Communication system, terminal device, and terminal registration method

Abstract

This system provides a mechanism that prevents multiple higher-level terminals from registering the same device identification information duplicately in the communication system. [Solution] Multiple upper-level terminals 2 store the identification information of lower-level terminals 1 registered in the management device 3 as shared information, and register the identification information of lower-level terminals 1 other than those indicated in the shared information from the identification information obtained from one or more lower-level terminals 1 through the device discovery process in the management device 3. This allows the upper-level terminals 2 to recognize the identification information already registered in the management device 3 from the identification information of one or more lower-level terminals 1 discovered through the device discovery process, and to register only the other identification information in the management device 3.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication system, a terminal device, and a terminal registration method, and is particularly suitable for use in a communication system configured to register and use the identification information of multiple subordinate terminals wirelessly connected to a higher-level terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, when using a device connected to a network via wireless communication in a communication system, it is necessary to register the device's identification information with the communication system. During this registration process, the device discovery process of the higher-level terminal included in the communication system searches for wirelessly capable devices, and the identification information of the discovered devices is presented. If multiple identification pieces are presented as a list, the identification piece corresponding to the desired device is identified from the list and registered with the communication system.

[0003] In this case, if there is only one upper-level terminal that communicates wirelessly with multiple devices, that single upper-level terminal only needs to perform device discovery processing and register the identification information of each device in the communication system. However, there are cases where multiple upper-level terminals are used to communicate wirelessly with multiple devices, for example, to cover a wide communication area or for load balancing.

[0004] When using multiple upper-level terminals, each terminal performs a device discovery process to find devices that can communicate. For example, a device that is within communication range of two upper-level terminals will be discovered by both terminals. In this case, if the two upper-level terminals each register the identification information of the device they found in the communication system, duplication of the registered identification information will occur. Therefore, it is necessary to register the device identification information in a way that avoids duplication.

[0005] Furthermore, there is an information processing system in which an electronic device communicates with other electronic devices via Bluetooth (registered trademark; the same applies hereinafter), determines whether or not to act as a representative device based on information from the other electronic devices, and if it is determined to act as a representative device, transmits detection information detected by the sensors of the other electronic devices from the representative device to a server (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0006] Furthermore, there are known data distribution devices that search for mobile devices holding the requested file within a predetermined range from the mobile device that made the file download request, and transmit configuration information (for example, Bluetooth master configuration information) that enables the mobile device that made the download request to receive the file, thereby allowing the mobile device to receive the necessary file from mobile devices in its vicinity (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-144393 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-316610 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 aims to prevent the load from being unevenly distributed among multiple electronic devices that communicate with a server, specifically on a particular electronic device. The technology described in Patent Document 2 aims to reduce the load on a data distribution device and reduce network traffic. Neither of the technologies in Patent Documents 1 or 2 can solve the problem of multiple higher-level terminals registering the identification information of devices they have found redundantly in the communication system.

[0009] This invention was made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a mechanism in a communication system in which there are multiple upper-level terminals that communicate wirelessly with multiple devices, such that multiple upper-level terminals do not duplicately register the identification information of the same device in the communication system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a communication system that includes a plurality of lower-level terminals having wireless communication means, a plurality of upper-level terminals having wireless communication means, and a management device that registers and manages the identification information of lower-level terminals, and performs wireless communication between lower-level terminals and upper-level terminals within communication range. The plurality of upper-level terminals search for lower-level terminals within communication range, obtain the identification information of the discovered lower-level terminals from the lower-level terminals, and register the identification information of specific terminals from the obtained identification information in the management device. The upper-level terminals share the identification information registered in the management device with the plurality of other upper-level terminals, and register the identification information of terminals other than the lower-level terminals indicated by the shared identification information from the identification information obtained in the device search process as specific terminals in the management device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention configured as described above, multiple higher-level terminals can recognize identification information already registered in the management device by using the identification information of the lower-level terminals that they share with each other. Furthermore, when registering identification information acquired from a lower-level terminal in the device discovery process, it becomes possible to register identification information other than the already recognized registered identification information in the management device. This prevents multiple higher-level terminals from duplicating the registration of the same lower-level terminal's identification information in the management device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the overall configuration of a service provision system to which the communication system according to this embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the operation of registering identification information according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the host terminal and management device of this embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram schematically shows an example of the information stored in the account information storage unit. [Figure 5] This diagram schematically shows an example of the information stored in the registration terminal's memory unit. [Figure 6] This diagram schematically shows an example of the information stored in the connection status memory unit. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the communication system according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of the operation of the communication system according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure illustrates an example of the effects of the communication system according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a service provision system to which the communication system according to this embodiment is applied. The communication system of this embodiment comprises a plurality of lower-level terminals 1 having wireless communication means, a plurality of upper-level terminals 2 also having wireless communication means, and a management device 3 that registers and manages the identification information of the lower-level terminals 1. The management device 3 includes an MQTT broker 31 and a Web server 32. The upper-level terminals 2 correspond to the terminal devices in the claims.

[0014] The wireless communication method is, for example, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). In this case, the lower-level terminal 1 operates as a BLE slave (peripheral), and the upper-level terminal 2 operates as a BLE master (central). Note that the wireless communication method is not limited to BLE; it may also be Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or other wireless LANs. Wireless communication between multiple lower-level terminals 1 and multiple upper-level terminals 2 takes place between terminals within communication range.

[0015] The lower-level terminal 1 communicates wirelessly with the upper-level terminal 2, and its operation is controlled by the upper-level terminal 2. The lower-level terminal 1 also transmits its own information to the upper-level terminal 2. For example, the lower-level terminal 1 transmits its own identification information to the upper-level terminal 2. However, the information transmitted is not limited to this. For example, it may transmit information indicating the operation status of switches and buttons, battery voltage detected by a voltage sensor, ambient temperature detected by a temperature sensor, information identifying the image currently displayed on the display (such as the number of a fixed image being displayed (1-8) or a number indicating that an arbitrary image is being displayed (0)), its own model information, firmware version information, etc.

