Broadcast instruction device, broadcast instruction system, broadcast instruction method, and broadcast instruction program

Abstract

To suppress the lowering of the battery voltage of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area, and to extend the time when at least one slave station is turned to a broadcastable state in the area.SOLUTION: A broadcast instruction device (100) includes a storage unit (110) configured to store battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area, a determination unit (120) configured to determine whether or not the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and a transmission unit (130) configured to transmit a broadcast instruction for preventing a slave station of which the battery information is equal to or less than the predetermined value among the plurality of slave stations from performing broadcasting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a broadcast instruction device, a broadcast instruction system, a broadcast instruction method, and a broadcast instruction program. [Background technology]

[0002] In a disaster prevention radio system, a method is known in which a slave station that broadcasts is controlled according to the battery voltage of the slave station. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which the slave station transmits battery voltage and other information to a master station to determine whether the slave station is operating normally. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which the master station controls the volume and limits the number of broadcasts of a slave station that has experienced a power outage, thereby reducing battery consumption in the slave station. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-133676 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-184803 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A slave station broadcasts using both a commercial power source and a battery. Because the battery of a slave station is charged by the commercial power source, if the slave station broadcasts frequently or if the commercial power supply is cut off (i.e., a power outage occurs), the battery voltage gradually drops below the cut-off voltage, and the slave station may be unable to broadcast. In a disaster prevention radio system, even if the battery voltage of a slave station drops as described above, it is preferable to prevent a situation in which broadcasting is not possible in the area where the slave station is installed, i.e., to suppress a drop in the battery voltage of the slave station.

[0005] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 checks whether a slave station is operating normally based on its battery voltage, etc., but does not perform any control to prevent a decrease in the battery voltage of the slave station. Furthermore, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2 prevents a decrease in battery voltage by controlling the volume and limiting the number of broadcasts for each slave station. However, when multiple slave stations are deployed, if each slave station broadcasts using the same control, the battery voltages may decrease at approximately the same time, potentially causing all slave stations in the area to be unable to broadcast at approximately the same time.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the object of the present disclosure is to provide a broadcast instruction device, a broadcast instruction system, a broadcast instruction method, and a broadcast instruction program that can suppress a decrease in battery voltage of multiple slave stations located in the same area and extend the time during which at least one slave station in the area is able to broadcast. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The broadcast instruction device according to the present disclosure includes: a storage means for storing battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; a determination unit that determines whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; a transmitting means for transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station among the plurality of slave stations whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value so as not to broadcast; Equipped with.

[0008] The broadcast instruction system according to the present disclosure includes: A plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; a base station capable of communicating with each of the plurality of slave stations; a broadcast instruction device that can communicate with the base station and transmits a broadcast instruction to each of the plurality of slave stations via the base station; The broadcast instruction device a storage means for storing battery information transmitted from each of the plurality of slave stations; a determination means for determining whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; a broadcast instruction transmitting means for transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station among the plurality of slave stations whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value so as not to broadcast; Equipped with.

[0009] The broadcast instruction method according to the present disclosure includes: The computer storing battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; determining whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value among the plurality of slave stations to prevent the slave station from broadcasting; Equipped with.

[0010] The broadcast instruction program according to the present disclosure includes: storing battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; determining whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value among the plurality of slave stations to prevent the slave station from broadcasting; to be executed by the computer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The present disclosure makes it possible to provide a broadcast instruction device, a broadcast instruction system, a broadcast instruction method, and a broadcast instruction program that can suppress a drop in battery voltage of multiple slave stations located in the same area and extend the time during which at least one slave station in the area is able to broadcast. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a broadcast instruction device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of a broadcast instruction method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a broadcast instruction system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a slave station included in the broadcast instruction system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a graph showing an example of changes in the battery voltage of a slave station included in the broadcast instruction system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph showing an example of a change in battery voltage when a slave station included in the broadcast instruction system according to the second embodiment broadcasts frequently. [Figure 7] 10 is a graph showing an example of a change in battery voltage during a power outage in a slave station included in the broadcast instruction system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a broadcast instruction device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a battery information table stored in the broadcast instruction device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a battery information table stored in the broadcast instruction device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a battery information table stored in the broadcast instruction device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a broadcast instruction method according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a broadcast instruction method according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a battery information table stored in the broadcast instruction device according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and for clarity of explanation, duplicate explanations will be omitted as necessary.

