Field management system

Abstract

To perform communication adapted to a use environment of a faucet device in a field, as a communication system including the faucet device used in the field.SOLUTION: A communication device, a faucet device used for water supply or water discharge to a farm field, a sensor configured to detect a detection target including a water level in the farm field where the faucet device is used, and a farm field management server capable of communicating with the communication device via a network, wherein the communication device includes a first communication control unit configured to communicate with the faucet device located within a range of a communication distance for each period of a certain time length, and the sensor is configured to be capable of transmitting detection information to the farm field management server without passing through the faucet device, the faucet device includes a second communication control unit that transmits and receives information to and from the communication device by wireless communication without passing through another faucet device, and in the control of the faucet device, the second communication control unit executes communication of control information with the field management server via the first communication control unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a farm land management system. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A water management system is known that manages water supply and drainage in rice paddies by controlling the opening and closing of water supply and drainage valves in the rice paddies using a computer (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In an environment where water supply and drainage are managed in fields such as rice paddies as described above, the water faucet device installed in the field is connected to a higher-level device that manages water supply and drainage so that they can communicate with each other, and the higher-level device controls the water supply and drainage of the water faucet device via communication. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-161192 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For a communication system including a water faucet device used in a farm field, it is preferable that communication be performed in a manner suited to the environment in which the water faucet device is used in the farm field.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a communication system including a water faucet device used in a field that enables communication to be performed in a manner suited to the usage environment of the water faucet device in the field. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is a field management system comprising a communication device, a tap device used to supply or drain water to a field, a sensor that detects detection objects including water levels in the field in which the tap device is used, and a field management server that can communicate with the communication device via a network, wherein the communication device has a first communication control unit that communicates with the tap device located within a communication distance at regular intervals, the sensor is capable of transmitting detection information to the field management server without passing through the tap device, and the tap device has a second communication control unit that sends and receives information with the communication device via wireless communication without passing through other tap devices, and in controlling the tap device, the second communication control unit communicates control information with the field management server via the first communication control unit.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is a field management system comprising a communication device, a tap device used to supply or drain water to or from a field, a sensor that detects a detection target including the water level in the field in which the tap device is used, and a field management server that can communicate with the communication device via a network, wherein the communication device has a first communication control unit that communicates with the sensor located within a communication distance at regular intervals, the sensor is capable of transmitting detection information to the communication device without going through the tap device, the sensor transmits sensor information to the field management server via the first communication control unit, and the tap device has a second communication control unit that sends and receives information to the field management server via a network without going through another tap device.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a field management system that, in the above-mentioned field management system, comprises a plurality of the communication devices, a plurality of the water tap devices, and a plurality of sensors that detect detection objects including water levels in the field in which the water tap devices are used, wherein the plurality of communication devices are arranged so that their communication ranges overlap in part, and the system comprises water tap devices and / or sensors arranged in the overlapping range where the communication ranges overlap, and the water tap devices and / or sensors arranged in the overlapping range communicate with only one of the plurality of communication devices.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is a farm field management system as described above, in which the water tap device used for the water supply includes a pipe body having a first end attached to a pipe to which water is supplied from at least a pipeline, a stop valve ball having a diameter smaller than the hollow portion of the pipe body, a discharge pipe attached to the first end and having a hollow portion with a diameter smaller than the stop valve ball, and a cup attached to cover an end of the discharge pipe other than the end attached to the pipe body, and the cup and a shaft passing through the hollow portion of the discharge pipe move in the longitudinal direction of the shaft, thereby moving the stop valve ball in the longitudinal direction of the shaft to supply and stop water. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, as a communication system including a water faucet device used in a farm field, it is possible to obtain the effect of enabling communication suited to the use environment of the water faucet device in the farm field. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a farm land management system including a water faucet device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a topology that can be constructed in the farm land management system. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a farm field management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a water supply valve according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a water supply valve according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication procedure in the farmland management system of the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a communication procedure when an immediate opening / closing command is transmitted in the farm land management system of this embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a gateway according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8]10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure executed by the gateway according to the present embodiment in relation to interrupt communication. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure executed by the gateway according to the present embodiment in relation to skipping communication by polling. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the topology configuration of the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the topology configuration of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] A farm land management system according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. [An example of topology in a farm management system] 1 shows an example of a farmland management system equipped with a water faucet device according to this embodiment, and a topology (network topology) that can be constructed in the farmland management system. The farmland management system manages water supply and drainage in the farmland. In this embodiment, "water supply and drainage" refers to at least one of water supply by a faucet device as a water supply valve and drainage by a faucet device as a drain valve.

[0013] The figure shows an example in which the farm field management system manages one farm field FM. In this embodiment, the farm field FM is, for example, a paddy field, and water is supplied (irrigated) and drained to maintain an appropriate water level depending on the rice cultivation season. Note that the field FM may be a field other than a paddy field, for example. The field management system may manage multiple fields. The following description will be given as an example of a case where the field management system manages one field FM.

[0014] In the farm field FM shown in the figure, a plurality of water faucet devices 100 (100-P (100-P1 to 100-Pn, 100-C) are installed at predetermined positions. The plurality of water faucet devices 100 may include a mixture of water supply faucets and drainage faucets, for example. A water faucet is a facility that supplies irrigation water sent from, for example, a farm pond to the field FM. The water faucet is equipped with a valve that opens and closes in the flow path (flow path) of the irrigation water sent from the farm pond until it is discharged into the field FM, making it possible to adjust the amount of irrigation water supplied to the field FM. The drain plug is a facility for discharging water that has accumulated in the field FM. The drain plug is equipped with a valve that opens and closes in the flow path that discharges the water drawn up from the field FM into, for example, a pipeline, so that the amount of water discharged can be adjusted. There are no particular limitations on the number of water faucet devices 100 installed in the field FM and the breakdown of water supply valves and drain valves in the multiple water faucet devices 100. All of the multiple water faucet devices 100 may be water supply valves, or all of the multiple water faucet devices 100 may be drain valves.