[0016] The upper-level terminal 2 communicates wirelessly with the lower-level terminal 1 and also communicates with the management device 3 via the internet and / or a mobile phone network using HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) and MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport). Here, MQTT communication takes place between the upper-level terminal 2 and the MQTT broker 31, and HTTP communication takes place between the upper-level terminal 2 and the web server 32. The upper-level terminal 2 controls the lower-level terminal 1 according to the operation instructions received from the management device 3. In addition, the upper-level terminal 2 registers the identification information obtained from the lower-level terminal 1 with the management device 3 and notifies the management device 3 of at least a portion of the information obtained from the lower-level terminal 1 as status information.

[0017] The MQTT broker 31 of the management device 3 operates as a base station server between the upper-level terminal 2 and the web server 32, enabling real-time push communication from the web server 32 to the upper-level terminal 2 and from the upper-level terminal 2 to the web server 32. The transmission of operation instructions from the management device 3 to the upper-level terminal 2, and the transmission of status information from the upper-level terminal 2 to the management device 3, are performed via MQTT communication using the MQTT broker 31.

[0018] MQTT is a communication protocol that exchanges lightweight information between a web server 32 and a higher-level terminal 2 via an MQTT broker 31. The web server 32 maintains a constant connection with the MQTT broker 31 in order to send and receive arbitrary information in real time. The higher-level terminal 2 also maintains a constant connection with the MQTT broker 31 in order to send and receive arbitrary information in real time. In other words, the web server 32 and the higher-level terminal 2 are constantly connected to the MQTT broker 31 as clients to achieve low-latency information transmission and reception. This makes it possible for the web server 32 to push arbitrary information to the higher-level terminal 2 via the MQTT broker 31 at the required time, and for the higher-level terminal 2 to push arbitrary information to the web server 32 via the MQTT broker 31 at the required time.

[0019] When the Web server 32 of the management device 3 receives an HTTP request from the upper-level terminal 2, it responds to the upper-level terminal 2 via HTTP with information corresponding to that request. For example, when performing the initial setup (kitting) to register the identification information of the lower-level terminal 1 with the management device 3, the upper-level terminal 2 uses HTTP communication with the Web server 32 to register the identification information obtained from the lower-level terminal 1 with the management device 3. This registration of identification information may also be performed via MQTT communication.

[0020] The service provision system shown in Figure 1 constitutes a mobile smartphone ordering system as one use case to apply the communication system of this embodiment, and comprises a customer terminal 101, a store management device 102, and a store service server 103. The customer terminal 101 is, for example, a smartphone. Multiple subordinate terminals 1 are placed on multiple tables installed in a restaurant, for example. A two-dimensional code is displayed on the display of the subordinate terminal 1. When the customer terminal 101 reads the two-dimensional code, it becomes possible to access the ordering screen of the web page provided by the store service server 103 and place an order.

[0021] The web server 32 provides the store service server 103 with a Web API for controlling the subordinate terminal 1, and the store service server 103 can use this Web API to control the subordinate terminal 1. For example, the store service server 103 can issue an operation command to the target subordinate terminal 1. In this case, the operation command sent from the store service server 103 to the web server 32 is forwarded to one of the upper-level terminals 2 via MQTT communication through the MQTT broker 31, and then wirelessly transmitted from the upper-level terminal 2 to the target subordinate terminal 1 to control its operation. At this time, the management device 3 sends the operation command to the upper-level terminal 2 among the multiple upper-level terminals 2 that is within communication range of the target subordinate terminal 1.

[0022] As an example of an operation instruction, the store service server 103 can transmit arbitrary information input from the store management device 102 installed in the restaurant to the management device 3, and then forward it from the management device 3 to the lower terminal 1 via the upper terminal 2, thereby displaying the arbitrary information on the display of the lower terminal 1. The arbitrary information may include, for example, information indicating the order status, information indicating the cooking status, information on recommended menu items, and information related to advertising. This information may also be displayed as arbitrary images.

[0023] Furthermore, as an alternative example of an operation instruction, the store service server 103 can transmit a standardized image input from the store management device 102 installed in the restaurant to the management device 3, and then transfer it from the management device 3 to the lower terminal 1 via the upper terminal 2, thereby storing the standardized image in the non-volatile memory of the lower terminal 1. This standardized image is used as an image to be displayed on the display when a standardized operation is performed in the lower terminal 1. Standardized operations in the lower terminal 1 include, for example, inserting batteries or operating switches and buttons, but are not limited to these.

[0024] In addition to the Web API, the Web server 32 also provides an event notification mechanism using Webhooks. For example, when it is detected that a specific status of the lower terminal 1 has changed based on the status information transmitted from the upper terminal 2 to the management device 3, the Web server 32 can use the Webhook function to call the Web API of the store service server 103 and notify the status change. As a result, the store service server 103 can notify the detection of the status change without periodically executing (polling) the Web API of the Web server 32 until the status change of a specific lower terminal 1 is obtained.

[0025] In order to enable the use of multiple lower terminals 1 in the service providing system as described above, the identification information of the lower terminal 1 is registered in the management device 3. When performing this registration, the upper terminal 2 performs a device search process to search for the lower terminal 1 that can communicate wirelessly, and registers the identification information of the discovered lower terminal 1 in the management device 3. The communication system of this embodiment provides a mechanism that prevents multiple upper terminals 2 from registering the same identification information of the lower terminal 1 in the management device 3 redundantly. Hereinafter, the concept of this mechanism will be described using FIG. 2.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows an operation example when six lower terminals 1 -1 , 2 -2 are registered in the management device 3 by two upper terminals 2 -1 ~1 -6 . FIGS. 2(a) to (c) show the flow of the operation.