[0014] <Embodiment 1> 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a broadcast instruction device according to embodiment 1. As shown in FIG.

[0015] The broadcast control device 100 is a device that can communicate with multiple slave stations (not shown) located in the same area via a base station (not shown) and controls each slave station. The broadcast control device 100 is communicably connected to the base station via a network (not shown). The base station has a communication range that covers the area in which the multiple slave stations are located, and communicates with each slave station.

[0016] The memory unit 110 stores battery information transmitted from each of multiple slave stations (not shown) located in the same area. Here, each slave station is a loudspeaker that broadcasts in accordance with broadcast instructions transmitted by the broadcast instruction device 100. Each slave station broadcasts using both commercial power and battery power. The battery is charged by the commercial power source. The battery information is information that indicates the status of the battery provided in each slave station. The battery information is, for example, battery voltage, remaining battery charge, or available broadcast time. Each slave station periodically transmits battery information to the base station. The memory unit 110 receives and stores the battery information transmitted by each slave station via the base station.

[0017] The determination unit 120 determines whether the battery information of each slave station is equal to or less than a predetermined value. Each slave station stops operating when its battery information is equal to or less than a threshold. The predetermined value is a value of the battery information that allows the slave station to operate, and is a value greater than the threshold. For example, if the battery information stored in the storage unit 110 is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the determination unit 120 sets a flag to 1 and stores it in the storage unit 110. If the battery information stored in the storage unit 110 is greater than the predetermined value, the determination unit 120 sets a flag to 0 and stores it in the storage unit 110.

[0018] The transmitter 130 transmits a broadcast instruction to a plurality of slave stations whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value so as not to broadcast. For example, if there are a plurality of slave stations whose battery information is greater than a predetermined value, the transmitter 130 transmits a broadcast instruction to the base station to cause at least one of the slave stations to broadcast. Each slave station receives the broadcast instruction via the base station and broadcasts in accordance with the broadcast instruction.

[0019] 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of the broadcast instruction method according to the first embodiment. First, the storage unit 110 stores battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations located in the same area (step S101). Next, the determination unit 120 determines whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value (step S102). Next, the transmission unit 130 transmits a broadcast instruction to the slave stations whose battery information is equal to or less than the predetermined value, among the plurality of slave stations, not to broadcast (step S103).

[0020] In this way, the broadcast instruction method according to the first embodiment prevents a slave station, among multiple slave stations located in the same area, whose battery information is equal to or lower than a predetermined value from broadcasting, thereby suppressing a decrease in the battery voltage of the slave station. As a result, it is possible to extend the time during which the battery voltage of at least one slave station in an area where multiple slave stations are located is equal to or higher than a threshold, i.e., is capable of broadcasting.

[0021] The broadcast instruction device 100 includes a processor, a memory, and a storage device (not shown). The storage device stores a computer program that implements the processing of the broadcast instruction method according to this embodiment. The processor then loads the computer program from the storage device into the memory and executes the computer program. This allows the processor to realize the functions of the storage unit 110, the determination unit 120, and the transmission unit 130.

[0022] Alternatively, each component of the broadcast instruction device 100 may be realized by dedicated hardware. Furthermore, some or all of the components of each device may be realized by general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or by multiple chips connected via a bus. Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits, etc., and programs. Furthermore, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), quantum processor (quantum computer control chip), etc., may be used as the processor.

[0023] Furthermore, when some or all of the components of the broadcast control device 100 are realized by a plurality of information processing devices, circuits, etc., the plurality of information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally or decentralized. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, or the like, in a form in which each is connected via a communication network. Furthermore, the functions of the broadcast control device 100 may be provided in a SaaS (Software as a Service) format.