[0015] In the figure, gateway 200 is first directly connected to one water faucet device 100-P1. Then, starting with water faucet device 100-P1, water faucet devices 100-P2...100-Pn are connected in series in hop order. In other words, in this modification, multiple water faucet devices 100-P are connected to gateway 200 via multi-hops.

[0016] Furthermore, each of the water faucet devices 100-P1 to 100-Pn connected to gateway 200 via multi-hop as described above may have one or more water faucet devices 100 connected to it. The figure shows an example in which three water faucet devices 100-C are connected to each of water faucet devices 100-P1 to 100-Pn. In the topology of the figure, one water tap device 100-P and a water tap device 100-C connected under that water tap device 100-P are installed in the same farm field FM. The example in the figure shows an example in which water tap devices 100-P1 to 100-Pn and water tap devices 100-C connected under each of these water tap devices 100-P are all installed in the same farm field FM. Because the instructions (commands) received by water tap devices 100 placed in the same farm field FM are the same, connecting water tap devices 100 in the same farm field FM in this way makes it possible to have only one water tap device 100-P receive instructions directly from gateway 200. Furthermore, restrictions on the polling cycle length also place a limit on the number of nodes that can be directly connected to the gateway 200. However, by configuring a topology in which one or more faucet devices 100-C are connected under the faucet device 100-P, which is in the hierarchical level immediately below the gateway 200, as shown in the figure, it is possible to properly manage a large number of faucet devices 100 within the limits of the polling cycle length.

[0017] It should be noted that among the water faucet devices 100-P1 to 100-Pn, there may be some that do not have the water faucet device 100-C connected to them. Also, water faucet devices may be connected at a level further below the water faucet device 100-C.

[0018] In such a topology with a multi-hop connection, the water faucet device 100-P1 is set as the connection destination node in the gateway 200. Furthermore, each of the water faucet devices 100 is set as a connection destination node for both the upstream and downstream directions. For example, for faucet device 100-P1, gateway 200 is set as the upstream connection node, and faucet device 100-P2 and its subordinate faucet device 100-C are set as downstream connection nodes. Also, for faucet device 100-P2, faucet device 100-P1 is set as the upstream connection node, and faucet device 100-P3 and its subordinate faucet device 100-C are set as downstream connection nodes. Furthermore, under such a topology with multi-hop connections, the connected water faucet devices 100 can be arranged so that they are located within a certain distance from each other. Therefore, under a multi-hop connection between the gateway 200 and the water faucet devices 100, short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be adopted.

[0019] The gateway 200 has the function of connecting the plurality of water faucet devices 100 that are multi-hop connected to the gateway 200 as described above with the network NT. A gateway 200, a farm land management server 300, and a farm land management terminal 400 are connected to the network NT.

[0020] Under such a topology, for example, when the farm management server 300 sends a command to one of the faucet devices 100-C connected under the faucet device 100-Pn as the destination (destination), the command is transmitted as follows: The command sent by farm land management server 300 is first received by gateway 200 via network NT. Gateway 200 sends the received command to water tap device 100-P1. Water tap device 100-P1, for example, references its own routing table and forwards the command to water tap device 100-P2. The command is then forwarded in hop order from water tap device 100-P3 to water tap device 100-Pn. Water tap device 100-Pn sends the water supply / drainage command to the water tap device 100-C designated as the destination among the water tap devices 100-C under its control.

[0021] In the farm field FM, for example, there are cases where a water faucet device 100 that has been installed is moved and relocated to a different location. In such a case, in the case of the multi-hop connection topology shown in the figure, each water faucet device 100 needs to be placed so that the other nodes set as its connection destination are within communication distance. However, rearranging multiple faucet devices 100 so that they are within communication distance of each other while taking into account the destination settings as described above is a burden for the worker. There is also a possibility that the worker may make an incorrect arrangement, which may result in data not being transferred in the hop order specified by the destination settings. In this case, the worker must either rearrange the faucet devices 100 so that data can be transferred in the hop order specified by the destination settings, or change the destination settings of the faucet devices 100, which again places a burden on the worker.

[0022] [Configuration example of farmland management system according to this embodiment] Therefore, in this embodiment, taking the above-mentioned problems into consideration, a topology is constructed as follows for a gateway 200 (an example of a communication device) and a plurality of water faucet devices 100. Fig. 2 shows an example of the configuration of a farm land management system according to this embodiment, in which the same components as those in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals.

[0023] The figure shows an example in which a water faucet device 100 is placed for each of a plurality of farm fields FM. Here, the example shows a case in which the plurality of farm fields FM shown in the figure are managed by the same farm manager (farm owner). The number of water faucet devices 100 placed in each of the fields FM may be one or more, but the figure shows an example in which multiple water faucet devices 100 are placed in each of the fields FM. In each of the fields FM, each of the multiple water faucet devices 100 is placed in a predetermined location. In the case of the figure, the multiple water faucet devices 100 may include a mixture of water supply valves and drain valves, for example. The water faucet devices 100 in each field FM shown in the figure can communicate with the same single gateway 200. In other words, in this case, the farm field management system of this embodiment configures a star topology in which multiple water faucet devices 100 present in multiple fields FM are connected as nodes to the gateway 200 as a hub.