[0027] FIG. 2(a) shows a state where four lower terminals 1 -1 ~1 -1 are registered in the management device 3 by the first upper terminal 2 -4 . In FIG. 2(a), after the first upper terminal 2 -1 performs account registration in the management device 3, it is performing a device search process. As a result, four lower terminals 1 -1 ~1 -1 within the communication range with the first upper terminal 2 -4It was discovered, and the four lower-level terminals that were found 1 -1 ~1 -4 The identification information of the first higher-level terminal 2 -1 It is registered with management device 3.

[0028] Figure 2(b) shows the second upper-level terminal 2 -2 The first higher-end terminal 2 -1 This shows the operation when registered to the same account. Management device 3 is the first higher-level terminal 2 in Figure 2(a). -1 Four subordinate terminals registered from 1 -1 ~1 -4 The identification information of the second higher-level terminal 2 -2 This will provide four lower-level terminals 1 -1 ~1 -4 The identification information of the two higher-level terminals 2 -1 ,2 -2 It is shared among them.

[0029] Figure 2(c) shows the second upper-level terminal 2 -2 The remaining two lower-end terminals 1 -5 ~1 -6 This shows the state in which the device is registered with the management device 3. Figure 2(c) shows the second higher-level terminal 2 -2 As a result of the device discovery process, the second higher-level terminal 2 -2 and four lower-level terminals within communication range -3 ~1 -6 It has been discovered. Here, the second higher-level terminal 2 -2 The four lower-level devices discovered -3 ~1 -6 Of these, the third and fourth lower-level terminals 1 -3 ~1 -4 The identification information can be recognized through shared information that it has already been registered in the management device 3. Therefore, the second upper-level terminal 2 -2 The fifth and sixth lower-level terminals 1 were recognized as unregistered. -5 ~1 -6 Only the identification information is registered in the management device 3.

[0030] Second upper terminal 2 -2 The fifth and sixth lower terminals 1 -5 ~1-6 When the identification information is registered in the management device 3, the management device 3 will then process the two newly registered subordinate terminals 1 -5 ~1 -6 The identification information of the first higher-level terminal 2 -1 This will provide to six lower-level terminals 1 -1 ~1 -6 The identification information of the two higher-level terminals 2 -1 ,2 -2 It is shared among them.

[0031] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the upper-level terminal 2 and management device 3 in this embodiment. In addition to the functional configuration related to the registration operation of the lower-level terminal 1 shown in Figure 2, Figure 3 also includes the functional configuration related to operations after registration.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the host terminal 2 of this embodiment has the following functional configuration: an account registration unit 201, a device discovery unit 202, a terminal registration unit 203, an identification information sharing unit 204, a status notification unit 205, an instruction acquisition unit 206, and an instruction transmission unit 207. In addition, the host terminal 2 of this embodiment has a shared information storage unit 211 as a storage medium.

[0033] The above-mentioned functional blocks 201 to 207 perform the processes described below through the cooperation of hardware and software. For example, the processes of the above-mentioned functional blocks 201 to 207 are executed by the operation of programs stored in storage media such as RAM, ROM, hard disk, or semiconductor memory, under the control of a processor configured by a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. In addition to the microcomputer, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) may also be provided.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the management device 3 of this embodiment includes, as a functional configuration, an account management unit 301, a registered terminal management unit 302, a registration identification information provision unit 303, a connection status management unit 304, and an operation instruction unit 305. In addition, the management device 3 of this embodiment includes, as a storage medium, an account information storage unit 311, a registered terminal storage unit 312, and a connection status storage unit 313.

[0035] The above-described functional blocks 301 to 305 perform the processes described below through the cooperation of hardware and software. For example, the processes of the above-described functional blocks 301 to 305 are executed by the operation of programs stored in storage media such as RAM, ROM, hard disk, or semiconductor memory, under the control of a processor configured by a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. In addition to the microcomputer, a DSP or the like may also be included.

[0036] The account registration unit 201 of the upper-level terminal 2 performs processing related to account registration for the upper-level terminal 2. Specifically, the account registration unit 201 sends account information (e.g., email address and password) to the management device 3 to request account registration. The account information is used when the upper-level terminal 2 logs into the communication system, and also serves to define a unit that shares the identification information of the lower-level terminal 1 (hereinafter referred to as the lower-level terminal ID). For example, common account information is registered in the management device 3 for multiple upper-level terminals 2 used in a single store.

[0037] The account management unit 301 of the management device 3 generates identification information for the upper-level terminal 2 (hereinafter referred to as the upper-level terminal ID) in accordance with the registration request transmitted from the account registration unit 201 of the upper-level terminal 2, and stores the upper-level terminal ID in the account information storage unit 311 in association with the account information transmitted from the upper-level terminal 2. If registration requests for the same account information are made from multiple upper-level terminals 2, the account management unit 301 stores multiple upper-level terminal IDs associated with one piece of account information in the account information storage unit 311.

[0038] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of information stored in the account information storage unit 311. Figure 4 shows an example of information stored in the account information storage unit 311 in the case of the example shown in Figure 2(c). That is, two higher-level terminals 2 -1 ,2 -2 The higher-level terminal IDs "U001" and "U002" are stored in association with a single common account.

[0039] The device discovery unit 202 of the upper-level terminal 2 searches for the lower-level terminal 1 that is within communication range of the upper-level terminal 2, and obtains the lower-level terminal ID of the discovered lower-level terminal 1 from the lower-level terminal 1. Here, the device discovery unit 202 receives the lower-level terminal ID that is periodically transmitted at predetermined time intervals by the lower-level terminal 1 through BLE advertising. Advertising is the operation in which the lower-level terminal 1 broadcasts information as a BLE slave (peripheral).

