Wireless communication device and water heating system equipped with the same

Abstract

To provide a wireless communication device that can easily cope with a change in a communication provider, and a water heating system equipped with the wireless communication device.SOLUTION: A wireless communication device comprises a control unit 6 and a wireless communication module 7 that performs wireless communication on a substrate, a chip-type SIM 9 corresponding to a first telecommunications carrier mounted on the substrate and wired and connected to the wireless communication module 7 via a switching circuit 10, a switching circuit 10 that can switch between a connected state in which the wireless communication module 7 and the chip-type SIM 9 are electrically connected and a non-connected state in which they are not connected, a card slot 11 in which a card-type SIM 13 is directly wired and connected to the wireless communication module 7 when the card-type SIM 13 corresponding to a second telecommunications carrier is inserted, and a detection unit 12 that detects a state in which the card-type SIM 13 is inserted into the card slot 11. The control unit 6 sets the switching circuit 10 to the connected state when the detection unit 12 has not detected the state where the card-type SIM 13 is inserted, and sets the switching circuit to the non-connected state when the detection unit has detected the state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless communication device and a hot water system including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to perform cellular communication, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) is used that stores subscriber identification information for using communication services provided by a communication carrier such as a provider (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] In addition, some hot water appliances such as water heaters are equipped with wireless communication devices to communicate with servers via wireless base stations etc. by cellular communication. These wireless communication devices have chip-type SIMs mounted on a board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6482078 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5847323 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, if a communications carrier that supports the above-mentioned chip-type SIM terminates its communications service, there is a problem that communication between the hot water appliance and the server will no longer be possible. If an attempt is made to communicate using a communications service provided by another communications carrier, for example, it will be necessary to replace the wireless communication device with one equipped with a SIM that supports the other communications carrier, which will result in a cumbersome exchange process.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a wireless communication device and a hot water system equipped with the same that can easily adapt even if the communication provider is changed.

[0007] In this specification and claims, a communications carrier refers to a single or multiple carriers that provide cellular wireless communication and Internet connection services, such as a mobile network operator (MNO), a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), an Internet service provider (ISP), etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a wireless communication device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a wireless communication device including a control unit and a wireless communication module configured to be able to communicate with the control unit and performing wireless communication with an external server on a substrate, the wireless communication device including: a chip-type SIM corresponding to a first telecommunications carrier mounted on the substrate and wired-connected to the wireless communication module via a switching circuit; the switching circuit switching between a connected state in which the wireless communication module and the chip-type SIM are electrically connected and a non-connected state in which they are not electrically connected; a card slot configured to accept a card-type SIM corresponding to a second telecommunications carrier, the card-type SIM being directly wired-connected to the wireless communication module when the card-type SIM is inserted; and a detection unit that detects a state in which the card-type SIM is inserted into the card slot, the control unit sets the switching circuit to a connected state when the detection unit has not detected a state in which the card-type SIM is inserted into the card slot, and sets the switching circuit to a non-connected state when the detection unit detects a state in which the card-type SIM is inserted into the card slot.

[0009] According to this configuration, when the first carrier terminates the provision of communication services, simply inserting a card-type SIM corresponding to a second carrier different from the first carrier into the card slot switches the switching circuit from a connected state to a disconnected state, cutting off the electrical connection between the chip-type SIM and the wireless communication module, and electrically connecting the card-type SIM to the wireless communication module. This makes it easy to respond even if the carrier is changed.

[0010] The wireless communication module may be configured in advance to have APN (Access Point Name) information of a first telecommunications carrier corresponding to the chip-type SIM, and the control unit may have a memory, and when the detection unit does not detect that the card-type SIM is inserted into the card slot, store in the memory APN information of a second telecommunications carrier corresponding to the card-type SIM received from the external server, and when the detection unit detects that the card-type SIM is inserted into the card slot, set in the wireless communication module the APN information of the second telecommunications carrier stored in the memory as new APN information.