[0024] <Embodiment 2> Embodiment 2 is a more specific embodiment. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a broadcast instruction system according to embodiment 2. Broadcast instruction system 200 is an information system that broadcasts local information such as disaster prevention information and administrative information within a local area. Broadcast instruction system 200 is, for example, a municipal disaster prevention administrative radio system, i.e., a broadcast radio system.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, the broadcast instruction system 200 includes slave stations 300a-300f, a base station 400, and a broadcast instruction device 500. The base station 400 and the broadcast instruction device 500 are communicably connected via a network 600. Here, the network 600 is a wired or wireless communication line or network, such as a LAN (Local Area Network), the Internet, or a wireless communication network. The network 600 does not care about the type of communication protocol. The base station 400 has a wireless communication range covering areas X and Y, and is wirelessly connected to each of the slave stations 300a-300f. The base station 400 establishes a wireless connection with each of the slave stations 300a-300f to perform wireless communication, and relays communication between each of the slave stations 300a-300f and the broadcast instruction device 500 via the network 600.

[0026] The slave stations 300a to 300f are loudspeakers that broadcast in areas X and Y, and are, for example, wireless speakers installed outdoors. In the example shown in FIG. 3, three slave stations are located in each of areas X and Y, but the number of slave stations located in the same area is not particularly limited as long as it is two or more. The slave stations 300a to 300f broadcast in accordance with broadcast instructions received from the broadcast instruction device 500 via the base station 400. The broadcast instruction is an instruction that includes information about the broadcast content and the slave station that will be broadcasting, and preferably also includes instruction information about the broadcast volume. Note that the slave stations 300a to 300f each have the same configuration and will hereinafter be referred to as slave stations 300.

[0027] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a slave station included in the broadcast instruction system according to embodiment 2. The slave station 300 includes, as its hardware configuration, a communication device, a loudspeaker, a sensor, and a computer. As shown in Fig. 4, the slave station 300 includes a control unit 310, a battery 320, a sensor 330, a broadcast unit 340, a memory 350, and a communication unit 360.

[0028] The control unit 310 controls the hardware included in the slave station 300. The battery 320 is a power source that supplies power to the slave station 300 when it broadcasts, and is charged by a commercial power source. The sensor 330 is a sensor that measures the voltage of the battery 320. The sensor 330 periodically measures the voltage of the battery 320. The control unit 310 transmits the battery voltage measured by the sensor 330 to the broadcast instruction device 500 via the base station 400. The broadcasting unit 340 is a loudspeaker that broadcasts based on received broadcast instructions. The memory 350 is a storage device that stores programs for implementing each function of the slave station 300. The communication unit 360 is a wireless communication interface with the base station 400.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of changes in the battery voltage of a slave station included in the broadcast instruction system according to the second embodiment. In the graph shown in FIG. 5, the vertical axis represents battery voltage, and the horizontal axis represents elapsed time. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the slave station 300 broadcasts when it is fully charged. The slave station 300 broadcasts using both battery power and commercial power. Therefore, during broadcasting, the battery consumes power that far exceeds the charge capacity of the battery, causing the battery voltage to drop. When the broadcasting ends, the battery is charged by the commercial power source and returns to a fully charged state. In this way, the slave station 300 is charged by the commercial power source during times when it is not broadcasting, restoring the battery voltage.

[0030] 6 is a graph showing an example of changes in battery voltage during frequent broadcasts by a slave station included in the broadcast instruction system according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, if the next broadcast is made before the battery is fully charged after a broadcast ends, i.e., if frequent broadcasts are made, the battery voltage gradually decreases with each broadcast. When the battery voltage drops below a threshold (cut-off voltage), the slave station 300 stops operating and is no longer able to broadcast. Here, the battery voltage threshold is the discharge cut-off voltage, which is the minimum voltage at which safe discharge can be performed.

[0031] 7 is a graph showing an example of changes in battery voltage during a power outage in a slave station included in the broadcast instruction system according to embodiment 2. When the commercial power supply to the slave station 300 is cut off, that is, when there is a power outage, the slave station 300 broadcasts using only battery power. As shown in FIG. 7, when there is a power outage, the battery is not charged after the broadcast ends, and therefore the battery voltage does not recover even during non-broadcast hours.