[0040] Furthermore, the device discovery unit 202 sends a scan command to the lower terminal 1, which has received the lower terminal ID through advertisement, and receives response information from the lower terminal 1. Scanning is an operation in which the upper terminal 2, acting as a BLE master (central), explicitly searches for BLE slave devices in the vicinity. The response information includes the lower terminal ID and optional additional information. Examples of additional information include information indicating the operating status of switches, buttons, etc., of the lower terminal 1, the battery voltage detected by the voltage sensor, the ambient temperature detected by the temperature sensor, information identifying the image displayed on the display, the model information of the lower terminal 1, and firmware version information. Note that these are just examples of additional information and are not limited to these.

[0041] The terminal registration unit 203 registers the subordinate terminal ID of a specific terminal from among the one or more subordinate terminal IDs obtained by the device discovery unit 202 with the management device 3. Here, the terminal registration unit 203 designates a terminal other than subordinate terminal 1, which is indicated by the shared information stored in the shared information storage unit 211, as a specific terminal, and sends the subordinate terminal ID of that specific terminal to the management device 3 to request registration.

[0042] As described later, the shared information storage unit 211 stores the subordinate terminal IDs of subordinate terminals 1 that are already registered with the management device 3 as shared information for multiple superior terminals 2 belonging to the same account. In other words, a specific terminal other than subordinate terminal 1 indicated by the shared information in the shared information storage unit 211 represents a subordinate terminal 1 whose subordinate terminal ID is not registered with the management device 3. That is, the terminal registration unit 203 sends only the subordinate terminal IDs that are not registered with the management device 3 from among the one or more subordinate terminal IDs obtained by the device discovery unit 202 to the management device 3 to request registration. The terminal registration unit 203 also adds the subordinate terminal IDs for which registration has been requested to the shared information storage unit 211 and stores them.

[0043] The terminal registration unit 203 may also display a list of lower terminal IDs that are not yet registered with the management device 3 from among the one or more lower terminal IDs obtained by the device discovery unit 202 on the display of the upper terminal 2, and send only the lower terminal IDs specified by the user from the list to the management device 3 to request registration, and add them to the shared information storage unit 211 for storage.

[0044] The registered terminal management unit 302 of the management device 3 stores the subordinate terminal ID transmitted by the terminal registration unit 203 of the superior terminal 2 as registered terminal information in the registered terminal storage unit 312, associating it with the account information of the superior terminal 2 that sent the information. The subordinate terminal ID stored in the registered terminal storage unit 312 serves as information indicating a subordinate terminal 1 that has been registered with the management device 3.

[0045] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of registered terminal information stored in the registered terminal storage unit 312. Figure 5 shows an example of registered terminal information stored in the registered terminal storage unit 312 in the case of the example shown in Figure 2. That is, six subordinate terminals 1 -1 ~1 -6The lower-level terminal IDs "D001" to "D006" are stored in association with a single common account information. At the stage shown in Figure 2(a), four lower-level terminal IDs "D001" to "D004" are stored in the registered terminal storage unit 312. Subsequently, at the stage shown in Figure 2(c), the remaining two lower-level terminal IDs "D005" to "D006" are added and stored in the registered terminal storage unit 312.

[0046] The registration identification information provision unit 303 of the management device 3 provides the subordinate terminal ID stored in the registration terminal storage unit 312 as shared information to multiple superior terminals 2 that have registered the same account information. That is, when a subordinate terminal ID is added and stored in the registration terminal storage unit 312, the registration identification information provision unit 303 refers to the account information storage unit 311 based on the account information associated with that subordinate terminal ID and confirms the superior terminal IDs of multiple superior terminals 2 associated with that account information. Then, it provides the added subordinate terminal ID as shared information to the superior terminals 2 of the confirmed superior terminal IDs (excluding the superior terminal 2 that made the registration request for the subordinate terminal ID).

[0047] The identification information sharing unit 204 of the upper-level terminal 2 acquires the lower-level terminal IDs registered in the management device 3 from the management device 3 as shared information among multiple upper-level terminals 2 and stores them in the shared information storage unit 211. In other words, the identification information sharing unit 204 adds the lower-level terminal IDs transmitted from the registered identification information provision unit 303 to the shared information storage unit 211 and stores them there. As a result, the shared information stored in the shared information storage unit 211 is synchronized with the registered terminal information stored in the registered terminal storage unit 312.

[0048] Here, an example has been described in which an additional subordinate terminal ID is shared among multiple upper-level terminals 2 by having the terminal registration unit 203 store the subordinate terminal ID in the shared information storage unit 211 at the upper-level terminal 2 that made the registration request for the subordinate terminal ID, and by having the identification information sharing unit 204 at another upper-level terminal 2 belonging to the same account store the subordinate terminal ID provided by the management device 3 in the shared information storage unit 211. However, the process is not limited to this. For example, instead of the terminal registration unit 203 storing the subordinate terminal ID in the shared information storage unit 211 at the upper-level terminal 2 that made the registration request for the subordinate terminal ID, all subordinate terminal IDs registered in the registered terminal storage unit 312 may be provided to all upper-level terminals 2 belonging to the same account, and the identification information sharing unit 204 may update the contents of the shared information storage unit 211 with the multiple subordinate terminal IDs provided by the registered identification information provision unit 303.

[0049] The status notification unit 205 notifies the management device 3 of the status information, along with its own superior terminal ID, of one or more subordinate terminals 1 discovered by the device discovery unit 202, along with additional information. Here, each time the status notification unit 205 receives a subordinate terminal ID that is periodically transmitted at predetermined time intervals by the advertisement of the subordinate terminal 1, it notifies the management device 3 of the received one or more subordinate terminal IDs along with additional information as status information.

