Apparatus control system and relay device

Abstract

To provide an apparatus control system that can reduce the number of wirings from a power feeding apparatus and facilitate construction.SOLUTION: An apparatus control system 1 includes a power feeding device 10 having one or more connection ports 11 into each of which a standard cable 60 capable of supplying power and transmitting and receiving control signals is inserted, and at least one relay device 20 connected to one of the connection ports 11 via the standard cable 60, supplying power to multiple terminal apparatuses having the same address set, and capable of communicating with the multiple terminal apparatuses.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device control system and a relay device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a technology (so-called PoE: Power over Ethernet (registered trademark)) in which a power supply device can perform data transmission and reception and power supply to a power receiving device in parallel via a standard cable capable of supplying power. It is possible to perform power supply and data transmission and reception with a single cable, and in a device control system that connects devices to a network and controls the devices from a management device, the number of wirings is reduced and the construction is facilitated. Patent Document 1 discloses a power supply HUB that supplies power of a predetermined standard to other devices via a communication cable such as PoE, and a system including a lighting fixture connected to the power supply HUB. Patent Document 2 also discloses a system in which a device that cannot be connected to a power supply device is connected via an adapter to perform power supply and data transmission and reception.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a device control system, when there are many devices to be controlled, the power supply device must have connection ports as many as the number of devices to be controlled, the number of wirings from the power supply device increases, and there is a problem that the construction becomes complicated.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a device control system that can reduce the number of wirings from a power supply device to at most the number of devices to be controlled and facilitate construction in order to solve the above-described problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The device control system according to the present disclosure includes a power supply device having at least one connection port into which a standard cable capable of supplying power and transmitting and receiving control signals can be inserted, and at least one relay device that is connected to one of the connection ports via a standard cable, supplies power to a plurality of terminals having the same address set, and is capable of communicating with the plurality of terminals.

[0007]

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain a device control system that reduces the number of wirings from a power supply device and facilitates construction.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Embodiments for carrying out the subject matter of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are appropriately simplified or omitted. Note that the subject matter of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and modifications of any component of the embodiments, or combinations and omissions of any components of the embodiments, are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0011] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a device control system 1 according to Embodiment 1. In the present embodiment, a device to be controlled (hereinafter referred to as a terminal device) will be described by taking as an example a case where it is a lighting device, a wall switch which is an operating device for operating the lighting device, and a sensor. That is, the configuration example of the device control system 1 according to the present embodiment is a lighting control system. The sensor is a human sensor, an illuminance sensor, or the like. Note that the terminal device of the invention of the present disclosure is not limited to a lighting device as long as it is a device that receives a control signal from another device, and can also be applied to a camera, an air conditioner, or the like. The control signal is a signal for controlling the operation of the device or a signal for requesting acquisition of the state of the device. Therefore, the terminal device is a device that receives a control signal and changes its operation or returns a response signal.

[0012] The device control system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a power supply device 10, a relay device 20, a lighting device 30 which is a terminal device, a sensor 40 which is a terminal device and an operating device for operating the lighting device 30, and a wall switch 50. The management device 71 and the power supply device 10 are installed inside a control panel 73 provided in a management room or the like in a building where the device control system 1 is installed. The relay device 20 and the terminal device are installed in each room, corridor, or the like in the building. Since the relay device 20 and the terminal device connected to the relay device 20 are installed in a close place such as the same room or space, the wiring between the relay device 20 and the terminal device connected to the relay device 20 is shorter than the wiring between the power supply device 10 and the relay device 20. Note that there may be a plurality of relay devices 20, and FIG. 1 shows an example of the device control system 1 including three relay devices 20, 20a, and 20b. Further, hereinafter, the management device 71, the power supply device 10, the relay device 20, and the terminal device are not distinguished, and when any of them is indicated, it is referred to as a device.

[0013] The power supply device 10 is connected to the utility power supply 74 and receives power. The power supply device 10 includes a plurality of connection ports 11 that supply power to other devices via a standard cable 60. The connection ports 11 can communicate with other devices via the standard cable 60. The standard cable 60 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) cable or the like. The device control system 1 assumes the use of PoE (Power over Ethernet, registered trademark) or the like that enables power supply and communication via a LAN cable. The connection port 11 is, for example, an RJ-45 type connector to which a LAN cable can be connected. The power supply device 10 is connected to a management device 71 that centrally controls a plurality of terminal devices. The connection between the power supply device 10 and the management device 71 may be made with a standard cable 60 or with other communication cables. Alternatively, the power supply device 10 and the management device 71 may perform wireless communication. The management device 71 is connected to the power supply device 10 and may further be connected to a higher-level network 72. In the case where the device control system 1 is a system that controls lighting installed in a building, the higher-level network 72 is, for example, a network of a building management system that collectively manages devices in the building such as air conditioners and cameras.

[0014] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the relay device 20. The configuration of the relay device 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The relay device 20 includes a first connection portion 21 that is a connection structure for connecting to one of the plurality of connection ports 11 of the power supply device 10 via a standard cable 60. The first connection portion 21 is, for example, an RJ-45 type connector to which a LAN cable can be connected. The relay device 20 can receive power from the power supply device 10 and can transmit and receive control signals with the power supply device 10 via the standard cable 60 connected to the first connection portion 21.

