Communication interruption cause estimating apparatus, communication interruption cause estimating system, communication interruption cause estimating method, and program

Abstract

To provide a communication interruption cause estimation device, a communication interruption cause estimation system, a communication interruption cause estimation method, and a program capable of providing a user with appropriate information for reducing the occurrence of communication interruption in a network.SOLUTION: The cloud servers 1 can communicate with the device 3 via the networks NW1 and NW2, and estimate a cause when communication with the device 3 is interrupted. The cloud servers 1 each include the communication state information acquiring unit 111 configured to acquire RSSI information indicating an indicator of the communication state of the device 3 on the network NW2, the communication state monitoring unit 115 configured to detect occurrence of communication disruption with the device 3, and the communication disruption cause inferring unit 114 configured to, when occurrence of communication disruption is detected, infer a cause of the communication disruption that has occurred from among a plurality of preset causes of communication disruption based on RSSIs on the network NW2 indicated by the RSSI information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication disruption cause estimation device, a communication disruption cause estimation system, a communication disruption cause estimation method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] An automatic remote diagnostic monitoring system has been proposed that includes an environmental sensor that periodically measures environmental data related to the installation environment of an equipment, a physical sensor that periodically measures physical data related to the equipment, a wireless server that collects measurement data wirelessly transmitted from the environmental sensor and the physical sensor, a diagnostic client that collects the measurement data transmitted from the wireless server via a first communication network, and a diagnostic server that receives the measurement data transmitted from the diagnostic client via a second communication network and performs a diagnosis of the equipment based on the received measurement data (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2012 / 049771 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, in an automatic remote monitoring system such as that described in Patent Document 1, if the diagnostic server is temporarily unable to acquire measurement data that is periodically transmitted from environmental sensors and physical sensors, it is required to be able to quickly identify the cause and take appropriate measures to stabilize the communication network.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above reasons, and aims to provide a communication disruption cause estimation device, a communication disruption cause estimation system, a communication disruption cause estimation method, and a program that can provide users with appropriate information to reduce the occurrence of communication disruption in a network. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the communication disruption cause estimation device according to the present disclosure comprises: A communication disruption cause estimation device that is capable of communicating with a device via a plurality of networks and that estimates the cause of a communication disruption when communication with the device is disrupted, a communication status information acquisition unit for acquiring communication status information indicating an indicator of a communication status in at least one of the plurality of networks in the device; a communication status monitoring unit that detects the occurrence of the communication interruption with the device based on the communication status information; and a communication disruption cause estimation unit that, when the occurrence of the communication disruption is detected, estimates the cause of the communication disruption that has occurred from among a plurality of pre-set causes of the communication disruption based on an indicator of the communication state in at least one of the plurality of networks indicated by the communication state information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, when a communication disruption with a device is detected, a communication disruption cause estimation unit estimates the cause of the communication disruption from among multiple preset causes of communication disruption based on an indicator of the communication state in at least one of multiple networks indicated by communication state information before and after the communication disruption. As a result, when a communication disruption with a device occurs, the cause of the communication disruption is estimated based on not only the communication state with the device immediately before the communication disruption but also the communication state with the device immediately after the communication disruption, thereby enabling the cause of the communication disruption to be estimated with high accuracy. Therefore, appropriate information for reducing the occurrence of communication disruption in each of multiple networks with the device can be provided to device users, maintenance companies that perform maintenance on the device, and the like. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a usage state of a communication interruption cause estimation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a communication interruption cause estimation system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a cloud server according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a communication status storage unit according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of information stored in an integrated power consumption storage unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] 1A is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a communication status history storage unit according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of information stored in an integrated power consumption history storage unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a message storage unit according to an embodiment; [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram of the operation of a communication interruption cause estimation unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 1A is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the transition of RSSI and the transition of integrated power consumption, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the transition of RSSI and the transition of integrated power consumption. [Figure 9](A) shows some devices communicating with the router via a repeater, and (B) shows devices communicating directly with the router. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of a communication interruption cause estimation system according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of a communication interruption cause estimation system according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a communication interruption cause estimation process executed by a cloud server according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a cloud server according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A communication disruption cause estimation device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The communication disruption cause estimation device according to the embodiment communicates with a device via multiple networks and estimates the cause of a communication disruption between the device and the device. The communication disruption cause estimation device includes a communication state information acquisition unit that acquires communication state information indicating an indicator of a communication state in at least one of the multiple networks for the device, a communication state monitoring unit that detects a communication disruption between the device and the device based on the communication state information, and a communication disruption cause estimation unit that, when a communication disruption is detected, estimates the cause of the communication disruption from among multiple preset causes of communication disruption based on the indicator of the communication state in at least one of the multiple networks indicated by the communication state information before and after the communication disruption.

[0010] 1, the communication disruption cause estimation system according to this embodiment includes devices 3, power metering devices 4, and a cloud server 1 installed in each of a plurality of buildings H, and estimates the cause of a communication disruption that occurs between the devices 3, the power metering devices 4, and the cloud server 1. The devices 3 and the power metering devices 4 have the function of wirelessly communicating with a router 81 that functions as a wireless access point installed in the building H. The router 81 is connected to a wide area network NW1 via a line termination device 82, and establishes a local area network NW2 consisting of a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) between the devices 3 and the power metering devices 4. The wide area network NW1 is, for example, the Internet, and the cloud server 1 and a terminal device 2 are connected to the wide area network NW1.

[0011] The devices 3 are electrical appliances such as water heaters, microwave ovens, and personal computers, each equipped with a wireless module (not shown) for wireless communication with the router 81 using a communication method conforming to the wireless LAN standard, for example, IEEE 802.11. The devices 3 also have a memory (not shown) for storing communication status information indicating a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), which is an indicator of the communication status between the device 3 and the router 81. When the device 3 receives a management frame transmitted from the router 81, it extracts service set identifier (SSID) information contained in the management frame and stores the extracted SSID information in its memory. Each time a predetermined communication status notification period arrives, the device 3 calculates the RSSI based on the strength of the radio waves received by the wireless module from the router 81, and stores the RSSI information indicating the calculated RSSI in its memory. This communication status notification period is set, for example, from several seconds to several minutes, e.g., 1 minute. Then, the device 3 generates communication status notification information including the SSID information, RSSI information, and device identification information that identifies the device itself stored in the memory, and transmits the information to the cloud server 1. Here, when the time to notify the communication status arrives while communication with the router 81 is interrupted, the device 3 stores the RSSI information in the memory, and when communication with the router 81 is restored, the device 3 generates communication status notification information including the RSSI information stored in the memory and transmits the information to the cloud server 1.

