Sensor device, sensor system, and method

Abstract

To provide a sensor device, a sensor system, and a method that flexibly adapts to changes in an optimal wireless communication method for transmitting measurement data to a server at a low cost while reducing power consumption.SOLUTION: A sensor device 60 includes a sensor 105, a storage device 110, a communication device 120, and a control device 130. The storage device 110 stores raw data 111, including a measurement value MV output from the sensor 105. The control device 130 executes power control of a terminal device 50. The terminal device 50 is configured to execute a wireless transmission processing to wirelessly transmit processed data 114 to a server 90 in response to receiving the raw data 111 from the communication device 120. The power control includes a first control for starting the terminal device 50 so that the power state of the terminal device 50 switches from an idle state to an active status, and a second control for stopping the terminal device 50 so that the power status switches from the active status to the idle state after executing the wireless transmission processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sensor device, a sensor system, and a method.

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-83686 (Patent Document 1) discloses a computer for determining the presence or absence of an abnormality in equipment. The load current of the equipment is detected (measured) by a current detector. The measured value of the load current is transmitted to the computer. The computer determines the presence or absence of an abnormality in the equipment according to the detected value of the load current.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There are cases where a physical quantity of an object is measured by a sensor, measurement data including the measured value of the physical quantity is transmitted to a server by wireless communication, and the server monitors the state of the object according to the measurement data for abnormality determination of the object. In this case, it is preferable to reduce the power consumption required for data transmission to the server. In addition, the optimal wireless communication method when transmitting measurement data to the server can vary depending on the use case. Therefore, it is also important to respond flexibly and at low cost to such changes in the wireless communication method.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a sensor device, a sensor system, and a method that can flexibly cope with changes in the optimal wireless communication method at low cost while reducing power consumption when transmitting measurement data to a server.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A sensor device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a sensor, a storage device, an interface, a communication device, and a control device. The sensor outputs a measurement value of a physical quantity by measuring the physical quantity of an object. The storage device stores first measurement data including the measurement value. The interface is configured to be attachable to a terminal device that wirelessly communicates with a server. The communication device is configured to transmit the first measurement data to the terminal device through the interface when the terminal device is attached to the interface. The control device executes power control of the terminal device through the interface. The terminal device is configured to execute a wireless transmission process for wirelessly transmitting second measurement data related to the first measurement data to the server in response to reception of the first measurement data from the communication device. The power state of the terminal device includes an operating state in which the terminal device is operating and a stopped state in which the terminal device is stopped. The power control includes first control for starting the terminal device so that the power state switches from the stopped state to the operating state, and second control for stopping the terminal device so that the power state switches from the operating state to the stopped state after execution of the wireless transmission process.

[0007] A sensor system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a sensor, a storage device, a terminal device, an interface, a communication device, and a control device. The sensor outputs a measurement value of a physical quantity by measuring the physical quantity of an object. The storage device stores first measurement data including the measurement value. The terminal device performs wireless communication with a server. The interface is configured to be attachable to the terminal device. The communication device is configured to transmit the first measurement data to the terminal device through the interface when the terminal device is attached to the interface. The control device executes power control of the terminal device through the interface. The terminal device is configured to execute a wireless transmission process for wirelessly transmitting second measurement data related to the first measurement data to the server in response to reception of the first measurement data from the communication device. The power state of the terminal device includes an operating state in which the terminal device is operating and a stopped state in which the terminal device is stopped. The power control includes first control for starting the terminal device so that the power state switches from the stopped state to the operating state, and second control for stopping the terminal device so that the power state switches from the operating state to the stopped state after execution of the wireless transmission process.

[0008] A method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: obtaining a measurement value of a physical quantity output from a sensor that measures the physical quantity of an object; reading, from a storage device that stores first measurement data including the measurement value, the first measurement data when a terminal device capable of wireless communication with a server is attached to an interface; transmitting the read first measurement data to the terminal device through the interface; and executing power control of the terminal device through the interface. The terminal device is configured to execute a wireless transmission process for wirelessly transmitting second measurement data related to the first measurement data to the server in response to reception of the first measurement data. The power state of the terminal device includes an operating state in which the terminal device is operating and a stopped state in which the terminal device is stopped. The power control includes first control for starting the terminal device so that the power state switches from the stopped state to the operating state, and second control for stopping the terminal device so that the power state switches from the operating state to the stopped state after execution of the wireless transmission process.

Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to cope with changes in the optimal wireless communication method at low cost and flexibly while reducing power consumption.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0012] (1) A sensor device 60 according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a sensor 105, a storage device 110, an interface 115, a communication device 120, and a control device 130. The sensor 105 outputs a measured value MV of a physical quantity by measuring the physical quantity of the facility 10. The storage device 110 stores raw data 111 including the measured value MV. The interface 115 is configured to be attachable to a terminal device 50 that wirelessly communicates with the server 90. The communication device 120 is configured to transmit the raw data 111 to the terminal device 50 through the interface 115 when the terminal device 50 is attached to the interface 115. The control device 130 executes power control of the terminal device 50 through the interface 115. The terminal device 50 is configured to execute a wireless transmission process for wirelessly transmitting the processed data 114 related to the raw data 111 to the server 90 in response to the reception of the raw data 111 from the communication device 120. The power state of the terminal device 50 includes an operating state in which the terminal device 50 is operating and a stopped state in which the terminal device 50 is stopped. The power control includes a first control for starting the terminal device 50 so that the power state switches from the stopped state to the operating state, and a second control for stopping the terminal device 50 so that the power state switches from the operating state to the stopped state after the execution of the wireless transmission process.

[0013] The processed data 114 is used by the server 90 to monitor the state of the facility 10. If the time (operating time) from the start to the stop of the terminal device 50 is unnecessarily long, the power consumption of the terminal device 50 may increase excessively. By adopting the configuration of (1) above, the terminal device 50 is stopped after starting and transmitting the processed data 114 to the server 90. As a result, the operating time of the terminal device 50 can be minimized. Consequently, the power consumption of the terminal device 50 can be reduced. In addition, the user can select a terminal device 50 having an optimal wireless communication method for the use case and connect it to the interface 115. Thereby, it is possible to flexibly respond to changes in the optimal wireless communication method at low cost.

[0014] (2) In the above (1), the sensor device 60 (60A) further includes a power supply device 116 configured to supply power to the terminal device 50 (50A) through the interface 115. The stop state includes a shutdown state in which the terminal device 50 is shut down. The first control includes power supply start control for starting the supply of power. The second control includes power supply stop control for stopping the supply of power.

[0015] With the configuration of the above (2), the power supply start control and the power supply stop control control the power state (operating state / shutdown state) of the terminal device 50. Then, the power supply stop control is executed after the wireless transmission process, whereby the terminal device 50 is shut down. As a result, in addition to minimizing the operating time of the terminal device 50, it is possible to more effectively save the power consumption of the terminal device 50 after the wireless transmission process.

[0016] (3) In the above (2), the communication device 120 is configured to receive, from the terminal device 50 through the interface 115, a shutdown notification SDN indicating that the terminal device 50 is shut down after the execution of the wireless transmission process. The power supply stop control is executed when the first time has elapsed since the reception of the shutdown notification SDN by the communication device 120. The first time is determined in advance according to the specifications of the terminal device 50 as the time required from the reception of the shutdown notification SDN to the shutdown of the terminal device 50.

[0017] Even after the terminal device 50 has sent a shutdown notification SDN to the sensor device 60, it may not be shut down immediately and may continue to operate for a certain period of time. If power supply stop control is executed while the operation of the terminal device 50 continues in this way, the terminal device 50 may be shut down (forced termination) unintentionally. As a result, the data stored in the memory 52 of the terminal device 50 may be damaged. Such a situation is not preferable. By adopting the configuration of (3) above, the power supply to the terminal device 50 is stopped when the first hour has elapsed since the shutdown notification SDN. Thereby, the power supply to the terminal device 50 is surely continued until the actual shutdown of the terminal device 50. As a result, it is possible to reduce power consumption while avoiding the situation where the data of the terminal device 50 is damaged as described above.

[0018] (4) In (1) above, the stopped state includes a sleep state in which the terminal device 50 is sleeping so that the power consumption of the terminal device 50 is smaller than in the operating state. The first control includes controlling the communication device 120 to send a startup command S1 for instructing the terminal device 50 to switch the power state from the sleep state to the operating state. The second control includes controlling the communication device 120 to send a sleep command S2 for instructing the terminal device 50 to switch the power state from the operating state to the sleep state.