[0015] The relay device 20 also includes a second connection part 22 which is a connection structure for connecting to a terminal device via a standard cable 60. The second connection part 22 is, for example, an RJ-45 type connector to which a LAN cable can be connected. The relay device 20 can supply power to the terminal device via the standard cable 60 connected to the second connection part 22, and can transmit and receive control signals with the terminal device. In this way, a terminal device configured to be able to receive power from another device and communicate with another device via a single standard cable 60 is hereinafter referred to as a first terminal device. When the standard cable 60 is a LAN cable compatible with PoE, the first terminal device is a power receiving device compatible with PoE. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the sensor 40, the wall switch 50, and the lighting device 30a correspond to the first terminal device.

[0016] Furthermore, the relay device 20 includes a third connection part 23 which supplies power to the terminal device and communicates with the terminal device. The third connection part 23 includes a power supply terminal part 23a which is a connection structure for connecting a power cable 61 used for power supply, and a communication terminal part 23b which is a connection structure for connecting a communication cable 62 used for communication with the terminal device. The relay device 20 and the terminal device are connected by the power cable 61 and the communication cable 62. The relay device 20 can supply power to the terminal device via the power cable 61 connected to the power supply terminal part 23a of the third connection part 23. Also, control signals can be transmitted and received with the terminal device via the communication cable 62 connected to the communication terminal part 23b of the third connection part 23. In this way, a terminal device to which a power cable 61 for receiving power and a communication cable 62 for communicating with another device are respectively connected is hereinafter referred to as a second terminal device. When the standard cable 60 is a PoE cable, the second terminal device is a device not compatible with PoE. Note that communication between the relay device and the second terminal device may be performed wirelessly without using the communication cable 62. That is, the second terminal device is a terminal device that receives power via the power cable 61 and communicates with other devices either wired or wirelessly. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the lighting device 30, the sensor 40b, and the wall switch 50b correspond to the second terminal device.

[0017] In the example of FIG. 1, the relay device 20 has two second connection parts 22 and one third connection part 23, the relay device 20a has three second connection parts 22, and the relay device 20b has three third connection parts 23. The relay device 20 may have two or more in total of the second connection part 22 and the third connection part 23. Thereby, the relay device 20 can connect to two or more terminal devices in total of the first terminal device and the second terminal device, and can reduce the wiring from the power supply device 10 compared to the case of directly connecting the terminal device to the power supply device 10.

[0018] Furthermore, the terminal devices connected to one relay device 20 are the lighting device 30, its operation device which is the sensor 40, and the wall switch 50. The relay device 20 and the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20 are installed in a nearby place such as the same room or space. Therefore, the wiring between the relay device 20 and the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20 is shorter compared to the wiring between the power supply device 10 and the relay device 20, and by reducing the wiring from the power supply device 10 compared to the case of directly connecting the terminal device to the power supply device 10, the long wiring work is reduced and the construction becomes easier.

[0019] The relay device 20 supplies the power received from the power supply device 10 to the terminal devices. For example, when the standard cable 60 connecting the power supply device 10 and the relay device 20 is a PoE cable, the power that can be supplied from the power supply device 10 to the relay device 20 is up to 90W. Therefore, if the total power of the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20 is large, the power supplied to the terminal devices will be insufficient and the terminal devices will not operate. The power consumption of the lighting device 30 is about 30 - 50W, while sensors such as a human presence sensor and an illuminance sensor and wall switches are several W. When a plurality of lighting devices 30 are connected to one relay device 20, it may exceed the amount of power that can be supplied from the relay device 20 and the lighting devices 30 may not operate. Therefore, by making the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20 be one lighting device 30 and a plurality of operation devices, it is possible to suppress the power supplied by the relay device 20 from being insufficient compared to connecting a plurality of lighting devices 30 to one relay device 20.

[0020] Next, the internal configuration of the relay device 20 will be described. The relay device 20 is composed of at least one processor and at least one memory. The processor is also referred to as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a processing device, an arithmetic device, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP. The relay device 20 includes a power receiving unit 24, a power supply unit 25, a communication control unit 26, a signal conversion unit 27, a power conversion unit 28, and an address storage unit 29. The power receiving unit 24, the power supply unit 25, the communication control unit 26, the signal conversion unit 27, and the power conversion unit 28 are components composed of software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The address storage unit 29 is a memory, specifically composed of a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, an EPROM, or an EEPROM.

[0021] The power receiving unit 24 separates power from the signal received from the power supply device 10 via the standard cable 60, and supplies the separated power to the power supply unit 25 and the power conversion unit 28. Also, the power receiving unit 24 outputs the control signal received via the standard cable 60 to the communication control unit 26. Further, the power receiving unit 24 transmits the control signal input from the communication control unit 26 to the power supply device 10 via the standard cable 60.

[0022] The power supply unit 25 supplies the power supplied from the power receiving unit 24 to the sensor 40 or the wall switch 50, which is the first terminal connected to the second connection unit 22, via the standard cable 60. Also, the power supply unit 25 outputs the control signal received by the second connection unit 22 via the standard cable 60 to the communication control unit 26. Further, the power supply unit 25 transmits the control signal input from the communication control unit 26 to the sensor 40 and the wall switch 50, which are the first terminals, via the standard cable 60.

