Here, the identification information 25 is information for identifying a beacon signal. The identification information 25 includes, for example, at least a UUID, a Major, and a Minor.

[0037] The UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) ​​is, for example, a universally unique identifier consisting of 128 bits. The Major and Minor are, for example, identifiers each consisting of 16 bits. The identification information 25 may also include received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and the like.

[0038] The identification information 25_1 to 25_n have different values ​​from each other. For example, at least one of the identifiers UUID, Major, and Minor is different from each other among the identification information 25_1 to 25_n. In the present embodiment, as an example, the identification information 25_1 to 25_n have different UUID, Major, and Minor from each other.

[0039] The communication device 2 determines the beacon signal of the identification information 25 to be transmitted next based on the status information 35 received from the external device and including a status value regarding whether or not a beacon signal has been received. The specific configuration and operation of the communication device 2 will be described later.

[0040] The information processing device 3 is a device that performs a predetermined process when a status regarding whether or not a beacon signal transmitted from the communication device 2 has been received changes. In the present embodiment, as an example, the predetermined process is the information processing device 3 transmitting and receiving data to and from the communication device 2 and performing some kind of calculation (data processing) using the received data.

[0041] The information processing device 3 is a program processing device that has a configuration in which a processor such as a CPU, various storage devices such as a RAM, a ROM, and a flash memory, and peripheral circuits such as a counter (timer), a communication circuit, an A / D conversion circuit, a D / A conversion circuit, a clock generation circuit, and an input / output interface circuit are connected to each other via a bus or a dedicated line, and that can wirelessly communicate with external devices. More specifically, the information processing device 3 may be, for example, a stationary terminal such as a personal computer or a server, or a mobile terminal such as a tablet or a smartphone.

[0042] The information processing device 3 stores status information 35 including a status value relating to whether or not a beacon signal has been received.

[0043] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the status information 35. As shown in FIG.

[0044] The status information 35 is information in which a status value regarding the presence or absence of reception of a beacon signal is set for each beacon signal having different identification information 25_1 to 25_n. As shown in Fig. 2, the status information 35 stores the identification information 25_1 to 25_n of the beacon signal in association with a status regarding the presence or absence of reception of the beacon signal identified by the identification information 25_1 to 25_n. Here, a first value or a second value different from the first value is set as the status.

[0045] The first value is, for example, a value indicating that the information processing device 3 is receiving a beacon signal, in other words, that the information processing device 3 is entering the beacon region of the beacon signal. The second value is, for example, a value indicating that the information processing device 3 is not receiving a beacon signal, in other words, that the information processing device 3 is exiting the beacon region of the beacon signal.

[0046] In the status information 35, a status related to a beacon signal of the identification information 25 to be monitored by the information processing device 3 is set. For example, Fig. 2 illustrates the status information 35 in the case where the beacon signals to be monitored by the information processing device 3 are the beacon signals of the identification information 25_1 to 25_n. Fig. 2 also illustrates a case where, in the status information 35, the status of the beacon signal of the identification information 25_1 (ID_A) is set to "received (entered)" as a first value, the status of the beacon signal of the identification information 25_2 (ID_B) is set to "received (entered)" as a first value, the status of the beacon signal of the identification information 25_3 (ID_C) is set to "not received (left)" as a second value, and the status of the beacon signal of the identification information 25_n (ID_x) is set to "not received (left)" as a second value.

[0047] The information processing device 3 monitors whether a beacon signal has been received or not for each piece of identification information 25 (beacon signal) to be monitored, and updates the status information 35 by switching the status value according to the state of beacon signal reception for each piece of identification information.

[0048] The information processing device 3 transmits the status information 35 to the communication device 2. Based on the status information 35 received from the information processing device 3, the communication device 2 switches the identification information of the beacon signal to be transmitted.

[0049] Hereinafter, specific configurations of the communication device 2 and the information processing device 3 will be described. 1, the communication device 2 has, as functional blocks, a first communication unit 21, a second communication unit 22, a first control unit 23, and a first storage unit 24. These functional blocks are realized, for example, by cooperation between a program (software) of a program processing device constituting the communication device 2 and hardware.

[0050] Specifically, the processor constituting the above-mentioned communication device 2 executes various calculations according to programs stored in the memory and controls peripheral circuits such as memory and communication circuits within the communication device 2, thereby realizing the first communication unit 21, the second communication unit 22, the first control unit 23, and the first memory unit 24.

[0051] The first communication unit 21 transmits a beacon signal including the identification information 25. In response to an instruction from the first control unit 23, the first communication unit 21 transmits a beacon signal including the specified identification information 25 in accordance with the above-mentioned communication standard.

[0052] The second communication unit 22 communicates with the external information processing device 3. For example, the second communication unit 22 transmits and receives data by performing wireless communication with the information processing device 3 using Bluetooth. Note that the communication standard for wireless communication between the second communication unit 22 and the information processing device 3 is not limited to Bluetooth, and may be another communication standard such as Wi-Fi.