[0012] The energy metering device 4 measures the cumulative amount of power consumed by each device 3 from a preset integration start time for each device 3. Here, the integration start time is set, for example, when the power of the device 3 switches from an off state to an on state, or when the power of the device 3 switches from an on state to an off state again. The energy metering device 4 also includes a wireless module (not shown) that wirelessly communicates with the router 81 using a communication method conforming to the wireless LAN standard, for example, IEEE802.11. The energy metering device 4 also includes a memory (not shown) that stores cumulative energy information indicating the cumulative amount of power measured for each device 3 in association with device identification information that identifies the device 3. The energy metering device 4 measures the cumulative energy for each device 3 every time a preset energy notification period arrives, and stores the cumulative energy information indicating the measured cumulative energy in association with the device identification information in the memory. This energy notification period is set, for example, from several seconds to several minutes, for example, to 1 minute. Then, the power metering device 4 generates power amount notification information including a combination of the accumulated power amount information and the device identification information stored in the memory, and transmits it to the cloud server 1. Furthermore, the power metering device 4 stores accumulated power amount information indicating the accumulated amount of power consumed by the measured device 3 during the period when communication is interrupted, and transmits the accumulated power amount information stored in the memory to the cloud server 1 when communication with the cloud server 1 is restored.

[0013] The terminal device 2 is, for example, a smartphone, and includes a display unit (not shown) and an input unit (not shown) 5. When the terminal device 2 acquires communication disruption cause notification information (described later), the terminal device 2 forms a disruption cause notification image notifying the user of the communication disruption cause between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1 based on message information included in the acquired communication disruption cause notification information, and displays the image on the display unit. Assume that a user of the device 3, a maintenance company performing maintenance on the device 3, or the like performs a process response operation on the input unit of the terminal device 2 to respond with the process performed to restore communication between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1. In this process response operation, the user selects one of multiple pre-set process contents and inputs the date and time the process was performed. In this case, the terminal device 2 generates process content notification information including process content information indicating the selected process content and process date and time information indicating the input date and time, and transmits the process content notification information to the cloud server 1.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the cloud server 1 includes a CPU 101, a main memory unit 102, an auxiliary memory unit 103, a clock unit 108, a communication unit 106, and a bus 109 connecting the various units, and functions as a communication disruption cause estimation device that estimates the cause of a communication disruption between the device 3 and the power metering device 4. The CPU 101 is, for example, a multi-core processor. The main memory unit 102 has a volatile memory and is used as a work area for the CPU 101. The auxiliary memory unit 103 is composed of a large-capacity non-volatile memory and stores programs for realizing various functions of the cloud server 1. The clock unit 108 is, for example, an RTC (Real Time Clock). The communication unit 106 has a modem, a gateway, etc., and is connected to a wide area network NW1.

[0015] In the cloud server 1, the CPU 101 loads the program stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103 into the main storage unit 102 and executes it, thereby functioning as a communication state information acquisition unit 111, a measurement information acquisition unit 119, a communication state history extraction unit before and after disruption 112, an integrated power consumption history extraction unit before and after disruption 113, a communication state monitoring unit 115, a communication disruption cause estimation unit 114, a communication disruption cause notification unit 116, a treatment content acquisition unit 117, and a model generation unit 118, as shown in Fig. 3. The auxiliary storage unit 103 shown in Fig. 2 also includes a communication state storage unit 131, an integrated power consumption storage unit 132, a communication state history storage unit 133, an integrated power consumption history storage unit 134, an estimation model storage unit 135, and a message storage unit 136, as shown in Fig. 3. 4(A), the communication status storage unit 131 stores RSSI information indicating RSSI, which is an index of the communication status between the device 3 and the router 81 in the power measuring device 4, in association with device identification information for identifying the device 3 and the power measuring device 4, SSID information for identifying the router 81, and measurement date and time information indicating the date and time at which the RSSI was measured. The example shown in FIG. 4(A) indicates that for the device 3 identified by device identification information IDE[0], the RSSI calculated based on the reception strength of radio waves transmitted from the router 81 identified by SSID[0] as of 13:00 on 1 / 1 / 2024 is "-60 dBm."

[0016] 4(B), the integrated power amount storage unit 132 stores integrated power amount information indicating the integrated power amount consumed by the device 3 from a preset integration start time in association with device identification information for identifying the device 3 and the power amount metering device 4, and calculation date and time information indicating the calculation date and time when the integrated power amount was calculated. The example shown in FIG. 4(B) indicates that the integrated power amount is "110.0 Wh" as of 13:00 on 1 / 1 / 2024 for the device 3 identified by device identification information IDE[0].

[0017] 5(A), for example, the communication status history storage unit 133 stores RSSI information indicating the RSSI of the device 3 and the power metering device 4 before and after a communication disruption occurs between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1, in association with SSID information that can identify the router 81, time-just-before-disruption information indicating the time just before the communication disruption and just after the communication is restored, and time-just-after-recovery information. The communication status history storage unit 133 also stores the above-mentioned RSSI information in association with communication disruption date and time information indicating the date and time when the communication disruption occurred, communication restoration date and time information indicating the date and time when the communication was restored, and device identification information that identifies the device 3 and the power metering device 4. Here, the time-just-before-disruption information indicates the measurement date and time based on the date and time when the communication disruption occurred, and the time-just-after-recovery information indicates the measurement date and time based on the date and time when the communication was restored. In the example shown in Figure 5(A), for device 3 identified by device identification information IDE[0], the RSSI calculated based on the reception strength of radio waves transmitted from router 81 identified by SSID[0] one hour before the communication outage occurred was "-80 dBm," and the RSSI calculated based on the reception strength of radio waves transmitted from router 81 identified by SSID[0] was "-50 dBm" 30 minutes after the communication was restored.

[0018] 5(B), for example, the integrated power consumption history storage unit 134 stores integrated power consumption information indicating the integrated power consumed by the device 3 from a preset integration start point before and after a communication disruption occurs between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1, in association with time information just before disruption and time information just after recovery indicating the measurement times of RSSI just before the communication disruption and just after communication recovery. The integrated power consumption history storage unit 134 also stores the RSSI information in association with communication disruption date and time information indicating the date and time when the communication disruption occurred, communication recovery date and time information indicating the date and time when communication was restored, and device identification information identifying the device 3 and the power metering device 4. The example shown in FIG. 5(B) indicates that for the device 3 identified by device identification information IDE[0], the integrated power consumption one hour before the communication disruption occurred was "100.0 Wh," and the integrated power consumption 30 minutes after the communication was restored was "105.0 Wh."

