Communication device, communication method, and communication program

Abstract

To provide a communication device capable of monitoring deterioration of a radio wave environment in real time even if the radio wave environment is deteriorated by an external factor.SOLUTION: A communication device 10 for acquiring output signals from a sensor 21a and the like and transmitting them to a cloud server 31, has a control unit 11b, a communication control unit 11da, a radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11e, and a data analysis unit 11f. The control unit 11b acquires the output signals from the sensor 21a and the like. The communication control unit 11da transmits the output signals acquired by the control unit 11b to the cloud server 31 via a communication network 30. The radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11e acquires the radio wave intensity of signals received via the communication network 30. The data analysis unit 11f analyzes a communication environment between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31 based on the magnitude of the radio wave intensity acquired by the radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11e.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a communication method, and a communication program that acquire an output signal from an external device and transmit it to an external server.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, communication devices that transmit outputs from external devices such as sensors to a management server or the like have been used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an IoT system and a management server including a plurality of node terminals having a wireless communication module and a sensor, transmitting sensor information to the management server through the wireless communication module, and the management server receiving the sensor information and determining whether notification is necessary based on the sensor information, and posting to a chat room when notification is necessary.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the above-described conventional IoT system has the following problems. In the IoT system disclosed in the above publication, for example, it is often installed in mountainous areas, rooftops of buildings, etc., and although the radio wave intensity is confirmed at the installation stage, it has been difficult to grasp in real time the deterioration of the communication environment even when the communication environment deteriorates due to external factors such as weather conditions and the degree of congestion of the base station after installation.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a communication device, a communication method, and a communication program capable of monitoring in real time the deterioration of the communication environment even when the communication environment deteriorates due to external factors.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The communication device according to the first invention is a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, and includes a signal acquisition unit, a communication control unit, a radio wave intensity acquisition unit, and an analysis unit. The signal acquisition unit acquires an output signal from an external device. The communication control unit transmits the output signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit to an external server via a communication network. The radio wave intensity acquisition unit acquires the radio wave intensity of the signal received via the communication network. The analysis unit analyzes the communication environment with the external server based on the magnitude of the radio wave intensity acquired by the radio wave intensity acquisition unit.

[0007] Here, in a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device such as a sensor and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, the radio wave intensity of the signal received via the communication network is acquired, and the communication environment with the external server is analyzed. Here, the external device includes, for example, various devices such as various sensors and relays. The external server includes, for example, a cloud server having a storage unit, a server device, and the like.

[0008] The communication control unit may communicate with the external server by different communication methods such as LTE (Registered Trademark) (Long Term Evolution), Wifi (Registered Trademark), LoRa (Registered Trademark) (Long Range), etc., or may communicate by the same communication method. As the radio wave intensity, for example, the value of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) or RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) can be used.

[0009] Alternatively, the received radio wave intensity may be the radio wave intensity of a signal received from an external server via a communication network, or may be the radio wave intensity of a signal received from another device via a communication network. Thereby, in the communication device, by monitoring the change in the communication environment with the external server and, for example, transmitting the result to the external server or the like, it is possible to easily recognize the change in the communication environment after the communication device is installed. As a result, even if the communication environment deteriorates due to external factors, it is possible to monitor the deterioration of the communication environment in real time.

[0010] The communication device according to the second invention is the communication device according to the first invention, wherein when the radio wave intensity acquired by the radio wave intensity acquisition unit is lower than a predetermined threshold value by a certain amount compared to the average value of the past radio wave intensities, the analysis unit determines that the communication environment has deteriorated. Note that, instead of the average value, the median value, the mode value, or the like may be used as the value of the past radio wave intensity. Thereby, by analyzing the communication environment according to whether the acquired radio wave intensity is lower than a predetermined threshold value compared to, for example, the average value of the most recent radio wave intensities, it is possible to easily recognize the deterioration of the communication environment.

[0011] The communication device according to the third invention is the communication device according to the second invention, wherein the analysis unit acquires a specific period during which a normal output signal has been received in the external server, and averages the radio wave intensities acquired by the analysis unit during the specific period to update the threshold value. Thereby, it is possible to accurately determine the deterioration of the communication environment using the latest threshold value updated using the average value of the radio wave intensities acquired under a normal communication environment.