[0032] Next, the configuration of the broadcast instruction device 500 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 8. The broadcast instruction device 500 is an example of the above-mentioned broadcast instruction device 100. The broadcast instruction device 500 is an information processing device for broadcasting local information such as disaster prevention information and administrative information within a local area. The broadcast instruction device 500 may be redundantly configured with multiple servers, and each functional block may be realized by multiple computers. Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the broadcast instruction device according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the broadcast instruction device 500 includes a storage unit 510, a memory 520, a communication unit 530, a display unit 540, and a control unit 550.

[0033] The storage unit 510 is an example of the storage unit 110 described above, and is a storage device such as a hard disk or flash memory. The storage unit 510 stores a broadcast instruction program 511 and a battery information table 512. The broadcast instruction program 511 is a computer program that implements processes such as battery information registration processing, flag setting processing, and broadcast instruction generation processing. The battery information table 512 is a table that manages battery information for each of the slave stations 300a to 300f. The battery information table 512 is a table that associates area information, slave station identification information, battery information, and flags. The battery information table 512 may further include power outage information.

[0034] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a battery information table stored in the broadcast instruction device according to the second embodiment. Note that FIG. 9 illustrates a case where the battery information is battery voltage. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the battery information table 512 has "area information," "slave station identification information," "battery voltage," "flag," and "power outage information" as table attributes. "Area information" is information for identifying the area in which the slave station 300 is installed. The area information is, for example, the name of the area. "Slave station identification information" is information for identifying each of the slave stations 300a to 300f. "Battery voltage" is the battery voltage of each of the slave stations 300a to 300f. "Flag" is a flag for each of the slave stations 300a to 300f. "Power outage information" is information on whether a power outage has occurred in the area in which each of the slave stations 300a to 300f is located.

[0035] Returning to FIG. 8, the explanation will be continued. The memory 520 is a volatile storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and is a storage area for temporarily storing information when the control unit 550 is operating. The communication unit 530 is a communication interface with the network 600. The display unit 540 is a display device that displays the battery information table 512 and the like to the user.

[0036] The control unit 550 is a control device that controls each component of the broadcast instruction device 500. The control unit 550 loads the broadcast instruction program 511 from the storage unit 510 into the memory 520 and executes the broadcast instruction program 511. In this way, the control unit 550 realizes the functions of a receiving unit 551, a registering unit 552, a determining unit 553, a generating unit 554, and a transmitting unit 555.

[0037] The receiving unit 551 receives battery information from each of the slave stations 300a to 300f via the base station 400 and the network 600. The registering unit 552 performs a process of registering the battery information. Specifically, the registering unit 552 associates the battery information received by the receiving unit 551 with the slave station identification information of the slave station 300 that transmitted the battery information, and registers the battery information in the battery information table 512. Each of the slave stations 300a to 300f periodically measures its battery voltage and transmits the measured value to the broadcast instruction device 500 via the base station 400. Therefore, the registering unit 552 registers the battery information registered in the battery information table 512 every time it receives battery information. In other words, the battery information of each of the slave stations 300a to 300f is rewritten in the battery information table 512 as needed.

[0038] The determination unit 553 is an example of the above-mentioned determination unit 120. The determination unit 553 determines whether the battery information of each of the slave stations 300a to 300f is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and registers the determination result as a flag in the battery information table 512. For example, if the battery information registered in the battery information table 512 is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the determination unit 553 registers the flag in the battery information table 512 as 1. Furthermore, if the battery information registered in the battery information table 512 is greater than the predetermined value, the determination unit 553 registers the flag in the battery information table 512 as 0.

[0039] The generation unit 554 generates a broadcast instruction by referring to the flag registered in the battery information table 512. The transmission unit 555 transmits the broadcast instruction generated by the generation unit 554 to the base station 400. For example, when there is a slave station 300 whose flag is 1, the generation unit 554 generates a broadcast instruction to cause at least one slave station 300, among the slave stations 300 whose flag is 0 and which are located in the same area as the slave station 300, to broadcast. For example, the generation unit 554 may generate a broadcast instruction to cause all slave stations 300 whose flag is 0, among the slave stations 300 located in the same area as the slave station 300 whose flag is 1, to broadcast. Alternatively, the generation unit 554 may generate a broadcast instruction to cause only the slave station 300 whose battery information has the highest value to broadcast, among the slave stations 300 whose flag is 0 and which are located in the same area as the slave station 300 whose flag is 1.