[0011] According to this configuration, when the communication carrier is changed from the first communication carrier to the second communication carrier, the APN information of the second communication carrier corresponding to the card-type SIM is acquired in advance from an external server and stored in the memory, and when the card-type SIM is inserted into the card slot, the APN information set in the wireless communication module can be automatically changed to the APN information of the second communication carrier. Therefore, an operation unit for setting the APN information of the second communication carrier in the wireless communication module is not required.

[0012] In addition, a hot water system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the above-mentioned wireless communication device and a hot water equipment capable of communicating with a control unit of the wireless communication device, and the hot water equipment is configured to communicate with an external server via the control unit of the wireless communication device and a wireless communication module. Effect of the Invention

[0013] The present invention has the above-described configuration and has an effect of providing a wireless communication device that can easily accommodate a change in communication carrier, and a hot water system including the wireless communication device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an example of a hot water system according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Preferred embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings, however, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0016] (Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an example of a hot water system in this embodiment. The hot water system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a hot water appliance 2 having a control unit 2a consisting of a microcontroller or the like, and a wireless communication device 3. The hot water appliance 2 is, for example, a combustion heating type water heater having a combustion unit that heats hot water by burning fuel gas. The control unit 2a of the hot water appliance 2 is capable of wired communication with the microcontroller 4 of the wireless communication device 3, and transmits appliance information of the hot water appliance 2 to an external server 23 via the wireless communication device 3. The external server 23 is a server for managing the hot water system 1. Here, the appliance information of the hot water appliance 2 includes appliance configuration information that is first transmitted from the control unit 2a of the hot water appliance 2 to the wireless communication device 3 after power is turned on, operation history information indicating the operation history of the hot water appliance 2 that is periodically (for example, at one-hour intervals) transmitted from the control unit 2a of the hot water appliance 2 to the wireless communication device 3, error information, and the like. The equipment configuration information is information indicating the type of the hot water equipment 2 and the like, and the operation history information is information including the hot water supply temperature setting of the hot water equipment 2, the number of combustion operations, the combustion operation time and the like.

[0017] The wireless communication device 3 performs wireless communication under a contract with a telecommunications carrier made by the manager of the hot water system 1. The device information of the hot water appliance 2 received from the hot water appliance 2 is transmitted from the wireless communication device 3 to a wireless base station 21 by wireless communication, and is further transmitted from the wireless base station 21 to a predetermined external server 23 via the Internet 22, and is stored in the external server 23.

[0018] The wireless communication device 3 includes a control unit 6 having a microcontroller 4 and a nonvolatile memory 5, a wireless communication module 7 for communicating with an external server 23, an antenna 8, a chip-type SIM 9, a switching circuit 10, a card slot 11, and a detection unit 12. The microcontroller 4, the nonvolatile memory 5, the wireless communication module 7, the chip-type SIM 9, and the switching circuit 10 are provided on the same board (printed board). The microcontroller 4 and the wireless communication module 7 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via wires.

[0019] The wireless communication module 7 is compatible with cellular LPWA and performs wireless communication with a wireless base station 21 using LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) to communicate with an external server 23 via the wireless base station 21 and the Internet 22.

[0020] The chip-type SIM 9 stores subscriber identification information for identifying a subscriber of a communication service provided by the first communication carrier. The chip-type SIM 9 is mounted on a substrate and is connected to the wireless communication module 7 via a switching circuit 10. The switching circuit 10 is composed of a plurality of (e.g., four) semiconductor switches provided in the middle of each of a plurality of (e.g., four) wires connecting the wireless communication module 7 and the chip-type SIM 9. That is, the switching circuit 10 is inserted between the wireless communication module 7 and the chip-type SIM 9, and is switched by the microcontroller 4 between a connected state (a state in which the plurality of semiconductor switches are turned on) in which the wireless communication module 7 and the chip-type SIM 9 are electrically connected to each other, and a non-connected state (a state in which the plurality of semiconductor switches are turned off) in which they are not electrically connected to each other.