[0012] The communication device according to the fourth invention is the communication device according to the first or second invention, wherein the analysis unit acquires the reception status of the output signal acquired in the external server, and when the analysis unit determines that there is data loss a predetermined number of times or more during reception in the external server, determines that the communication environment has deteriorated. Accordingly, when the analysis unit determines that the data received on the external server side is intermittent and has more than a predetermined number of losses, it can be determined that the communication environment has deteriorated.

[0013] The communication device according to the fifth invention is the communication device according to the first or second invention, and further includes a notification unit that notifies the analysis result of the communication environment in the analysis unit. Accordingly, for example, by notifying the analysis result indicating the change in the communication environment in real time to a terminal such as an administrator, the administrator of the communication system can take appropriate measures against the deterioration of the communication environment.

[0014] The communication device according to the sixth invention is the communication device according to the first or second invention, and the analysis unit uses data of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) or RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) as analysis data using radio wave intensity. Accordingly, for example, by acquiring the radio wave intensity such as the RSSI and RSRP from an antenna provided in the communication control unit, it is possible to determine whether communication is possible using the radio wave intensity.

[0015] The communication device according to the seventh invention is the communication device according to the first or second invention, and further has a storage unit that stores the output signal transmitted from the communication control unit and the data of the radio wave intensity. Accordingly, by storing the data of the output signal of the external device transmitted from the communication control unit and the data of the radio wave intensity in the storage unit in the communication device, it is possible to determine whether there is deterioration of the communication environment in the communication device.

[0016] The communication device according to the eighth invention is the communication device according to the first or second invention, and the external device includes any one of a weather sensor that acquires weather data, a power monitoring sensor that acquires power information, and an agricultural sensor that acquires information from a device that grows crops. Thus, by using the various sensors described above as external devices, various data acquired from the various sensors can be stably transmitted to an external server.

[0017] The communication method according to the ninth invention is a communication method by a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, and includes a signal acquisition step, a communication step, a radio wave intensity acquisition step, and an analysis step. In the signal acquisition step, a signal acquisition unit of the communication device acquires an output signal from the external device. In the communication step, a communication control unit of the communication device transmits the output signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit to the external server via the communication network. In the radio wave intensity acquisition step, a radio wave intensity acquisition unit of the communication device acquires the radio wave intensity of the signal received via the communication network. In the analysis step, an analysis unit of the communication device analyzes the communication environment between the communication device and the external server based on the magnitude of the radio wave intensity.

[0018] Here, in a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device such as a sensor and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, the radio wave intensity of the signal received via the communication network is acquired, and the communication environment with the external server is analyzed. Here, the external devices include, for example, various devices such as various sensors and relays. The external servers include, for example, a cloud server having a storage unit, a server device, and the like.

[0019] The communication control unit may communicate with the external server by different communication methods such as LTE (Registered Trademark) (Long Term Evolution), Wifi (Registered Trademark), LoRa (Registered Trademark) (Long Range), or by the same communication method. As the radio wave intensity, for example, the value of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) or RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) can be used.

[0020] Further, the radio wave intensity to be acquired may be the radio wave intensity of a signal received from an external server via a communication network, or may be the radio wave intensity of a signal received from another device via a communication network. Thereby, in the communication device, by monitoring the change in the communication environment between the communication device and the external server, it is possible to easily recognize the change in the communication environment after the installation of the communication device. As a result, even if the communication environment deteriorates due to external factors, it is possible to monitor the deterioration of the communication environment in real time.

[0021] The communication program according to the tenth invention is a communication program executed by a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, and includes a signal acquisition step, a communication step, a radio wave intensity acquisition step, and an analysis step. The computer is caused to execute a communication method. In the signal acquisition step, a signal acquisition unit of the communication device acquires an output signal from an external device. In the communication step, a communication control unit of the communication device transmits the output signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit to an external server via a communication network. In the radio wave intensity acquisition step, a radio wave intensity acquisition unit of the communication device acquires the radio wave intensity of a signal received via a communication network. In the analysis step, an analysis unit of the communication device analyzes the communication environment between the communication device and the external server based on the magnitude of the radio wave intensity.