[0019] Returning to FIG. 3 , the estimation model storage unit 135 stores communication disruption cause estimation model information indicating a communication disruption cause estimation model for estimating the cause of a communication disruption based on the RSSI indicated by the RSSI information before and after the occurrence of a communication disruption between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1, and the integrated power indicated by the integrated power information. Here, the communication disruption cause estimation model is, for example, a forward propagation neural network. In this case, the estimation model storage unit 135 stores information indicating the structure of the neural network and information indicating weighting coefficients in the neural network. Here, the information indicating the structure of the neural network includes information indicating the number of nodes and layers of the neural network, as well as the weighting coefficients and activation functions corresponding to each node.

[0020] 6, the message storage unit 136 stores message information including the cause of communication disruption, a solution for restoring communication, etc., in association with action content information indicating the action content based on the solution for restoring communication, and disruption cause information indicating the cause of communication disruption. Here, the action content information may indicate an identification code for identifying the action content based on the solution. Furthermore, the disruption cause information may also indicate an identification code for identifying the cause of communication disruption.

[0021] Returning to FIG. 3 , when the communication state information acquisition unit 111 acquires communication state notification information periodically transmitted from the device 3 and the power energy metering device 4, it extracts RSSI information, SSID information, and device identification information included in the acquired communication state notification information. Then, the communication state information acquisition unit 111 regards the date and time at which the communication state notification information measured by the clock unit 108 is acquired as the measurement date and time, and stores the extracted various information and measurement date and time information indicating the measurement date and time in the communication state storage unit 131 in association with each other. When the measurement information acquisition unit 119 acquires power energy notification information periodically transmitted from the power energy metering device 4, it extracts integrated power energy information and device identification information included in the acquired power energy notification information. Then, the measurement information acquisition unit 119 regards the date and time at which the power notification information measured by the clock unit 108 is acquired as the measurement date and time, and stores the extracted various information and measurement date and time information indicating the measurement date and time in the integrated power energy storage unit 132 in association with each other.

[0022] The communication status monitoring unit 115 monitors the occurrence of communication disruption and recovery between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1 based on the measurement date and time information stored in the communication status storage unit 131. Here, if a state in which no new measurement date and time information is stored in the communication status storage unit 131 continues for a predetermined time period from the most recent measurement date and time indicated in the measurement date and time information stored in the communication status storage unit 131, the communication status monitoring unit 115 determines that a communication disruption has occurred between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1. Thereafter, if the communication status storage unit 131 stores new measurement date and time information, the communication status monitoring unit 115 determines that communication between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1 has been restored. Then, the communication status monitoring unit 115 notifies the communication status history extraction unit 112 before and after the interruption, the integrated power consumption history extraction unit 113 before and after the interruption, and the communication interruption cause estimation unit 114 of communication interruption date and time information indicating the date and time when the communication interruption occurred, communication recovery date and time information indicating the date and time when communication was restored after the communication interruption, and device identification information of the device 3 where the communication interruption occurred and the power consumption metering device 4.

[0023] When a preset period has elapsed after the communication status monitoring unit 115 notifies the communication status history extraction unit 112 of the communication disruption date and time information, the communication recovery date and time information, and the device identification information, the pre- and post-disruption communication status history extraction unit 112 extracts, from the RSSI information and SSID information corresponding to the notified device identification information stored in the communication status storage unit 131, RSSI information and SSID information from a time point that is the preset period before the communication disruption date and time indicated by the communication disruption date and time information to the communication disruption date and time, and RSSI information and SSID information from the communication recovery date and time indicated by the communication recovery date and time information to a time point that is the preset period after the communication recovery date and time.The pre- and post-disruption communication status history extraction unit 112 then stores the extracted RSSI information and SSID information in the communication status history storage unit 133 in association with either pre-disruption time information indicating the measurement date and time based on the date and time the communication disruption occurred or post-disruption time information indicating the measurement date and time based on the date and time the communication was restored. In addition, the communication state history extraction unit 112 before and after the disruption stores the extracted RSSI information and SSID information in the communication state history storage unit 133 in association with the communication disruption date and time information, communication recovery date and time information, and the notified device identification information.

[0024] When a predetermined period has elapsed after the communication status monitoring unit 115 notifies the unit 113 of the communication disruption date and time information, the communication recovery date and time information, and the device identification information, the unit 113 extracts, from the integrated power information corresponding to the notified device identification information stored in the integrated power storage unit 132, integrated power information covering the period from a time point a predetermined period before the communication disruption date and time indicated by the communication disruption date and time information to the communication disruption date and time, and integrated power information covering the period from the communication recovery date and time indicated by the communication recovery date and time information to a time point a predetermined period after the communication recovery date and time.The unit 113 then stores the extracted integrated power information in the integrated power storage unit 134 in association with either the time immediately before the disruption information indicating the measurement date and time based on the date and time the communication disruption occurred or the time immediately after the disruption information indicating the measurement date and time based on the date and time the communication was restored. In addition, the pre- and post-disruption cumulative power consumption history extraction unit 113 stores the extracted cumulative power consumption information in the cumulative power consumption history storage unit 134 in association with communication disruption date and time information, communication recovery date and time information, and the notified device identification information.

[0025] When a preset period has elapsed after the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 has been notified of the communication disruption date and time information, communication recovery date and time information, and device identification information from the communication status monitoring unit 115, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 estimates the cause of the communication disruption between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1 using the communication disruption cause estimation model indicated by the communication disruption cause estimation model information stored in the estimation model storage unit 135. Specifically, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 first identifies the RSSI information and SSID information stored in the communication status history storage unit 133 at each time point before and after the communication disruption corresponding to the device identification information of the device 3 and the power metering device 4 at which the communication disruption occurred, and the integrated power energy information stored in the integrated power energy history storage unit 134 at each time point before and after the communication disruption corresponding to the device identification information of the device 3 and the power metering device 4 at which the communication disruption occurred. Based on the identified RSSI information, SSID information, and cumulative power information, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 generates a vector Vin, which includes an element indicating RSSI, an element indicating SSID, and an element indicating cumulative power, as shown in FIG. 7. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the vector Vin includes at least elements IN[0,n] and IN[1,n] (n is a positive integer) indicating RSSI at multiple preset points before and after the communication disruption, and elements IN[2,n] and IN[3,n] indicating cumulative power. The communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 then inputs the vector Vin into the communication disruption cause estimation model described above to calculate an expected value vector Vout, whose elements are expected values ​​indicating that the cause of the communication disruption is one of multiple preset types of communication disruption. The communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 then identifies the cause of the communication disruption corresponding to the element with the highest expected value among the multiple elements of the calculated expected value vector Vout. In the example shown in FIG. 7, if the cause of the communication disruption is an external radio wave fluctuation factor, the value of element Q[0] of the expected value vector Vout is the highest. On the other hand, if the cause of the communication disruption is due to moving device 3, using a wireless repeater, using a store-based power source, using energy-saving communication equipment, or due to communication distance or obstacles, the values ​​of elements Q[1], Q[2], Q[3], Q[4], and Q[5] will be highest, respectively.Returning to FIG. 3, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 then notifies the communication disruption cause notification unit 116 of communication disruption cause information indicating the cause of the communication disruption corresponding to the element with the highest value.