[0019] By adopting the configuration of (4) above, after the wireless communication process, the power state of the terminal device 50 is switched from the operating state to the sleep state. The power consumption in the sleep state is relatively small. Thereby, the situation where the operating state with relatively high power consumption continues unnecessarily is avoided. As a result, the length of the operating time of the terminal device 50 can be minimized. Therefore, the power consumption of the terminal device 50 can be reduced.

[0020] (5) In any of (1) to (4) above, the second control is executed after the communication device 120 has received a transmission completion notification TCN indicating the completion of the wireless transmission process from the terminal device 50.

[0021] Before the completion of the wireless transmission process (during this process), if the terminal device 50 is stopped, the processed data 114 will not be sufficiently transmitted from the terminal device 50 to the server 90. In this case, the server 90 cannot appropriately monitor the state of the facility 10 according to the processed data 114. By adopting the configuration of (5) above, the control device 130 can stop the terminal device 50 while confirming the completion of the wireless transmission process. As a result, the situation where the processed data 114 is not sufficiently transmitted from the terminal device 50 to the server 90 as described above is avoided. Consequently, the server 90 can appropriately monitor the state of the facility 10.

[0022] (6) In (1) above, the second control is executed after the elapse of the second time from the start of the first control. The second time is predetermined according to the specifications of the terminal device 50 as the time required from the start of the first control to the completion of the wireless transmission process.

[0023] The time required from the start of the first control to the completion of the wireless communication process is appropriately predetermined according to the specifications of the terminal device 50. By adopting the configuration of (6) above, with a simple configuration, the same effect as (5) above can be achieved.

[0024] (7) A sensor system 40 (40A) according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a sensor 105, a storage device 110, a terminal device 50 (50A), an interface 115, a communication device 120, and a control device 130. The sensor 105 outputs a measured value MV of a physical quantity by measuring the physical quantity of the facility 10. The storage device 110 stores raw data 111 including the measured value MV. The terminal device 50 wirelessly communicates with the server 90. The interface 115 is configured to be attachable to the terminal device 50. The communication device 120 is configured to transmit the raw data 111 to the terminal device 50 through the interface 115 when the terminal device 50 is attached to the interface 115. The control device 130 executes power control of the terminal device 50 through the interface 115. The terminal device 50 is configured to execute a wireless transmission process for wirelessly transmitting processed data 114 related to the raw data 111 to the server 90 in response to the reception of the raw data 111 from the communication device 120. The power state of the terminal device 50 includes an operating state in which the terminal device 50 is operating and a stopped state in which the terminal device 50 is stopped. The power control includes a first control for starting the terminal device 50 so that the power state switches from the stopped state to the operating state, and a second control for stopping the terminal device 50 so that the power state switches from the operating state to the stopped state after the execution of the wireless transmission process.

[0025] By adopting the configuration in (7) above, the same effects as those in (1) above can be achieved.

[0026] (8) In the above (7), the sensor 105 outputs a plurality of measured values MV in time series. The raw data 111 includes a plurality of measured values MV. The terminal device 50 extracts at least one measured value MV that satisfies a predetermined condition from among the plurality of measured values MV included in the raw data 111. The wireless transmission process includes a process of wirelessly transmitting processed data 114 including only the at least one measured value MV among the plurality of measured values MV to the server 90.

[0027] Generally, the upper limit (upper limit rate) of the data transmission rate of wireless communication is lower than that of wired communication and may be restricted. As a result, it may be difficult to directly transmit all the measured values MV output from the sensor 105 to the server 90 from the perspective of the upper limit rate restriction of wireless communication. By adopting the configuration of (8) above, the data communication rate of the wireless transmission process becomes smaller than the output rate of the measured value MV from the sensor 105. Therefore, even when it is not possible to directly transmit all of the plurality of measured values MV output from the sensor 105 to the server 90, the amount of processed data 114 transmitted in the wireless transmission process is reduced. Thereby, while setting the transmission rate of the processed data 114 from the terminal device 50 to the server 90 to be less than the upper limit rate, it is possible to surely transmit at least one of the above-mentioned measured values MV, which is important information, to the server 90. As a result, the server 90 can appropriately monitor the state of the facility 10 according to the processed data 114. The predetermined condition is, for example, that the absolute value of the measured value MV is lower than a predetermined abnormal value.

[0028] (9) In (7) or (8) above, the sensor 105 outputs N (N≧2) measured values MV in time series. Each of the N measured values MV is output at a predetermined time interval. The raw data 111 includes N measured values MV and N counter values respectively associated with the N measured values MV. The terminal device 50 executes a first generation process for generating the processed data 114 by processing the raw data 111 from the communication device 120. The first generation process includes a process of estimating the Nth time at which the Nth measured value MV among the N measured values MV is output as the time when the raw data 111 is received from the communication device 120, and a process of estimating the first to (N - 1)th times at which the first to (N - 1)th measured values MV among the N measured values MV are respectively output according to the Nth time and the time interval, and a process of generating the processed data 114 including the first to Nth measured values MV and the first to Nth times by converting the first to Nth counter values included in the N counter values into the first to Nth times respectively.

[0029] With the configuration of (9) above, when the sensor 105 periodically outputs the measured value MV, the processed data 114 is appropriately generated by the terminal device 50 by associating the first to Nth measured values MV with the first to Nth times respectively. Thereby, the server 90 can appropriately monitor the temporal change in the state of the facility 10 according to the processed data 114.

[0030] (10) In (7) or (8) above, the sensor 105 outputs M (M≥1) measured values MV at M of the N (N≥2) times. The kth (1≤k≤N - 1) time among the N times is separated from the (k + 1)th time by a predetermined time interval. The raw data 112 includes M measured values MV and N counter values. The N counter values include M counter values respectively associated with the M measured values MV. The time interval is related to the difference between the jth (1≤j≤N - 1) counter value and the (j + 1)th counter value among the N counter values. The terminal device 50 executes a second generation process for generating the processed data 117 according to the raw data 112 from the communication device 120. The second generation process includes a process of estimating the Mth time at which the Mth measured value MV among the M measured values MV is output as the time when the raw data 112 is received from the communication device 120, a process of estimating the first to (M - 1)th times at which the first to (M - 1)th measured values MV among the M measured values MV are respectively output according to the Mth time, the time interval, and the M counter values, and a process of generating the processed data 117 including the first to Mth measured values MV and the first to Mth times by converting the first to Mth counter values included in the M counter values into the first to Mth times respectively.

[0031] With the configuration of (10) above, when the sensor 105 outputs the measured value MV irregularly (by event - driven), the processed data 117 is appropriately generated by the terminal device 50 by associating the first to Mth measured values MV with the first to Mth times respectively. Thereby, the server 90 can appropriately monitor the temporal change in the state of the facility 10 according to the processed data 117.

[0032] (11) A method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes steps of obtaining a measured value MV of a physical quantity output from a sensor 105 that measures a physical quantity of a facility 10 (S102, S302); reading raw data 111 including the measured value MV from a storage device 110 that stores the raw data 111 when a terminal device 50 is attached to an interface 115 to which the terminal device 50 (50A) capable of wireless communication with a server 90 can be attached (S124, S324); transmitting the read raw data 111 to the terminal device 50 through the interface 115 (S125, S325); and performing power control of the terminal device 50 through the interface 115 (S105, S165, S305, S365). The terminal device 50 is configured to execute a wireless transmission process for wirelessly transmitting processed data 114 related to the raw data 111 to the server 90 in response to reception of the raw data 111. The power state of the terminal device 50 includes an operating state in which the terminal device 50 is operating and a stopped state in which the terminal device 50 is stopped. The power control includes a first control for starting the terminal device 50 so that the power state switches from the stopped state to the operating state, and a second control for stopping the terminal device 50 so that the power state switches from the operating state to the stopped state after execution of the wireless transmission process.

[0033] By adopting the configuration in (11) above, the same effects as in the case of (1) above can be achieved.

[0034] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions will not be repeated. Each of the embodiments and their modifications may be combined with each other as appropriate.

[0035] <Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the state monitoring system according to Embodiment 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the state monitoring system 1 includes a facility 10, a power line 20, a distribution board 30, a circuit breaker 35, a sensor system 40, an access point 80, a network 85, and a server 90.