[0023] The power conversion unit 28 converts the power supplied from the power receiving unit 24 into power suitable for the lighting device 30, which is the second terminal device. The conversion of power refers to converting alternating current into direct current or converting the voltage. The power conversion unit 28 supplies the converted power to the lighting device 30, which is the second terminal device, via the power cable 61 connected to the power supply terminal portion 23a.

[0024] The communication control unit 26 transfers the control signal based on the destination address included in the control signal received from the power supply device 10, the first terminal device, and the second terminal device. An address is a code for identifying the management device 71, the relay device 20, and the terminal device in the device control system 1. The management device 71, the relay device 20, and the terminal device are each set with an address, and when transmitting a control signal, the address of the destination device is included in the control signal. The address is set by using a mechanical dip switch mounted on each device or by pre-storing it in the microcomputer mounted on each device before connecting the device to the device control system 1. The relay device 20 stores the addresses of the management device 71, the relay device 20, and the terminal device in the address storage unit 29. The communication control unit 26 reads the address storage unit 29 and outputs the control signal to the power receiving unit 24 if the destination address of the received control signal is the power supply device 10, to the power supply unit 25 if it is the first terminal device, and to the signal conversion unit 27 if it is the second terminal device.

[0025] The signal conversion unit 27 converts the control signal output from the communication control unit 26 into a signal in a format suitable for the lighting device 30, which is the second terminal device connected to the communication terminal unit 23b, and transmits it to the lighting device 30, which is the second terminal device, via the communication terminal unit 23b and the communication cable 62. Further, the signal received from the lighting device 30, which is the second terminal device, via the communication terminal unit 23b and the communication cable 62 is converted into a signal in a format suitable for the power supply device 10 or the first terminal device. Hereinafter, the signal in a format suitable for the power supply device 10 or the first terminal device is referred to as a first control signal, and the signal in a format suitable for the second terminal device is referred to as a second control signal. As a specific example, the first control signal is a control signal compliant with Ethernet (registered trademark), and the second control signal is a PWM signal or a control signal compliant with DALI (registered trademark) (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface).

[0026] Note that the communication terminal unit 23b may be a communication interface that communicates with the second terminal device wirelessly instead of a connection structure for connecting the communication cable 62.

[0027] By including the first connection unit 21 and the power receiving unit 24, the relay device 20 can be powered from the power supply device 10 and communicate with the power supply device 10 via the standard cable 60. As a result, the relay device 20 does not require a cable connection for communication and a power terminal for receiving power, facilitating wiring. For example, by inserting the standard cable 60 into the first connection unit 21, such as when the standard cable 60 is a LAN cable and the first connection unit 21 is an RJ-45 type connector, the relay device 20 having a mechanism for connection does not require electrical work, facilitating construction.

[0028] The relay device 20 includes a second connection part 22 and a power supply part 25, enabling power supply to the first terminal device and communication with the first terminal device via the standard cable 60. As a result, the first terminal device does not require connection of a cable for communication and a power terminal for receiving power, facilitating wiring. For example, by inserting the standard cable 60 into the second connection part 22, such as when the standard cable 60 is a LAN cable and the second connection part 22 is an RJ-45 type connector, the relay device 20 is provided with a connection mechanism, eliminating the need for electrical work on the first terminal device and facilitating installation.

[0029] The relay device 20 includes a signal conversion part 27, a power conversion part 28, and a third connection part 23, enabling connection to a second terminal device that does not have the function of receiving power and communicating with the standard cable 60, and enabling power supply to the second terminal device and communication with the second terminal device. For example, when introducing the device control system 1 of the present embodiment into a building where a lighting control system has already been introduced, by providing a configuration in which the relay device 20 connects to the second terminal device, the effect of being able to use an existing device as the lighting device 30 is achieved.

[0030] FIG. 3 is an example of address setting for each device in the device control system 1. FIG. 4 is an example of the frame configuration of a control signal in the device control system 1. Using FIGS. 3 and 4, communication in the device control system 1 and the addresses used for communication will be described in detail. Hereinafter, the relay device 20 and the lighting device 30, sensor 40, and wall switch 50, which are terminal devices connected to the relay device 20, will be described as examples. However, the address setting for the relay device 20a and the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20a, and the relay device 20b and the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20b also have similar characteristics.