[0022] Here, in a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device such as a sensor and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, the radio wave intensity of a signal received via the communication network is acquired, and the communication environment between the communication device and the external server is analyzed. Here, the external devices include, for example, various sensors, various devices such as relays, and the like. The external servers include, for example, cloud servers having a storage unit, server devices, and the like.

[0023] The communication control unit may communicate with an external server using different communication methods such as, for example, LTE (Registered Trademark) (Long Term Evolution), Wifi (Registered Trademark), LoRa (Registered Trademark) (Long Range), etc., or may communicate using the same communication method. As the radio wave intensity, for example, the value of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) or RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) can be used.

[0024] Also, the acquired radio wave intensity may be the radio wave intensity of a signal received from an external server via a communication network, or may be the radio wave intensity of a signal received from another device via a communication network. Thereby, in the communication device, by monitoring the change in the communication environment between the communication device and the external server, it is possible to easily recognize the change in the communication environment after the installation of the communication device.

[0025] As a result, even if the communication environment deteriorates due to external factors, it is possible to monitor the deterioration of the communication environment in real time.

Effect of the Invention

[0026] According to the communication device according to the present invention, even if the communication environment deteriorates due to external factors, it is possible to monitor the deterioration of the communication environment in real time.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0028] The communication system 1 including the communication device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described as follows with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. In this embodiment, detailed explanations that are more detailed than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of well-known matters and duplicate explanations for substantially the same configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid making the following explanations unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art. Also, the applicant provides the accompanying drawings and the following description for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present invention, and does not intend to limit the subject matter described in the claims thereby.

[0029] (1) Configuration of the communication system 1 As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 1 including the communication device 10 according to this embodiment is configured around the communication device 10 that acquires various data (output signals) detected by a plurality of sensors (external devices) 21a to 21d via the sensor module 20 and transmits them to the cloud server 31 via the communication network 30. That is, the communication system 1 includes the communication device 10, the sensor module 20 and the sensors 21a to 21d, the communication network 30, the cloud server (external server) 31, and the user terminal device 32.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, the communication device 10 acquires various data detected by sensors 21a to 21d via the sensor module 20 and the radio wave intensity of the signal received via the communication network, and transmits them to the cloud server 31. The detailed configuration of the communication device 10 will be described in detail later. Here, the radio wave intensity indicating the communication environment between the communication device 10 and the outside such as the cloud server 31 is, as a value of the radio wave intensity acquired from the antenna 11db described later, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the measured value of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) or RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) can be used. Further, the radio wave intensity is acquired from the antenna 11db by the radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11e, for example, at the timing when sensor data is acquired from the sensor module 20.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) is a value with a unit of dBm (decibel milliwatt), and is represented as the power measurement value of the signal (the entire system band) from the access point (base station) or router. The RSSI value is determined such that the larger the value in the positive direction, the stronger the radio wave. For example, if it is -30 dBm or more, it is determined as "very strong", if it is -67 dBm or more, it is determined as "very strong", if it is -70 dBm or more, it is determined as "strong", and if it is -80 dBm or more, it is determined as "weak".

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) is a value with a unit of dBm (decibel milliwatt), and is represented as the received power value of the reference signal determined by the positional relationship between the terminal and the base station. The RSRP value is determined such that, for example, similar to RSSI, the larger the value in the positive direction, the stronger the radio wave. For example, if it is -44 dBm or more, it is determined as "very strong", if it is -90 dBm or more, it is determined as "very strong", if it is -100 dBm or more, it is determined as "strong", and if it is -120 dBm or more, it is determined as "weak".

[0033] The sensor module 20 is connected to sensors 21a to 21d, and transmits various data detected by sensors 21a to 21d to the communication device 10. Sensors 21a to 21d are, for example, weather sensors that acquire weather data (such as atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, etc.), power monitoring sensors that acquire power information in homes, offices, etc., agricultural sensors that acquire information (such as sunshine hours, temperature and humidity, acceleration, etc.) from devices for growing crops, and the like.