[0036] The facility 10 is an example of an object whose state is monitored by a server 90 (described later), and includes, for example, a motor 11. The motor 11 is an AC motor that operates by receiving three-phase AC power supplied from the distribution board 30 through the power line 20. The power line 20 includes conductors 25U, 25V, and 25W. The first ends of the conductors 25U, 25V, and 25W are connected to the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase of the motor 11, respectively. The second ends of these conductors are connected to the circuit breaker 35. The U-phase current, V-phase current, and W-phase current of the motor 11 flow through the conductors 25U, 25V, and 25W, respectively.

[0037] The sensor system 40 is provided on the conductor 25U and measures the physical quantity of the facility 10. The sensor system 40 generates measurement data including the measured value of the physical quantity of the facility 10 as a packet and wirelessly transmits it to the access point 80. The physical quantity may be, for example, either the U-phase current (first physical quantity) or the U-phase voltage (second physical quantity) of the motor 11.

[0038] The access point 80 functions as a relay device that relays wireless data communication. The access point 80 receives the measurement data from the sensor system 40 and transmits it to the server 90 through the network 85. The server 90 monitors the state of the facility 10 according to this measurement data, and thereby determines the presence or absence of an abnormality in the facility 10.

[0039] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the detailed configuration of the sensor system 40. Referring to FIG. 2, the sensor system 40 includes a terminal device 50, a connector 56, a cable 58, and a sensor device (sensor module) 60.

[0040] The terminal device 50 is provided outside the sensor device 60 (described later), and includes a processor 51, a memory 52, a communication device 53, a battery 54, and a timer 55.

[0041] The processor 51 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and executes various arithmetic processes. The memory 52 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM stores programs executed by the processor 51 and various data. The programs include a program for the OS (Operating System) installed in the terminal device 50 and programs for various application software operating on the OS.

[0042] When the terminal device 50 is attached to the interface 115 (described later) through the connector 56 and the cable 58, the communication device 53 transmits and receives various signals to and from the sensor device 60 by wired communication. The terminal device 50 is also removable from the interface 115 (connector 56 and cable 58). The communication device 53 is also configured to communicate wirelessly with the server 90 through the access point 80.

[0043] The battery 54 stores the operating power of the terminal device 50. The terminal device 50 may further include an environmental power generation device such as a solar panel. In this case, the battery 54 is charged using the power generated by the power generation device. The timer 55 measures the current time. The terminal device 50 may further include a port (not shown) to which peripheral devices can be attached. In this example, the peripheral device is a WEB camera.

[0044] Each of the connector 56 and the cable 58 conforms to, for example, the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard, and can transmit various signals and power.

[0045] The power states of the terminal device 50 include an operating state and a stopped state. In the operating state, the terminal device 50 is operating. Specifically, in this state, the OS and various application software are operating, and the power of the battery 54 is consumed. In the stopped state, the terminal device 50 is stopped.

[0046] The stopped state includes a sleep state and a shutdown state. In the sleep state, the terminal device 50 is sleeping so that the power consumption of the battery 54 is less than that in the operating state. In the sleep state, many application software are not operating, but the OS is operating so that the sleep state is released in response to the reception of a request signal for releasing the sleep state. In the shutdown state, the terminal device 50 is shut down and the OS is completely stopped. In the shutdown state, the power consumption of the terminal device 50 is zero and is less than the power consumption in the sleep state.

[0047] The sensor device 60 includes a sensor 105, a storage device 110, an interface 115, a communication device 120, a timer 125, and a control device 130.

[0048] The sensor 105 measures the physical quantity of the facility 10 and outputs a measured value MV of this physical quantity. The sensor 105 outputs a plurality of (for example, N) measured values MV in time series. Each measured value MV is output periodically (at a predetermined time interval). In this example, the time interval is 1 minute.

[0049] The storage device 110 stores raw data 111 and specification information 113. The raw data 111 is measurement data indicating the measurement results of the sensor device 60 and includes the measured value MV. The raw data 111 corresponds to an example of the "first measurement data" of the present disclosure. The specification information 113 represents the specifications of the terminal device 50. The specifications include the model number of the terminal device 50, the processing speed of the processor 51, and the wireless communication method and communication protocol of the communication device 53.

[0050] The wireless communication method is, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) (registered trademark), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). The communication protocol is, for example, UDP (User Datagram Protocol) or TCP (Transmission Control Protocol). The communication protocol may further include other protocols such as DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) or MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport). The specification information 113 may further include information indicating whether the WEB camera is attached to the terminal device 50.

[0051] The interface 115 is configured to be attachable to the terminal device 50 through the connector 56 and the cable 58. The interface 115 conforms to, for example, the USB standard.

[0052] The communication device 120 is connected to the interface 115. When the terminal device 50 is attached to the interface 115, the communication device 120 is configured to transmit the raw data 111 to the terminal device 50 through the interface 115.

[0053] In response to receiving the raw data 111 from the communication device 120, the terminal device 50 generates processed data 114 by processing the raw data 111. The processed data 114 is related to the raw data 111 and includes a measurement value MV similar to the raw data 111. The processed data 114 corresponds to an example of the "second measurement data" of the present disclosure. The terminal device 50 executes a wireless transmission process for wirelessly transmitting the processed data 114 to the server 90 through the access point 80. The processed data 114 is used by the server 90 to monitor the state of the facility 10.

[0054] The communication device 120 is also configured to transmit a startup command S1 or a sleep command S2 to the terminal device 50. The startup command S1 is a signal for instructing the terminal device 50 to switch the power state of the terminal device 50 from the sleep state to the operating state. In other words, the startup command S1 corresponds to a request signal for releasing the sleep state. The sleep command S2 is a signal for instructing the terminal device 50 to switch the power state of the terminal device 50 from the operating state to the sleep state. The communication device 120 is also configured to receive signals such as a request RQ or a transmission completion notification TCN from the terminal device 50. These signals will be described in detail later.

[0055] The timer 125 measures time and generates a pulse signal PS. The pulse signal PS is a continuous pulse signal whose level switches between logic low and logic high.

[0056] The control device 130 includes a processor 131 and a memory 132. The processor 131 is, for example, a CPU and executes various arithmetic processes. The memory 132 includes a ROM and a RAM. The ROM stores programs executed by the processor 131 and various data.

[0057] The control device 130 controls the sensor 105 and the communication device 120. The control device 130 is configured to operate in synchronization with the pulse signal PS. The control device 130 starts the operation of the sensor 105 in response to the rising edge of the pulse signal PS and stops the operation of the sensor 105 in response to the falling edge of the pulse signal PS. The control device 130 repeats the start and stop of the operation of the sensor 105 according to the pulse signal PS. As a result, the sensor 105 outputs a plurality of measurement values MV in time series. The control device 130 acquires a plurality of measurement values MV output in time series from the sensor 105 and includes the acquired plurality of measurement values MV in the raw data 111. Thereby, each measurement value MV is accumulated in the raw data 111 in time series. As a result, the raw data 111 is sequentially updated. The control device 130 determines the current time according to the pulse signal PS from the timer 125.

[0058] The control device 130 executes power control of the terminal device 50 through the interface 115. This power control includes startup control and stop control. The startup control is control for starting up the terminal device 50 so that the power state of the terminal device 50 switches from the stopped state to the operating state. The stop control is control for stopping the terminal device 50 so that the power state of the terminal device 50 switches from the operating state to the stopped state. Specific examples of the startup control and the stop control will be described in detail later.

[0059] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of the raw data 111 in the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 3, the raw data 111 includes counter information 111a and measurement value information 111b, 111c.

[0060] The counter information 111a includes N (N≥2) counter values. In this example, N = 60. The counter values are counted by the control device 130, for example, according to the number of rising edges of the pulse signal PS. The counter values correspond to the number of a plurality of measurement values MV output from the sensor 105. In this example, it is assumed that the counter value has reached N.

[0061] The measurement value information 111b includes N measurement values MV (mv(1)a,..., mv(N)a) of the first physical quantity of the facility 10. In this example, the first physical quantity is the U-phase current of the motor 11. The measurement value information 111c includes N measurement values MV (mv(1)b,..., mv(N)b) of the second physical quantity of the facility 10. In this example, the second physical quantity is the U-phase voltage of the motor 11. The N counter values are respectively associated with the N measurement values MV of the measurement value information 111b or the measurement value information 111c. The N measurement values MV are output at every time interval (1 minute in this example) described above.