[0024] For example, a wireless communication method compatible with LPWA (Low Power, Wide Area) may be used for communication between the water faucet device 100 and the gateway 200. LPWA is a wireless communication method that is low power consumption but allows for relatively long distance communication. This makes it possible to directly connect the gateway 200 and the water faucet device 100 in a relatively wide area such as a farm field FM. As an example, LoRa, a type of LPWA, may be used for communication between the water faucet device 100 and the gateway 200.

[0025] Gateway 200 has a function of connecting water faucet devices 100 to network NT. Gateway 200 of this embodiment is installed so as to be able to communicate with all of the water faucet devices 100 installed in field FM. In the same figure, a gateway 200, a farm land management server 300, and a farm land management terminal 400 are connected to a network NT.

[0026] Although not shown in the figure, sensors such as a water level sensor and a temperature sensor may be connected to at least a portion of the faucet device 100. The faucet device 100 and the sensors may be connected by, for example, a predetermined short-range wireless communication. The sensors are installed to detect the water level, water temperature, etc. in the field FM. The sensors transmit detection information to the water faucet devices 100, and the water faucet devices 100 can transmit the detection information received from the corresponding sensors to the field management server 300 via the gateway 200. The field management server 300 can manage the field FM, such as by controlling the water supply and drainage operations of the water faucet devices 100 based on the received detection information.

[0027] The farm land management server 300 performs farm land management. The farm land management performed by the farm land management server 300 includes control of water supply and drainage performed by the water faucet device 100 (water supply and drainage control). For water supply and drainage management, the farm land management server 300 communicates with the water faucet devices 100 in the fields FM from the network NT via the gateway 200, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the taps in each water faucet device 100. This allows the farm land management server 300 to individually control the water supply and drainage for each field FM.

[0028] The farm field management terminal 400 is a network terminal device used by the farm field manager (user) of the farm field FM, for example, in an office, at home, etc. The farm field manager here refers to a person who operates the farm field management terminal 400 in accordance with the management of the farm field FM. The field management terminal 400 logs in to the website (field management site) for the field management service provided by the field management server 300 using the user account of the field manager. By logging in, the field management terminal 400 becomes able to access the field management site. The field manager can access the field management site that provides the desired service using the field management terminal 400 and perform various operations on the field management site. This allows the field manager to use the field management service provided by the field management server 300.

[0029] The sensor may be connected to the gateway 200 without going through the water faucet device 100. In this case, the sensor can transmit detection information to the farm land management server 300 on the network NT via the gateway 200, without going through the water faucet device 100.

[0030] Furthermore, if a water supply / drainage abnormality occurs, such as the faucet of the water faucet device 100 not closing or opening as controlled, the water level may continue to rise unexpectedly or may not decrease over time. Therefore, the water level and flow rate corresponding to such a water supply / drainage abnormality may be detected by a water level sensor or a flow rate sensor, and the detected information may be transmitted to the farm land management server 300 or the farm land management terminal 400. In this case, for example, if a water supply or drainage abnormality occurs in the water faucet device 100 and then a communication failure, power supply abnormality, or other problem occurs, communication becomes impossible and the water faucet device 100 itself will be unable to send a notification of the abnormality. However, by connecting various sensors to gateway 200 without going through water faucet device 100 as described above, the sensors can notify the farmland management server 300 or farmland management terminal 400 of a water supply or drainage abnormality in the water faucet device 100. Furthermore, even if the water faucet device 100 does not originally have the function to send a notification of a failure, or if it is designed to automatically supply and drain water using water pressure rather than electricity, the sensors can still notify of a water supply or drainage abnormality in the water faucet device 100.

[0031] Alternatively, a topology may be adopted in which the gateway 200 and a sensor are connected, and the water faucet device 100 is then connected to the sensor. In this case, the water faucet device 100 is connected to the network NT via the gateway 200 from the sensor, and communicates with the farm land management server 300 and the like.

[0032] As described above, each sensor may be connected to the gateway 200 and be able to communicate with the farm land management server 300, and the sensors may also be configured to be able to communicate with each other. Communication between the sensors may be performed by directly connecting the sensors to each other, or may be performed via the gateway 200 or a repeater such as a wireless communication-compatible router or hub.

[0033] A control spot may be provided that communicates with nearby sensors and water faucet devices 100 within its communication range via short-range wireless communication and also communicates with the gateway 200. In this case, the control spot can control the sensors and water faucet devices 100 within its communication range. The control spot can also receive commands sent from the farm land management server 300, etc., and transfer information sent from the sensors, water faucet devices 100, etc., to the farm land management server 300, etc., via the gateway 200.

[0034] The detection information obtained by the sensors, such as water level and water temperature, may be stored in the water faucet device 100, which may then perform water supply and drainage operations according to its own judgment based on the control information contained in the control command sent from the farmland management server 300. In this case, the control command may include control conditions according to the water level and water temperature, allowing the water faucet device 100 to appropriately determine the water supply and drainage operations.

[0035] [Example of faucet device configuration] An example of the configuration of the faucet device 100 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Here, an example of the configuration of the faucet device 100 as a water supply faucet will be described. In each figure, the structure of the faucet device 100 is shown in cross section as seen from the side. In the faucet device 100, the water supply pipe 101 is a pipe to which water is supplied from, for example, a pipeline. As shown in the figure, the lower end side of the water supply pipe 101 is connected to the end of the pipeline. As a result, the water delivered from the pipeline is supplied to the hollow portion 101a of the water supply pipe 101, as shown by the arrow α in Figure 3.