[0031] The management device 71, the power supply device 10, the relay device 20, and each terminal device are each set with an address. The address setting is performed by setting with a mechanical dip switch installed in each device, or by previously storing it in the microcomputer installed in each device. The device that becomes the transmission source of the control signal acquires and stores the address of the transmission destination in advance. The acquisition of the address of the transmission destination is performed, for example, by transmitting a signal requesting an address by broadcast in the communication at the startup of each device and receiving a response. Alternatively, an operator who installs the device control system 1 may manually set each device. As shown in FIG. 3, the same address is set for the relay device 20 and the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20, namely, the lighting device 30, the sensor 40, and the wall switch 50. Therefore, from the management device 71, the relay device 20 and the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20, namely, the lighting device 30, the sensor 40, and the wall switch 50, are recognized as one device. In the example of FIG. 3, the address 1 is set for the power supply device 10. However, when the power supply device 10 does not become the transmission destination of the control signal and only performs the transfer of the control signal, that is, when the power supply device 10 is not a device that is controlled by other devices or controls other devices, the power supply device 10 does not have to be set with an address.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, the control signal consists of a header indicating the type and priority of the control signal, etc., a destination address indicating the address of the destination device, a source address indicating the address of the source device, and a payload part indicating the control content. The device that becomes the transmission source of the control signal includes the address of the destination device in the control signal when transmitting the control signal. The device that receives the signal reads the destination address and follows the control content included in the payload of the control signal if it is addressed to itself. The device that receives the signal transfers the signal or ignores the signal if the destination address is not addressed to itself. The control content is, for example, something that controls the on / off of lighting for the lighting device 30, or something that requests the acquisition of states such as the on / off of the switch for the wall switch.

[0033] The terminal devices connected to the relay device 20 are the lighting device 30 and the operating device for operating the lighting device 30. Therefore, since the relay device 20 and the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20 have the same address, there is an effect that the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20 can be collectively controlled by a single control signal from the management device 71. For example, when the management device 71 transmits a signal requesting acquisition of the status of the device with address 2, the lighting device 30 responds with the lighting status, and the sensor 40 responds with the content sensed at the location where the lighting device 30 is installed. The management device 71 can effectively control the lighting device 30 according to the content of the responses of the lighting device 30 and the sensor 40.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram for transmitting a control signal from the management device 71 to the lighting device 30. Next, a case where the management device 71 transmits a control signal to turn on the lighting to the lighting device 30 which is a terminal device will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0035] The management device 71 includes a storage unit that stores the addresses of the terminal devices connected to the device control system 1. When the management device 71 transmits a control signal to the lighting device 30, first, in step S101, it reads out the address of the lighting device 30 from the storage unit.

[0036] Next, in step S102, the management device 71 creates a control signal frame as shown in FIG. 4. The control signal includes, as the destination address, the address of the lighting device 30 read out in step S101.

[0037] Next, in step S103, the management device 71 transmits the control signal created in step S102 to the power supply device 10.

[0038] In step S104, the power supply device 10 analyzes the received control signal and confirms the destination address included in the control signal.

[0039] Next, in step S105, the power supply device 10 transmits the control signal to the relay device 20 having the destination address read out in step S104.

[0040] In step S106, the relay device 20 broadcasts the control signal received from the power supply device 10 in step S105 to the lighting device 30, the sensor 40, and the wall switch 50, which are terminal devices connected to the relay device 20.

[0041] In step S107, the lighting device 30, the sensor 40, and the wall switch 50, which are terminal devices, read out the control content included in the payload of the control signal received from the relay device 20 in step S106.

[0042] In step S108, the lighting device 30, which is a terminal device, operates according to the read control content. In the example of FIG. 5, since the control content is to turn on the lighting, the lighting device 30 turns on the lighting. On the other hand, since the sensor 40 and the wall switch 50 are not target devices for turning on the lighting, which is the control content, they do not change their operations when receiving the control signal.

[0043] As described above, when transmitting a control signal from the management device 71 to the terminal device, the control signal is transmitted via the power supply device 10 and the relay device 20. Since the same address is set for the relay device 20 and the terminal device connected to the relay device 20, when the power supply device 10 transmits a control signal, it only needs to transmit the control signal to the relay device 20 with the transmission destination address set. On the other hand, when different addresses are set for the relay device 20 and the terminal device connected to the relay device 20, the power supply device 10 needs to hold information on which relay device 20 the terminal device with the transmission destination address set in the control signal is connected to, and the communication control becomes complicated. Therefore, also in the device control system 1 in which a plurality of terminal devices are connected to the power supply device 10 via the relay device 20, setting the same address for the relay device 20 and the terminal device connected to the relay device 20 can reduce the load of communication control.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram for transmitting a control signal from an operating device to the lighting device 30. FIG. 6 shows the flow of the control signal when the sensor 40, which is the operating device, transmits a control signal to turn on the lighting to the lighting device 30 according to the result sensed. FIG. 6 corresponds to a case where, for example, the sensor 40 is a human sensor and controls to turn on the lighting device 30 when a person is sensed. Next, a case where the operating device transmits a control signal to turn on the lighting to the lighting device 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0045] First, in step S201, the sensor 40 creates a control signal frame as shown in FIG. 4. The control signal includes the address of the sensor 40 as the destination address. The address of the sensor 40 is the same as the addresses set for the relay device 20, the lighting device 30, and the wall switch 50 to which it is connected.

[0046] Next, in step S202, the sensor 40 transmits the control signal created in step S201 to the relay device 20.

[0047] Next, in step S203, the relay device 20 analyzes the received control signal and confirms the destination address included in the control signal.

[0048] In step S204, since the destination address read from the control signal in step S203 is the same as the address of the relay device 20, the relay device 20 transmits the control signal to the lighting device 30, the sensor 40, and the wall switch 50, which are the terminals connected to the relay device 20, all at once.

[0049] The lighting device 30, the sensor 40, and the wall switch 50, which are the terminals, read the control content included in the payload of the control signal received from the relay device 20 in step S205.