[0053] The second communication unit 22 receives status information 35 including a status value regarding whether or not a beacon signal has been received. The second communication unit 22 stores the received status information 35 in the first storage unit 24. The second communication unit 22 transmits designated data (action data 26) to the information processing device 3 in response to an instruction from the first control unit 23.

[0054] The first storage unit 24 stores data such as parameters necessary to realize the function of the communication device 2. For example, the above-mentioned identification information 25_1 to 25_n is stored in the first storage unit 24. In addition, the first storage unit 24 stores data (action data 26) to be transmitted to the information processing device 3.

[0055] The first control unit 23 comprehensively controls each functional unit constituting the communication device 2. Specifically, the first control unit 23 selects one piece of identification information 25 from the plurality of pieces of identification information 25_1 to 25_n, and instructs the first communication unit 21 to transmit a beacon signal including the selected identification information 25.

[0056] The first control unit 23 controls the first communication unit 21 to transmit a beacon signal while sequentially switching the identification information 25. Specifically, when the second communication unit 22 receives status information 35 after the first communication unit 21 transmits a beacon signal, the first control unit 23 instructs the first communication unit 21 to select another identification information 25 different from the identification information 25 of the immediately preceding transmitted beacon signal based on the received status information 35, and to transmit a beacon signal including the selected identification information 25 instead of the immediately preceding transmitted beacon signal.

[0057] For example, when, in the received status information 35, the status corresponding to the identification information 25 included in the most recently transmitted beacon signal is set to a first value ("Received (Entry)") and the status corresponding to other identification information 25 is set to a second value ("Not received (Exit)"), the first control unit 23 instructs the first communication unit 21 to transmit a beacon signal including other identification information 25 whose status is set to the second value instead of the most recently transmitted beacon signal.

[0058] Also, for example, when, in the received status information 35, the status corresponding to the identification information 25 of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before is set to a first value ("Received (Entry)") and the status corresponding to the other identification information 25 is set to the first value ("Received (Entry)"), the first control unit 23 selects the identification information 25 of the beacon signal that has not been transmitted for the longest time, and instructs the first communication unit 21 to transmit a beacon signal including the selected identification information 25.

[0059] When data communication becomes possible between the second communication unit 22 and the information processing device 3, the first control unit 23 instructs the second communication unit 22 to transmit the action data 26 stored in the first memory unit 24 to the information processing device 3.

[0060] Specifically, after the first communication unit 21 transmits a beacon signal, when the second communication unit 22 receives a response indicating that the information processing device 3 has received the beacon signal, the first control unit 23 determines that a data communication connection has been established between the second communication unit 22 and the information processing device 3, and instructs the second communication unit 22 to transmit action data 26 to the information processing device 3.

[0061] 1, the information processing device 3 has, as functional blocks, a third communication unit 31, a fourth communication unit 32, a second control unit 33, and a second storage unit 34. These functional blocks are realized, for example, by cooperation between a program (software) and hardware of a program processing device constituting the information processing device 3. Specifically, the processor constituting the above-mentioned information processing device 3 executes various calculations according to a program stored in a memory, and controls peripheral circuits such as a memory and a communication circuit in the information processing device 3, thereby realizing the third communication unit 31, the fourth communication unit 32, the second control unit 33, and the second storage unit 34.

[0062] The third communication unit 31 receives a beacon signal. For example, the third communication unit 31 receives a beacon signal transmitted from the communication device 2, notifies the second control unit 33 that the beacon signal has been received, and provides the second control unit 33 with identification information included in the received beacon signal.

[0063] The fourth communication unit 32 communicates with the communication device 2. For example, the fourth communication unit 32 transmits and receives data by performing wireless communication with the second communication unit 22 of the communication device 2 using Bluetooth. As described above, the communication standard for wireless communication between the fourth communication unit 32 and the communication device 2 is not limited to Bluetooth, and may be another communication standard such as Wi-Fi.

[0064] When the fourth communication unit 32 receives action data 26 from the communication device 2 through data communication with the communication device 2, it stores the received action data 26 in the second memory unit 34 and notifies the second control unit 33 that the action data 26 has been received.

[0065] The second storage unit 34 stores status information 35 (see FIG. 2) including a status value regarding the presence or absence of reception of a beacon signal for each of the identification information 25_1 to 25_n. The status information 35 stored in the second storage unit 34 is updated by the second control unit 33.

[0066] The second control unit 33 comprehensively controls each functional unit constituting the information processing device 3. Specifically, the second control unit 33 updates the status information 35 according to the state of reception of the beacon signal, and instructs the fourth communication unit 32 to transmit the status information 35.