[0050] If one or more of the received subordinate terminal IDs are not registered with the management device 3, the processing of the terminal registration unit 203 and the status notification unit 205 are executed. On the other hand, if all of the received subordinate terminal IDs are already registered with the management device 3, the processing of the terminal registration unit 203 is not executed, and only the processing of the status notification unit 205 is executed.

[0051] It is not mandatory to perform the terminal registration unit 203 process if any of the received subordinate terminal IDs are not registered with the management device 3; it may be performed only when necessary. For example, if a subordinate terminal 1 that is not associated with the store happens to be nearby, the terminal registration unit 203 may not perform the process even if the subordinate terminal ID of that subordinate terminal 1 is not registered with the management device 3.

[0052] The connection status management unit 304 of the management device 3 stores one or more subordinate terminal IDs notified by the status notification unit 205 of the higher-level terminal 2 as connection status information in the connection status storage unit 313, associating them with the higher-level terminal ID of the sending higher-level terminal 2. The one or more subordinate terminal IDs stored in the connection status storage unit 313 as association with the higher-level terminal ID serve as information indicating a subordinate terminal 1 that is within communication range of the higher-level terminal 2. This connection status information is updated each time a subordinate terminal ID is notified from the status notification unit 205.

[0053] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of connection status information stored in the connection status storage unit 313. Figure 6 shows an example of connection status information stored in the connection status storage unit 313 in the case of the example shown in Figure 2(c). Figure 6(a) shows the first higher-level terminal 2 -1 This shows connection status information regarding the first upper-level terminal 2 -1 Associated with the higher-level terminal ID "U001", the four lower-level terminals discovered through the device discovery process -1 ~1 -4 The lower terminal IDs "D001" to "D004" are stored. Figure 6(b) shows the second upper terminal 2 -2 This shows connection status information related to the second upper-level terminal 2 -2 Associated with the higher-level terminal ID "U002", the four lower-level terminals discovered through the device discovery process -3 ~1 -6 The lower-level terminal IDs "D003" to "D006" are stored.

[0054] The operation instruction unit 305 recognizes a higher-level terminal 2 that is within communication range of the target lower-level terminal 1 to which an operation instruction is to be given, based on the connection status information stored in the connection status storage unit 313, and issues an operation instruction to the target lower-level terminal 1 via the recognized higher-level terminal 2. This operation instruction is, for example, sent from the store service server 103 to the management device 3, and the target lower-level terminal 1 is identified by the store service server 103. The target lower-level terminal 1 may be one or more. Alternatively, the management device 3 itself may identify the target lower-level terminal 1 and issue the operation instruction.

[0055] The instruction acquisition unit 206 of the upper-level terminal 2 acquires operation instructions transmitted from the operation instruction unit 305 of the management device 3. The instruction transmission unit 207 wirelessly transmits the operation instructions acquired by the instruction acquisition unit 206 to the target lower-level terminal 1. The transmission of operation instructions from the upper-level terminal 2 to the lower-level terminal 1 is performed by BLE GATT communication. GATT communication is a type of communication performed by establishing a one-to-one connection between a BLE central and peripheral. The instruction transmission unit 207 establishes a one-to-one connection with the upper-level terminal 2 to the target lower-level terminal 1 and transmits the operation instructions. This controls the operation of the target lower-level terminal 1.

[0056] In the example shown in Figure 2(c), the subordinate terminal 1 for the purpose of controlling the operation is the first subordinate terminal 1 -1 In this case, the operation instruction unit 305, based on the connection status information stored in the connection status storage unit 313, will control the target lower-level terminal 1 -1 And the higher-level terminal 2 that is within communication range is the first higher-level terminal 2 -1 Recognizing that this is the case, the first higher-level terminal 2 -1 via the target lower terminal 1 -1 Give an action command to it.

[0057] Furthermore, the lower-level terminal 1, which is intended to control the operation, is the sixth lower-level terminal 1. -6 In this case, the operation instruction unit 305, based on the connection status information stored in the connection status storage unit 313, will control the target lower-level terminal 1 -6 And the higher-level terminal 2 that is within communication range becomes the second higher-level terminal 2 -2Recognizing that this is the case, the second higher-level terminal 2 -2 via the target lower terminal 1 -6 Give an action command to it.

[0058] Furthermore, the lower-level terminal 1, which is intended to control the operation, is the fourth lower-level terminal 1. -4 In this case, the operation instruction unit 305, based on the connection status information stored in the connection status storage unit 313, will control the target lower-level terminal 1 -4 And the higher-level terminal 2 that is within communication range is the first higher-level terminal 2 -1 and the second upper-level terminal 2 -2 It recognizes that this is the case. In this case, the operation instruction unit 305 controls the first higher-level terminal 2 -1 or second higher-level terminal 2 -2 Select one of the following, and connect to the target lower-level terminal 1 via the selected upper-level terminal 2. -4 Give an action command to it.

[0059] At this time, the operation instruction unit 305 will, for example, control the first higher-level terminal 2 -1 or second higher-level terminal 2 -2 One of the following will be randomly selected. Alternatively, the first higher-level terminal 2 -1 or second higher-level terminal 2 -2 Alternatively, one of the following may be selected in sequence. -1 or second higher-level terminal 2 -2 Either of the above may be selected according to predetermined criteria. When selected according to predetermined criteria, for example, status information transmitted from the upper terminal 2 to the management device 3 can be used. The status information transmitted here includes, for example, BLE signal strength information (RSSI value) received from the lower terminal 1 along with the lower terminal ID by advertisement.