[0050] The lighting device 30, which is a terminal device, operates according to the control content read in step S205 in step S206. In the example of FIG. 6, since the control content is to turn on the lighting, the lighting device 30 turns on the lighting. On the other hand, since the sensor 40 and the wall switch 50 are not target devices for turning on the lighting, which is the control content, they do not change their operations when receiving the control signal.

[0051] As described above, when a control signal is transmitted from the operating device to the lighting device 30, the control signal is not transmitted from the relay device 20 to the power supply device 10, and the control signal is transmitted from the relay device 20 to the terminal devices including the lighting device 30. Since the same address is set for the relay device 20 and the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20, when the relay device 20 transmits a control signal, if the destination address is the same as the relay device 20 itself, it transmits the control signal to the terminal device, and if it is not the same, it may transmit it to the power supply device 10. Therefore, the relay device 20 only needs to store the address of the relay device 20 itself, and the storage capacity and communication control load of the relay device 20 can be reduced.

[0052] As described above, in the device control system 1 including the relay device 20 to which a plurality of terminal devices are connected, since the same address is set for the relay device 20 and the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20, the communication control load between the power supply device 10 and the relay device 20 can be reduced.

[0053] As described above, the device control system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a power supply device 10 having at least one connection port 11 into which a standard cable 60 capable of supplying power and transmitting and receiving control signals is inserted, and at least one relay device 20 that is connected to one of the connection ports 11 via the standard cable 60, supplies power to a plurality of terminal devices having the same address set, and is capable of communicating with the plurality of terminal devices.

[0054] In this way, by connecting a plurality of terminal devices to one relay device 20, the wiring from the power supply device 10 is reduced, and the construction becomes easier. Also, by setting the same address for the relay device 20 and the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20, the load of communication control between the power supply device 10 and the relay device 20 can be reduced.

[0055] Further, in the device control system 1, the terminal device is either a first terminal device capable of receiving power and communicating via a standard cable, or a second terminal device that receives power via the power cable 61 and performs communication via the communication cable 62 or wireless communication. The relay device 20 further includes a power supply unit 25 that supplies power to and transmits and receives control signals to and from the first terminal device, a power supply terminal unit 23a that supplies power to the second terminal device, a signal conversion unit 27 that converts a control signal into a second control signal, and a communication terminal unit 23b that transmits and receives the second control signal to and from the second terminal device. With such a configuration, when introducing the device control system 1 of the present embodiment into a building where a device control system has already been introduced, an existing device can be used as the second terminal device, which has the effect of being able to utilize the existing device as the second terminal device.

[0056] Further, in the device control system 1, one of the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20 is the lighting device 30, and at least one of the terminal devices is an operating device that operates the lighting device 30. With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress a shortage of supplied power compared to connecting a plurality of lighting devices 30 to the relay device 20. Also, since the relay device 20, the lighting device 30 which is a terminal device connected to the relay device 20, and the operating device of the lighting device 30 are installed in a close location such as the same room or space, the wiring between the relay device 20 and the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20 is shorter than the wiring between the power supply device 10 and the relay device 20. Therefore, by reducing the wiring from the power supply device 10, the long wiring work is reduced, and the effect of facilitating the construction becomes greater.

[0057] The device control system 1 is further provided with a management device 71 that is communicably connected to the power supply device 10 and transmits a control signal to the terminal device via the power supply device 10 and the relay device 20. The management device 71 includes a storage unit that stores addresses for identifying the relay device 20 connected to the power supply device 10 and the terminal device. The control signal transmitted by the management device 71 includes address information of the terminal device that is the destination. As a result, it is possible to collectively control the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20 with a single control signal from the management device 71.

[0058] The relay device 20 according to the present embodiment can receive power from the power supply device 10 via the standard cable 60, can transmit and receive control signals, supplies power to a plurality of terminal devices set with the same address, and can communicate with the plurality of terminal devices. In this way, by connecting a plurality of terminal devices to one relay device 20, the wiring from the power supply device 10 is reduced, and the construction becomes easy. Further, by setting the same address for the relay device 20 and the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20, the communication control load between the power supply device 10 and the relay device 20 can be reduced.

[0059] The terminal device is either a first terminal device capable of receiving power and communicating via the standard cable 60, or a second terminal device that receives power via the power cable 61 and performs communication or wireless communication via the communication cable 62. The relay device 20 further includes a power supply unit 25 that supplies power and transmits and receives control signals to the first terminal device, a power supply terminal unit 23a that supplies power to the second terminal device, a signal conversion unit 27 that converts the control signal into a second control signal, and a communication terminal unit 23b that transmits and receives the second control signal to and from the second terminal device. With such a configuration, there is an effect that an existing device can be connected to the relay device 20 as the second terminal device.

[0060] Embodiment 2. Next, Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is an example of address setting for each device in the device control system 1 according to Embodiment 2. In this embodiment, a group address is set for the relay device 20 and the terminal device connected to the relay device 20. Note that since the configuration of the device control system 1 and the functional configuration of the relay device 20 in this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 1, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 7, for the relay device 20 and the terminal device connected to the relay device 20, in the device control system 1, an individual address that is uniquely identified and a group address that is the same for the relay device 20 and the terminal device connected to the relay device 20 are set. In the frame configuration of the control signal, by setting the group address as the destination address, similar to Embodiment 1, the relay device 20 and the terminal device connected to the relay device 20 can be controlled with one control signal, and the communication control load can be reduced. Note that the setting of the group address is performed in the same manner as the address setting in Embodiment 1, before connecting the device to the device control system 1, by setting it with a mechanical dip switch mounted on each device or by pre-storing it in the microcomputer mounted on each device.