[0067] For example, when the third communication unit 31 receives a beacon signal, the second control unit 33 updates the status value corresponding to the identification information 25 of the beacon signal received by the third communication unit 31 among the status information 35 stored in the second memory unit 34, and instructs the fourth communication unit 32 to transmit the updated status information 35 to the communication device 2.

[0068] The status information 35 is updated as follows.

[0069] When the third communication unit 31 receives a beacon signal, the second control unit 33 sets the status corresponding to the identification information 25 of the received beacon signal to a first value ("received (entry)").

[0070] On the other hand, when the third communication unit 31 does not receive a beacon signal, the second control unit 33 sets the status corresponding to the identification information 25 of the unreceived beacon signal to a second value ("not received (exit)").

[0071] For example, consider a case where a beacon signal ID_A of identification information 25_1 (ID_A) and a beacon signal ID_B of identification information 25_2 (ID_B) are to be monitored. When the information processing device 3 receives the beacon signal ID_A, it sets the status of the beacon signal ID_A from the second value ("not received (exit)") to the first value ("received (enter)").

[0072] On the other hand, if the beacon signal ID_B is not received, in other words, if the period during which the beacon signal ID_B is not received exceeds a predetermined threshold, the information processing device 3 sets the status of the beacon signal ID_B from the first value ("Received (Entry)") to the second value ("Not Received (Exit)").

[0073] When the third communication unit 31 receives a beacon signal, the second control unit 33 instructs the fourth communication unit 32 to transmit a response indicating that the beacon signal has been received to the communication device 2. In response to the instruction from the second control unit 33, the fourth communication unit 32 transmits a response indicating that the beacon signal has been received to the communication device 2, thereby establishing the above-mentioned data communication connection (e.g., Bluetooth connection) with the communication device 2.

[0074] When the fourth communication section 32 receives the action data 26 through data communication with the communication device 2, the second control section 33 executes a predetermined data process using the action data 26.

[0075] Next, the flow of communication between the communication device 2 and the information processing device 3 will be described.

[0076] FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing an overview of the flow of communication between the communication device 2 and the information processing device 3. As shown in FIG.

[0077] 3, two pieces of identification information ID_A and ID_B are set as the identification information 25 of the monitoring target of the information processing device 3, and the communication device 2 switches between outputting a beacon signal ID_A including the identification information ID_A and a beacon signal ID_B including the identification information ID_B. Also, it is assumed that the initial values ​​of the statuses of the identification information ID_A and ID_B included in the status information 35 are each set to the second value ("not received (exited)").

[0078] For example, first, the communication device 2 transmits a beacon signal ID_A including identification information ID_A (step S1). Next, the information processing device 3 detects (receives) the beacon signal ID_A transmitted in step S1 (step S2). The information processing device 3 switches the status of the beacon signal ID_A received in step S2, which is included in the status information 35, from the second value ("not received (exit)") to the first value ("received (enter)") (step S3). At this time, in the status information 35, the status of the beacon signal ID_A is the first value ("received (enter)"), and the status of the beacon signal ID_B is the second value ("not received (exit)").

[0079] Next, the information processing device 3 transmits a response indicating that the beacon signal ID_A has been received, and establishes a data communication connection between the information processing device 3 and the communication device 2 (step S4). The information processing device 3 transmits the status information 35 updated in step S3 to the communication device 2 through data communication.

[0080] When the communication device 2 receives a response indicating that the beacon signal ID_A has been received from the information processing device 3, the communication device 2 stops transmitting the beacon signal ID_A (step S5). When the communication device 2 receives the status information 35, the communication device 2 transmits a response indicating that the status information 35 has been received to the information processing device 3. When the information processing device 3 receives the response indicating that the status information 35 has been received, the information processing device 3 releases the data communication connection with the communication device 2 (step S6).

[0081] Next, the communication device 2 refers to the status information 35 received by data communication with the information processing device 3 to determine the identification information 25 to be transmitted next, and transmits (sends) a beacon signal including the determined identification information 25 (step S7). In the above example, in the status information 35 received by the communication device 2, the status of the beacon signal ID_A is the first value ("Received (enter)") and the status of the beacon signal ID_B is the second value ("Not received (exit)"), so the communication device 2 transmits the beacon signal ID_B including the identification information ID_B whose status is the second value ("Not received (exit)").

[0082] Next, the information processing device 3 detects (receives) the beacon signal ID_B transmitted in step S7 (step S8). The information processing device 3 switches the status of the beacon signal ID_B received in step S8, which is included in the status information 35, from the second value ("not received (exit)") to the first value ("received (enter)") (step S9). At this time, in the status information 35, the status of the beacon signal ID_A is the first value ("received (enter)"), and the status of the beacon signal ID_B is the first value ("received (enter)").

[0083] Next, the information processing device 3 transmits a response indicating that the beacon signal ID_B has been received, and establishes a data communication connection between the information processing device 3 and the communication device 2. The information processing device 3 transmits the status information 35 updated in step S9 to the communication device 2 by data communication (step S10).