[0062] The control device 130 acquires the measured value MV of the first physical quantity or the second physical quantity from the sensor 105. The control device 130 determines the counter value associated with the acquired measured value MV according to the pulse signal PS. The control device 130 includes the acquired measured value MV and the associated counter value in the raw data 111. When the counter value reaches the threshold value (in this example, N), the control device 130 resets the counter value to the initial value (in this example, 1) and stops the sensor 105. Thereby, the operating power of the subsequent sensor 105 can be saved. After the sensor 105 stops, the control device 130 executes startup control. Thereafter, the control device 130 controls the communication device 120 to transmit the raw data 111 to the terminal device 50 through the interface 115.

[0063] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of the processed data 114 in the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 4, the terminal device 50 executes a first generation process for generating the processed data 114 by processing the raw data 111 from the communication device 120.

[0064] The processed data 114 is different from the raw data 111 in that it includes time information 114a instead of counter information 111a. The time information 114a includes information representing N times. Each of the N times corresponds to the time when the N measured values MV of the measured value information 111b or the measured value information 111c are output. The k-th (1 ≦ k ≦ N - 1) time among the N times is separated from the (k + 1)-th time by the aforementioned time interval (1 minute). This time interval is related to the difference between the j-th (1 ≦ j ≦ N - 1) counter value and the (j + 1)-th counter value among the N counter values, and in this example, it is an integer multiple of this difference.

[0065] Hereinafter, the procedure of the first generation process will be described in detail. The first generation process includes the first estimation process, the second estimation process, and the first conversion process described below.

[0066] First, the terminal device 50 estimates the Nth time at which the Nth measurement value (e.g., mv(N)a) among the N measurement values MV of the measurement value information 111b or the measurement value information 111c is output as the time when the raw data 111 is received from the communication device 120 (first estimation process). This time is determined according to the measurement value of the timer 55, and in this example, it is assumed to be 11 o'clock.

[0067] Next, the terminal device 50 estimates the first to (N - 1)th times according to the Nth time (11 o'clock) and the aforementioned time interval (1 minute) (second estimation process). The first to (N - 1)th times are the times at which the first to (N - 1)th measurement values MV among the N measurement values MV are respectively output. In this example, the first to (N - 1)th measurement values MV are mv(1)a to mv(N - 1)a, respectively. Similarly, the first to (N - 1)th times are 10:01 to 10:59, respectively.

[0068] Next, the terminal device 50 generates the processed data 114 by converting the first to Nth counter values included in the N counter values of the counter information 111a into the first to Nth times respectively (first conversion process). In other words, the terminal device 50 generates the processed data 114 by converting the counter information 111a into the time information 114a.

[0069] According to the first generation process, when the sensor 105 outputs the measurement value MV periodically, the processed data 114 is appropriately generated by the terminal device 50 by associating the first to Nth measurement values MV with the first to Nth times respectively. Thereby, the terminal device 50 can appropriately transmit the processed data 114 to the server 90 by the wireless transmission process. Therefore, the server 90 can appropriately monitor the temporal change of the state of the facility 10 according to the processed data 114 from the terminal device 50.

[0070] The increase in power consumption of the terminal device 50 required for transmitting the processed data 114 to the server 90 causes an early decrease in the remaining amount of the battery 54. In addition, the optimal wireless communication method (optimal communication method) of the terminal device 50 when transmitting the processed data 114 to the server 90 can vary depending on the use case. If the terminal device 50 is compatible with all communication methods, the terminal device 50 can select the optimal communication method from among those communication methods and thereby execute the wireless transmission process. However, the terminal device 50 is not necessarily compatible with all communication methods. Preparing a terminal device 50 that is compatible with all communication methods incurs increased costs in order to cope with changes in the optimal communication method. Therefore, it is also important to flexibly cope with changes in the optimal communication method at low cost.

[0071] The sensor system 40 according to the present embodiment has a configuration for addressing the above problems. For example, after the control device 130 of the sensor device 60 executes activation control for activating the terminal device 50, it determines whether or not the above-described wireless transmission process has been executed (completed) by the terminal device 50. When the control device 130 determines that the wireless transmission process has been executed, it executes stop control for stopping the terminal device 50.

[0072] If the time from activation to stop (operating time) of the terminal device 50 is unnecessarily long, the power consumption of the battery 54 can increase excessively. According to the above power control, the terminal device 50 is activated and then stopped after transmitting the processed data 114 to the server 90. Thereby, the operating time of the terminal device 50 can be suppressed to the minimum necessary. As a result, the power consumption of the battery 54 can be effectively reduced.

[0073] In addition, the user can select a terminal device 50 having an optimal communication method for the use case and attach it to the interface 115 (appropriately replace the terminal device 50). In this case, the terminal device 50 only needs to have the communication method and does not necessarily need to be compatible with all communication methods. Therefore, it is possible to flexibly cope with changes in the optimal communication method at low cost. A terminal device 50 having a high processing speed may be selected by the user and attached to the interface 115. Thereby, the communication speed of the wireless transmission process can be increased.

[0074] As described above, according to the sensor system 40, it is possible to flexibly cope with changes in the optimal communication method at low cost while reducing power consumption.

[0075] In the present embodiment, the start control is to control the communication device 120 to transmit a start command S1 to the terminal device 50. The stop control is to control the communication device 120 to transmit a sleep command S2 to the terminal device 50.

[0076] According to the above start control and stop control, after the wireless communication process, the power state of the terminal device 50 is switched from the operating state to the sleep state. The power consumption of the battery 54 in the sleep state is smaller than that in the operating state. Thereby, a situation in which the operating state with relatively high power consumption continues unnecessarily is avoided. As a result, the length of the operating time of the terminal device 50 can be minimized. Therefore, the power consumption of the battery 54 can be effectively reduced.

[0077] The stop control is executed, for example, after the communication device 120 receives a transmission completion notification TCN (FIG. 1) from the terminal device 50. The transmission completion notification TCN indicates the completion of the wireless transmission process.

[0078] Before the completion of the wireless transmission process (during this process), if the terminal device 50 is stopped, the processed data 114 will not be sufficiently transmitted from the terminal device 50 to the server 90. In this case, the server 90 cannot appropriately monitor the state of the facility 10 according to the processed data 114. Therefore, it is not preferable to stop the terminal device 50 too early. When the communication device 120 receives the transmission completion notification TCN as described above, the control device 130 determines that the wireless transmission process has been executed (completed). As a result, the control device 130 can stop the terminal device 50 while confirming the completion of the wireless transmission process. Consequently, a situation where the processed data 114 is not sufficiently transmitted from the terminal device 50 to the server 90 is avoided. Therefore, the server 90 can appropriately monitor the state of the facility 10.

[0079] The stop control may be executed after the reference time has elapsed since the start of the startup control. This reference time is the time required from the start of the startup control to the completion of the wireless transmission process and varies depending on the specifications of the terminal device 50.

[0080] The reference time varies, for example, depending on the processing speed of the processor 51 of the terminal device 50. Specifically, the higher this processing speed, the shorter the reference time. The reference time also varies depending on the wireless communication method of the communication device 53. For example, when the wireless communication method is 5G, the reference time is shorter than when the communication protocol is 4G. The reference time also varies depending on the communication protocol of the communication device 53. For example, when the communication protocol is UDP, the reference time is shorter than when the communication protocol is TCP. The reference time also varies depending on whether a WEB camera is attached to the terminal device 50. When a WEB camera is not attached to the terminal device 50, the reference time is shorter than when a WEB camera is attached to the terminal device 50.

[0081] The reference time can be appropriately determined in advance according to the specifications of the terminal device 50. In this case, the information indicating the reference time is included in the specification information 113. When the reference time has elapsed since the start of the startup control, the control device 130 determines that the wireless transmission process has been executed. The control device 130 can stop the terminal device 50 while confirming the completion of the wireless transmission process according to the result of this determination.

[0082] The communication device 120 is configured to receive a request transmitted from the terminal device 50 after the start of the startup control. This request is a signal for requesting the communication device 120 to transmit the raw data 111 to the terminal device 50. In response to this request, the communication device 120 transmits the raw data 111 to the terminal device 50.