[0036] A discharge pipe 102 is attached to the upper end of the water supply pipe 101. A hollow portion 102a of the discharge pipe 102 is in communication with a hollow portion 101a of the water supply pipe 101. At the connection between the water supply pipe 101 and the discharge pipe 102, the diameter of the hollow portion 101a of the water supply pipe 101 is larger than that of the stop valve ball 104, and the diameter of the hollow portion 102a of the discharge pipe 102 is smaller than that of the stop valve ball 104. The opening of the hollow portion 102a of the discharge pipe 102 on the hollow portion 101a side is tapered as shown in the figure. This allows the stop valve ball 104 to be positioned to close the hollow portion 102a when it rises up to the opening of the hollow portion 102a. In this embodiment, the stop valve ball 104 and the lower opening of the hollow portion 102a form a stopper portion. The plug may have a rubber packing or the like.

[0037] A cup 103 is provided to cover the upper side of the discharge pipe 102. A hollow portion 103a is formed between the inside of the cup 103 and the discharge pipe 102. The hollow portion 103a serves as a path for the water discharged from the hollow portion 102a of the discharge pipe 102 to be discharged to the outside.

[0038] The stop valve ball 104 is a spherical member having buoyancy. As shown in the drawing, the stop valve ball 104 is provided in the hollow portion 101a. Furthermore, the shaft 105 is provided so as to pass through the cup 103 and the hollow portion 102a of the discharge pipe 102. The shaft 105 can be moved up and down within a certain range of movement by the plug drive unit 111 as shown by the arrow A in FIG.

[0039] 3 is in a state where it is positioned at the topmost position within its movable range. In this state, the pressure of the water supplied from the pipeline to the water supply pipe 101 causes the stop valve ball 104, which is a buoyant body, to rise to the state shown in the figure, and the opening of the hollow portion 102a is blocked by the stop valve ball 104 (closed state). This closed state prevents the water supplied from the pipeline to the water supply pipe 101 from being discharged outside the water faucet device 100.

[0040] On the other hand, the stem 105 shown in Fig. 4 has been moved downward from the state shown in Fig. 3 as indicated by arrow B in Fig. 4, and is in the lowest position within its movable range. In this state, the stop valve ball 104 is pushed down by the stem 105 as shown in the figure. As a result, the stop valve ball 104 is in a state (open state) where it is located lower than the hollow portion 102a in the hollow portion 101a. By opening the outlet pipe 101 in this manner, the water supplied from the pipeline to the water supply pipe 101 passes through a water flow path made up of hollow portions 101a, 102a, and 103a, as indicated by the dashed arrow β in the figure, and is discharged outside the water faucet device 100. In this way, the water is supplied from the water faucet device 100 to the field FM. At this time, because a cup 103 is provided above the discharge pipe 102, even if the water discharged from hollow portion 102a is under high pressure, it can flow downward through hollow portion 103a without spraying out upwards.

[0041] 3 and 4, a case 110 is provided on, for example, cup 103. Case 110 includes a plug driving unit 111, a sensor-compatible communication unit 113, a gateway-compatible communication unit 114, a power supply unit 115, a control unit 120, a memory unit 130, and an operation panel unit 140.

[0042] The plug drive unit 111 drives the plug unit to open and close. That is, by moving the shaft 105 up and down, the plug drive unit 111 changes the state between a closed state in which the stop valve ball 104 closes the opening of the hollow portion 102a and an open state in which the stop valve ball 104 is positioned below the opening of the hollow portion 102a. In addition, by changing the vertical position of shaft 105 in the open state, plug drive unit 111 can adjust the gap between the opening of hollow portion 102a and stop valve ball 104. This makes it possible to adjust the amount of water (flow rate) discharged from faucet device 100.

[0043] The tap drive unit 111 is configured to include, for example, a motor 111a and a mechanism that moves the shaft 105 up and down in response to the rotation of the motor 111a. For example, the mechanism that moves the shaft 105 up and down can be configured so that the shaft 105 is threadedly engaged with a predetermined location on the faucet device 100, allowing it to move up and down by rotation, and the shaft 105 rotates in response to the rotation of the motor 111a. Note that the mechanism that moves the shaft 105 up and down can have other structures and is not limited to the above example.

[0044] The control unit 120 controls the operation of the faucet device 100. The control of the operation of the faucet device 100 includes the control of the faucet driver 111. To control the faucet driver 111, the control unit 120 outputs a motor control signal to the faucet driver 111, for example, to rotate the motor 111a of the faucet driver 111. The control unit 120 can also send and receive information to and from sensors such as water level sensors and temperature sensors via the sensor-compatible communication unit 113. The control unit 120 also sends and receives information to and from the farm land management server 300 via the gateway-compatible communication unit 114 and the network NT.

[0045] Control unit 120 includes communication control unit 121 (an example of a second communication control unit). Communication control unit 121 controls communication between gateway 200 and other water faucet devices 100 to occur without going through them, according to the star topology. The functions of the control unit 120 are realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) provided in the water faucet device 100 executing a program.

[0046] The storage unit 130 stores various types of information used by the control unit 120.

[0047] The sensor-compatible communication unit 113 communicates with a water sensor or the like located within a communication distance by short-distance wireless communication. The gateway-compatible communication unit 114 communicates with the farm land management server 300 via the network NT.

[0048] The power supply unit 115 supplies power to the plug drive unit 111 , the sensor-compatible communication unit 113 , the gateway-compatible communication unit 114 , the control unit 120 , the storage unit 130 , and the operation panel unit 140 . The power supply unit 115 includes, for example, a solar cell and a storage battery. Although not shown in the figure, the solar cell is provided, for example, on the top surface of the case 110 so that it is exposed to the outside. The power supply unit 115 stores the power generated by the solar cell during the day in the storage battery. The power supply unit 115 is configured to supply the power stored in the storage battery as a power source. Alternatively, the power supply unit 115 may be configured to supply power from a battery of a predetermined standard, such as a secondary battery or a primary battery, and to replace the battery when the remaining battery power becomes low.