[0084] When the communication device 2 receives a response indicating that the beacon signal ID_B has been received from the information processing device 3, the communication device 2 stops transmitting the beacon signal ID_B (step S11). When the communication device 2 receives the status information 35, the communication device 2 transmits a response indicating that the status information 35 has been received to the information processing device 3. When the information processing device 3 receives the response indicating that the status information 35 has been received, the information processing device 3 releases the data communication connection with the communication device 2 (step S12).

[0085] On the other hand, when the period during which the information processing device 3 has not received the beacon signal ID_A reaches a preset predetermined period, the information processing device 3 switches the status of the beacon signal ID_A included in the status information 35 from a first value ("Received (Entry)") to a second value ("Not Received (Exit)") (step S13). At this time, in the status information 35, the status of the beacon signal ID_A is the second value ("Not Received (Exit)"), and the status of the beacon signal ID_B is the first value ("Received (Entry)").

[0086] Next, the communication device 2 determines the identification information 25 to be transmitted next by referring to the status information 35 received in step S10, and transmits a beacon signal including the determined identification information 25 (step S14). In the above example, in the received status information 35, the status of the beacon signal ID_A is "received (entered)", and the status of the beacon signal ID_B is "received (entered)". Therefore, the communication device 2 selects the identification information 25 of the beacon signal that has been transmitting the longest since it stopped, and transmits a beacon signal including the selected identification information 25. In the above example, when the beacon signal ID_A and the beacon signal ID_B are compared, it is found that the beacon signal ID_A has been transmitting longer than the beacon signal ID_B, so in step S15, the communication device 2 transmits the beacon signal ID_A.

[0087] Next, the information processing device 3 detects (receives) the beacon signal ID_A transmitted in step S14 (step S15). The information processing device 3 switches the status of the beacon signal ID_A received in step S15, which is included in the status information 35, from the second value ("not received (exit)") to the first value ("received (enter)") (step S16). At this time, in the status information 35, the status of the beacon signal ID_A is the first value ("received (enter)"), and the status of the beacon signal ID_B is the second value ("received (enter)").

[0088] Next, the information processing device 3 transmits a response indicating that the beacon signal ID_A has been received, and establishes a data communication connection between the information processing device 3 and the communication device 2 (step S17). The information processing device 3 transmits the status information 35 updated in step S16 to the communication device 2 by data communication.

[0089] When the communication device 2 receives a response indicating that the beacon signal ID_A has been received from the information processing device 3, the communication device 2 stops transmitting the beacon signal ID_A (step S18). When the communication device 2 receives the status information 35, the communication device 2 transmits a response indicating that the status information 35 has been received to the information processing device 3. When the information processing device 3 receives the response indicating that the status information 35 has been received, the information processing device 3 releases the data communication connection with the communication device 2 (step S19).

[0090] On the other hand, when the period during which the beacon signal ID_B has not been received reaches a predetermined period in the information processing device 3, the information processing device 3 switches the status of the beacon signal ID_B included in the status information 35 from “received (entry)” to “not received (exit)” (step S20).

[0091] Through the above procedure, the communication device 2 receives status information 35 managed by the information processing device 3 and repeatedly transmits a beacon signal while switching the identification information 25 based on the status information 35, thereby enabling the information processing device 3 to repeatedly execute processing triggered by receiving a beacon signal.

[0092] Next, a detailed flow of processing by the communication device 2 will be described.

[0093] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a detailed flow of the process performed by the communication device 2.

[0094] When it becomes necessary to transmit the action data 26 due to, for example, a command from a timer or an external device, the communication device 2 prepares the action data 26 to be transmitted (step S41). For example, the first control unit 23 reads out the action data 26 to be transmitted from the first storage unit 24.

[0095] Next, the communication device 2 transmits a beacon signal (step S42). Specifically, as described above, the first control unit 23 selects one piece of identification information 25 from the plurality of pieces of identification information 25_1 to 25_n stored in the first storage unit 24, and instructs the first communication unit 21 to transmit a beacon signal including the selected identification information 25, whereby the first communication unit 21 transmits a beacon signal.

[0096] Next, a data communication connection is established between the communication device 2 and the information processing device 3 that received the beacon signal transmitted in step S42 (step S43). For example, when a response indicating that the beacon signal has been received is transmitted from the information processing device 3 and the communication device 2 receives the response, a data communication connection is established between the second communication unit 22 of the communication device 2 and the fourth communication unit 32 of the information processing device 3.

[0097] Next, the communication device 2 stops the transmission of the beacon signal started in step S42 (step S44). Specifically, the first control unit 23 instructs the first communication unit 21 to stop transmitting the beacon signal, so that the first communication unit 21 stops transmitting the beacon signal.