[0083] The delay in transmitting the raw data 111 to the terminal device 50 causes delays in the start and completion of the wireless transmission process. As a result, the stop control is delayed, so that the terminal device 50 may be stopped (put to sleep) unnecessarily late. In this case, since the operating time of the terminal device 50 is prolonged, the power consumption of the battery 54 may increase unnecessarily. Since the above request is transmitted after the startup of the terminal device 50 is completed, it also indicates that the startup of the terminal device 50 has already been completed. After the startup of the terminal device 50 is completed, the terminal device 50 can execute the wireless transmission process and transmits a request to the sensor device 60. When the communication device 120 receives a request from the terminal device 50 as described above, the raw data 111 is transmitted from the sensor device 60 to the terminal device 50 at an appropriate timing. Thereby, delays in the start and completion timings of the wireless transmission process are avoided. As a result, a delay in the stop control is avoided. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation where the power consumption of the battery 54 increases unnecessarily.

[0084] FIG. 5 is a timing diagram for exemplifying the processes executed in the sensor system 40. Referring to FIG. 5, before time t0, the power state of the terminal device 50 is in the sleep state, and each measured value MV is accumulated in time series in the raw data 111.

[0085] At time t0, the counter value of the counter information 111a of the raw data 111 reaches N. The control device 130 of the sensor device 60 controls the communication device 120 to transmit a startup command S1 to the terminal device 50. Thereby, the startup of the terminal device 50 is started.

[0086] At time t1, the power state is completely switched to the operating state, and the startup of the terminal device 50 is completed. The length L1 is the length of the period from time t0 to time t1 and corresponds to the length of the startup time of the terminal device 50. The startup time is the time required from the start of the startup process (transmission of the startup command S1) to the completion of the startup of the terminal device 50. The length L1 varies depending on the specifications of the terminal device 50 (for example, model number, processing speed, communication method, and communication protocol). The information indicating the length L1 is included in the specification information 113.

[0087] At time t2, the terminal device 50 transmits a request RQ to the sensor device 60. The request RQ is a signal for requesting the sensor device 60 to transmit the raw data 111 to the terminal device 50. When the communication device 120 receives the request RQ, the control device 130 reads the raw data 111 from the storage device 110. The control device 130 may read the raw data 111 after the length L1 has elapsed from time t0, regardless of the presence or absence of the request RQ. The control device 130 controls the communication device 120 to transmit the read raw data 111 to the terminal device 50 through the interface 115. The terminal device 50 receives the raw data 111 and then generates processed data 114 by the first generation process.

[0088] At time t3, the terminal device 50 starts the wireless transmission process. At time t4, the terminal device 50 completes the wireless transmission process and transmits a transmission completion notification TCN to the sensor device 60. Completing the wireless transmission process means, for example, finishing transmitting the raw data 111 to the access point 80. The length L2 is the length of the period from time t0 to time t4, and represents the length of the time (the aforementioned reference time) required from the activation of the terminal device 50 to the completion of the wireless transmission process. Similar to the length L1, the length L2 depends on the specifications of the terminal device 50. The information indicating the length L2 is determined in advance depending on the specifications of the terminal device 50 and is included in the specification information 113.

[0089] At time t5, the communication device 120 transmits a sleep command S2 to the terminal device 50. Thereafter, at time t6, the power state of the terminal device 50 switches from the operating state to the sleep state. The length L56 is the length of the period from time t5 to time t6, and represents the length of the time required for the power state to switch from the operating state to the sleep state. After time t6, the sleep state continues.

[0090] Thereafter, the sensor device 60 repeats a series of processes (including activation control and stop control) from time t0 to time t6 at a fixed period. This period is, for example, preset by the user. In one example, when the sensor system 40 is used for predictive maintenance of the facility 10, real-time performance of the raw data 111 (processed data 114) is not required. Therefore, this period may be set to be relatively long. In this case, since the operating time of the terminal device 50 is relatively short, power consumption of the battery 54 can be effectively reduced.

[0091] Figure 6 is a flowchart for exemplifying the processes executed in the sensor system 40. At the start of this flowchart, the terminal device 50 is attached to the interface 115 and is in the sleep state. Hereinafter, steps are abbreviated as "S". The following S102 to S165 are executed when the control device 130 (processor 131) of the sensor device 60 executes a program stored in the ROM of the memory 132. In the following description, refer to Figure 5 as appropriate.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 6, the control device 130 of the sensor device 60 acquires the measurement value MV from the sensor 105 (S102) and includes the measurement value MV in the raw data 111. The control device 130 determines whether the counter value has reached N (S104).

[0093] If the counter value has not yet reached N (NO in S104), the process returns to S102. As a result, each of the plurality of measurement values MV is accumulated in the raw data 111 in time series.

[0094] When the counter value reaches N (YES in S104), the control device 130 stops the sensor 105. At time t0, the control device 130 controls the communication device 120 to transmit the activation command S1 to the terminal device 50 (S105).

[0095] When the terminal device 50 receives the activation command S1, the activation of the terminal device 50 starts (S210). Thereafter, the activation is completed at time t1 (S215). The terminal device 50 transmits a request RQ to the sensor device 60 (S220).

[0096] In response to the request RQ, the control device 130 of the sensor device 60 reads the raw data 111 from the storage device 110 (S124). The control device 130 controls the communication device 120 to transmit the read raw data 111 to the terminal device 50 (S125).

[0097] The terminal device 50 generates the processed data 114 by executing the first generation process according to the raw data 111 (S230). The terminal device 50 transmits the processed data 114 to the server 90 by executing the wireless transmission process during the period from time t3 to time t4 (S235). Thereafter, the terminal device 50 transmits a transmission completion notification TCN to the sensor device 60 (S250).

[0098] In response to the transmission completion notification TCN, the control device 130 of the sensor device 60 determines that the wireless transmission process has been executed (completed). Then, the control device 130 controls the communication device 120 to transmit a sleep command S2 to the terminal device 50 (S165). The terminal device 50 receives the sleep command S2 and thereby goes to sleep (S270). Thereafter, the process ends.

[0099] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the power consumption required for transmitting the processed data 114 to the server 90. In addition, it is possible to flexibly cope with changes in the optimal communication method at low cost.

[0100] In the present embodiment, since the terminal device 50 is detachable from the interface 115 of the sensor device 60, the user can easily replace the terminal device 50. Therefore, an inexpensive small computer that has become popular in recent years can be used as the terminal device 50. Alternatively, a computer specialized in calculation processing and communication speed can be used as the terminal device 50.

[0101] As described below, the sensor system 40 also has an advantage that it can easily conform to the technical adaptation (wireless communication standard). In order to enable wireless data communication in a certain country (region), it is necessary to prepare a wireless communication device that conforms to the technical adaptation defined in that country. On the other hand, in another country, a technical adaptation different from the above may be required. If the sensor device 60 and the terminal device 50 (wireless communication device) are integrated in the sensor system 40 and the integrated device is used in many countries, it may be necessary to receive the technical adaptation for this device country by country. This can lead to an increase in cost. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the sensor device 60 and the terminal device 50 are separated in the sensor system 40. Therefore, it is only necessary to procure the terminal device 50 that already conforms to the technical adaptation country by country, and it is not necessary to receive the technical adaptation for the entire sensor system 40 as described above country by country. Therefore, in each country, it is possible to transmit the processed data 114 to the server 90 while conforming to the technical adaptation at low cost.

[0102] <Modification Example 1 of Embodiment 1> In Embodiment 1, the sensor 105 outputs the measurement value MV periodically, but it may be configured to output the measurement value MV irregularly (by event-driven). In this Modification Example 1, the sensor 105 outputs M measurement values at M of N (N≥2) times respectively.

[0103] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of the raw data in this Modification Example 1. Referring to FIG. 7, the raw data 112 is measurement data indicating the measurement result of the sensor device 60, similar to the raw data 111, and includes the measurement value MV. The raw data 112 corresponds to an example of the "first measurement data" of the present disclosure. The raw data 112 includes counter information 112a, 112b and measurement value information 112c, 112d.

[0104] The counter information 112a includes N counter values (first counter values), similar to the counter information 111a (FIG. 3). In this example, N = 60. Each of the N first counter values is output at the aforementioned time interval (1 minute).

[0105] The counter information 112b is generated by the control device 130 based on the counter information 112a. In this example, the counter information 112b represents the tens digit of this counter value as the counter value (second counter value) of the counter information 112b only when the units digit of the first counter value is 1. Otherwise, the second counter value is not defined. In this case, the second counter value may be defined as a null value.