[0049] Operation panel 140 is a panel on which various settings related to faucet device 100 and operations for opening and closing the faucet are performed. Case 110 has an openable and closable structure. Operation panel 140 is housed within case 110 when case 110 is closed, and is configured to become operable when case 110 is opened. That is, the water faucet device 100 of this embodiment is capable of operating in response to control from, for example, the farmland management server 300, and is also capable of operating in response to operations performed on the operation panel unit 140. In this way, because the water faucet device 100 is configured to operate in response to operations performed on the operation panel unit 140, the user can go to the field FM and perform various settings and open and close the faucet unit while actually checking the operation of the water faucet device 100. This accommodates cases where, for example, the user wants to operate the water faucet device 100 directly because control from the farmland management server 300 is malfunctioning, or where the user wants to check the operation of the water faucet device 100 by actually operating it themselves.

[0050] [Example of communication procedure in a farm management system] FIG. 5 shows an example of a communication procedure in a farm land management system when a star topology is established between gateway 200 and water faucet device 100 as in FIG. Under the star topology, the gateway 200 sequentially connects to and communicates with multiple water faucet devices 100 for a fixed period of time (cyclic unit period). In other words, the gateway 200 communicates with multiple water faucet devices 100 by polling (an example of sequential communication).

[0051] The timing chart in Figure 5 shows an example of a communication procedure in the farm land management system of this embodiment. The diagram shows communication between the farm land management server 300 and the gateway 200, and communication between the gateway 200 and the water faucet devices 100. This example shows a case where the gateway 200 communicates with four water faucet devices 100 (water faucet devices #1 to #4).

[0052] The farm land management server 300 and the gateway 200 communicate with each other once per cycle corresponding to the time length of a cyclic unit period Tb (Tb-1, Tb-2, Tb-3, Tb-4, Tb-5, etc.) Here, an example is given in which one cyclic unit period Tb is 15 minutes. The timing of communication between the farm land management server 300 and the gateway 200 is not particularly limited, and may be multiple times in a cycle corresponding to the length of the cyclic unit period Tb. However, if the communication frequency is about once per cycle corresponding to the cyclic unit period Tb as shown in the figure, it is possible to reduce the amount of data in the communication log between the farm land management server 300 and the gateway 200. For example, the communication log is stored in the farm land management server 300, and reducing the amount of data in the communication log allows for effective use of the storage capacity of the farm land management server 300.

[0053] In the figure, the gateway 200 first communicates with the faucet devices #1 to #4 in sequence during the recurring unit period Tb-1 by making inquiries to the faucet devices #1 to #4 in that order. Once the gateway 200 has completed communication with the faucet device #N during the recurring unit period Tb-1, it waits until the next recurring unit period Tb-2 begins. Then, when the start timing of the recurring unit period Tb-2 arrives, the gateway 200 communicates with the faucet devices #1 to #N in that order, just as in the previous recurring unit period Tb-1. Thereafter, the gateway 200 communicates with the faucet devices #1 to #4 in sequence for each successive recurring unit period Tb in recurring unit periods Tb-3, Tb-4, Tb-5, and further from recurring unit period Tb-5 onwards.

[0054] The polling time interval during the recurring unit period Tb may be set arbitrarily within the constraints of the corresponding communication method, for example. Furthermore, the order in which the gateway 200 connects to the multiple faucet devices during the recurring unit period Tb does not have to be the same for each recurring unit period Tb. However, for ease of understanding, the following explanation will be based on the assumption that the order in which the gateway 200 connects to the multiple faucet devices is the same for each recurring unit period Tb.

[0055] According to the basic communication procedure of this embodiment, one water faucet device 100 communicates with the gateway 200 once per time interval corresponding to the circulating unit period Tb.

[0056] As can be understood from the above explanation, in the farm management system of this embodiment, the gateway 200 and the multiple water faucet devices 100 form a star topology with the gateway 200 as the hub and the water faucet devices 100 as nodes. In addition, the gateway 200 polls the multiple water faucet devices 100 sequentially, thereby avoiding collisions and enabling communication with each of the water faucet devices 100. In this configuration, each of the faucet devices 100 can communicate directly with the gateway 200 without going through another faucet device 100. As a result, in this embodiment, there is no need to set upstream and downstream connection destinations for each of the faucet devices 100. Therefore, in this embodiment, for example, when rearranging the water faucet device 100 in the farm field FM, it is possible to arrange the water faucet device 100 without considering the connection destination settings, thereby reducing the workload.

[0057] [Interrupt communication in response to receiving an immediate open / close command] In this embodiment, the farmland management server 300, under normal operation, periodically communicates with the gateway 200 once per cycle corresponding to the patrol unit period Tb, as illustrated in Figure 5. However, if a situation arises in which the faucet of the water faucet device 100 must be opened or closed immediately, the farm manager can operate the farmland management terminal 400 to issue an instruction (an immediate opening / closing instruction) to immediately fully open or fully close the faucet of the water faucet device 100. Such an immediate opening / closing instruction is sent to the farmland management server 300. When the field management server 300 receives an immediate opening / closing instruction, it performs interrupt communication during the current patrol unit period Tb, separate from the above-mentioned periodic communication, and immediately sends to the gateway 200 an immediate opening / closing command (an example of a specific command) corresponding to the immediate opening / closing instruction.