[0098] Next, the communication device 2 transmits the action data 26 prepared in step S41 to the information processing device 3 (step S45). Specifically, the first control unit 23 instructs the second communication unit 22 to transmit the action data 26 read from the first storage unit 24 in step S41, whereby the second communication unit 22 transmits the action data 26 to the information processing device 3.

[0099] Next, the communication device 2 receives the status information 35 from the information processing device 3 (step S46). Specifically, the second communication unit 22 receives the status information 35 transmitted from the fourth communication unit 32 of the information processing device 3 in the data communication connection established in step S43, and stores the received status information 35 in the first storage unit 24.

[0100] Next, the data communication connection between the communication device 2 and the information processing device 3 is released (step S47). For example, when the second communication unit 22 transmits a response indicating that it has received the status information 35 to the information processing device 3 and the information processing device 3 receives the response, the information processing device 3 releases the data communication connection.

[0101] Next, the communication device 2 determines the beacon signal (identification information) to be transmitted next (step S48).

[0102] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for determining the next beacon signal (identification information) to be transmitted by the communication device 2. In FIG.

[0103] 4, first, the first control unit 23 in the communication device 2 reads out the status information 35 received in step S46 from the first storage unit 24 (step S481). The first control unit 23 determines whether or not there is any identification information 25 whose status is set to the second value ("not received (exited)") in the read status information 35 (step S482).

[0104] If there is identification information 25 whose status is set to the second value ("not received (exit)") (step S482: YES), the first control unit 23 determines whether there are multiple identification information 25 whose status is set to the second value (step S483).

[0105] If there is only one identification information 25 whose status is set to the second value ("not received (exited)") (step S483: YES), the first control unit 23 selects the identification information 25 whose status is set to the second value ("not received (exited)") from the first storage unit 24 (step S484). Then, the first control unit 23 determines the beacon signal of the identification information 25 selected in step S484 as the beacon signal to be transmitted next (step S486). This ends the processing of step S48.

[0106] On the other hand, if there is no identification information 25 whose status is set to the second value ("not received (exited)") (step S482: NO), or if there is multiple identification information 25 whose status is set to the second value ("not received (exited)") (step S483: YES), the first control unit 23 selects the identification information 25 of the beacon signal that has been transmitting for the longest time (step S485).

[0107] For example, consider the case where there are three identification information ID_A, ID_B, and ID_C, and first a beacon signal ID_A of identification information ID_A is transmitted, then a beacon signal ID_B of identification information ID_B is transmitted, then a beacon signal ID_C of identification information ID_C is transmitted, and the statuses of beacon signals ID_A, ID_B, and ID_C are all the first value ("Received (Entered)").

[0108] In this case, the first control unit 23 selects the beacon signal (identification information) ID_A, which has been the longest since the last transmission was stopped, among the three beacon signals ID_A, ID_B, and ID_C, as the beacon signal to be transmitted next after the beacon signal ID_C.

[0109] Then, the first control unit 23 determines the beacon signal of the identification information 25 selected in step S485 as the beacon signal to be transmitted next (step S486), thereby completing the process of step S48.

[0110] Next, a detailed flow of processing by the information processing device 3 will be described.

[0111] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a detailed flow of processing by the information processing device 3.

[0112] Here, as an example, it is assumed that the beacon signal ID_A of the identification information 25_1 (ID_A) and the beacon signal ID_B of the identification information 25_2 (ID_B) are beacon signals to be monitored by the information processing device 3.

[0113] For example, after being started, the information processing device 3 enters a standby state for a beacon signal. When the information processing device 3 does not receive a beacon signal of a monitoring target for a certain period in the standby state, the second control unit 33 sets the status corresponding to the identification information 25 of the unreceived beacon signal, among the statuses included in the status information 35 stored in the second storage unit 34, to a second value ("not received (exit)").

[0114] When the information processing device 3 receives a beacon signal in a standby state, the information processing device 3 starts a predetermined process. In the predetermined process, the information processing device 3 first judges the identification information 25 of the received beacon signal (step S61). Specifically, when the third communication unit 31 receives a beacon signal, the second control unit 33 refers to the identification information included in the received beacon signal and judges whether or not the received beacon signal is a beacon signal to be monitored.

[0115] If the identification information of the received beacon signal does not match any of the identification information of the monitoring target in step S61, the information processing device 3 ends the predetermined process and transitions again to a state of waiting for a beacon signal.

[0116] In step S61, if the received beacon signal is a beacon signal of the identification information 25 of the monitoring target and is the beacon signal ID_A, the information processing device 3 determines the status of the beacon signal ID_A (step S62). Specifically, the second control unit 33 refers to the status information 35 stored in the second storage unit 34 and determines the value of the status of the beacon signal ID_A.

[0117] In step S62, if the status of the beacon signal ID_A included in the status information 35 is the first value ("Received (Entry)"), the second control unit 33 terminates the specified processing without updating the status information 35, and transitions to a standby state for a beacon signal.