[0062] FIG. 8 is an example of the frame configuration of the control signal in the device control system 1 according to Embodiment 2. In this embodiment, the device serving as the transmission source sets both the group address and the individual address in the part for setting the destination address of the control signal.

[0063] FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram for transmitting a control signal from the management device 71 to the lighting device 30 in Embodiment 2. Next, a case where the management device 71 transmits a control signal for turning on the lighting to the lighting device 30, which is a terminal device, will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

[0064] The management device 71 includes a storage unit that stores the group addresses and individual addresses of the terminal devices connected to the device control system 1. When transmitting a control signal to the lighting device 30, the management device 71 first reads out the individual address and group address of the lighting device 30 from the storage unit in step S301.

[0065] Next, in step S302, the management device 71 creates a control signal frame as shown in FIG. 8. The control signal includes, as the destination address, the group address and individual address of the lighting device 30 read out in step S301.

[0066] Next, in step S303, the management device 71 transmits the control signal created in step S302 to the power supply device 10.

[0067] In step S304, the power supply device 10 analyzes the received control signal and confirms the destination address included in the control signal. At this time, the power supply device 10 only needs to read out the group address of the destination address.

[0068] Next, in step S305, the power supply device 10 transmits the control signal to the relay device 20 having the group address of the destination address read out in step S304.

[0069] Next, in step S306, the relay device 20 reads out the individual address included in the destination address of the control signal received from the power supply device 10 in step S305. The relay device 20 also refers to the address storage unit 29 and extracts the terminal device in which the individual address included in the destination address is set. That is, in the present embodiment, the relay device 20 holds information on the individual addresses of the terminal devices connected to the relay device 20 in the address storage unit 29.

[0070] In step S307, the relay device 20 transmits the control signal to the lighting device 30, which is the terminal device in which the individual address of the destination address read out in step S306 is set.

[0071] Next, in step S308, the lighting device 30 reads out the control content included in the payload of the control signal received from the relay device 20 in step S307.

[0072] In step S309, the lighting device 30 operates according to the read control content. In the example of FIG. 9, since the control content is to turn on the lighting, the lighting device 30 turns on the lighting.

[0073] As described above, when transmitting a control signal from the management device 71 to the terminal device, by including the group address and the individual address in the transmission destination address of the control signal, when the power supply device 10 transmits the control signal, it only needs to transmit the control signal to the relay device 20 to which the group address of the transmission destination address is set. Further, the relay device 20 only needs to transmit the control signal only to the terminal device to which the individual address of the transmission destination address is set. Therefore, the transmission from the relay device 20 to the terminal device can be made only to one terminal device, and the communication volume can be reduced.

[0074] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram for transmitting a control signal from the operating device to the lighting device 30 in the second embodiment. FIG. 10 shows the flow of the control signal when transmitting a control signal to turn on the lighting to the lighting device 30 according to the result sensed by the sensor 40 which is the operating device. FIG. 10 corresponds to a case where, for example, the sensor 40 is a human sensor and performs control to turn on the lighting device 30 when a person is detected. Next, a case where the operating device transmits a control signal to turn on the lighting to the lighting device 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 10.

[0075] First, in step S401, the sensor 40 creates a control signal frame as shown in FIG. 8. The control signal includes, as the transmission destination address, the group address of the sensor 40 and the individual address of the lighting device 30. The group address of the sensor 40 is the same as the group address set for the connected relay device 20, lighting device 30, and wall switch 50.

[0076] Next, at step S402, the sensor 40 transmits the control signal created at step S401 to the relay device 20.

[0077] Next, at step S403, the relay device 20 analyzes the received control signal and confirms the group address included in the destination address of the control signal. Since the group address of the destination address is the same as the group address of the relay device 20, the relay device 20 then confirms the individual address of the destination address.

[0078] At step S404, the relay device 20 transmits the control signal to the lighting device 30 to which the individual address of the destination address read from the control signal at step S403 is set.

[0079] At step S405, the lighting device 30 reads out the control content included in the payload of the control signal received from the relay device 20 at step S404.

[0080] At step S406, the lighting device 30 operates according to the control content read out at step S405. In the example of FIG. 10, since the control content is to turn on the lighting, the lighting device 30 turns on the lighting.

[0081] As described above, when transmitting a control signal from the operating device to the lighting device 30, similar to the case of transmitting a control signal from the management device 71 to the lighting device 30, by including the group address and the individual address in the destination address of the control signal, the relay device 20 only needs to transmit the control signal to the terminal device in which the individual address of the destination address is set. Therefore, the transmission from the relay device 20 to the terminal device can be made only to one terminal device, and the communication volume can be reduced.