[0040] The generation unit 554 may generate a broadcast instruction including instruction information for the broadcast volume. It is desirable that the broadcast instruction system 200 causes the slave station 300 to broadcast at a volume that allows the broadcast content to be heard in all areas within the region. Therefore, for example, when generating a broadcast instruction to cause only the slave station 300 with the highest battery information to broadcast, the generation unit 554 may generate a broadcast instruction including information instructing the slave station 300 to broadcast at a volume that allows the broadcast to be heard in the entire region.

[0041] In the example shown in FIG. 9, the battery information is the battery voltage. However, as mentioned above, the battery information is not limited to the battery voltage, and may be, for example, the remaining battery charge or the available broadcast time. FIGS. 10 and 11 are diagrams showing examples of a battery information table stored in the broadcast instruction device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 illustrates an example where the battery information is the remaining battery charge. When the battery information is the remaining battery charge, the threshold value of the battery information is the remaining battery charge at which the slave station 300 stops operating. The predetermined value used by the determination unit 553 for determination is the remaining battery charge at which the slave station 300 can operate, and is a value greater than the threshold value. FIG. 11 illustrates an example where the battery information is the available broadcast time. When the battery information is the available broadcast time, the threshold value of the battery information is the available broadcast time at which the slave station 300 stops operating. The predetermined value used by the determination unit 553 for determination is the available broadcast time at which the slave station 300 can operate, and is a value greater than the threshold value.

[0042] The remaining battery power and available broadcasting time can be calculated from the battery voltage. The calculation of the remaining battery power or available broadcasting time from the battery voltage may be performed in the slave station 300. For example, the control unit 310 included in the slave station 300 may calculate the remaining battery power and available broadcasting time from the battery voltage measured by the sensor 330, and transmit the calculated values ​​to the broadcast instruction device 500 via the base station 400. The calculation of the remaining battery power or available broadcasting time from the battery voltage may also be performed in the broadcast instruction device 500. For example, the registration unit 552 included in the broadcast instruction device 500 may calculate the remaining battery power or available broadcasting time based on the battery voltage received by the receiving unit 551, and register the calculated values ​​in the battery information table 512.

[0043] 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the broadcast instruction method according to the second embodiment. First, the receiving unit 551 receives battery information from the slave station 300 via the base station 400 and the network 600 (step S201). Next, the registering unit 552 performs a process of registering the battery information (step S202). Next, the determining unit 553 determines whether the battery information of the slave station 300 is equal to or less than a predetermined value (step S203), and registers the determination result as a flag in the battery information table 512 (step S204). The broadcast instruction device 500 performs steps S201 to S204 every time it receives battery information from each of the slave stations 300a to 300f.

[0044] The generation unit 554 generates a broadcast instruction by referring to the flags registered in the battery information table 512 (step S205). For example, in the example shown in Fig. 9, of the slave stations 300a to 300f, only the slave station 300b located in area X has a flag of 1. Therefore, the generation unit 554 generates a broadcast instruction to cause at least one of the slave stations 300a and 300c located in area X and having a flag of 0 to broadcast. Furthermore, because the flags of all the slave stations 300d to 300f located in area Y are 0, the generation unit 554 generates a broadcast instruction to cause all the slave stations 300d to 300f located in area Y to broadcast.

[0045] Next, the transmitting unit 555 transmits the broadcast instruction generated by the generating unit 554 to the base station 400 (step S206). Each of the slave stations 300a to 300f receives the broadcast instruction via the base station 400 and broadcasts in accordance with the broadcast instruction. Therefore, the slave station 300b whose battery information is below a predetermined value does not broadcast, and can charge its battery 320 using a commercial power source. This prevents the battery voltage of the slave station 300b from decreasing below a threshold value, even when the slave station 300 broadcasts frequently. In other words, it is possible to maintain a state in which there is at least one slave station 300 capable of broadcasting in the corresponding area.