[0021] When the card-type SIM 13 is not inserted in the card slot 11, the switching circuit 10 is controlled to a connected state by the microcontroller 4, and the chip-type SIM 9 is electrically connected to the wireless communication module 7. The card-type SIM 13 stores subscriber identification information for identifying a subscriber of a communication service provided by a second communication carrier different from the first communication carrier.

[0022] The detection unit 12 detects that the card-type SIM 13 is inserted in the card slot 11, and outputs a detection signal to the microcontroller 4 while the card-type SIM 13 is inserted. The microcontroller 4 controls the switching circuit 10 to a non-connected state while the detection signal is being input from the detection unit 12 (including the case where the detection signal is input from the detection unit 12 when the wireless communication device 3 is started (when the power is turned on)), and cuts off the electrical connection between the chip-type SIM 9 and the wireless communication module 7. The card slot 11 is directly wired to the wireless communication module 7, and when the card-type SIM 13 is inserted into the card slot 11, the card-type SIM 13 is electrically connected to the wireless communication module 7.

[0023] The detection unit 12 can be configured, for example, by arranging a switch that can appear and disappear in the SIM insertion area of ​​the card slot 11. In this case, for example, a contact of the switch and a resistor are arranged between a high potential terminal and a low potential (GND) terminal, and the potential between the contact of the switch and the resistor is output to the microcontroller 4. When the card-type SIM 13 is not inserted in the card slot 11, the head of the switch protrudes into the SIM insertion area of ​​the card slot 11, the contact of the switch is in an open state, and the output is at a low potential (i.e., the detection signal is not output). On the other hand, when the card-type SIM 13 is inserted into the card slot 11, the head of the switch is retracted by the pressure of the card-type SIM 13, the contact of the switch is in a closed state, and the output is at a high potential (i.e., the detection signal is output). Note that the logic of the detection signal may be configured in reverse between high potential and low potential.

[0024] When the hot water system 1 is first installed, the administrator of the hot water system 1 has a contract with the first telecommunications carrier, and as described above, the chip-type SIM 9 stores subscriber identification information for the first telecommunications carrier, and the wireless communication module 7 is set with APN (Access Point Name) information, which is connection destination information for the first telecommunications carrier corresponding to the chip-type SIM 9. This allows the wireless communication device 3 to transmit the device information of the hot water equipment 2 received from the control unit 2a of the hot water equipment 2 to the external server 23 via the wireless communication module 7 using the communication service of the first telecommunications carrier.

[0025] When the administrator of the hot water system 1 is notified by the first telecommunications carrier that the provision of the communication service will be terminated, the administrator enters into a contract with a second telecommunications carrier different from the first telecommunications carrier and stores APN information, which is the connection destination information of the second telecommunications carrier, in the external server 23.

[0026] Furthermore, the microcontroller 4 of the wireless communication device 3 controls the wireless communication module 7 to periodically inquire of the external server 23 whether or not APN information of the second telecommunications carrier is available. In response to the inquiry, if the external server 23 stores the APN information of the second telecommunications carrier, the external server 23 transmits the APN information of the second telecommunications carrier to the wireless communication module 7. Upon receiving the APN information of the second telecommunications carrier, the wireless communication module 7 transmits the APN information to the microcontroller 4. The microcontroller 4 stores the received APN information of the second telecommunications carrier in the non-volatile memory 5.