[0058] FIG. 6 shows an example in which an immediate open / close command is sent from the farm land management server 300 to the gateway 200 as described above. In the example shown in the figure, during patrol unit period Tb-2, after regular communication by polling with faucet device #3, an immediate open / close command CMD is sent from farmland management server 300 to gateway 200, with faucet device #2 as the destination. In response to receiving the immediate open / close command CMD, gateway 200 immediately sends (transfers) the immediate open / close command CMD to faucet device #2 by interrupt communication separate from the regular polling communication.

[0059] In this way, in this embodiment, the immediate open / close command CMD is immediately sent to the water faucet device 100 by interruption. This allows the water faucet device 100 to instantly fully open or fully close, and start or stop water supply or drainage, in accordance with the intention of the farm field manager. For example, in a topology using a multi-hop connection such as that illustrated in FIG. 1, even if gateway 200 immediately forwards an immediate open / close command to faucet device 100-P1, the first hop in the order, upon receiving the command, if the number of hops is large, it may take a considerable amount of time for the immediate open / close command to reach the destination faucet device 100. In this case, despite the transmission of the immediate open / close command, there may be a significant delay before the faucet device 100 to be controlled actually fully opens or closes the faucet. In contrast, in this embodiment, gateway 200 can transmit the immediate open / close command to the target faucet device 100 without passing through other faucet devices 100. This allows the target faucet device 100 to begin opening or closing its faucet in response to the immediate open / close command with a time lag that is considered to be sufficient real time after, for example, the field manager operates the field management terminal 400.

[0060] [Skipping communication by polling in response to interrupt communication] Furthermore, in communication between gateway 200 and faucet device 100 using a star topology, an upper limit (maximum number of communications) may be specified for the number of times per unit time (communication count specified period) that gateway 200 is allowed to communicate with one faucet device 100. In other words, it is required that the number of communications between gateway 200 and one faucet device 100 does not exceed the maximum number of communications in the unit time of the communication count specified period. The figure shows an example in which the communication count specification period is one hour and the maximum number of communications during the communication count specification period is four. As mentioned above, the cycle unit period Tb is 15 minutes. In this case, one hour of the communication count specification period includes four consecutive cycle unit periods Tb. Therefore, the figure shows an example in which the gateway 200 and one water faucet device 100 communicate by polling four times during the communication count specification period, which is the same as the maximum number of communications.

[0061] For example, if the communication count setting period Ta is set to start from the cyclic unit period Tb-2 in which communication for sending and receiving the immediate open / close command was performed, the communication count setting period Ta will include four cyclic unit periods Tb-2, Tb-3, Tb-4, and Tb-5. If gateway 200 performs regular communication with faucet device #2 by polling during each of these four cyclic unit periods Tb, the following problems will occur. In other words, communication with faucet device #2 during communication count period Ta will consist of four polling communications and one communication for sending and receiving an immediate open / close command. In this case, communication between gateway 200 and faucet device #2 during communication count period Ta will ultimately occur five times, exceeding the maximum number of communications of four.

[0062] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the gateway 200 performs interrupt-based communication with one water faucet device 100, it controls the communication as follows: In other words, the gateway 200 does not perform regular polling-based communication with the water faucet device 100 that was the destination of the interrupt-based communication during one cyclic unit period Tb after the cyclic unit period Tb in which the interrupt-based communication was performed. As a specific example, in Figure 6, in the cyclic unit period Tb-3 that follows the cyclic unit period Tb-2 in which interrupt communication was performed with faucet device #2, regular communication by polling with faucet device #2 is skipped, as shown by the dashed arrow. If polling communication with faucet device #2 is skipped in this way, the timing of subsequent communication with faucet devices #3 and #4 in patrol unit period Tb-3 may be brought forward. By carrying out such communication control, it becomes possible to prevent the communication between the gateway 200 and the water faucet device 100 from exceeding the maximum number of communications per unit time corresponding to the communication count regulation period.

[0063] [Gateway configuration example] An example of the configuration of gateway 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Gateway 200 in the figure includes a network-compatible communication unit 201, a water faucet device-compatible communication unit 202, a control unit 203, and a storage unit 204. The network-compatible communication unit 201 executes communication via the network NT. The water faucet device compatible communication unit 202 communicates with the water faucet device 100 . The control unit 203 executes various controls in the gateway 200. The functions of the control unit 203 are realized by a CPU included in the gateway 200 executing a program. The control unit 203 includes a communication control unit 231 (an example of a first communication control unit). The communication control unit 231 executes control related to communication with the water faucet devices 100. In other words, the communication control unit 231 controls communication to occur sequentially with each of the multiple water faucet devices 100 in each circulating unit period Tb according to the star topology, without passing through the other water faucet devices 100. The storage unit 204 stores various information corresponding to the gateway 200 .

[0064] [Example of processing procedure] An example of a processing procedure executed by the gateway 200 in relation to interrupt communication will be described with reference to the flowchart in Figure 8. The processing in this figure is executed while the gateway 200 is constantly communicating with the water faucet device 100 by polling. Step S101: In the gateway 200, the communication control unit 231 waits to receive a command sent from the farm land management server 300 for controlling the water faucet device 100.

[0065] Step S102: If it is determined in step S101 that a command has been received, the communication control unit 231 further determines whether the received command is an immediate open / close command. Specifically, the communication control unit 231 may determine that the received command is an immediate open / close command if the command identifier indicated by the received command indicates either a command to immediately fully open the stopper unit or a command to immediately fully close the stopper unit.

[0066] Step S103: If it is determined in step S102 that the received command is an immediate open / close command, the communication control unit 231 transmits the received immediate open / close command to the destination water faucet device 100 by interrupt communication.