[0026] For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, if the accumulated power consumption gradually increases during the communication disruption period, device 3B continues to operate even during the communication disruption period. In this case, communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 estimates that the cause of the communication disruption is, for example, external radio wave fluctuations. Also, as shown in FIG. 8B, if the accumulated power consumption remains constant during the communication disruption period, device 3B stops operating during the communication disruption period. In this case, communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 estimates that the cause of the communication disruption is, for example, that device 3B uses so-called energy-saving communication equipment and temporarily stops operating to save energy. Also, as shown in FIG. 9A, if device 3A communicates directly with router 81 and device 3B communicates with repeater 83, the SSID information corresponding to the device identification information of device 3B indicates the SSID of repeater 83. 9B, after a communication disruption occurs with device 3B, when device 3B is placed in a position where it can directly communicate with router 81, the SSID information corresponding to the device identification information of device 3B indicates the SSID of router 81. In this case, communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 estimates that the cause of the communication disruption is, for example, that device 3B has been moved or that a wireless repeater is being used.

[0027] 3, when the communication disruption cause notification unit 116 is notified of the communication disruption cause information from the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114, the communication disruption cause notification unit 116 selects message information corresponding to the notified communication disruption cause information from the message information stored in the message storage unit 136. Then, the communication disruption cause notification unit 116 generates communication disruption cause notification information including the selected message information and transmits it to the terminal device 2.

[0028] When the treatment content acquisition unit 117 acquires the treatment content notification information transmitted from the terminal device 2, it extracts the treatment content information, treatment date and time information, and device identification information included in the acquired treatment content notification information. Furthermore, the treatment content acquisition unit 117 selects communication disruption cause information corresponding to the extracted treatment content information from the communication disruption cause information stored in the message storage unit 136, and notifies the model generation unit 118 of the selected communication disruption cause information, the extracted treatment date and time information, and the device identification information.

[0029] When the model generation unit 118 is notified of the communication disruption cause information, device identification information, and treatment date and time information from the treatment content acquisition unit 117, it identifies communication recovery date and time information that indicates the date and time closest to the date and time indicated by the notified treatment date and time information from the communication recovery date and time information stored in the communication state history storage unit 133. Then, the model generation unit 118 selects RSSI information and SSID information stored in the communication state history storage unit 133, which correspond to the identified communication recovery date and time information. Furthermore, when the model generation unit 118 is notified of the communication disruption cause information, device identification information, and treatment date and time information from the treatment content acquisition unit 117, it identifies communication recovery date and time information that indicates the date and time closest to the date and time indicated by the notified treatment date and time information from the communication recovery date and time information stored in the integrated power consumption history storage unit 134. Then, the model generation unit 118 selects the integrated power consumption information stored in the integrated power consumption history storage unit 134, which corresponds to the identified communication recovery date and time information. The model generation unit 118 then generates a new communication disruption cause estimation model using the selected RSSI information, SSID information, and integrated power consumption information, as well as the notified communication disruption cause information, and updates the communication disruption cause estimation model information stored in the estimation model storage unit 135 with communication disruption cause estimation model information indicating the generated communication disruption cause estimation model. Specifically, the model generation unit 118 first sets the expected values ​​constituting each element of the expected value vector so that the expected value corresponding to the communication disruption cause indicated by the notified communication disruption cause information is higher than the expected values ​​corresponding to other communication disruption causes. For example, the model generation unit 118 sets the expected value corresponding to the communication disruption cause indicated by the notified communication disruption cause information to a number greater than 0, and sets the expected values ​​corresponding to other communication disruption causes to "0." The model generation unit 118 also calculates the error between the expected value vector calculated using the communication disruption cause estimation model before the update and the set expected value vector. Then, the model generation unit 118 determines weighting coefficients of the communication disruption cause estimation model by an error propagation method (backpropagation) based on the calculated errors. After that, the model generation unit 118 updates the communication disruption cause estimation model information stored in the estimation model storage unit 135 with communication disruption cause estimation model information indicating the determined weighting coefficients.

[0030] Next, the operation of the communication disruption cause estimation system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. First, as shown in FIG. 10, when a preset communication status notification time arrives, the device 3 calculates an RSSI based on the strength of radio waves received by its wireless module from the router 81, and generates communication status notification information including RSSI information indicating the calculated RSSI and device identification information for identifying the device (step S1). The generated communication status notification information is then transmitted from the device 3 to the cloud server 1 (step S2). Meanwhile, upon receiving the communication status notification information transmitted from the device 3, the cloud server 1 extracts the RSSI information, SSID information, and device identification information included in the obtained communication status notification information. The cloud server 1 then regards the date and time at which the communication status notification information was received as the measurement date and time, and stores the extracted information and measurement date and time information indicating the measurement date and time in the communication status storage unit 131 in association with each other (step S3). The energy measuring device 4 also calculates the RSSI based on the strength of the radio waves received by its own wireless module from the router 81, and generates communication status notification information including RSSI information indicating the calculated RSSI and device identification information for identifying its own device (step S4). The generated communication status notification information is then transmitted from the energy measuring device 4 to the cloud server 1 (step S5). Meanwhile, upon receiving the communication status notification information transmitted from the energy measuring device 4, the cloud server 1 extracts the RSSI information, SSID information, and device identification information included in the obtained communication status notification information. The cloud server 1 then regards the date and time at which the communication status notification information was received as the measurement date and time, and stores the extracted various pieces of information and measurement date and time information indicating the measurement date and time in the communication status storage unit 131 in association with each other (step S6).

[0031] Furthermore, the energy metering device 4 measures the accumulated amount of energy consumed by each device 3 from the start of the accumulation described above, and generates energy notification information including a combination of accumulated energy information indicating the measured accumulated energy and device identification information (step S7). The generated energy notification information is transmitted from the energy metering device 4 to the cloud server 1 (step S8). Meanwhile, upon receiving the energy notification information transmitted from the energy metering device 4, the cloud server 1 extracts the accumulated energy information and device identification information included in the received energy notification information. The measurement information acquisition unit 119 then regards the date and time at which the energy notification information was received as the measurement date and time, and stores the extracted various pieces of information and measurement date and time information indicating the measurement date and time in the accumulated energy storage unit 132 in association with each other (step S9).