[0118] In step S62, if the status of the beacon signal ID_A included in the status information 35 is the second value ("not received (exit)"), the second control unit 33 updates the status information 35 stored in the second memory unit 34 by changing the status of the beacon signal ID_A from the second value ("not received (exit)") to the first value ("received (enter)") (step S64).

[0119] In step S61, if the received beacon signal is a beacon signal of the identification information 25 of the monitoring target and is the beacon signal ID_B, the information processing device 3 determines the status of the beacon signal ID_B (step S63). Specifically, the second control unit 33 refers to the status information 35 stored in the second storage unit 34 and determines the value of the status of the beacon signal ID_B.

[0120] In step S63, if the status of the beacon signal ID_B included in the status information 35 is the first value ("Received (Entry)"), the second control unit 33 terminates the specified processing without updating the status information 35, and transitions to a standby state for a beacon signal.

[0121] In step S63, if the status of the beacon signal ID_B included in the status information 35 is the second value ("not received (exit)"), the second control unit 33 updates the status information 35 stored in the second memory unit 34 by changing the status of the beacon signal ID_B from the second value ("not received (exit)") to the first value ("received (enter)") (step S64).

[0122] After updating the status information 35 in step S64, the information processing device 3 establishes a data communication connection with the communication device 2 (step S65). Specifically, the second control unit 33 instructs the fourth communication unit 32 to transmit a response indicating that the beacon signal has been received, and the fourth communication unit 32 transmits the response to the communication device 2, thereby establishing a data communication connection with the communication device 2.

[0123] Next, the information processing device 3 transmits the status information 35 to the communication device 2 with which the data communication connection has been established (step S66). Specifically, the second control unit 33 reads the status information 35 from the second storage unit 34, and instructs the fourth communication unit 32 to transmit the read status information 35, and the fourth communication unit 32 transmits the status information 35 to the communication device 2.

[0124] Next, the information processing device 3 receives the action data 26 transmitted from the communication device 2 (step S67). Specifically, the fourth communication unit 32 receives the action data 26 transmitted from the communication device 2 and stores it in the second storage unit 34, and notifies the second control unit 33 that the action data 26 has been received.

[0125] Next, the information processing device 3 releases the data communication connection with the communication device 2 (step S68). Specifically, when a response indicating that the communication device 2 has received the status information 35 is transmitted from the communication device 2 and the fourth communication unit 32 receives the response, the second control unit 33 releases the data communication connection between the information processing device 3 and the communication device 2.

[0126] After that, the information processing device 3 executes data processing using the action data 26 received in step S67 (step S69).

[0127] As described above, in the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment, when the information processing device 3, which is the receiver of the beacon signal, receives a beacon signal, it updates the status information 35 by changing the status value associated with the identification information 25 of the received beacon signal, and transmits the status information 35 to the communication device 2, which is the transmitter of the beacon signal. When the communication device 2 receives the status information 35 after transmitting a beacon signal, it selects, based on the status information 35, other identification information 25 different from the identification information 25 included in the beacon signal transmitted immediately before, and transmits a beacon signal including the selected identification information 25 in place of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before.

[0128] According to this, the communication device 2 checks the reception state of the beacon signal in the information processing device 3, and then transmits a beacon signal including another identification information 25 different from the identification information 25 included in the immediately preceding beacon signal in place of the immediately preceding beacon signal, so that even if the status of the immediately preceding beacon signal is "received (enter)", the status of another beacon signal can be newly shifted from "not received (exit)" to "received (enter)". Also, since the transmission of the immediately preceding beacon signal has stopped, after the status of another beacon signal has shifted from "not received (exit)" to "received (enter)", the status of the immediately preceding beacon signal can be shifted from "received (enter)" to "not received (exit)".

[0129] In this way, the information processing system 1 makes it possible to repeatedly cause the status to switch a number of times according to the type of beacon signal (identification information 25) on the information processing device 3 side. This makes it possible to repeatedly prompt the information processing device 3 to execute processing (occurrence of an event) triggered by a status switch regarding the presence or absence of reception of a beacon signal, even if the information processing device 3 is not moved outside the beacon area.

[0130] Specifically, as described above, when the information processing device 3 receives a beacon signal, it sets the status corresponding to the identification information 25 of the received beacon signal to a first value ("Received (Entry)"), and when it does not receive a beacon signal, it sets the status corresponding to the identification information 25 of the not received beacon signal to a second value ("Not Received (Exit)"). Meanwhile, the communication device 2, as described above, selects the identification information 25 whose status is set to the second value in the received status information 35 from among the multiple identification information 25_1 to 25_n, and transmits a beacon signal including the selected identification information 25 in place of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before.

[0131] According to this, the communication device 2 preferentially transmits beacon signals that have a status of "not received (exited)" on the information processing device 3 side, making it possible to more reliably cause the information processing device 3 to switch its status regarding whether or not a beacon signal has been received.