[0060] In this case, the connection status management unit 304 of the management device 3 stores the subordinate terminal ID and signal strength information of the subordinate terminal 1 that is within communication range of the superior terminal 2 in the connection status storage unit 313, in association with the superior terminal ID. When the operation instruction unit 305 recognizes that there are multiple superior terminals 2 that are within communication range of the target subordinate terminal 1, it identifies one of the superior terminals 2 based on the signal strength information and issues an operation instruction to the target subordinate terminal 1 via the identified superior terminal 2.

[0061] For example, the operation instruction unit 305 identifies the higher-level terminal 2 with the strongest signal strength based on signal strength information. Alternatively, the operation instruction unit 305 may identify a higher-level terminal 2 whose signal strength is above a threshold. If there are multiple higher-level terminals 2 whose signal strength is above a threshold, the operation instruction unit 305 identifies one of them. By selecting a higher-level terminal 2 based on signal strength information in this way, it is possible to give operation instructions to the target lower-level terminal 1 via a higher-level terminal 2 capable of stable wireless communication with the lower-level terminal 1. If there are multiple higher-level terminals 2 whose signal strength is above a threshold, one of the higher-level terminals 2 may be selected randomly or sequentially. In this way, it is possible to perform efficient communication without concentrating the load on the same higher-level terminal 2.

[0062] Furthermore, to ensure that there is no significant difference in the number of lower-level terminals 1 detected as being within communication range for each of the multiple higher-level terminals 2, the positions of some lower-level terminals 1 may be moved. For example, the first higher-level terminal 2 -1 The lower terminal 1 is within a few meters of the communication range, and the second upper terminal 2 -2 If the difference between the number of lower-level terminals 1 within communication range (m > n) and the first higher-level terminal 2 is greater than or equal to a threshold, then the first higher-level terminal 2 -1 Some of the m lower-level terminals 1 that are within communication range are, for example, a second upper-level terminal 2 -2By moving it to a position where it can communicate only with [the relevant device], the difference in the number of lower-level terminals 1 detected for each of the plurality of upper-level terminals 2 is made less than the threshold value. At this time, the lower-level terminal 1 to be moved may be any one of the m lower-level terminals 1, but the lower-level terminal 1 to be moved may be specified starting from the one with the stronger signal strength.

[0063] Alternatively, the first upper-level terminal 2 -1 Among the m lower-level terminals 1 within the communication range with [the first upper-level terminal 2], the lower-level terminal 1 existing at a position where it can communicate only with the first upper-level terminal 2 -1 may be moved to a position where it can communicate with the second upper-level terminal 2 -2 At this time, the lower-level terminal 1 to be moved may be specified starting from the one with the stronger signal strength.

[0064] Note that, among the plurality of lower-level terminals 1 detected as being within the communication range for each of the plurality of upper-level terminals 2, in particular, the difference in the number of lower-level terminals 1 with a signal strength of the threshold value or more may be made less than the threshold value.

[0065] As another example, the operation instruction unit 305 may select any one of the upper-level terminals 2 from the viewpoint of load distribution and give an operation instruction. For example, the status notification unit 205 transmits the load information of the upper-level terminal 2 to the management device 3 as status information. As an example of the load information, the number of lower-level terminals 1 during the execution of the BLE GATT communication may be used. Alternatively, information indicating the resource usage status such as the CPU usage rate and memory usage rate of the upper-level terminal 2 may be used.

[0066] For example, the operation instruction unit 305 specifies the upper-level terminal 2 with the lowest load based on the load information of the upper-level terminal 2. Alternatively, the operation instruction unit 305 may specify the upper-level terminal 2 whose load-indicating value is below the threshold value. When there are a plurality of upper-level terminals 2 with a load below the threshold value, the operation instruction unit 305 specifies any one of them. For example, any one of the upper-level terminals 2 is selected randomly or in order.

[0067] Figures 7 and 8 are flowcharts illustrating an example of the operation of the communication system according to this embodiment configured as described above. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing (including the processing of the terminal registration method) performed in relation to the device discovery of the lower-level terminal 1. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing related to operation instructions from the management device 3 to the target lower-level terminal 1.

[0068] In Figure 7, first, the lower-level terminal 1 transmits its lower-level terminal ID and BLE signal strength information (RSSI value) via BLE advertisement (step S1). In reality, the lower-level terminal 1 performs this transmission process periodically at predetermined time intervals, but here we illustrate one such transmission process. The lower-level terminal ID and signal strength information transmitted from one lower-level terminal 1 are received by one or more higher-level terminals 2 within the communication range.

[0069] The device discovery unit 202 of the upper-level terminal 2 recognizes the lower-level terminal ID of the lower-level terminal 1 that is capable of wireless communication with the upper-level terminal 2 by receiving the lower-level terminal ID and signal strength information transmitted from the lower-level terminal 1 (step S2). Figure 7 illustrates the state in which the lower-level terminal ID and signal strength information have been received from one lower-level terminal 1, but in reality, advertisements are made by multiple lower-level terminals 1, and the upper-level terminal 2 receives the respective lower-level terminal ID and signal strength information from one or more lower-level terminals 1 that are within its communication range.

[0070] The terminal registration unit 203 of the upper-level terminal 2 refers to the shared information stored in the shared information storage unit 211 and determines whether there is a subordinate terminal ID among the one or more subordinate terminal IDs obtained from the lower-level terminal 1 by the device discovery unit 202 that is not registered with the management device 3 (step S3). If the terminal registration unit 203 determines that there is a subordinate terminal ID that is not registered, it sends the subordinate terminal ID to the management device 3 and requests registration (step S4). As mentioned above, this registration request may be made as needed.