[0032] Next, it is assumed that the cloud server 1 detects a communication disruption and subsequent recovery of communication between the device 3, the energy metering device 4, and the cloud server 1 based on the measurement date and time information stored in the communication status storage unit 131. In this case, after detecting the recovery of communication and a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the cloud server 1 extracts, from the RSSI information and SSID information corresponding to the device identification information of the device 3 whose communication has been disrupted and stored in the communication status storage unit 131, RSSI information and SSID information from a time point a predetermined period before the communication disruption date and time to the communication disruption date and time, and RSSI information and SSID information from the communication recovery date and time to a time point a predetermined period after the communication recovery date and time. Then, the cloud server 1 associates the extracted RSSI information and SSID information with the aforementioned time information just before the disruption or time information just after the disruption, communication disruption date and time information, communication recovery date and time information, and device identification information, and stores the extracted RSSI information and SSID information in the communication status history storage unit 133 (step S10).

[0033] Next, the cloud server 1 extracts, from the integrated power energy information corresponding to the device identification information of the device 3 that has experienced a communication disruption, which is stored in the integrated power energy storage unit 132, integrated power energy information from a point in time a preset period before the communication disruption date and time to the communication disruption date and time, and integrated power energy information from the communication restoration date and time to a point in time a preset period after the communication restoration date and time.The cloud server 1 then stores the extracted integrated power energy information in the integrated power energy history storage unit 134 in association with the above-mentioned information on the time just before the disruption or information on the time just after the disruption, information on the communication disruption date and time, information on the communication restoration date and time, and device identification information (step S11).

[0034] Thereafter, the cloud server 1 estimates the cause of the communication disruption between the equipment 3, the power metering device 4 and the cloud server 1 using the communication disruption cause estimation model indicated by the communication disruption cause estimation model information stored in the estimation model memory unit 135 as described above (step S12).

[0035] Next, the cloud server 1 selects message information corresponding to the communication interruption cause information indicating the estimated cause of the communication interruption from the message information stored in the message storage unit 136. 11, the cloud server 1 generates communication disruption cause notification information including the selected message information (step S13). Subsequently, as shown in Fig. 11, the generated communication disruption cause notification information is transmitted from the cloud server 1 to the terminal device 2 (step S14). Meanwhile, upon acquiring the communication disruption cause notification information, the terminal device 2 forms a disruption cause notification image notifying the cause of the communication disruption between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1 based on the message information included in the acquired communication disruption cause notification information, and displays the image on the display unit (step S15).

[0036] Thereafter, it is assumed that a user of the device 3, a maintenance company performing maintenance on the device 3, or the like performs a process response operation on the input unit of the terminal device 2 to respond with the process content performed to restore communication between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1. In this case, the terminal device 2 generates process content notification information including process content information indicating the process content and process date and time information indicating the date and time when the process was performed (step S16), and the generated process content notification information is transmitted from the terminal device 2 to the cloud server 1 (step S17).

[0037] Meanwhile, when the cloud server 1 acquires the treatment content notification information transmitted from the terminal device 2, it extracts the treatment content information, treatment date and time information, and device identification information included in the acquired treatment content notification information. Then, the cloud server 1 selects communication disruption cause information corresponding to the extracted treatment content information from the communication disruption cause information stored in the message storage unit 136 (step S18). Next, the cloud server 1 identifies communication recovery date and time information indicating the date and time closest to the date and time indicated by the treatment date and time information included in the treatment content notification information from the communication recovery date and time information stored in the communication status history storage unit 133. Then, the cloud server 1 selects RSSI information and SSID information immediately before the communication disruption and immediately after the communication recovery corresponding to the identified communication recovery date and time information stored in the communication status history storage unit 133 (step S19). Next, the cloud server 1 identifies communication recovery date and time information indicating the date and time closest to the date and time indicated by the notified treatment date and time information from the communication recovery date and time information stored in the integrated power consumption history storage unit 134. Then, the cloud server 1 selects the accumulated power consumption information immediately before the communication disruption and immediately after the communication recovery corresponding to the identified communication recovery date and time information stored in the accumulated power consumption history storage unit 134 (step S20). After that, the cloud server 1 generates a new communication disruption cause estimation model using the selected RSSI information, SSID information, and accumulated power consumption information and the selected communication disruption cause information, and updates the communication disruption cause estimation model information stored in the estimation model storage unit 135 with communication disruption cause estimation model information indicating the generated communication disruption cause estimation model (step S21).

[0038] Next, the communication disruption cause estimation process executed by the cloud server 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12. This communication disruption cause estimation process is started, for example, when a program for executing the communication disruption cause estimation process is started while the cloud server 1 is powered on. First, the communication status information acquisition unit 111 determines whether or not communication status notification information transmitted from the device 3 and the power metering device 4 has been acquired (step S101). If the communication status information acquisition unit 111 determines that communication status notification information has not been acquired (step S101: No), the process of step S103, which will be described later, is executed. On the other hand, if the communication status information acquisition unit 111 determines that communication status notification information has been acquired (step S101: Yes), the communication status information acquisition unit 111 extracts the RSSI information, SSID information, and device identification information included in the acquired communication status notification information. Then, the communication status information acquisition unit 111 regards the date and time when the communication status notification information measured by the timing unit 108 is acquired as the measurement date and time, and stores the extracted various information and the measurement date and time information indicating the measurement date and time in the communication status memory unit 131 in association with each other (step S102).

[0039] Next, the measurement information acquisition unit 119 determines whether or not it has acquired power amount notification information transmitted from the power amount metering device 4 (step S103). If the measurement information acquisition unit 119 determines that it has not acquired power amount notification information (step S103: No), it executes the processing of step S105, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the measurement information acquisition unit 119 determines that it has acquired power amount notification information (step S103: Yes), it extracts the integrated power amount information and the device identification information included in the acquired power amount notification information. Then, the measurement information acquisition unit 119 regards the date and time when the power notification information, measured by the clock unit 108, was acquired as the measurement date and time, and stores the extracted various pieces of information and the measurement date and time information indicating the measurement date and time in the integrated power amount storage unit 132 in association with each other (step S104).

[0040] Next, the communication status monitoring unit 115 determines whether or not communication has been restored after the communication interruption occurred between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1, based on the measurement date and time information stored in the communication status storage unit 131 (step S105). If the communication status monitoring unit 115 determines that the communication interruption continues or that communication is maintained between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1 (step S105: No), the process of step S110, which will be described later, is executed. On the other hand, when the communication status monitoring unit 115 determines that communication has been restored after a communication interruption occurred between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1 (step S105: Yes), it notifies the communication status history extraction unit 112 before and after interruption, the integrated power consumption history extraction unit 113 before and after interruption, and the communication interruption cause estimation unit 114 of communication interruption date and time information indicating the date and time when the communication interruption occurred, communication recovery date and time information indicating the date and time when communication was restored after the communication interruption, and device identification information of the device 3 and the power metering device 4 where the communication interruption occurred.