[0034] The communication network 30 connects between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31, and enables wireless communication between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31. The cloud server 31 is a virtual server device provided in a cloud space on the Internet, and stores various data transmitted via the communication device 10. And as shown in FIG. 1, the cloud server 31 has a data input unit (data acquisition unit) 31a and a storage unit 31b.

[0035] The data input unit 31a receives various data transmitted from the communication device 10 via the communication network 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the storage unit 31b stores various data detected by sensors 21a to 21d received from the communication device 10 via the communication network 30 as sensor log data 31ba (see FIG. 3). The storage unit 31b stores communication environment log data 31bb (see FIG. 4(b)) indicating the communication environment and the presence or absence of communication interruption between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31.

[0036] The sensor log data 31ba is various data detected by sensors 21a to 21d, and includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the detection time in sensors 21a to 21d, the types of sensors 21a to 21d (such as temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, etc.), the ID of the wireless communication module 11a (“1” or “2”), sensor data (such as 20.0°C, 1011 hPa, etc.) and communication status analysis results (analysis A and analysis B described later).

[0037] Note that for the communication status analysis results shown in Fig. 3, for Analysis A, 〇 means that the radio wave intensity is less than the threshold value, and × means that the radio wave intensity is greater than or equal to the threshold value (there is a concern about communication environment deterioration). For Analysis B, 〇 means that the number of communication interruptions is less than the threshold value, and × means that the number of communication interruptions is greater than or equal to the threshold value (there is a concern about communication environment deterioration). The communication environment log data 31bb is data indicating the reception status such as data loss of the data transmitted from the communication device 10, and is used for Analysis B of the communication environment in the communication device 10 described later. The user terminal device 32 is a terminal owned by an administrator who manages various data detected by the sensors 21a to 21d, and is connected to the cloud server 31 via the communication network 30. Then, the user terminal device 32 displays information on the determination result (communication environment, etc.) using the radio wave intensity acquired in the communication device 10 described later.

[0038] (2) Configuration of the communication device 10 The communication device 10 according to the present embodiment is a device that transmits the detection results of the sensors 21a to 21d acquired via the sensor module 20 to the cloud server 31. As shown in Fig. 1, as a communication means, it includes a wireless communication module 11a and a network device 11h.

[0039] The wireless communication module 11a is one of the plurality of communication means provided in the communication device 10, and adopts a communication method such as LTE (registered trademark) (Long Term Evolution), Wifi (registered trademark), LoRa (registered trademark) (Long Range), BLE (registered trademark) (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy), etc. As shown in Fig. 1, the wireless communication module 11a includes a control unit (signal acquisition unit) 11b, a storage unit 11c, a communication processing unit 11d, a radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11e, a data analysis unit 11f, and a display / notification control unit (notification unit) 11g.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 1, the control unit (signal acquisition unit) 11b is connected to the sensor module 20, and acquires the detection results (output signals) of sensors 21a to 21d via the sensor module 20. Further, the control unit 11b causes the storage unit 11c to store the acquired detection results as sensor log data 11ca. Furthermore, the control unit 11b is connected to the communication processing unit 11d, acquires data on the radio wave intensity described later, and causes the storage unit 11c to store it as communication environment log data 11cb.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 1, the storage unit 11c stores sensor log data 11ca (see Fig. 3). The storage unit 11c also stores communication environment log data 11cb (see Fig. 4(a)) indicating the communication environment between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31 and the presence or absence of communication interruption received from the cloud server 31, and a determination threshold value 11cc (see Fig. 5) used when analyzing the communication environment.

[0042] The communication environment log data 11cb is data on the radio wave intensity acquired from the antenna 11db of the communication processing unit 11d and data indicating the presence or absence of communication interruption received from the cloud server 31. As shown in Fig. 4(a), it records the acquisition date and time of the radio wave intensity, data on the radio wave intensity (RSSI value, RSRP value) acquired every hour, the presence or absence of communication interruption (〇 / -) between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31, etc.