[0071] Upon receiving a registration request, the registration terminal management unit 302 of the management device 3 stores the subordinate terminal ID transmitted by the terminal registration unit 203 as registered terminal information in the registration terminal storage unit 312, associating it with the account information of the sending upper-level terminal 2 (step S5). Subsequently, the registration identification information provision unit 303 provides the subordinate terminal ID stored in the registration terminal storage unit 312 as shared information to multiple upper-level terminals 2 that have registered the same account information (step S6). The identification information sharing unit 204 of the upper-level terminal 2 stores the subordinate terminal ID transmitted from the registration identification information provision unit 303 as shared information among multiple upper-level terminals 2 in the shared information storage unit 211 (step S7).

[0072] Next, the status notification unit 205 of the upper-level terminal 2 notifies the management device 3 of the status information, along with its own upper-level terminal ID, of the lower-level terminal ID and signal strength information transmitted from the lower-level terminal 1 in step S1 (step S8). Figure 7 illustrates the state in which status information is transmitted from one upper-level terminal 2, but in reality, status information is transmitted from multiple upper-level terminals 2, and the connection status management unit 304 of the management device 3 receives it.

[0073] The connection status management unit 304 of the management device 3 stores the subordinate terminal ID of the subordinate terminal 1 (the subordinate terminal ID of the subordinate terminal 1 that is within communication range of the superior terminal 2) and signal strength information, which have been notified as status information, in the connection status storage unit 313 as connection status information (step S9). This completes the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 7.

[0074] In step S3 above, if the terminal registration unit 203 determines that there are no unregistered lower terminal IDs among the one or more lower terminal IDs obtained from lower terminal 1 by the device discovery unit 202, steps S4 to S7 are skipped and the process proceeds to step S8. In other words, the kitting process to register lower terminal IDs with the management device 3 is not performed, and only the process of notifying the management device 3 of the status information of lower terminal 1 is performed, and the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 7 is completed.

[0075] In Figure 8, the operation instruction unit 305 of the management device 3 determines whether or not it has received an operation instruction from the store service server 103 for the target subordinate terminal 1 (step S21). Upon receiving the operation instruction, the operation instruction unit 305 recognizes the upper-level terminal 2 that is within communication range of the target subordinate terminal 1 based on the connection status information stored in the connection status storage unit 313 (step S22). Then, it determines whether or not there are multiple upper-level terminals 2 within communication range (step S23).

[0076] If the operation instruction unit 305 determines that there are multiple higher-level terminals 2 within communication range of the target lower-level terminal 1, it identifies one of the higher-level terminals 2 based on the signal strength information stored in the connection status storage unit 313 (step S24), and sends an operation instruction to the target lower-level terminal 1 to the identified higher-level terminal 2 (step S25). On the other hand, if the operation instruction unit 305 determines that there is only one higher-level terminal 2 within communication range of the target lower-level terminal 1, it sends an operation instruction to the target lower-level terminal 1 to that one higher-level terminal 2 (step S25).

[0077] The instruction acquisition unit 206 of the higher-level terminal 2, identified by the operation instruction unit 305, acquires the operation instruction transmitted from the operation instruction unit 305 of the management device 3 (step S26). Subsequently, the instruction transmission unit 207 wirelessly transmits the operation instruction acquired by the instruction acquisition unit 206 to the target lower-level terminal 1 (step S27). This completes the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 8. The target lower-level terminal 1 is controlled to operate according to the operation instruction transmitted from the higher-level terminal 2.

[0078] As explained in detail above, in this embodiment, multiple upper-level terminals 2 store the lower-level terminal IDs of the lower-level terminals 1 registered in the management device 3 as shared information in the shared information storage unit 211, and the device discovery unit 202 registers the lower-level terminal IDs of terminals other than the lower-level terminal 1 indicated by the shared lower-level terminal IDs, which are obtained from one or more lower-level terminals 1 through the device discovery process, as specific terminals in the management device 3.

[0079] According to the present embodiment configured as described above, the plurality of upper terminals 2 can recognize the lower terminal IDs registered in the management device 3 by the lower terminal IDs of the lower terminals 1 that they share with each other. And when registering the lower terminal IDs obtained from one or more lower terminals 1 in the management device 3 during the device search process, it is possible to register in the management device 3 the lower terminal IDs other than the recognized registered lower terminal IDs. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the plurality of upper terminals 2 from registering the lower terminal IDs of the same lower terminal 1 in the management device 3 redundantly.

[0080] That is, as illustrated in FIG. 2(c), the second upper terminal 2 -2 only needs to register in the management device 3 only the lower terminal IDs of the two lower terminals 1 -3 ~1 -6 that are not registered in the management device 3 among the lower terminal IDs of the four lower terminals 1 -5 ~1 -6 discovered in the device search process. Thereby, it is possible to avoid registering the lower terminal IDs of the registered lower terminals 1 -3 ~1 -4 redundantly from the second upper terminal 2 -2 .

[0081] Also, as shown in FIG. 9(a), when the third upper terminal 2 -1 is additionally registered in the same account as the first upper terminal 2 -2 and the second upper terminal 2 -3 , the lower terminal IDs of the six lower terminals 1 -1 ~1 -6 stored in the registered terminal storage unit 312 of the management device 3 are provided to the third upper terminal 2 -3 and stored and shared in the shared information storage unit 211. The third upper terminal 2 -3 does not need to perform any kitting process for registering the lower terminal IDs discovered in the device search process in the management device 3. Also, as shown in FIG. 9(b), even when there is a change in the lower terminal IDs discovered in the device search process because the position of the second upper terminal 2 -2 has changed, the second upper terminal 2 -2 only needs to register the newly discovered lower terminals 1-2 It is not necessary to register the subordinate terminal IDs with the management device 3. Thus, according to this embodiment, the kitting process of registering subordinate terminal IDs with the management device 3 can be streamlined.