[0041] Then, when a preset period has elapsed after the communication status monitoring unit 115 notifies the pre- and post-disruption communication status history extraction unit 112 of the communication disruption date and time information, communication recovery date and time information, and device identification information, the pre- and post-disruption communication status history extraction unit 112 extracts, from the RSSI information and SSID information corresponding to the notified device identification information stored in the communication status storage unit 131, RSSI information and SSID information from a time point that is the preset period before the communication disruption date and time indicated by the communication disruption date and time information to the communication disruption date and time, and RSSI information and SSID information from the communication recovery date and time indicated by the communication recovery date and time information to a time point that is the preset period after the communication recovery date and time.The pre- and post-disruption communication status history extraction unit 112 then stores the extracted RSSI information and SSID information in the communication status history storage unit 133 in association with the above-mentioned time information just before the disruption or time information just after the disruption, the communication disruption date and time information, the communication recovery date and time information, and the notified device identification information (step S106).

[0042] Furthermore, when a preset period has elapsed after the communication status monitoring unit 115 notifies the unit 113 of the communication disruption date and time information, the communication recovery date and time information, and the device identification information, the unit 113 extracts, from the integrated energy information corresponding to the notified device identification information stored in the integrated energy storage unit 132, integrated energy information for the period from a time point that is a preset period before the communication disruption date and time indicated by the communication disruption date and time information to the communication disruption date and time, and integrated energy information for the period from the communication recovery date and time indicated by the communication recovery date and time information to a time that is a preset period after the communication recovery date and time.The unit 113 then stores the extracted integrated energy information in the integrated energy history storage unit 134 in association with the time information just before the disruption or the time information just after the disruption, the communication disruption date and time information, the communication recovery date and time information, and the notified device identification information (step S107).

[0043] Thereafter, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 identifies the RSSI information and SSID information stored in the communication status history storage unit 133 at each time point before and after the communication disruption corresponding to the device identification information of the device 3 and the energy metering device 4 where the communication disruption occurred, and the integrated energy information stored in the integrated energy history storage unit 134 at each time point before and after the communication disruption corresponding to the device identification information of the device 3 and the energy metering device 4 where the communication disruption occurred. Then, based on the identified RSSI information, SSID information, and integrated energy information, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 estimates the cause of the communication disruption between the device 3, the energy metering device 4, and the cloud server 1 using a communication disruption cause estimation model indicated by the communication disruption cause estimation model information stored in the estimation model storage unit 135 (step S108). At this time, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 notifies the communication disruption cause notification unit 116 of the communication disruption cause information indicating the estimated cause of the communication disruption.

[0044] Next, the communication disruption cause notification unit 116 selects, from the message information stored in the message storage unit 136, message information corresponding to the communication disruption cause information notified by the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114. Then, the communication disruption cause notification unit 116 generates communication disruption cause notification information including the selected message information and transmits it to the terminal device 2 (step S109).

[0045] Next, the treatment content acquisition unit 117 determines whether or not the treatment content notification information transmitted from the terminal device 2 has been acquired (step S110). If the treatment content acquisition unit 117 determines that the treatment content notification information has not been acquired (step S110: No), the process of step S101 is executed again. On the other hand, if the treatment content acquisition unit 117 determines that the treatment content notification information has been acquired (step S110: Yes), the treatment content acquisition unit 117 extracts the treatment content information, treatment date and time information, and device identification information included in the acquired treatment content notification information. Then, the treatment content acquisition unit 117 selects communication disruption cause information corresponding to the extracted treatment content information from the communication disruption cause information stored in the message storage unit 136 (step S111). At this time, the treatment content acquisition unit 117 notifies the model generation unit 118 of the selected communication disruption cause information, the extracted device identification information, and the treatment date and time information.

[0046] Thereafter, when the model generation unit 118 is notified of the communication disruption cause information, device identification information, and treatment date and time information from the treatment content acquisition unit 117, the model generation unit 118 identifies, from the communication recovery date and time information stored in the communication state history storage unit 133, communication recovery date and time information that indicates the date and time closest to the date and time indicated by the notified treatment date and time information.The model generation unit 118 then selects RSSI information and SSID information stored in the communication state history storage unit 133, immediately before the communication disruption and immediately after the communication recovery, which correspond to the identified communication recovery date and time information (step S112).Next, the model generation unit 118 identifies, from the communication recovery date and time information stored in the accumulated power consumption history storage unit 134, communication recovery date and time information that indicates the date and time closest to the date and time indicated by the notified treatment date and time information.The model generation unit 118 then selects, from the communication recovery date and time information stored in the accumulated power consumption history storage unit 134, the accumulated power consumption information immediately before the communication disruption and immediately after the communication recovery, which corresponds to the identified communication recovery date and time information (step S113). Next, the model generation unit 118 generates a new communication disruption cause estimation model using the selected RSSI information, SSID information, and integrated power information and the notified communication disruption cause information, and updates the communication disruption cause estimation model information stored in the estimation model storage unit 135 with communication disruption cause estimation model information indicating the generated communication disruption cause estimation model (step S114). Thereafter, the process of step S101 is executed again.

[0047] As described above, according to the cloud server 1 according to the present embodiment, when a communication disruption between the device 3 and the energy metering device 4 is detected, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 estimates the cause of the communication disruption from among multiple preset causes of communication disruption based on the RSSI, SSID, and integrated energy before and after the communication disruption. As a result, when a communication disruption occurs between the device 3 and the energy metering device 4, the cause of the communication disruption is estimated based on not only the communication state between the device 3 and the energy metering device 4 immediately before the communication disruption, but also the communication state between the device 3 and the energy metering device 4 immediately after the communication is restored. This makes it possible to estimate the cause of the communication disruption with high accuracy. Therefore, appropriate information for reducing the occurrence of communication disruption between the device 3 and the energy metering device 4 can be provided to users of the device 3, maintenance companies that perform maintenance on the device 3, and the like.

[0048] The communication environment between the cloud server 1 and equipment such as the device 3 and the power metering device 4 installed in a remote location may be disrupted due to various factors. This disruption may be intentionally caused by the user of the device 3 or the power metering device 4, may occur unintentionally as a result of the user taking some action on the device 3 or the power metering device 4, or may be caused by external factors unrelated to the user's intention. In particular, external factors include a failure of part of the equipment that constitutes the communication environment, which may not be restored unless the user takes intentional action to restore the communication, and a spontaneous recovery due to a change in the communication environment, such as temporary radio interference. Therefore, the communication disruption cause estimation system according to this embodiment monitors the status of equipment such as the device 3 installed in a remote location, as well as the communication status with the equipment. It also monitors the communication status and the status of the device 3 when communication is restored after a communication disruption occurs, and estimates the cause of the communication disruption. Then, communication disruption cause notification information is generated to notify the user of the estimated cause of the communication disruption and is transmitted to the terminal device 2 carried by the user. This allows the user to quickly understand the cause of the communication disruption via the terminal device 2, and therefore allows appropriate preventative maintenance to be carried out to prevent the communication disruption from occurring.