[0043] Note that the sensor log data 11ca stored in the storage unit 11c is the same as the sensor log data 31ba stored in the storage unit 31b on the cloud server 31 side described above. The determination threshold value 11cc is a threshold value used in the analysis process of the communication environment using the radio wave intensity described later. As shown in Fig. 5, it includes the communication method (LTE, LoRa, Wifi, BLE, etc.) adopted in the communication unit process 11d, the threshold setting items (RSRP, timeout time, number of communication interruptions in the most recent hour), and the values (dBm, seconds, times) of the respective threshold setting items.

[0044] For example, when the communication processing unit 11d adopts LTE-Cat1 or LTE-CatM1 as the communication method, the threshold value of the radio wave intensity (RSRP) is -120 dBm, the threshold value of the timeout time is 150 seconds, and the threshold value of the number of communication interruptions (per hour) is set to 5 times. Also, when the communication processing unit 11d adopts LoRa as the communication method, the threshold value of the radio wave intensity (RSSI) is -90 dB, the threshold value of the timeout time is 60 seconds, and the threshold value of the number of communication interruptions (per hour) is set to 5 times.

[0045] Furthermore, when the communication processing unit 11d adopts Wifi or BLE as the communication method, the threshold value of the radio wave intensity (RSSI) is -90 dBm, the threshold value of the timeout time is 60 seconds, and the threshold value of the number of communication interruptions (per hour) is set to 5 times. The communication processing unit 11d transmits the detection results of the sensors 21a to 21d obtained by the control unit 11b to the cloud server 31 via the network device 11h and the communication network 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication processing unit 11d includes a communication control unit 11da and an antenna 11db.

[0046] The antenna 11db includes, for example, a built-in wireless communication module type and an external wireless communication module type (external antenna type). According to the installation environment, if the radio wave intensity is weak for the built-in type antenna, the external antenna type can be used. The external antenna type is arranged outside the wireless communication module 11a and is connected to the communication control unit 11da in the communication processing unit 11d via a wire.

[0047] The communication control unit 11da controls the communication between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31 via the communication network 30. In addition, when the communication control unit 11da transmits the detection results (output signals) of the sensors 21a to 21d to the cloud server 31, it determines whether communication is possible according to whether a response signal is received from the cloud server 31 within a predetermined time.

[0048] Antenna 11db transmits data such as detection results in sensors 21a to 21d to network device 11e. Further, communication control unit 11da calculates the radio wave intensity (RSSI value, RSRP value, etc.) from the radio waves received by antenna 11db. Network device 11h is, for example, a base station if the communication method is LTE, a Wi-Fi router if it is Wi-Fi, or a LoRa gateway if it is LoRa. Network device 11h is connected to communication network 30 and transmits various data received from wireless communication module 11a to cloud server 31 via communication network 30.

[0049] Data analysis unit 11f analyzes the communication environment between communication device 10 and cloud server 31 using the radio wave intensity data acquired from antenna 11db of communication processing unit 11d. More specifically, when the acquired radio wave intensity is lower than a predetermined threshold value by a certain amount compared to the average value of the radio wave intensity in the past (for example, for the most recent one day), data analysis unit 11f determines that the communication environment has deteriorated.

[0050] Thereby, it is possible to easily recognize the deterioration of the communication environment according to whether the acquired radio wave intensity is lower than a predetermined threshold value compared to the average value of the recent radio wave intensity. Here, data analysis unit 11f uses RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) or RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) data as data for determination using the radio wave intensity.

[0051] In addition, data analysis unit 11f acquires a specific period during which a normal output signal has been received at data input unit 31a on the cloud server 31 side, averages the radio wave intensities acquired during that specific period, and updates the threshold value. Thereby, by updating the threshold value to the latest value using the average value of the radio wave intensities acquired in a normal communication environment, it is possible to accurately determine the deterioration of the communication environment.

[0052] Furthermore, when the data analysis unit 11f receives the received data of the output signal in the data input unit 31a on the cloud server 31 side from the cloud server 31 side, if communication interruption (data loss) is included a predetermined number of times (for example, 5 times) or more within a specific recent period, it is determined that the communication environment has deteriorated. Note that the period for counting the number of communication interruptions can be set to an arbitrary period, such as 1 hour, 1 day, etc.