[0067] Step S104: On the other hand, if it is determined in step S102 that the received command is not an immediate open / close command, the communication control unit 231 stores the received command in the memory unit 204. The stored command is transmitted to the destination water faucet device 100 during subsequent polling communication.

[0068] Next, an example of a processing procedure executed by the gateway 200 in relation to skipping communication by polling in response to interrupt communication will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Step S201: In the gateway 200, the communication control unit 231 waits for the start timing of the cyclic unit period Tb to arrive. Step S202: When the start timing of the circulating unit period Tb arrives, the communication control unit 231 assigns the initial value 1 to the variable n, which corresponds to the order of communication with the water faucet device 100 by polling.

[0069] Step S203: The communication control unit 231 determines whether or not an immediate open / close command was transmitted by interrupt communication to the water faucet device 100 that is nth in the communication order during the immediately preceding (previous) cyclic unit period Tb.

[0070] Step S204: If it is determined in step S203 that interrupt communication has not been performed, the communication control unit 231 executes control so that communication by polling is performed with the water faucet device 100 that is n-th in the communication order. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S203 that interrupt communication has been performed, communication control unit 231 skips the processing of step S204. As a result, for the water faucet devices 100 for which interrupt communication was performed in the previous cycle unit period Tb, communication by polling is not performed in the current cycle unit period Tb.

[0071] Step S205: After the processing of step S204, or if it is determined in step S203 that interrupt communication has been performed, the communication control unit 231 determines whether the variable n has reached or exceeded the maximum value corresponding to the last communication order. Step S206: If it is determined in step S205 that the variable n is less than the maximum value, the communication control unit 231 increments the variable n and returns the process to step S203, thereby determining whether or not to communicate by polling with the next water faucet device 100 in the communication order. If it is determined in step S205 that the variable n is equal to or greater than the maximum value, the process returns to step S201 for processing corresponding to the next cyclic unit period Tb.

[0072] The specific command that gateway 200 should send by interrupt communication is not limited to an immediate open / close command. For example, the specific command may be a command instructing faucet device 100 to set a specific parameter, or a command instructing faucet device 100 to clear a specific parameter that has been set.

[0073] [Modification of topology configuration] Fig. 10 shows a modified topology configuration in the farmland management system of this embodiment. In Fig. 10, the gateway 200, gateway communication range AR, farm field FM, and water tap device 100 in Fig. 2 are shown as gateway 200-1, gateway communication range AR-1, farm field FM-1, and water tap device 100-1, respectively.

[0074] In the figure, in addition to gateway 200-1, another gateway 200-2 is provided. Gateway 200-2 is configured to connect to multiple water faucet devices 100-2 installed in field FM-2 within gateway communication range AR-2. That is, in the figure, two different topologies are set: a topology made up of gateway 200-1 and its subordinate water faucet device 100-1, and a topology made up of gateway 200-2 and its subordinate water faucet device 100-2.

[0075] In explaining the same figure, gateways 200-1 and 200-2 will be referred to as gateway 200 when there is no particular distinction between them. Furthermore, gateway communication ranges AR-1 and AR-2 will be referred to as gateway communication range AR when there is no particular distinction between them. Furthermore, fields FM-1 and FM-2 will be referred to as field FM when there is no particular distinction between them. Furthermore, water faucet devices 100-1 and 100-2 will be referred to as water faucet device 100 when there is no particular distinction between them.

[0076] Here, due to the relative positions of gateway 200-1 and gateway 200-2, the gateway communication range AR-1 of gateway 200-1 and the gateway communication range AR-2 of gateway 200-2 partially overlap. In the range where the gateway communication ranges AR-1 and AR-2 overlap (overlapping range), there is one farm field FM-1 in which a water faucet device 100-1 under the control of gateway 200-1 is located. In such a case, faucet device 100-1 in the overlapping range is in an environment where it can communicate not only with gateway 200-1 but also with gateway 200-2. However, gateway 200-2 and faucet device 100-1 in the overlapping range belong to different topologies, so it is necessary to prevent communication between them.

[0077] To achieve this, for example, a communication destination table that associates the water faucet devices 100 set as communication destinations is provided for each gateway 200. The communication destination table may have a structure in which a gateway ID indicating the gateway 200 is associated with a water faucet device ID indicating the water faucet device 100 as the communication destination. The gateway 200 and the water faucet device 100 each store their own corresponding communication destination table. Gateway 200 includes its own gateway ID in the information it transmits. If the gateway ID included in the information transmitted from gateway 200 is not associated with its own faucet device ID in the communication destination table, water faucet device 100 discards the transmitted information. Furthermore, the water faucet device 100 includes its own water faucet device ID in the information it transmits. If the water faucet device ID included in the information transmitted from the water faucet device 100 is not associated with its own gateway ID in the communication destination table, the gateway 200 discards the transmitted information. This makes it possible to prevent communication between the gateway 200 and the water faucet device 100 that belong to different topologies.

[0078] Alternatively, the command ID may be defined to have a unique value for each topology. If the command ID included in the received information does not have a unique value corresponding to the gateway 200 or the water faucet device 100, the gateway 200 or the water faucet device 100 discards the received information. This makes it possible to prevent communication between the gateway 200 and the water faucet device 100 that belong to different topologies.

[0079] Alternatively, after defining a field ID indicating the field FM, the gateway 200 may store the field IDs of all fields FM in which subordinate faucet devices 100 are installed, and the faucet devices 100 may store the field ID of the field FM in which they are installed. When transmitting information, gateway 200 includes the stored field ID in the information to be transmitted. Water faucet device 100 includes the field ID corresponding to itself in the information to be transmitted. If the field ID included in the received information does not match the one stored by gateway 200, gateway 200 discards the received information. Furthermore, water faucet device 100 discards the received information if there is no field ID included in the received information that matches its own field ID. This makes it possible to prevent communication between gateway 200 and water faucet device 100 that belong to different topologies.