[0049] Furthermore, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 according to this embodiment estimates the cause of the communication disruption that has occurred using the above-mentioned communication disruption cause estimation model. Then, the model generation unit 118 generates new communication disruption cause estimation model information based on the RSSI, SSID, and integrated power consumption before and after the period in which the communication disruption occurred, and the action content indicated by the action content information acquired by the action content acquisition unit 117, and updates the communication disruption cause estimation model information stored in the estimation model storage unit 135 with the generated communication disruption cause estimation model information. As a result, the communication disruption cause estimation model information is successively updated based on the action content information, thereby improving the accuracy of estimating the cause of the communication disruption.

[0050] Furthermore, the power metering device 4 according to this embodiment stores, in memory, cumulative power amount information indicating the cumulative amount of power consumed by the measured device 3 during the period when the communication is interrupted, and when communication with the cloud server 1 is restored, transmits the cumulative power amount information stored in memory to the cloud server 1. This allows the cause of the communication interruption to be estimated based on the cumulative amount of power consumed by the device 3 during the period when the communication is interrupted, thereby improving the accuracy of estimating the cause of the communication interruption.

[0051] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 may estimate the cause of a communication disruption based on parameters related to other devices 3, in addition to or instead of the accumulated amount of power consumed by the device 3. In this case, each time a predetermined device status notification period arrives, the device 3 generates device status notification information including device status information indicating parameters reflecting its own status and device identification information, and transmits the information to the cloud server 2001 shown in FIG. 13. Note that in FIG. 13, components similar to those in the embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG. 3. Parameters reflecting the status of the device 3 may, for example, be parameters indicating the on / off state or operation mode of the device 3.

[0052] A cloud server 2001 according to this modification functions as a communication state information acquisition unit 111, a measurement information acquisition unit 119, a device state acquisition unit 2120, a communication state history before and after disruption extraction unit 112, an integrated power consumption history before and after disruption extraction unit 113, a device state history before and after disruption extraction unit 2121, a communication state monitoring unit 115, a communication disruption cause estimation unit 2114, a communication disruption cause notification unit 116, a treatment content acquisition unit 117, and a model generation unit 118. The cloud server 2001 also includes a communication state storage unit 131, an integrated power consumption storage unit 132, a device state storage unit 2137, a communication state history storage unit 133, an integrated power consumption history storage unit 134, a device state history storage unit 2138, an estimation model storage unit 135, and a message storage unit 136. The device status storage unit 2137 stores device status information indicating the status of the device 3 in association with device identification information that identifies the device 3 and date and time information. The device status history storage unit 2138 stores device status information indicating the status of the device 3 before and after a communication disruption occurs between the device 3 and the cloud server 1 in association with time information just before the communication disruption and time information just after the communication is restored. The estimation model storage unit 135 stores communication disruption cause estimation model information indicating a communication disruption cause estimation model for estimating the cause of a communication disruption from the RSSI indicated by the RSSI information, the integrated power amount indicated by the integrated power amount information, and the status of the device 3 before and after the communication disruption occurs between the device 3, the power metering device 4, and the cloud server 1.

[0053] When the device status acquisition unit 2120 acquires device status notification information periodically transmitted from the device 3, it extracts device status information and device identification information included in the acquired device status notification information. Then, the device status acquisition unit 2120 regards the date and time when the device status notification information, measured by the clock unit 108, is acquired as the measurement date and time, and stores the extracted various information and measurement date and time information indicating the measurement date and time in the device status storage unit 2137 in association with each other. When a preset period has elapsed after the communication status monitoring unit 115 notifies the device status monitoring unit 115 of the communication disruption date and time information, communication recovery date and time information, and device identification information, the device status acquisition unit 2120 extracts, from the device status information corresponding to the notified device identification information stored in the device status storage unit 2137, device status information from a time point that is a preset period before the communication disruption date and time indicated by the communication disruption date and time information to the communication disruption date and time, and device status information from the communication recovery date and time information to a time point that is a preset period after the communication recovery date and time. Then, the pre- and post-disruption device status history extraction unit 2121 associates the extracted device status information with immediately before-disruption time information indicating the measurement date and time based on the date and time when the communication disruption occurred or immediately after-disruption time information indicating the measurement date and time based on the date and time when the communication was restored, and stores the associated information in the device status history storage unit 2138. The pre- and post-disruption device status history extraction unit 2121 also associates the extracted device status information with communication disruption date and time information, communication recovery date and time information, and the notified device identification information, and stores the associated information in the device status history storage unit 2138.

[0054] After a preset period of time has passed since the communication status monitoring unit 115 notified it of the communication disruption date and time information, communication recovery date and time information, and device identification information, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 2114 identifies the RSSI information and SSID information stored in the communication status history memory unit 133 at each point in time before and after the communication disruption corresponding to the device identification information of the device 3 where the communication disruption occurred and the power metering device 4, the accumulated power consumption information stored in the accumulated power consumption history memory unit 134 at each point in time before and after the communication disruption corresponding to the device identification information of the device 3 where the communication disruption occurred and the power metering device 4, and the device status information stored in the device status history memory unit 2138 at each point in time before and after the communication disruption corresponding to the device identification information of the device 3 where the communication disruption occurred. Then, based on the identified RSSI information, SSID information, accumulated power information and device status information, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 estimates the cause of the communication disruption between the device 3, the power metering device 4 and the cloud server 1 using the communication disruption cause estimation model indicated by the communication disruption cause estimation model information stored in the estimation model memory unit 135.

[0055] According to this configuration, the cause of the communication disruption is estimated taking into account the state of the device 3, so that the accuracy of estimating the cause of the communication disruption can be improved.

[0056] In the embodiment, the communication disruption cause estimation unit 114 may estimate the cause of the communication disruption based on the cumulative water usage in the building H in which the user of the device 3 resides, in addition to or instead of the cumulative amount of power consumed by the device 3. This configuration makes it possible to estimate the cause of the communication disruption by taking into account the lifestyle pattern of the user of the device 3.

[0057] Furthermore, the various functions of the cloud server 1 according to the present disclosure may be realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. In this case, the software or firmware may be written as a program, and the program may be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or an MO (Magneto-Optical Disc). The program may then be read and installed on a computer to configure a computer capable of realizing each of the above-described functions. Furthermore, if each function is realized by sharing the work between an operating system (OS) and an application, or by cooperation between the OS and an application, only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the recording medium.