[0106] When the second counter value is defined and a predetermined event occurs, the sensor 105 outputs the measurement value MV. The sensor 105 outputs M measurement values MV while the first counter value changes from 1 to N. M is 3 in this example. When the second counter value is not defined, since the sensor 105 does not output the measurement value MV, the measurement value MV is not defined. In this case, the measurement value MV may be defined as a null value.

[0107] The measurement value information 112c includes M measurement values MV (mv(1)a, mv(2)a, mv(5)a) of the first physical quantity of the facility 10. The measurement value information 112d includes M measurement values MV (mv(1)b, mv(2)b, mv(5)b) of the second physical quantity of the facility 10. The M first counter values (11, 21, 51) included in the N first counter values are respectively associated with the M measurement values MV of the measurement value information 112c or the measurement value information 112d. The M measurement values MV are output at a time interval that is h times the aforementioned time interval (1 minute). h depends on the first counter value (the second counter value). Specifically, h depends on the difference between the current value and the previous value of the first counter value (in this example, ten times the difference between the current value and the previous value of the second counter value).

[0108] When the control device 130 acquires the measurement value MV of the first physical quantity or the second physical quantity from the sensor 105, it determines the first counter value and the second counter value associated with the measurement value MV according to the pulse signal PS. The control device 130 includes the acquired measurement value MV and these counter values in the raw data 112. When the first counter value reaches the threshold value (N in this example), the control device 130 resets the first counter value to its initial value (1) and resets the second counter value to its initial value (0). Then, the control device 130 stops the sensor 105 and executes startup control. After that, the control device 130 controls the communication device 120 to transmit the raw data 112 to the terminal device 50 through the interface 115.

[0109] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the data structure of the processed data in this modification example 1. Referring to FIG. 8, the terminal device 50 executes a second generation process for generating the processed data 117 by processing the raw data 112 from the communication device 120.

[0110] The processed data 117 is different from the raw data 112 in that it includes time information 117a instead of the counter information 112a, 112b. The processed data 117 corresponds to an example of the "second measurement data" of the present disclosure. The time information 117a includes information representing M times. Each of the M times corresponds to the time when each of the M measured values MV was output. Hereinafter, the procedure of the second generation process will be described in detail. The second generation process includes a third estimation process, a fourth estimation process, and a second conversion process described below.

[0111] First, the terminal device 50 estimates the M-th time when the M-th measured value MV among the M measured values MV of the measured value information 112c was output as the time when the raw data 112 was received from the communication device 120 (third estimation process). This time is determined according to the measured value of the timer 55 and is assumed to be 10:51 in this example. In this example, the M-th time is the time when the third measured value (mv(5)a) among the three measured values MV was output.

[0112] Next, the terminal device 50 estimates the first to (M - 1)-th times according to the M-th time (10:51), the aforementioned time interval (1 minute), and the M first counter values (second counter values) (fourth estimation process). The first to (M - 1)-th times are the times when the first to (M - 1)-th measured values MV among the M measured values MV were respectively output. In this example, since M = 3, the first to (M - 1)-th measured values MV are mv(1)a and mv(2)a respectively, and the first to (M - 1)-th times are 10:11 and 10:21 respectively.

[0113] Next, the terminal device 50 generates the processed data 117 by respectively converting the first to M-th counter values included in the M first counter values (second counter values) into the first to M-th times (second conversion process). In other words, the terminal device 50 generates the processed data 117 by converting the counter information 112a, 112b into the time information 117a.

[0114] According to this Modification Example 1, when the sensor 105 outputs the measured value MV irregularly, the processed data 117 is generated by the terminal device 50 by associating the first to M-th measured values MV with the first to M-th times respectively. Thereby, the server 90 can appropriately monitor the temporal change of the state of the facility 10 according to the processed data 117.

[0115] <Modification Example 2 of Embodiment 1> Generally, the upper limit (upper limit rate) of the data transmission rate of wireless communication is lower than that of wired communication and may be limited. As a result, it may be difficult for the terminal device 50 to transmit all of the measured values MV (included in the raw data 111) output by the sensor 105 to the server 90. A situation where the server 90 cannot appropriately monitor the state of the facility 10 due to such a situation is not preferable.

[0116] The terminal device 50 of the sensor system 40 according to this Modification Example 2 has a configuration for dealing with the above problem. Specifically, the terminal device 50 extracts at least one measured value MV that satisfies a predetermined condition from among a plurality of measured values MV output from the sensor 105. Then, in the wireless transmission process, the terminal device 50 transmits processed data including only the at least one measured value MV among the plurality of measured values MV included in the raw data 111 to the server 90. The predetermined condition is, for example, that the absolute value of the measured value MV is a normal value lower than a predetermined abnormal value. This abnormal value is appropriately determined in advance by experiments or the like.

[0117] With such a configuration, the data communication rate of the wireless transmission process becomes lower than the output rate of the measurement value MV from the sensor 105. Therefore, even when it is not possible to transmit all of the plurality of measurement values MV (included in the raw data 111) output from the sensor 105 as they are to the server 90, the amount of processed data transmitted in the wireless transmission process is reduced. As a result, while setting the transmission rate of the processed data (measurement value MV) from the terminal device 50 to the server 90 to be less than the upper limit rate, it is possible to reliably transmit only appropriate measurement values (each of the at least one measurement value MV that is a normal value) that satisfy a predetermined condition to the server 90. Consequently, even when the upper limit rate of the wireless transmission process is restricted, the server 90 can appropriately monitor the state of the facility 10 according to the processed data.

[0118] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a method by which the terminal device 50 generates processed data in this Modification 2.

[0119] Referring to FIG. 9, the terminal device 50 executes a third generation process for generating processed data 114A and 114B by processing the raw data 111 from the communication device 120.

[0120] In this example, for the raw data 111, assume that the absolute values of some measurement values MV including mv(1)a, mv(N)a, mv(1)b, and mv(N)b are equal to or greater than the abnormal value and do not satisfy the predetermined condition. The terminal device 50 determines that each of these measurement values MV is an abnormal value.

[0121] For each of the measurement value information 111b and 111c, the terminal device 50 extracts L (1 ≦ L < N) measurement values MV that satisfy the predetermined condition from among the N measurement values MV included in the raw data 111, thereby generating the processed data 114A. The processed data 114A includes the counter information 111a, but is different from the raw data 111 in that it includes measurement value information 111bb and 111cc instead of the measurement value information 111b and 111c. Each of the measurement value information 111bb and 111cc includes only the extracted L measurement values MV.

[0122] The terminal device 50 generates the processed data 114B according to the processed data 114A. Specifically, the terminal device 50 converts the counter information 111a of the processed data 114A into time information 114a (Fig. 4), deletes the time associated with the abnormal value from the N times indicated by the time information 114a, and generates time information 114aa indicating the other times. Thereby, the terminal device 50 generates the processed data 114B including the time information 114aa and the measurement value information 111bb, 111cc. The method for converting the counter information 111a into the time information 114a is the same as the method described in relation to the first generation process in the first embodiment.

[0123] According to this modification 2, it is possible to surely transmit only the appropriate measurement value MV to the server 90 while coping with the limitation of the upper limit rate of the wireless communication process.

[0124] <Modification 3 of Embodiment 1> The sensor 105 can output N measurement values MV (for example, mv(1)a to mv(N)a in Fig. 3) as a first set in time series, and then further output N measurement values MV different from these measurement values MV as a second set in time series. In this modification 3, the process executed by the sensor system 40 in such a case will be described.

[0125] When the number of measurement values MV reaches the threshold value (N), the control device 130 of the sensor device 60 controls the communication device 120 to transmit the raw data 111 including these N measurement values MV (first set) to the terminal device 50. The terminal device 50 generates processed data (first processed data) according to this raw data 111, and transmits this data to the server 90 by wireless transmission processing.

[0126] After the number of measurement values MV reaches the threshold value as described above, the counter value is reset. Then, the raw data 111 including the second set is generated in the storage device 110. Each of the N measurement values MV of the second set is accumulated in time series in this raw data.

[0127] When the raw data 111 including the second set is generated, the control device 130 controls the communication device 120 to transmit the raw data 111 to the terminal device 50. The terminal device 50 generates processed data (second processed data) according to the raw data 111. Then, the terminal device 50 transmits both the first processed data and the second processed data to the server 90 by wireless transmission processing.