[0046] <Embodiment 3> The third embodiment is a modification of the second embodiment described above. In the third embodiment, the operation of the broadcast instruction system 200 when a power outage occurs in an area where the slave stations 300 are located will be described. In the third embodiment, broadcast instructions are generated by referring to the power outage information received from each slave station 300. Therefore, the battery information table 512 includes the power outage information. The configuration of the broadcast instruction system according to the third embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. 3 described above, and explanations that overlap with the second embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0047] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the broadcast instruction method according to embodiment 3. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a battery information table stored in the broadcast instruction device according to embodiment 3. Below, an example of the operation of the broadcast instruction device 500 when a power outage occurs in area X while the battery voltages of the slave stations 300a to 300f are in the state shown in Fig. 14 will be described.

[0048] When the supply of commercial power is cut off, that is, when a power outage occurs, each of the slave stations 300a to 300f transmits power outage information to the broadcast instruction device 500 via the base station 400. The power outage information is information about the occurrence of a power outage in the area in which each of the slave stations 300a to 300f is located. When the registration unit 552 receives power outage information from at least one of the multiple slave stations 300 located in the same area, the registration unit 552 registers the power outage information of all of the slave stations 300 located in that area as a power outage in the battery information table 512. For example, when the reception unit 551 receives the power outage information transmitted by the slave station 300a (step S301), the registration unit 552 registers the power outage information of all of the slave stations 300a to 300c located in area X as a power outage in the battery information table 512.

[0049] When there are multiple slave stations with flags set to 0 in the area where a power outage is occurring, the generation unit 554 generates a broadcast instruction to cause only the slave station with the highest battery voltage to broadcast. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the generation unit 554 generates a broadcast instruction to cause only the slave station 300c with the highest battery voltage to broadcast, among the slave stations 300a, 300c that are located in area X and have flags set to 0. The transmission unit 555 then transmits the generated broadcast instruction (step S302). The generation unit 554 repeatedly generates a broadcast instruction to cause only the slave station 300c, of the slave stations 300a to 300c located in area X, to broadcast, until the battery voltage of the slave station 300c becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value.

[0050] When the battery voltage received from slave station 300c falls below a predetermined value (step S303), generation unit 554 generates a broadcast instruction to cause only slave station 300a, which has the second-highest battery voltage among slave stations 300a and 300c located in area X and whose flag is 0, to broadcast. Then, transmission unit 555 transmits the generated broadcast instruction (step S304). Generation unit 554 repeatedly generates a broadcast instruction to cause only slave station 300a, of slave stations 300a-300c located in area X, to broadcast, until the battery voltage of slave station 300a falls below the predetermined value.

[0051] When the battery voltage of the slave station 300a falls below a predetermined value, the battery voltages of all the slave stations 300a to 300c located in the area X also fall below the predetermined value. In this case, the broadcast instruction device 500 causes the slave stations 300a and 300c, whose flags are set to 0 in the order in which they were caused to broadcast in steps S302 to S305, to broadcast. That is, when the battery voltage received from the slave station 300a falls below a predetermined value (step S305), the generation unit 554 generates a broadcast instruction to cause only the slave station 300c, of the slave stations 300a to 300c located in the area X, to broadcast. The transmission unit 555 then transmits the generated broadcast instruction (step S306). The generation unit 554 repeatedly generates a broadcast instruction to cause only the slave station 300c, of the slave stations 300a to 300c located in the area X, to broadcast until the battery voltage of the slave station 300c falls below a threshold.

[0052] When the battery voltage received from slave station 300c falls below the threshold (step S307), a broadcast instruction is generated to cause only slave station 300a, of slave stations 300a to 300c located in area X, to broadcast. Then, transmitting unit 555 transmits the generated broadcast instruction (step S308). Generating unit 554 repeatedly generates a broadcast instruction to cause only slave station 300a, of slave stations 300a to 300c located in area X, to broadcast, until the battery voltage of slave station 300a falls below the threshold.