[0132] Furthermore, as described above, in the status information 35, when the status corresponding to the identification information 25 of the most recently transmitted beacon signal is set to a first value ("Received (Entry)") and the status corresponding to the other identification information 25 is set to the first value ("Received (Entry)"), the communication device 2 selects the identification information 25 of the beacon signal that has not been transmitted for the longest time, and transmits a beacon signal including the selected identification information 25 in place of the most recently transmitted beacon signal.

[0133] According to this, even if there is no beacon signal (identification information 25) whose status is "not received (left)" on the information processing device 3 side at the time when the status information 35 is transmitted, the communication device 2 preferentially transmits a beacon signal whose identification information is most likely to have a status of "not received (left)" later. This makes it possible to increase the probability of the information processing device 3 switching the status regarding the presence or absence of reception of a beacon signal.

[0134] <<Extension of the embodiment>> The invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on an embodiment, but it goes without saying that the invention is not limited thereto and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0135] In the above embodiment, an example was given of a case where, when all statuses included in the status information 35 are set to the first value ("received (entered)"), the communication device 2 selects the identification information 25 of the beacon signal that has been transmitting the longest time ago, and transmits the beacon signal of the selected identification information 25 in place of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before. However, this is not limited to this.

[0136] For example, when the information processing device 3 transmits status information 35, if all statuses included in the status information 35 are set to a first value ("received (enter)"), the second control unit 33 generates new identification information 25 and sets the status corresponding to the new identification information 25 to a second value ("not received (exit)"). Then, the second control unit 33 may generate new status information 35 by adding the new identification information 25 and the value of the status corresponding to the new identification information 25, and instruct the fourth communication unit 32 to transmit the new status information 35.

[0137] On the other hand, in the communication device 2, the first control unit 23 may store new identification information 25 in the first memory unit 24 when the status information 35 received by the second communication unit 22 includes new identification information 25 that is not stored in the first memory unit 24 and a status value corresponding to the new identification information 25.

[0138] For example, consider a case where the beacon signals to be monitored by information processing device 3 are beacon signals ID_A, ID_B, and ID_C corresponding to three types of identification information ID_A, ID_B, and ID_C, and when status information 35 is transmitted, the statuses of beacon signals ID_A, ID_B, and ID_C included in status information 35 are each set to a first value ("Received (Entry)").

[0139] In this case, in the information processing device 3, the second control unit 33 generates new identification information ID_D, sets the status of the identification information ID_D to the second value ("not received (exit)"), generates new status information 35 by adding the status of the identification information ID_D (second value) to the existing status information 35, and instructs the fourth communication unit 32 to transmit the new status information 35 to the communication device 2.

[0140] Meanwhile, in the communication device 2, the first control unit 23 refers to the received new status information 35, adds the new identification information ID_D contained in the status information 35 to the first memory unit 24, and instructs the first communication unit 21 to transmit a beacon signal of the identification information ID_D, whose status is set to the second value ("not received (exit)"), in place of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before.

[0141] According to this, even if there is no beacon signal (identification information 25) whose status is the second value ("not received (exit)") on the information processing device 3 side, the communication device 2 can transmit a beacon signal of new identification information 25, making it possible to more reliably cause the information processing device 3 to switch its status regarding whether or not a beacon signal has been received.

[0142] Furthermore, the above-described flowcharts are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, other processes may be inserted between each step, or the processes may be parallelized. [Explanation of symbols]

[0143] 1...information processing system, 2...communication device, 3...information processing device, 21...first communication section, 22...second communication section, 24...first memory section, 25, 25_1 to 25_n...identification information, 26...action data, 31...third communication section, 32...fourth communication section, 33...second control section, 34...second memory section, 35...status information.

Claims

1. a first communication unit that transmits a beacon signal including identification information; a second communication unit that communicates with an external information processing device; a first storage unit that stores a plurality of different pieces of identification information; a first control unit that selects one piece of identification information from the plurality of pieces of identification information and instructs the first communication unit to transmit a beacon signal including the selected identification information; the second communication unit receives status information including a status value relating to whether or not the beacon signal has been received; the status is associated with each of the identification information, When the status information is received by the second communication unit after the first communication unit transmits the beacon signal, the first control unit selects, based on the status information, identification information different from the identification information of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before, and instructs the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before. Communication equipment.

2. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, a first value or a second value different from the first value is set as the value of the status; When, in the received status information, the status corresponding to the identification information included in the beacon signal transmitted immediately before is set to the first value and the status corresponding to the other identification information is set to the second value, the first control unit instructs the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the other identification information, the status of which is set to the second value, instead of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before. Communication equipment.

3. 3. The communication device according to claim 2, When, in the received status information, the status corresponding to the identification information of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before is set to the first value and the status corresponding to the other identification information is set to the first value, the first control unit selects the identification information of the beacon signal for which the longest time has elapsed since transmission was stopped, and instructs the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before. Communication equipment.