[0128] In wireless communication processing, from the viewpoint of accuracy, it may be preferable to ensure a certain degree of redundancy of the processed data. According to this modification 3, when the second processed data is transmitted, the first processed data is retransmitted from the terminal device 50 to the server 90. Thereby, the redundancy of the first processed data received by the server 90 is ensured. As a result, the terminal device 50 can confirm the accuracy of the first processed data. Therefore, since the state of the facility 10 can be monitored according to such accurate data, the presence or absence of an abnormality in the facility 10 can be determined more accurately. Note that after the retransmission of the first processed data, the second processed data and the processed data generated thereafter may also be retransmitted.

[0129] <Embodiment 2> In Embodiment 1 and its Modifications 1 to 3, an example in which the stop state is the sleep state has been mainly described. In Embodiment 2, an example in which the stop state is the shutdown state will be described.

[0130] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a detailed configuration of a sensor system according to Embodiment 2. Referring to FIG. 10, the sensor system 40A includes a terminal device 50A, a connector 56, a cable 58, and a sensor device 60A.

[0131] The terminal device 50A is different from the terminal device 50 (Fig. 2) of the first embodiment in that it does not include the battery 54. After executing the wireless transmission process (after transmitting the transmission completion notification TCN), the terminal device 50A transmits a shutdown notification SDN to the sensor device 60A through the cable 58 and the connector 56. The shutdown notification SDN indicates that the terminal device will soon be shut down. In other respects, the terminal device 50A is the same as the terminal device 50 unless otherwise specified.

[0132] The sensor device 60A is different from the sensor device 60 of the first embodiment in that its storage device 110 includes specification information 113A instead of the specification information 113. The specification information 113A represents the specifications of the terminal device 50A (for example, model number, processing speed, communication method, and communication protocol).

[0133] The sensor device 60A is further different from the sensor device 60 of the first embodiment in that it further includes a power supply device 116. The communication device 120 is configured to receive the shutdown notification SDN from the terminal device 50A through the cable 58, the connector 56, and the interface 115 after executing the wireless transmission process. In other respects, the sensor device 60A is the same as the sensor device 60 unless otherwise specified.

[0134] The power supply device 116 is connected to the interface 115. The power supply device 116 is configured to supply power FP to the terminal device 50A through the interface 115, the connector 56, and the cable 58. The power supply device 116, for example, converts the alternating current power supplied from a commercial power supply (not shown) and supplies the converted power to the terminal device 50A as the power FP. When the sensor device 60 includes a power storage device (not shown), the power supply device 116 may supply the power FP to the terminal device 50A using the direct current power supplied from the power storage device.

[0135] While the power supply power FP is being supplied to the terminal device 50A, the terminal device 50A can operate. For example, when the power supply state of the terminal device 50A is in the shutdown state, in response to the start of the supply of the power supply power FP, the power supply state switches from the shutdown state to the operating state. While the power supply power FP is not being supplied, the terminal device 50A cannot operate. For example, when the power supply state of the terminal device 50A is in the operating state, in response to the stop of the supply of the power supply power FP, the power supply state switches from the operating state to the shutdown state.

[0136] In Embodiment 2, unlike Embodiment 1, the aforementioned startup control corresponds to power supply start control for starting the supply of the power supply power FP to the terminal device 50A. Specifically, the control device 130 of the sensor device 60A switches the power supply state of the terminal device 50A from the shutdown state to the operating state by the power supply start control. The stop control corresponds to power supply stop control for stopping the supply of the power supply power FP. Specifically, the control device 130 executes the power supply stop control after the terminal device 50A has executed wireless transmission processing, thereby switching the power supply state of the terminal device 50A from the operating state to the shutdown state.

[0137] When the terminal device 50A is in the shutdown state, the power consumption of the terminal device 50A is smaller than that in the sleep state of the terminal device 50A and is zero. According to Embodiment 2, the time (operating time) from the startup to the stop (shutdown) of the terminal device 50A can be minimized. In addition, the power consumption of the terminal device 50A after the wireless transmission processing can be more effectively saved.

[0138] The control device 130 may execute the power supply stop control when a threshold time has elapsed since the reception of the shutdown notification SDN by the communication device 120. The threshold time is predetermined according to the specifications of the terminal device 50A as the time required from the reception of the shutdown notification SDN to the actual shutdown of the terminal device 50A. Information indicating this specification is included in the specification information 113A.

[0139] Even after the terminal device 50A has sent the shutdown notification SDN to the sensor device 60A, it may not be immediately shut down and may continue to operate for a certain period of time. If power supply stop control is executed while the operation of the terminal device 50A continues in this way, the terminal device 50A may be shut down (forced termination) unintentionally. As a result, the data stored in the memory 52 of the terminal device 50A may be damaged. Such a situation is not preferable. By executing the power supply stop control as described above, the supply of the power supply FP to the terminal device 50A is stopped when the threshold time has elapsed from the shutdown notification SDN. Thereby, the supply of the power supply FP to the terminal device 50A is surely continued until the actual shutdown of the terminal device 50A. As a result, it is possible to effectively reduce the power consumption of the terminal device 50A while avoiding the situation where the data in the memory 52 of the terminal device 50A is damaged as described above.

[0140] FIG. 11 is a timing chart for exemplifying the processing executed in the sensor system 40A. Referring to FIG. 11, before time t10, the power supply state of the terminal device 50A is in the shutdown state, and each measured value MV is accumulated in time series in the raw data 111.

[0141] At time t10, the counter value of the counter information 111a of the raw data 111 reaches N. The communication device 120 of the sensor device 60A executes power supply start control. Thereby, the startup of the terminal device 50A is started.

[0142] At time t11, the power supply state is completely switched to the operating state, and the startup of the terminal device 50A is completed. The length L1A is the length of the period from time t10 to time t11, and represents the length of the time (startup time) required for the startup of the terminal device 50A from the start of the power supply start control. The length L1A varies depending on the specifications of the terminal device 50A. The information indicating the length L1A is included in the specification information 113A.

[0143] The processing during the period from time t11 to time t14 is the same as the processing during the period from time t1 to time t4 (Figure 5). For example, the terminal device 50A generates the processed data 114 according to the raw data 111 transmitted from the sensor device 60A (at time t12), and executes the wireless transmission process (at times t13 to t14). At time t14, the communication device 120 of the sensor device 60A receives the transmission completion notification TCN transmitted from the terminal device 50A.

[0144] The length L2A is the length of the period from time t10 to time t14, and represents the length of time required from the start of the power supply start control to the completion of the wireless transmission process. The length L2A depends on the specifications of the terminal device 50A. The information indicating the length L2A is determined in advance depending on the specifications of the terminal device 50A and is included in the specification information 113A.

[0145] At time tp, the terminal device 50A transmits a shutdown notification SDN to the sensor device 60A. The sensor device 60A receives the shutdown notification SDN and waits until time t15 when a threshold time THT has elapsed from time tp. When time t15 arrives, the terminal device 50A executes power supply stop control. As a result, the supply of the power supply FP is stopped and the power state of the terminal device 50A is switched from the operating state to the shutdown state. The length L56A is the length of the period from time t15 to time t16, and represents the length of time required for the power state to switch from the operating state to the shutdown state. The length L56A is extremely short. After time t16, the shutdown state continues. Thereafter, the sensor device 60A repeats a series of processes (including power supply start control and power supply stop control) from time t10 to time t16 at a constant cycle, as in the embodiment.

[0146] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for exemplifying the processes executed in the sensor system 40A. At the start of this flowchart, the terminal device 50A is attached to the interface 115 and is in the shutdown state. The following S302 to S365 are executed when the control device 130 (processor 131) of the sensor device 60A executes the program stored in the ROM of the memory 132. In the following description, refer to FIG. 11 as appropriate.

[0147] Referring to FIG. 12, S302 and S304 are the same as S102 and S104 (FIG. 6). When the counter value reaches N (YES in S304), the control device 130 of the sensor device 60A stops the sensor 105. Thereafter, at time t10, the control device 130 executes power supply start control (S305). Thereby, the startup of the terminal device 50A is started (S410), and the startup is completed at time t11 (S415).

[0148] S420, S324, S325, S430 to S450 are basically the same as S220, S124, S125, S230 to S250. After the terminal device 50A transmits the transmission completion notification TCN to the sensor device 60A in S450, it transmits a shutdown notification SDN to the sensor device 60A (S455).