[0082] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the identification information sharing unit 204 obtains the subordinate terminal ID registered in the management device 3 from the management device 3 and stores it in the shared information storage unit 211 as shared information, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the identification information sharing unit 204 may obtain the subordinate terminal ID registered in the management device 3 from another superior terminal 2 via BLE wireless communication and store it in the shared information storage unit 211 as shared information.

[0083] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the registered terminal management unit 302 of the management device 3 may delete the subordinate terminal IDs stored in the registered terminal storage unit 312 in response to a request from the upper terminal 2 or the store service server 103. When deleting a subordinate terminal ID in response to a request from the upper terminal 2, the deletion may be performed only when the upper terminal 2 can be confirmed by BLE advertisement that the lower terminal 2 is actually located near the subordinate terminal 1 corresponding to the subordinate terminal ID to be deleted (when the subordinate terminal ID of the subordinate terminal 1 to be deleted is included in the subordinate terminal IDs notified to the management device 3 as status information from the upper terminal 2). In this way, even if a subordinate terminal ID is deleted due to an error, the same subordinate terminal ID can be immediately re-registered with the management device 3.

[0084] Furthermore, the service provision system shown in Figure 1 is just one example of how the communication system according to this embodiment can be applied, and the examples of application are not limited to this.

[0085] Furthermore, the above embodiments are merely examples of how the present invention may be implemented, and the technical scope of the invention should not be interpreted as being limited by them. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various ways without departing from its gist or its main features. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1 Lower-end device 2. Higher-level terminal (terminal device) 3 Management device 201 Account Registration Section 202 Device Discovery Unit 203 Terminal Registration Section 204 Identification information sharing section 205 Status Notification Section 206 Instruction acquisition part 207 Instruction transmission unit 211 Shared information storage unit 301 Account Management Department 302 Registered Terminal Management Department 303 Registration Identification Information Provision Department 304 Connection Status Management Department 305 Operation instruction section 311 Account Information Storage Unit 312 Registered terminal storage unit 313 Connection Status Storage Unit

Claims

1. A communication system comprising a plurality of lower-level terminals having wireless communication means, a plurality of upper-level terminals having the same wireless communication means, and a management device for registering and managing the identification information of the lower-level terminals, wherein wireless communication is performed between lower-level terminals and upper-level terminals within communication range, The above-mentioned multiple high-end devices are, A device search unit searches for the subordinate terminals within the above communication range and obtains identification information of the found subordinate terminals from the subordinate terminals. A terminal registration unit registers the identification information of a specific terminal from the identification information obtained by the device discovery unit into the management device. The system includes an identification information sharing unit that acquires and stores the identification information registered in the management device as shared information among the multiple higher-level terminals, The terminal registration unit registers the identification information of terminals other than the subordinate terminals indicated in the shared information as the specific terminals in the management device. A communication system characterized by the following features.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that the identification information sharing unit acquires the identification information registered in the management device from the management device and stores it as shared information.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, characterized in that the identification information sharing unit acquires the identification information registered in the management device from other higher-level terminals and stores it as shared information.

4. The above-mentioned device discovery unit periodically performs a device discovery process to search for the above-mentioned lower-level terminal, The above-mentioned multiple higher-level terminals further include a status notification unit that notifies the management device of the identification information of the lower-level terminal discovered by the device discovery unit as status information. The management device recognizes the upper-level terminal that is within communication range of the target lower-level terminal to which it is to issue operation instructions, based on the status information, and issues the operation instructions to the target lower-level terminal via the recognized upper-level terminal. A communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The above status information includes signal strength information acquired by the lower-level terminal when the higher-level terminal performs the above device discovery process. The communication system according to claim 4, characterized in that when the management device recognizes that there are multiple higher-level terminals within communication range of the lower-level terminal for the purpose described above, it identifies one of the higher-level terminals based on the signal strength information and gives the operation instruction to the lower-level terminal for the purpose described above via the identified higher-level terminal.

6. The communication system according to claim 5, characterized in that the management device identifies the upper-level terminal with the strongest signal strength based on the signal strength information.

7. The communication system according to claim 5, characterized in that the management device identifies one of the higher-level terminals whose signal strength is above a threshold based on the above-mentioned signal strength information.

8. A terminal device having the function of performing wireless communication as a higher-level terminal with a lower-level terminal having wireless communication means, and transmitting identification information obtained from the lower-level terminal to a management device for registration, A device search unit that searches for lower-level terminals within communication range and obtains identification information of the found lower-level terminals from those lower-level terminals, A terminal registration unit registers the identification information of a specific terminal from the identification information obtained by the device discovery unit into the management device. The system includes an identification information sharing unit that acquires and stores the identification information registered in the management device as shared information among multiple terminal devices, The terminal registration unit registers the identification information of terminals other than the subordinate terminals indicated in the shared information as the specific terminals in the management device. A terminal device characterized by the following features.

9. A terminal registration method comprising a higher-level terminal performing wireless communication with a lower-level terminal having wireless communication means, and registering the identification information of the lower-level terminal from the higher-level terminal to a management device, The first step involves the device discovery unit of the above-mentioned upper-level terminal searching for lower-level terminals within communication range and obtaining identification information of the discovered lower-level terminals from those terminals. The second step involves the terminal registration unit of the above-mentioned higher-level terminal registering the identification information of a specific terminal from the identification information obtained by the above-mentioned device discovery unit with the above-mentioned management device. The above-mentioned upper-level terminal's identification information sharing unit has a third step of acquiring and storing the above-mentioned identification information registered in the management device as shared information among multiple terminal devices. In step 2 above, the terminal registration unit registers the identification information of terminals other than the subordinate terminals indicated in the shared information as the specific terminals in the management device. A terminal registration method characterized by the following:

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