[0058] Furthermore, each program can be superimposed on a carrier wave and distributed via a communication network. For example, the program can be posted on a bulletin board system (BBS) on the communication network and distributed via the network. These programs can then be launched and run under the control of the OS in the same way as other application programs, thereby enabling the above-mentioned processing to be performed. [Industrial Applicability]

[0059] The present disclosure is suitable as a system for estimating the cause of a communication interruption when it occurs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1 Cloud server, 2 Terminal device, 3, 3A, 3B equipment, 4 Power metering device, 81 Router, 82 Line termination device, 83 Repeater, 101 CPU, 102 Main memory, 103 Auxiliary memory, 106 Communication unit, 108 Timekeeping unit, 109 Bus, 111 Communication status information acquisition unit, 112 Communication status history extraction unit before and after disruption, 113 Integrated power amount history extraction unit before and after disruption, 114, 2114 Communication disruption cause estimation unit, 115 Communication status monitoring unit, 116 Communication disruption cause notification unit, 117 Action content acquisition unit, 118 Model generation unit, 119 Measurement information acquisition unit, 131 Communication status memory unit, 132 Integrated power amount memory unit, 133 Communication status history memory unit, 134 Integrated power amount history memory unit, 135 Estimation model memory unit, 136 Message storage unit, 2120 device status acquisition unit, 2121 device status history extraction unit before and after disruption, 2137 device status storage unit, 2138 device status history storage unit, NW1 wide area network, NW2 local network

Claims

1. A communication disruption cause estimation device that is capable of communicating with a device via a plurality of networks and that estimates the cause of a communication disruption when communication with the device is disrupted, a communication status information acquisition unit for acquiring communication status information indicating an indicator of a communication status of at least one of the plurality of networks in the device; a communication status monitoring unit that detects the occurrence of the communication interruption with the device based on the communication status information; and a communication disruption cause estimation unit that, when the occurrence of the communication disruption is detected, estimates the cause of the communication disruption that has occurred from among a plurality of preset causes of the communication disruption based on an index of a communication state in at least one of the plurality of networks indicated by the communication state information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption. A device for estimating the cause of communication outages.

2. the communication disruption cause estimation unit estimates a cause of the communication disruption that has occurred from an indicator of a communication state in at least one of the plurality of networks indicated by the communication state information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption, using a communication disruption cause estimation model for estimating a cause of the communication disruption; a processing content acquiring unit that acquires processing content information indicating processing content taken to resolve the communication interruption; and a model generation unit that newly generates communication disruption cause estimation model information indicating a communication disruption cause estimation model for estimating the cause of the communication disruption based on an indicator of a communication state in at least one of the plurality of networks indicated by the communication state information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption and a treatment content indicated by the treatment content information. The communication interruption cause estimation device according to claim 1 .

3. a measurement information acquisition unit that acquires measurement information that measures parameters related to the device; When the occurrence of the communication disruption is detected, the communication disruption cause estimation unit estimates the cause of the communication disruption from among a plurality of causes of the communication disruption based on an index of a communication state in at least one of the plurality of networks indicated by the communication state information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption and the parameter indicated by the measurement information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption. The communication interruption cause estimation device according to claim 1 .

4. the communication disruption cause estimation unit estimates a cause of the communication disruption that has occurred using a communication disruption cause estimation model for estimating a cause of the communication disruption from an index of a communication state in at least one of the plurality of networks indicated by the communication state information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption and the parameter indicated by the measurement information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption; a processing content acquiring unit that acquires processing content information indicating processing content taken to resolve the communication interruption; and a model generation unit that newly generates communication disruption cause estimation model information indicating a communication disruption cause estimation model for estimating the cause of the communication disruption based on an indicator of a communication state in at least one of the plurality of networks indicated by the communication state information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption and a treatment content indicated by the treatment content information. The communication interruption cause estimation device according to claim 3.

5. When the occurrence of the communication disruption is detected, the communication disruption cause estimation unit estimates the cause of the communication disruption from among a plurality of causes of the communication disruption based on an indicator of a communication state in at least one of the plurality of networks indicated by the communication state information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption, and a state of the device before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption. The communication interruption cause estimation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. Equipment and a communication interruption cause estimation device that is capable of communicating with the device via a plurality of networks and that estimates the cause of a communication interruption when communication with the device is interrupted; a terminal device, The communication disruption cause estimation device includes: a communication status information acquisition unit for acquiring communication status information indicating an indicator of a communication status of at least one of the plurality of networks in the device; a communication status monitoring unit that detects the occurrence of the communication interruption with the device based on the communication status information; a communication disruption cause estimation unit that, when the occurrence of the communication disruption is detected, estimates the cause of the communication disruption that has occurred from among a plurality of preset causes of the communication disruption based on an indicator of a communication state in at least one of the plurality of networks indicated by the communication state information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption; a communication disruption cause notification unit that generates communication disruption cause notification information for notifying the terminal device of the estimated cause of the communication disruption and transmits the communication disruption cause notification information to the terminal device; A system for estimating the cause of communication outages.

7. a measurement device capable of communicating with the communication disruption cause estimation device via the plurality of networks, measuring parameters related to the device, storing measurement information indicating the measured parameters during a period in which the communication disruption occurs, and transmitting the stored measurement information to the communication disruption cause estimation device when communication with the communication disruption cause estimation device is restored after the communication disruption occurs; The system for estimating the cause of communication disruption according to claim 6.

8. A method for estimating the cause of a communication disruption when a communication disruption occurs between a device and the device via multiple networks, comprising: obtaining communication status information indicative of a communication status of at least one of the plurality of networks at the device; detecting an occurrence of the communication disruption with the device based on the communication status information; and when the occurrence of the communication disruption is detected, estimating the cause of the communication disruption that has occurred from among a plurality of preset causes of the communication disruption based on an indicator of a communication state in at least one of the plurality of networks indicated by the communication state information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption. Method for estimating the cause of communication disruption.

9. Computer, a communication status information acquisition unit that acquires communication status information indicating an indicator of a communication status in at least one of a plurality of networks in a device that is capable of communicating via the plurality of networks; a communication status monitoring unit that detects an occurrence of a communication interruption with the device based on the communication status information; and a communication disruption cause estimation unit that, when the occurrence of the communication disruption is detected, estimates the cause of the communication disruption that has occurred from among a plurality of preset causes of the communication disruption based on an index of a communication state in at least one of the plurality of networks indicated by the communication state information before and after the occurrence of the communication disruption. A program to function as a

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