[0149] When the control device 130 of the sensor device 60A receives the shutdown notification SDN, it waits until the threshold time THT elapses from the reception of this notification (NO in S360). When the threshold time THT elapses from the reception of this notification (YES in S360), the control device 130 executes power supply stop control (S365). Thereby, the supply of the power supply power FP is stopped and the terminal device 50A is shut down (S470). Thereafter, the process ends.

[0150] <Other Modification Examples> Embodiment 1, Modifications 1 to 3 thereof, and Embodiment 2 may be combined as appropriate. For example, when Modification 1 of Embodiment 1 is combined with Modifications 2 and 3 of Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, the raw data 111 may be replaced by the raw data 112 (FIG. 7). In this case, the processed data 114 can be replaced by the processed data 117 (FIG. 8).

[0151] In the above, the terminal device 50 (50A) receives the raw data 111 (112) from the sensor device 60 (60A), generates the processed data 114 (117) according to this raw data, and transmits this processed data to the server 90. On the other hand, the terminal device 50 (50A) may transmit the received raw data as it is to the server 90. In this case, the raw data 111 (112) is an example of the "first measurement data" of the present disclosure and also an example of the "second measurement data" of the present disclosure, and the "second measurement data" is the same as the "first measurement data". The raw data transmitted from the terminal device 50 (50A) is processed by the server 90.

[0152] The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above-described embodiments but by the claims, and it is intended that all meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope are included.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0153] 1 Condition Monitoring System 10 Facilities 11 Motor 20 Power Line 25U, 25V, 25W Conductors 30 Distribution Board 35 Circuit Breaker 40, 40A Sensor System 50, 50A Terminal Device 51, 131 Processor 52, 132 Memory 53, 120 Communication Device 54 Battery 55,125 Timer 56 Connector 58 Cable 60, 60A Sensor Device 80 Access Point 85 Network 90 Server 105 Sensor 110 Memory Device 111, 112 Raw Data 111a, 112a, 112b Counter Information 111b, 111bb, 111c, 111cc, 112c, 112d Measurement Value Information 113, 113A Specification Information 114, 114A, 114B, 117 Processed Data 114a, 114aa, 117a Time Information 115 Interface 116 Power Supply Device 130 Control Device FP Power Supply Power L1, L1A, L2, L2A, L56, L56A Length MV Measurement Value PS Pulse Signal RQ Request S1 Start Command S2 Sleep Command SDN Shutdown Notification TCN Transmission Completion Notification THT Threshold Time t0, t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, t6, t10, t11, t12, t13, t14, t15, t16, tp Time

Claims

1. A sensor that outputs a measurement value of the physical quantity by measuring the physical quantity of the object, A storage device that stores first measurement data including the measurement value, An interface to which a terminal device capable of wireless communication with a server can be attached, A communication device configured to transmit the first measurement data to the terminal device through the interface when the terminal device is attached to the interface, A control device that executes power control of the terminal device through the interface, The terminal device is configured to execute a wireless transmission process for wirelessly transmitting second measurement data related to the first measurement data to the server in response to reception of the first measurement data from the communication device, The power state of the terminal device is An operating state in which the terminal device is operating, And a stopped state in which the terminal device is stopped, The power control is First control for starting the terminal device so that the power state switches from the stopped state to the operating state, Second control for stopping the terminal device so that the power state switches from the operating state to the stopped state after execution of the wireless transmission process. A sensor device.

2. Further comprising a power supply device configured to supply power to the terminal device through the interface, The stopped state includes a shutdown state in which the terminal device is shut down, The first control includes power supply start control for starting the supply of the power supply power, The second control includes power supply stop control for stopping the supply of the power supply power. The sensor device according to claim 1.

3. The communication device is configured to receive, from the terminal device through the interface after execution of the wireless transmission process, a shutdown notification indicating that the terminal device has been shut down. The power supply stop control is executed when a first period of time has elapsed since reception of the shutdown notification by the communication device. The first period of time is predetermined according to the specifications of the terminal device as the time required from reception of the shutdown notification until shutdown of the terminal device. The sensor device according to claim 2.

4. The stopped state includes a sleep state in which the terminal device is sleeping so that power consumption of the terminal device is lower than in the operating state. The first control includes controlling the communication device to transmit a first command for instructing the terminal device to switch the power state from the sleep state to the operating state. The second control includes controlling the communication device to transmit a second command for instructing the terminal device to switch the power state from the operating state to the sleep state. The sensor device according to claim 1.

5. The second control is executed after the communication device has received a transmission completion notification indicating completion of the wireless transmission process from the terminal device. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The second control is executed after a second period of time has elapsed since the start of the first control. The second period of time is predetermined according to the specifications of the terminal device as the time required from the start of the first control until completion of the wireless transmission process. The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. A sensor that outputs a measurement value of the physical quantity by measuring the physical quantity of the object. A storage device that stores first measurement data including the measurement value. A terminal device that wirelessly communicates with a server. An interface to which the terminal device can be attached, A communication device configured to transmit the first measurement data to the terminal device through the interface when the terminal device is attached to the interface, A control device that executes power control of the terminal device through the interface, and The terminal device is configured to execute a wireless transmission process for wirelessly transmitting second measurement data related to the first measurement data to the server in response to reception of the first measurement data from the communication device. The power state of the terminal device is An operating state in which the terminal device is operating, and A stopped state in which the terminal device is stopped, and The power control includes A first control for starting the terminal device so that the power state switches from the stopped state to the operating state, and A second control for stopping the terminal device so that the power state switches from the operating state to the stopped state after execution of the wireless transmission process. A sensor system.

8. The sensor outputs the plurality of measurement values in time series, The first measurement data includes the plurality of measurement values, The terminal device extracts at least one measurement value that satisfies a predetermined condition from among the plurality of measurement values included in the first measurement data, The wireless transmission process includes a process of wirelessly transmitting the second measurement data including only the at least one measurement value among the plurality of measurement values to the server. The sensor system according to claim 7.

9. The sensor outputs N (N≧2) measurement values in time series, and each of the N measurement values is output at a predetermined time interval. The first measurement data includes the N measurement values and N counter values respectively associated with the N measurement values. The terminal device executes a first generation process for generating the second measurement data by processing the first measurement data from the communication device. The first generation process includes: a process of estimating, as the time when the first measurement data was received from the communication device, the Nth time at which the Nth measurement value among the N measurement values was output; a process of estimating, according to the Nth time and the time interval, the first to (N−1)th times at which the first to (N−1)th measurement values among the N measurement values were respectively output; a process of generating the second measurement data including the first to Nth measurement values and the first to Nth times by converting the first to Nth counter values included in the N counter values into the first to Nth times respectively. The sensor system according to claim 7 or claim 8.

10. The sensor outputs M (M≧1) of the measurement values at M of N (N≧2) times respectively. Among the N times, the kth (1≦k≦N−1) time is separated from the (k + 1)th time by a predetermined time interval. The first measurement data includes the M measurement values and N counter values. The N counter values include M counter values respectively associated with the M measurement values. The time interval is related to the difference between the jth (1≦j≦N−1) counter value and the (j + 1)th counter value among the N counter values. The terminal device executes a second generation process for generating the second measurement data according to the first measurement data from the communication device. The second generation process includes: a process of estimating, as the time when the first measurement data was received from the communication device, the Mth time at which the Mth measurement value among the M measurement values was output; A process of estimating the first to the (M - 1)th times when the first to the (M - 1)th measurement values among the M measurement values were respectively output according to the Mth time, the time interval, and the M counter values; A sensor system according to claim 7 or claim 8, including a process of generating the second measurement data including the first to the Mth measurement values and the first to the Mth times by converting the first to the Mth counter values included in the M counter values into the first to the Mth times respectively.

11. A step of obtaining a measurement value of a physical quantity output from a sensor that measures the physical quantity of an object; A step of reading the first measurement data from a storage device that stores the first measurement data including the measurement value when the terminal device is attached to an interface to which the terminal device capable of wireless communication with the server can be attached; A step of transmitting the read first measurement data to the terminal device through the interface; Including a step of performing power control of the terminal device through the interface; The terminal device is configured to execute a wireless transmission process for wirelessly transmitting second measurement data related to the first measurement data to the server in response to the reception of the first measurement data; The power state of the terminal device is An operating state in which the terminal device is operating; Including a stopped state in which the terminal device is stopped; The power control is A first control for starting the terminal device so that the power state switches from the stopped state to the operating state; A method including a second control for stopping the terminal device so that the power state switches from the operating state to the stopped state after the execution of the wireless transmission process.

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