[0053] For example, among the data received by the cloud server 31, where 10 sensor data etc. should have been received at predetermined time intervals (1 minute) every predetermined time (10 minutes), but only 7 data were received, the data analysis unit 11f determines that there are 3 data losses. As a result, if the data obtained by the data input unit 31a on the cloud server 31 side is intermittent and the data analysis unit 11f determines that there are deficiencies a predetermined number of times (for example, 3 times) or more within a predetermined time (10 minutes), the data analysis unit 11f on the communication device 10 side can determine that the communication environment has deteriorated.

[0054] Then, the data analysis unit 11f transmits the analysis result to the communication processing unit 11d and transmits it to the cloud server 31 via the communication network 30, and also transmits it to the storage unit 11c to save the analysis result. Based on the analysis result of the communication environment in the data analysis unit 11f described above, when it is determined that the communication environment has deteriorated, the display / notification control unit 11g notifies the cloud server 31 of the deterioration of the communication environment via the communication processing unit 11d.

[0055] <Analysis process of the communication environment between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31> As shown in FIG. 6, the communication system 1 of the present embodiment communicates between a communication device 10 (wireless communication module 11a), a sensor module 20, sensors 21a to 21d, a cloud server 31, and a user terminal device 32, and analyzes the communication environment between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31.

[0056] That is, first, the communication device 10 transmits an initial setting to the sensor module 20 from the control unit 11b of the wireless communication module 11a. Subsequently, the control unit 11b of the wireless communication module 11a transmits a sensor data acquisition instruction signal to the sensor module 20. When the sensor module 20 receives the sensor data acquisition instruction signal received from the wireless communication module 11a, in response thereto, the sensor module 20 transmits the detection results of the sensors 21a to 21d to the wireless communication module 11a as sensor data (output signal). Thereby, the communication device 10 can acquire the sensor data and store it in the storage unit 11c.

[0057] Subsequently, in the communication device 10, the radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11e acquires data related to the radio wave intensity from the antenna 11db using the acquisition timing of the sensor data from the sensor module 20 as a trigger. Note that the data related to the radio wave intensity acquired in the communication device 10 is, for example, data of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) or RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) as described above.

[0058] When the acquired radio wave intensity is greater than a predetermined threshold (see S16 in FIG. 7), the communication control unit 11da of the communication device 10 transmits the sensor data to the cloud server 31. The cloud server 31 records the reception status of the sensor data received from the communication device 10 (including data loss, number of communication interruptions, etc.) and stores it in the storage unit 31b as communication environment log data.

[0059] In addition, the cloud server 31 transmits the reception status of the received sensor data as it is to the communication device 10. As a result, in the communication device 10, by receiving the reception status log data of the sensor log data received on the cloud server 31 side from the cloud server 31, the data analysis unit 11f can analyze the reception status of the sensor data (presence or absence of data loss, communication interruption).

[0060] Then, in the communication device 10, using the radio wave intensity acquired by the radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11e and the reception status log data acquired from the cloud server 31, the data analysis unit 11f performs analysis processing of the communication environment. Here, as the analysis processing of the communication environment, · Has the communication environment deteriorated (radio wave intensity) above the threshold value compared to the average of the past day? · Has the number of communication interruptions occurred above the threshold value? is determined.

[0061] Here, the analysis result in the data analysis unit 11f is transmitted to the cloud server 31 as the communication status determination result. The analysis result (communication status determination result) transmitted to the cloud server 31 is transmitted to the user terminal device 32 together with the sensor log data via the communication network 30. Note that the sensor log data and the communication status determination result transmitted to the user terminal device 32 may be transmitted to the user terminal device 32 from the communication device 10 via the communication network 30 instead of from the cloud server 31 side.

[0062] <Communication method by the communication device 10> The communication method by the communication device 10 of the present embodiment will be described as follows with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7. That is, in step S11, the power of the communication device 10 is turned on. Next, in step S12, the control unit 11b of the communication device 10 transmits an initial setting to the sensor module 20.

[0063] Next, in step S13, the control unit 11b of the communication device 10 acquires the detection results of the sensors 21a to 21d via the sensor module 20. Next, in step S14, the control unit 11b of the communication device 10 stores the acquired sensor data in the storage unit 11c. Next, in step S15, the radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11e of the communication device 10 acquires the radio wave intensity of the signal received from the antenna 11db via the communication network 30, and stores it in the storage unit 11c as communication environment log data.