[0082] As described above, the device control system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a power supply device 10 having at least one connection port 11 into which a standard cable 60 capable of supplying power and transmitting and receiving control signals can be inserted, and a plurality of terminals connected to one of the connection ports 11 via the standard cable 60 and having the same address set therein. The device control system 1 further includes at least one relay device 20 capable of supplying power to the terminals and communicating with the plurality of terminals. The address is a group address for grouping a plurality of terminals connected to one relay device 20 so that they can be simultaneously controlled by one control signal. In addition to the group address, each terminal is set with an individual address for identifying the individual terminal.

[0083] In this way, by setting the group address and the individual address for the terminal, the transmission from the relay device 20 to the terminal can be made only to one terminal, and the communication volume can be reduced.

[0084] Embodiment 3. In Embodiment 1, the address setting of each device and in Embodiment 2, the setting of the individual address and the group address of each device were performed by setting with a mechanical dip switch mounted on each device or by previously storing in a microcomputer mounted on each device before connecting the device to the device control system 1. In the present embodiment, the relay device 20 sets the address or the group address of the terminal connected to the relay device 20.

[0085] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram for setting the address of the terminal from the relay device 20 in Embodiment 3. Referring to FIG. 11, the flow of the relay device 20 setting the address of the terminal will be described. Note that, in the present embodiment, since the configuration of the device control system 1 and the functional configuration of the relay device 20 are the same as those in Embodiment 1, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0086] First, in step S501, the terminal device is connected to the relay device 20. Connecting means connecting the terminal device to the second connection part 22 of the relay device 20 via the standard cable 60. Or, it means connecting the terminal device to the communication terminal part 23b of the third connection part 23 via the communication cable 62.

[0087] Next, in step S502, when the terminal device recognizes that it is connected to the relay device 20 via the standard cable 60 or the communication cable 62, the terminal device transmits an address setting request signal to the relay device 20. Since the terminal device is connected to the relay device 20 without going through other devices, the terminal device can transmit the address setting request signal to the relay device 20 without specifying the destination address.

[0088] Next, in step S503, the relay device 20 transmits an address setting signal as a response to the address setting request signal received in step S502. The address setting signal is a signal instructing the terminal device to set the same address as that of the relay device 20.

[0089] Next, in step S504, the terminal device sets the address of the terminal device according to the address setting signal received in step S503.

[0090] As described above, when the terminal device is connected to the relay device 20, the terminal device requests the relay device 20 to set the address of its own device, and the relay device 20 responds by setting the same address as that of the relay device 20 for the terminal device. As a result, it is not necessary for the operator to set in advance the address of the terminal device to be the same as that of the relay device 20, and the effect that the construction becomes easier is achieved.

[0091] FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram for setting the group address and individual address of the terminal device from the relay device 20 in Embodiment 3. Even when the group address and individual address are set for the relay device 20 and the terminal device, the same effect can be obtained by setting the group address and individual address of the terminal device from the relay device 20. Referring to FIG. 12, the process of the relay device 20 setting the group address and individual address of the terminal device will be described.

[0092] First, in step S601, the terminal device is connected to the relay device 20. Connecting means connecting the terminal device to the second connection part 22 of the relay device 20 via the standard cable 60. Or, it means connecting the terminal device to the communication terminal part 23b of the third connection part 23 via the communication cable 62.

[0093] Next, in step S602, when the terminal device recognizes that it is connected to the relay device 20 via the standard cable 60 or the communication cable 62, the terminal device transmits an address setting request signal to the relay device 20. Since the terminal device is connected to the relay device 20 without going through other devices, the address setting request signal can be transmitted to the relay device 20 without specifying the destination address.

[0094] Next, in step S603, the relay device 20 confirms the individual address of the terminal device already connected to the relay device 20, and extracts an individual address that does not overlap with the already connected terminal devices.

[0095] Next, in step S604, the relay device 20 transmits a group address / individual address setting signal as a response to the address setting request signal received in step S602. The group address / individual address setting signal is a signal that instructs the terminal device to set the same group address as that of the relay device 20 and the individual address extracted in step S603.

[0096] Next, in step S605, the terminal device sets the group address and the individual address of the terminal device according to the group address / individual address setting signal received in step S604.

[0097] As described above, when the terminal device is connected to the relay device 20, the terminal device requests the relay device 20 to set the group address and the individual address of its own device, and the relay device 20 responds by setting the terminal device with the same group address as the relay device 20 and an individual address that does not overlap with the already connected terminal devices. As a result, it is not necessary for the operator to set in advance the group address of the terminal device to be the same as that of the relay device 20, and it is not necessary for the operator to set in advance an individual address that does not overlap with the already connected terminal devices, achieving the effect that the construction becomes easier.

[0098] As described above, the device control system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a power supply device 10 having at least one connection port 11 into which a standard cable 60 capable of supplying power and transmitting and receiving control signals is inserted, and at least one relay device 20 connected to one of the connection ports 11 via the standard cable 60, supplying power to a plurality of terminal devices set with the same address and being capable of communicating with the plurality of terminal devices. The address of the terminal device is set by the relay device to which the terminal device is connected.

[0099] In this way, by the relay device 20 setting the same address as the relay device 20 for the terminal device, it is not necessary for the operator to set in advance the address of the terminal device to be the same as that of the relay device 20, achieving the effect that the construction becomes easier.