[0053] When the battery voltage of slave station 300a falls below the threshold, the battery voltages of all slave stations 300a and 300c located in area X, whose flags were set to 0 when the power outage occurred, also fall below the threshold. In this case, broadcast instruction device 500 generates a broadcast instruction to cause slave station 300b, whose flag was set to 1 when the power outage occurred, to broadcast. That is, when the battery voltage received from slave station 300a falls below the threshold (step S309), broadcast instruction is generated to cause only slave station 300b, of slave stations 300a to 300c located in area X, to broadcast. Then, transmitter 555 transmits the generated broadcast instruction (step S310). Generation unit 554 repeatedly generates a broadcast instruction to cause only slave station 300b, of slave stations 300a to 300c located in area X, to broadcast until the battery voltage of slave station 300b falls below the threshold.

[0054] When the battery voltage of slave station 300b falls below the threshold, the battery voltages of all slave stations 300a to 300c located in area X also fall below the threshold. In this case, all slave stations 300a to 300c located in area X will be unable to broadcast, and so the broadcast instruction device 500 stops broadcasting in area X. In other words, when the battery voltage received from slave station 300b falls below the threshold (step S311), the broadcast instruction device 500 stops generating broadcast instructions to cause slave stations 300a to 300c to broadcast.

[0055] In this way, in the broadcast instruction method according to the third embodiment, when the battery voltage of each slave station 300 falls below a predetermined value, the broadcast is switched to broadcast using another slave station 300. This allows each slave station 300 to have a surplus capacity for broadcasting, and makes it possible to prepare for further emergency broadcasts.

[0056] <Other embodiments> Although the above-described embodiment has been described as a hardware configuration, the present disclosure is not limited to this. Any processing in the present disclosure can also be realized by causing a CPU to execute a computer program.

[0057] In the above examples, the program includes instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable medium or tangible storage medium includes random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray® disc or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium includes electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0058] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure may be implemented by appropriately combining the respective embodiments.

[0059] Some or all of the above embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Appendix A1) a storage means for storing battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; a determination unit that determines whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; a transmitting means for transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station among the plurality of slave stations whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value so as not to broadcast; A broadcast instruction device comprising: (Appendix A2) The transmitting means When power outage information in the area is received from at least one of the plurality of slave stations, transmitting a broadcast instruction to cause only one of the plurality of slave stations to broadcast in descending order of the value of the battery information until the battery information of each slave station becomes equal to or less than the predetermined value; 1. A broadcast instruction device as described in Appendix A1. (Appendix A3) The transmitting means When the battery information of all the slave stations installed in the area becomes equal to or less than the predetermined value, transmitting a broadcast instruction to cause only one of the plurality of slave stations to broadcast in the order until each slave station stops operating; 1. A broadcast instruction device as described in Appendix A2. (Appendix A4) the battery information is a battery voltage; the predetermined value is higher than the battery voltage threshold at which the slave station stops operating. 1. A broadcast instruction device as described in Appendix A1. (Appendix A5) the battery information is a remaining battery capacity; the predetermined value is a value higher than the threshold value of the remaining battery charge at which the slave station stops operating; 1. A broadcast instruction device as described in Appendix A1. (Appendix A6) the battery information is available broadcast time, the predetermined value is a value higher than the threshold value of the available broadcast time at which the slave station stops operating. 1. A broadcast instruction device as described in Appendix A1. (Appendix A7) The transmitting means When the battery information of at least one of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a broadcast instruction is transmitted to only the slave station having the highest battery information value among the plurality of slave stations to broadcast. 1. A broadcast instruction device as described in Appendix A1. (Appendix A8) The broadcast instruction device according to Appendix A1 further comprises a display means for displaying the slave station identification information of the plurality of slave stations in association with the battery information and area information in which the plurality of slave stations are located. (Appendix B1) A plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; a base station capable of communicating with each of the plurality of slave stations; a broadcast instruction device that can communicate with the base station and transmits a broadcast instruction to each of the plurality of slave stations via the base station; The broadcast instruction device a storage means for storing battery information transmitted from each of the plurality of slave stations; a determination means for determining whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; a broadcast instruction transmitting means for transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station among the plurality of slave stations whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value so as not to broadcast; A broadcast instruction system comprising: (Appendix B2) The transmitting means When power outage information in the area is received from at least one of the plurality of slave stations, transmitting a broadcast instruction to cause only one of the plurality of slave stations to broadcast in descending order of the value of the battery information until the battery information of each slave station becomes equal to or less than the predetermined value; 1. A broadcast instruction system as described in Appendix B1. (Appendix C1) The computer storing battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; determining whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value among the plurality of slave stations to prevent the slave station from broadcasting; A broadcast instruction method comprising: (Appendix D1) storing battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; determining whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value among the plurality of slave stations to prevent the slave station from broadcasting; A broadcast instruction program that causes a computer to execute the above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 100 Broadcast instruction device 110 Storage section 120 Judgment section 130 Transmitter 200 Broadcast Instruction System 300, 300a~300f slave station 310 Control Unit 320 Battery 330 Sensors 340 Broadcasting Club 350 memory 360 Communications Department 400 base stations 500 Broadcast instruction device 510 Storage section 511 Broadcast Instruction Program 512 Battery Information Table 520 memory 530 Communications Department 540 Display section 550 control section 551 Receiving unit 552 Registration Department 553 Judgment section 554 Generation part 555 Transmission Unit 600 Network