[0027] Then, the serviceman of the hot water system 1 sets (inserts) the card-type SIM 13, in which the subscriber identification information of the second telecommunications carrier is stored, into the card slot 11 before the first telecommunications carrier ends the provision of the communication service. When the card-type SIM 13 is inserted into the card slot 11 in this manner, as described above, the connection between the chip-type SIM 9 and the wireless communication module 7 is cut off, and the card-type SIM 13 is connected to the wireless communication module 7. Furthermore, when a detection signal is input from the detector 12, the microcontroller 4 sets the APN information of the second telecommunications carrier, which is pre-stored in the non-volatile memory 5, into the wireless communication module 7 as new APN information. This allows the wireless communication device 3 to transmit the device information of the hot water equipment 2 received from the controller 2a of the hot water equipment 2 to the external server 23 via the wireless communication module 7 by using the communication service of the second telecommunications carrier.

[0028] In this embodiment, when the first carrier terminates the provision of communication services, simply inserting a card-type SIM 13 corresponding to a second carrier different from the first carrier into the card slot 11 switches the switching circuit 10 from a connected state to a disconnected state, cutting off the electrical connection between the chip-type SIM 9 and the wireless communication module 7, and electrically connecting the card-type SIM 13 to the wireless communication module 7. This makes it easy to respond even if the carrier is changed.

[0029] Furthermore, when the communication carrier is changed from a first communication carrier to a second communication carrier, the APN information of the second communication carrier corresponding to the card-type SIM 13 is acquired in advance from the external server 23 and stored in the non-volatile memory 5, and when the card-type SIM 13 is inserted into the card slot 11, the APN information set in the wireless communication module 7 can be automatically changed to the APN information of the second communication carrier. Therefore, an operation unit for setting the APN information of the second communication carrier in the wireless communication module 7 is not required.

[0030] In this embodiment, a water heater is given as an example of the hot water equipment 2, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to, for example, a hot water heat source machine having a function other than hot water supply. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied not only to residential hot water systems but also to commercial hot water systems equipped with commercial hot water equipment.

[0031] From the above description, many improvements and other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description should be construed as merely illustrative and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode for carrying out the present invention. Details of the structure and / or function thereof may be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0032] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful as a wireless communication device that can easily adapt to a change in communication carrier, and as a hot water system and the like including the same. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 hot water system, 2 hot water equipment, 3 wireless communication device, 5 non-volatile memory, 6 control unit, 7 wireless communication module, 9 chip-type SIM, 10 switching circuit, 11 card slot, 12 detection unit, 13 card-type SIM

Claims

1. A wireless communication device including a control unit and a wireless communication module configured to be able to communicate with the control unit and to perform wireless communication with an external server, the wireless communication device including: a chip-type SIM corresponding to a first carrier, the chip-type SIM being mounted on the substrate and connected to the wireless communication module via a switching circuit; the switching circuit being capable of switching between a connected state in which the wireless communication module and the chip-type SIM are electrically connected and a non-connected state in which they are not electrically connected; a card slot configured to be able to insert a card-type SIM corresponding to a second telecommunications carrier, the card-type SIM being directly connected to the wireless communication module when the card-type SIM is inserted; a detection unit that detects a state in which the card-type SIM is inserted into the card slot, the control unit sets the switching circuit to a connected state when the detection unit does not detect a state in which the card-type SIM is inserted in the card slot, and sets the switching circuit to a non-connected state when the detection unit detects a state in which the card-type SIM is inserted in the card slot. Wireless communication device.

2. APN information of a first communication carrier corresponding to a chip-type SIM is set in advance in the wireless communication module, the control unit has a memory, and stores APN information of a second communication carrier corresponding to the card-type SIM received from the external server in the memory when the detection unit has not detected a state in which the card-type SIM is inserted in the card slot, and when the detection unit detects a state in which the card-type SIM is inserted in the card slot, sets the APN information of the second communication carrier stored in the memory as new APN information in the wireless communication module. The wireless communication device of claim 1 .

3. A wireless communication device according to claim 1 or 2; a water heater capable of communicating with a control unit of the wireless communication device; The hot water appliance is configured to communicate with an external server via a control unit of the wireless communication device and a wireless communication module. Hot water system.

Images