[0064] Here, the acquired radio wave intensity is the radio wave intensity of the signal received via the communication network 30, and for example, it may be the radio wave intensity of the signal transmitted from the cloud server 31, or the radio wave intensity of the signal transmitted from another device such as the user terminal device 32. Next, in step S16, the data analysis unit 11f of the communication device 10 acquires the threshold value for communication environment determination from the storage unit 11c at the timing when the radio wave intensity at the time of acquiring the sensor log data is stored in the storage unit 11c.

[0065] Next, in step S17, the data analysis unit 11f of the communication device 10 compares the current radio wave intensity acquired in step S15 with the threshold value (RSSI / RSRP) for communication environment determination. If it is greater than the threshold value, it proceeds to step S18. On the other hand, if the current radio wave intensity is less than or equal to the threshold value, it proceeds to step S20. Next, in step S18, since it is determined in step S17 that the communication environment is good, the communication control unit 11da of the communication device 10 transmits the sensor data to the cloud server 31 via the communication network 30.

[0066] Next, in step S19, the communication device 10 receives, from the cloud server 31, data indicating the reception status at the cloud server 31 used for analysis B. Next, in step S20, the data analysis unit 11f of the communication device 10 acquires radio wave intensity data from the storage unit 11c and performs analysis A of the communication environment. Specifically, for example, the data analysis unit 11f compares the average value of the radio wave intensity in the most recent day with the current radio wave intensity, and if it is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, it determines that the communication environment between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31 has deteriorated.

[0067] Next, in step S21, the data analysis unit 11f of the communication device 10 acquires the reception status log data acquired from the cloud server 31 in step S19 and performs another analysis B of the communication environment. Specifically, for example, the data analysis unit 11f checks the presence or absence of partial loss (communication interruption) of the data received at the cloud server 31 from the reception status log data received from the cloud server 31, and if the number of losses is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, it determines that the communication environment between the communication device 10 and the cloud server 31 has deteriorated.

[0068] Next, in step S22, the data analysis unit 31d determines whether either one of analysis A in step S20 and analysis B in step S21 is NG (the radio wave intensity is smaller than a predetermined threshold value compared to the average value, or the number of communication interruptions (number of losses) is greater than a predetermined number). Here, if either analysis A or B is determined to be NG, the process proceeds to step S23, and if it is determined that neither analysis A nor B is NG, the process proceeds to step S25.

[0069] Next, in step S23, the data analysis unit 11f causes the results of analysis A and B to be stored in the storage unit 11c of the communication device 10. Next, in step S24, since at least one of analysis A and B was determined to be NG in step S22, the display / notification control unit 11g of the wireless communication module 11a notifies the user terminal device 32 of the deterioration of the communication environment via the communication control unit 11da and the communication network 30.

[0070] Next, in step S25, the display / notification control unit 11g of the wireless communication module 11a acquires sensor data from the storage unit 11c and transmits it to the user terminal device 32 via the communication network 30 and the cloud server 31. Note that the analysis result and the sensor data in the data analysis unit 11f may be directly transmitted to the user terminal device 32 via the communication network 30 without going through the cloud server 31.

[0071] [Other Embodiments] As described above, one embodiment of the present invention has been explained. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the invention. (A) In the above embodiment, an example of realizing the present invention has been described as a communication device and a communication method. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be realized as a communication program that causes a computer to execute the communication method by the above-described communication device.

[0072] This program is stored in a memory (storage unit) mounted on the communication device, and the CPU reads the communication program stored in the memory and causes the hardware to execute each step. More specifically, by the CPU reading the communication program and executing the above-described signal acquisition step, communication step, radio wave intensity acquisition step, data acquisition step, and analysis step, the same effects as above can be obtained. Also, the present invention may be realized as a recording medium storing the communication program.

[0073] (B) In the above embodiment, an example of using RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) or RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) data as determination data using radio wave intensity has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as other determination data, data such as RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality) and SINR (Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio) may be used.