[0100] The configuration shown in the above embodiment is an example of the content of the present invention, and it is possible to combine it with other known technologies, and it is also possible to omit or change a part of the configuration without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0101] Examples of aspects that may be included in the present disclosure are specified below as appendices. (Appendix 1) A power supply device including at least one connection port for inserting a standard cable capable of supplying power and transmitting and receiving control signals, At least one relay device connected to one of the connection ports via the standard cable, supplying power to a plurality of terminals set with the same address, and capable of communicating with the plurality of terminals. A device control system comprising. (Appendix 2) The relay device further includes a power supply unit that supplies power and transmits and receives the control signal to a first terminal capable of receiving power and communicating via the standard cable, a power supply terminal unit that supplies power to a second terminal via a power cable, a signal conversion unit that converts the control signal into a second control signal, and a communication terminal unit that transmits and receives the second control signal to and from the second terminal. The device control system according to Appendix 1, characterized in that. (Appendix 3) One of the terminals connected to the relay device is a lighting device, and at least one of the terminals is an operating device for operating the lighting device. The device control system according to Appendix 1, characterized in that. (Appendix 4) Further comprising a management device communicably connected to the power supply device and transmitting the control signal to the terminal via the power supply device and the relay device, The management device includes a storage unit that stores an address for identifying the relay device and the terminal connected to the power supply device, and the control signal transmitted by the management device includes address information of the terminal to be the transmission destination. The device control system according to Appendix 1, characterized in that. (Appendix 5) The address is a group address for grouping the plurality of terminals connected to one relay device to be simultaneously controlled by one control signal, The terminal is characterized in that an individual address for identifying each individual terminal is set in addition to the group address. The device control system according to Appendix 1. (Appendix 6) The address of the terminal device is set by the relay device to which the terminal device is connected, which is the device control system of Supplementary Note 1 (Supplementary Note 7) A relay device that can receive power via a standard cable from a power supply device, can transmit and receive control signals, supplies power to a plurality of terminal devices with the same address set, and can communicate with the plurality of terminal devices. (Supplementary Note 8) A power supply unit that supplies power and transmits and receives the control signal to a first terminal device capable of receiving power and communicating via the standard cable, a power supply terminal unit that supplies power to a second terminal device via a power cable, a signal conversion unit that converts the control signal into a second control signal, and a communication terminal unit that transmits and receives the second control signal to and from the second terminal device. The relay device according to Supplementary Note 7 further includes these components.

Explanation of Reference Signs

[0102] 1 Device control system, 10 Power supply device, 11 Connection port, 20 Relay device, 20a Relay device, 20b Relay device, 21 First connection part, 22 Second connection part, 23 Third connection part, 23a Power supply terminal part, 23b Communication terminal part, 24 Power receiving part, 25 Power supply part, 26 Communication control part, 27 Signal conversion part, 28 Power conversion part, 29 Address storage part, 30 Lighting device, 30a Lighting device, 40 Sensor, 40b Sensor, 50 Wall switch, 50b Wall switch, 60 Standard cable, 61 Power cable, 62 Communication cable, 71 Management device, 72 Upper network, 73 Control panel, 74 System power supply.

Claims

1. A power supply device having at least one connection port for inserting a standard cable capable of supplying power and transmitting and receiving control signals; At least one relay device connected to one of the connection ports via the standard cable, supplying power to a plurality of terminals set with the same address, and being capable of communicating with the plurality of terminals; A device control system comprising the above.

2. The relay device further includes a power supply unit that supplies power and transmits and receives the control signal to a first terminal capable of receiving power and communicating via the standard cable, a power supply terminal unit that supplies power to a second terminal via a power cable, a signal conversion unit that converts the control signal into a second control signal, and a communication terminal unit that transmits and receives the second control signal to and from the second terminal. The device control system according to Claim 1, characterized in that.

3. One of the terminals connected to the relay device is a lighting device, and at least one of the terminals is an operating device for operating the lighting device. The device control system according to Claim 1, characterized in that.

4. Further comprising a management device communicably connected to the power supply device and transmitting the control signal to the terminal via the power supply device and the relay device, The management device includes a storage unit for storing addresses for identifying the relay device and the terminal connected to the power supply device, and the control signal transmitted by the management device includes address information of the terminal as the transmission destination. The device control system according to Claim 1, characterized in that.

5. The address is a group address for grouping the plurality of terminals connected to one relay device to be simultaneously controlled by one control signal, The terminal is characterized in that an individual address for identifying each individual terminal is set in addition to the group address. The device control system according to Claim 1.

6. The address of the terminal is set by the relay device to which the terminal is connected. The device control system according to Claim 1, characterized in that.

7. A relay device capable of receiving power via a standard cable from a power supply device, transmitting and receiving control signals, supplying power to a plurality of terminals set with the same address, and being capable of communicating with the plurality of terminals.

8. A power supply unit that supplies power to and transmits and receives the control signal to and from a first terminal device capable of receiving power and communicating via the standard cable, a power supply terminal unit that supplies power to a second terminal device via a power cable, a signal conversion unit that converts the control signal into a second control signal, and a communication terminal unit that transmits and receives the second control signal to and from the second terminal device. The relay device according to claim 7, further comprising:

Images