Claims

1. a storage means for storing battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; a determination unit that determines whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; a transmitting means for transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station among the plurality of slave stations whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value so as not to broadcast, the battery information is a remaining battery capacity; The predetermined value is a value higher than the threshold value of the remaining battery power at which the slave station stops operating.

2. a storage means for storing battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; a determination unit that determines whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; a transmitting means for transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station among the plurality of slave stations whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value so as not to broadcast, the battery information is available broadcast time, A broadcast instruction device, wherein the predetermined value is a value higher than the threshold value of the available broadcast time at which the slave station stops operating.

3. A plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; a base station capable of communicating with each of the plurality of slave stations; a broadcast instruction device that can communicate with the base station and transmits a broadcast instruction to each of the plurality of slave stations via the base station; The broadcast instruction device a storage means for storing battery information transmitted from each of the plurality of slave stations; a determination means for determining whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; a broadcast instruction transmitting means for transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station among the plurality of slave stations whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value so as not to broadcast, the battery information is a remaining battery capacity; A broadcast instruction system, wherein the predetermined value is a value higher than the threshold value of the remaining battery charge at which the slave station stops operating.

4. A plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; a base station capable of communicating with each of the plurality of slave stations; a broadcast instruction device that can communicate with the base station and transmits a broadcast instruction to each of the plurality of slave stations via the base station; The broadcast instruction device a storage means for storing battery information transmitted from each of the plurality of slave stations; a determination means for determining whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; a broadcast instruction transmitting means for transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station among the plurality of slave stations whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value so as not to broadcast, the battery information is available broadcast time, A broadcast instruction system, wherein the predetermined value is a value higher than the threshold value of the available broadcast time at which the slave station stops operating.

5. The computer storing battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; determining whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station among the plurality of slave stations whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value so as not to broadcast, the battery information is a remaining battery capacity; A broadcast instruction method, wherein the predetermined value is a value higher than the threshold value of the remaining battery charge at which the slave station stops operating.

6. The computer storing battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; determining whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station among the plurality of slave stations whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value so as not to broadcast, the battery information is available broadcast time, A broadcast instruction method, wherein the predetermined value is a value higher than the threshold value of the available broadcast time at which the slave station stops operating.

7. On the computer, storing battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; determining whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station, among the plurality of slave stations, whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value, to not broadcast; the battery information is a remaining battery capacity; The predetermined value is a value higher than the threshold value of the remaining battery power at which the slave station stops operating.

8. On the computer, storing battery information transmitted from each of a plurality of slave stations arranged in the same area; determining whether the battery information of each of the plurality of slave stations is equal to or less than a predetermined value; transmitting a broadcast instruction to a slave station, among the plurality of slave stations, whose battery information is equal to or less than a predetermined value, to not broadcast; the battery information is available broadcast time, A broadcast instruction program, wherein the predetermined value is a value higher than the threshold value of the available broadcast time at which the slave station stops operating.

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