[0080] FIG. 11 shows another modified example of the topology configuration in the farm land management system of this embodiment. In the figure, three field management terminals 400, namely, 400-A, 400-B, and 400-C, are connected to a network NT. In other words, the example in the figure shows a case where there are three field managers A, B, and C, each corresponding to a different field management terminal 400-A, 400-B, and 400-C. Furthermore, three fields FM-A, FM-B, and FM-C, each managed by a different field manager, are included in the gateway communication range AR of one gateway 200. Fields FM-A, FM-B, and FM-C are managed by field managers A, B, and C, respectively. In this case, gateway 200 communicates with multiple faucet devices 100-A installed in field FM-A, multiple faucet devices 100-B installed in field FM-B, and multiple faucet devices 100-C installed in field FM-C. In explaining the diagram, when no distinction is made between faucet devices 100-A, 100-B, and 100-C, they will be referred to as faucet devices 100. In such a configuration, the gateway 200 may be shared by, for example, farm field managers A, B, and C, or may be owned by an organization such as a land improvement district.

[0081] In this configuration, information transmitted between the water tap device 100 and the farm land management server 300 via the gateway 200 and the network NT is encrypted. This prevents the content of information transmitted between the water tap device 100 and the farm land management server 300 from being intercepted by, for example, one of the farm land management terminals 400 connected to the gateway 200.

[0082] In addition, programs for implementing the functions of the above-described water faucet device 100, gateway 200, farmland management server 300, farmland management terminal 400, etc. may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the programs may be loaded into a computer system and executed to perform processing corresponding to the above-described water faucet device 100, gateway 200, farmland management server 300, farmland management terminal 400, etc. Here, "loading a program recorded on a recording medium into a computer system and executing it" includes installing the program into a computer system. The term "computer system" here includes hardware such as an operating system and peripheral devices. The term "computer system" may also include multiple computers connected via a network, including communication lines such as the Internet, WAN, LAN, and dedicated lines. The term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. In this way, the recording medium storing the programs may also be a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM. The term "recording medium" also includes internal or external recording media accessible from a distribution server for distributing the program. The program code stored on the distribution server's recording medium may be different from the program code in a format executable by a terminal device. In other words, the format in which the program is stored on the distribution server is not important as long as it can be downloaded from the distribution server and installed in a format executable by a terminal device. The program may be divided into multiple parts, downloaded at different times, and then combined on a terminal device, or each of the divided programs may be distributed by a different distribution server. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" also includes a medium that stores a program for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory (RAM) within a computer system that serves as a server or client when a program is transmitted over a network. The program may also be for implementing part of the functions described above.Furthermore, the above-mentioned functions may be realized in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, that is, a so-called differential file (differential program). [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 100 water faucet device, 101 water supply pipe, 111 faucet drive unit, 113 sensor-compatible communication unit, 114 gateway-compatible communication unit, 115 power supply unit, 120 control unit, 121 communication control unit, 130 memory unit, 140 operation panel unit, 200 gateway, 201 network-compatible communication unit, 202 water faucet device-compatible communication unit, 203 control unit, 204 memory unit, 231 communication control unit, 300 farm management server, 400 farm management terminal

Claims

1. a communication device; a water tap device used to supply or drain water to or from a farm field; a sensor that detects a detection target including a water level in the farm field where the water tap device is used; and a farm field management server that can communicate with the communication device via a network; The communication device a first communication control unit that communicates with the water faucet device located within a communication distance at regular intervals; The sensor The detection information can be transmitted to the farm management server without passing through the water faucet device, The water faucet device is a second communication control unit that transmits and receives information to and from the communication device by wireless communication without going through other water faucet devices; In controlling the water faucet device, the second communication control unit communicates control information with the farm land management server via the first communication control unit. Field management system.

2. a communication device; a water tap device used to supply or drain water to or from a farm field; a sensor that detects a detection target including a water level in the farm field where the water tap device is used; and a farm field management server that can communicate with the communication device via a network; The communication device a first communication control unit that communicates with the sensor located within a communication distance at regular intervals, The sensor The detection information can be transmitted to the communication device without passing through the water faucet device, the transmission of the sensor detection information is performed by the sensor transmitting the sensor information to the farm land management server via the first communication control unit; The water faucet device is a second communication control unit that transmits and receives information to and from the farm land management server via a network without going through other water faucet devices; Field management system.

3. The system includes a plurality of the communication devices, a plurality of the water faucet devices, and a plurality of sensors that detect detection targets including a water level in the field in which the water faucet devices are used, The plurality of communication devices are arranged so that their communication ranges partially overlap, and include a water faucet device and / or a sensor arranged in the overlapping range where the communication ranges overlap, The water faucet device and / or the sensor arranged in the overlapping range communicates with only one of the plurality of communication devices. The farmland management system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The water faucet device used for the water supply includes a pipe body having a first end attached to a pipe through which water is supplied from at least a pipeline, a stop valve ball having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the hollow part of the pipe body, a discharge pipe attached to the first end and having a hollow part with a diameter smaller than the stop valve ball, and a cup attached to cover an end of the discharge pipe different from the end attached to the pipe body, and has a structure in which the stop valve ball is moved in the longitudinal direction of the shaft body by moving the cup and a shaft body that penetrates the hollow part in the discharge pipe in the longitudinal direction of the shaft body, thereby supplying or stopping water. The farmland management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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