[0074] (C) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which various data (output signals) detected by the four sensors 21a to 21d are transmitted to the communication device 10 via the sensor module 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the output signal transmitted to the communication device may be transmitted from one, two, or three external devices (such as sensors), or may be transmitted from five or more external devices.

[0075] (D) In the above embodiment, as an example of an external device, the communication device 10 that acquires an output signal from various sensors such as a weather sensor, a power monitoring sensor, and an agricultural sensor has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0076] For example, it may be a communication device that acquires a power cut-off signal from an external device such as a relay and transmits it to an external server.

Industrial Applicability

[0077] Since the communication device of the present invention can monitor the deterioration of the communication environment in real time even when the communication environment deteriorates due to external factors, it can be widely applied to various systems including the communication device.

Explanation of Signs

[0078] 1 Communication system 10 Communication device 11a Wireless communication module 11b Control unit (signal acquisition unit) 11c Storage unit 11ca Sensor log data 11cb Communication environment log data Threshold value for 11cc determination 11d Communication processing unit 11da Communication control unit 11db Antenna 11e Radio wave intensity acquisition unit 11f Data analysis unit (analysis unit) 11g Display / notification control unit (notification unit) 11h Network device 20 Sensor module 21a~21d Sensors (external devices) 30 Communication network 31 Cloud server (external server) 31a Data input unit 31b Storage unit 31ba Sensor log data 31bb Communication environment log data 32 User terminal device

Claims

1. A communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, a signal acquisition unit that acquires the output signal from the external device, a communication control unit that transmits the output signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit to the external server via a communication network, a radio intensity acquisition unit that acquires the radio intensity of a signal received via the communication network, an analysis unit that analyzes the communication environment with the external server based on the magnitude of the radio intensity acquired by the radio intensity acquisition unit, and a communication device comprising the same.

2. When the radio intensity acquired by the radio intensity acquisition unit is lower than a predetermined threshold value by a certain amount compared to the average value of past radio intensities, the analysis unit determines that the communication environment has deteriorated. The communication device according to Claim 1.

3. The analysis unit acquires a specific period during which the external server has received the output signal normally, and averages the radio intensity acquired by the analysis unit during the specific period to update the threshold value. The communication device according to Claim 2.

4. The analysis unit acquires the reception status of the output signal acquired by the external server, and when the analysis unit determines that there is data loss a predetermined number of times or more during reception by the external server, determines that the communication environment has deteriorated. The communication device according to Claim 1 or 2.

5. The communication device further comprises a notification unit that notifies the analysis result of the communication environment in the analysis unit. The communication device according to Claim 1 or 2.

6. The analysis unit uses data of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) or RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) as data for analysis using radio intensity. The communication device according to Claim 1 or 2.

7. The communication device further has a storage unit that stores the data of the output signal and the radio intensity transmitted from the communication control unit. The communication device according to Claim 1 or 2.

8. The external device includes any one of a weather sensor that acquires weather data, a power monitoring sensor that acquires power information, and an agricultural sensor that acquires information from a device for growing crops. The communication device according to Claim 1 or 2.

9. A communication method by a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, a signal acquisition step in which a signal acquisition unit of the communication device acquires an output signal from the external device; a communication step in which a communication control unit of the communication device transmits the output signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit to the external server via a communication network; a radio wave intensity acquisition step in which a radio wave intensity acquisition unit of the communication device acquires the radio wave intensity of a signal received via the communication network; an analysis step in which an analysis unit of the communication device analyzes the communication environment between the communication device and the external server based on the magnitude of the radio wave intensity; A communication method comprising the above.

10. A communication program executed by a communication device that acquires an output signal from an external device and transmits it to an external server via a communication network, a signal acquisition step in which a signal acquisition unit of the communication device acquires an output signal from the external device; a communication step in which a communication control unit of the communication device transmits the output signal acquired by the signal acquisition unit to the external server via a communication network; a radio wave intensity acquisition step in which a radio wave intensity acquisition unit of the communication device acquires the radio wave intensity of a signal received via the communication network; an analysis step in which an analysis unit of the communication device analyzes the communication environment between the communication device and the external server based on the magnitude of the radio wave intensity; A communication program that causes a computer to execute the communication method comprising the above.

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