4. 3. The communication device according to claim 2, When the received status information includes new identification information that is not stored in the first storage unit and a value of the status corresponding to the new identification information, the first control unit stores the new identification information in the first storage unit. Communication equipment.

5. 5. The communication device according to claim 1, When the second communication unit receives a response indicating that the information processing device has received the beacon signal after the first communication unit has transmitted the beacon signal, the first control unit instructs the second communication unit to transmit data to the information processing device. Communication equipment.

6. An information processing system including a communication device and an information processing device, the communication device includes a first communication unit that transmits a beacon signal including identification information, a second communication unit that communicates with the information processing device, a first storage unit that stores a plurality of different pieces of identification information, and a first control unit that selects one piece of identification information from the plurality of pieces of identification information and instructs the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the selected identification information; the information processing device includes a third communication unit that receives the beacon signal, a fourth communication unit that communicates with the communication device, a second storage unit that stores status information for each of the identification information, the status information including a status value regarding whether or not the beacon signal has been received for each of the identification information, and a second control unit that updates the status information in response to reception of the beacon signal and instructs the fourth communication unit to transmit the status information; the status is associated with each of the identification information, In the communication device, the first communication unit transmits the beacon signal, In the information processing device, when the third communication unit receives the beacon signal, the second control unit updates a value of the status that corresponds to the identification information of the beacon signal received by the third communication unit among the status information stored in the second storage unit, and instructs the fourth communication unit to transmit the updated status information to the communication device; In the communication device, when the second communication unit receives the status information after the first communication unit transmits the beacon signal, the first control unit selects, based on the status information, identification information different from identification information included in the immediately preceding beacon signal, and instructs the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the immediately preceding beacon signal. Information processing system.

7. 7. The information processing system according to claim 6, In the information processing device, when the third communication unit receives the beacon signal, the second control unit sets a status corresponding to the identification information of the received beacon signal to a first value, and when the third communication unit does not receive the beacon signal, sets a status corresponding to the identification information of the not-received beacon signal to a second value; In the communication device, the first control unit selects the identification information, the status of which is set to the second value in the received status information, from the plurality of pieces of identification information, and instructs the first communication unit to transmit a beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before. Information processing system.

8. 8. The information processing system according to claim 7, When, in the received status information, the status corresponding to the identification information of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before is set to the first value and the status corresponding to the other identification information is set to the first value, the first control unit selects the identification information of the beacon signal for which the longest time has elapsed since transmission was stopped, and instructs the first communication unit to transmit the beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before. Information processing system.

9. 8. The information processing system according to claim 7, In the information processing device, when transmitting the status information, if all of the statuses included in the status information are set to the first value, the second control unit generates new identification information, sets the status corresponding to the new identification information to the second value, generates new status information by adding the new identification information and the value of the status corresponding to the new identification information, and instructs the fourth communication unit to transmit the new status information; In the communication device, when the status information received by the second communication unit includes the new identification information that is not stored in the first storage unit and a value of the status corresponding to the new identification information, the first control unit stores the new identification information in the first storage unit. Information processing system.

10. 10. The information processing system according to claim 6, In the information processing device, when the third communication unit receives the beacon signal, the second control unit transmits a response indicating that the beacon signal has been received to the communication device; In the communication device, when the second communication unit receives the response, the first control unit instructs the second communication unit to transmit data to the information processing device. Information processing system.

11. 1. An information processing method for an information processing system including: a communication device that stores a plurality of pieces of identification information different from each other and transmits a beacon signal including one piece of identification information selected from the plurality of pieces of identification information; and an information processing device that stores status information including a status value regarding whether or not the beacon signal has been received, the status is associated with each of the identification information, a first step in which the communication device transmits the beacon signal; a second step of receiving the beacon signal by the information processing device; a third step of updating, by the information processing device, a value of the status that corresponds to the identification information of the beacon signal received in the second step and that is included in the status information; a fourth step in which the information processing device transmits the status information updated in the third step to the communication device; and a fifth step of, when the communication device receives the status information, selecting, based on the status information, identification information different from the identification information included in the beacon signal transmitted immediately before, and transmitting the beacon signal including the selected identification information instead of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before. Information processing methods.

12. 12. The information processing method according to claim 11, the third step includes a sixth step of, when the information processing device receives the beacon signal, setting a status corresponding to the identification information of the received beacon signal to a first value; and a seventh step of, when the information processing device does not receive the beacon signal, setting the status corresponding to the identification information of the not-received beacon signal to a second value; The fifth step includes an eighth step of selecting, from the plurality of pieces of identification information, the identification information for which the status is set to the second value in the received status information, and a ninth step of transmitting, in place of the beacon signal transmitted immediately before, the beacon signal including the identification information selected in the eighth step. Information processing methods.

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