Communication system

Abstract

The present invention provides a communication system that can suitably synchronize the current time of a transmitting device with the current time information held by a management device. [Solution] The transmitting device 10 is a device owned by the user, crew member 2, and is configured to periodically transmit advertisement packets containing management information of crew member 2. The receiving device 20 is configured to receive advertisement packets from the transmitting device 10. The management device 30 is configured to communicate with the receiving device 20 and manages the management information received from the receiving device 20. The receiving device 20 is configured to acquire current time information held by the management device 30. When the receiving device 20 receives a synchronization request that requests synchronization to the time indicated by the current time information, it transmits the current time information to the transmitting device 10. The transmitting device 10 updates its current time using the current time information received from the receiving device 20.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a communication system in which a receiving device receives an advertising packet periodically transmitted wirelessly from a transmitting device such as a terminal owned by a user, and a management device manages user management information included in the advertising packet via the receiving device.

[0003] On the other hand, when the above communication system is installed on a ship operating overseas, it is necessary to correct the current time information of the ship when the ship enters a region with a different time zone.

[0004] As a method for correcting the current time information, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-356838) discloses a technique for automatically correcting the display time of a clock based on position information received by a GPS receiver and GMT, and time difference information stored in a database unit.

[0005] In addition, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-250846) discloses a system that corrects the time of a master clock based on time information from GPS satellites as the ship moves, and transmits time information from the master clock to all slave clocks connected by a wired network at once.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] In the above communication system, for example, if a user manually changes the current time of the transmitting device, it incurs the effort of performing the change operation, and if the user forgets to change it, there is a possibility that the user may misinterpret the current time.

[0008] On the other hand, the system disclosed in Patent Document 2 is based on the premise of using a wired network, and there was still room for improvement in the method of updating the current time of the transmitting device in a communication system that is based on the premise of transmitting advertisement packets wirelessly.

[0009] Therefore, the object of this disclosure is to provide a communication system that can suitably synchronize the current time of a transmitting device with the current time information held by a management device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The communication system described herein comprises a transmitting device, a receiving device, and a management device. The transmitting device is a device owned by the user and is configured to periodically transmit advertisement packets containing the user's management information. The receiving device is configured to receive advertisement packets from the transmitting device. The management device is configured to communicate with the receiving device and manages the management information received from the receiving device. The receiving device is configured to acquire current time information held by the management device. When the receiving device receives a synchronization request that requests synchronization to the time indicated by the current time information, it transmits the current time information to the transmitting device. The transmitting device updates its current time using the current time information received from the receiving device.

[0011] Preferably, the transmitting device is configured to include a synchronization request in the advertisement packet and send the advertisement packet to the receiving device. If the advertisement packet contains a synchronization request, the receiving device sends current time information to the transmitting device that sent the advertisement packet containing the synchronization request.

[0012] Preferably, the transmitting device includes a synchronization request in the advertisement packet based on user operation.

[0013] Preferably, the management device is configured to send synchronization requests to the receiving device. When the receiving device receives a synchronization request from the management device, it sends current time information to the sending device that sent the advertisement packet.

[0014] Preferably, the management device sends a synchronization request to the receiving device based on an operation by the administrator of the management device.

[0015] Preferably, when a transmitting device receives current time information from a receiving device and updates its current time, it transmits synchronized information to the receiving device indicating that it has synchronized with the time indicated by the current time information. The management device is configured to receive synchronized information via the receiving device. The management device includes a storage device for storing synchronized information when it receives it. The management device notifies the transmitting device of information that has not yet transmitted synchronized information.

[0016] Preferably, the transmitting device includes a biosensor that measures the user's biometric information. The management information includes biometric information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to this disclosure, the current time of the transmitting device can be suitably synchronized with the current time information held by the management device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This diagram schematically shows the overall configuration of the communication system 1 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the transmitter 10 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the receiving device 20 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 30 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the communication system 1 of Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] A flowchart showing the processing procedure of the communication system 1 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example of the management DB 90 according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] A flowchart showing the processing procedure of the notification processing according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] A flowchart showing the processing procedure of the communication system 1 according to Embodiment 2.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated in principle.

[0020] [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of the communication system 1 according to Embodiment 1. Hereinafter, as an example, the case where the communication system 1 according to Embodiment 1 is applied to a ship will be described.

[0021] The communication system ① is a system for managing the positions and states of crew members in a ship. Further, the communication system 1 also performs management of the current time and time synchronization processing. The "crew member" in the present embodiment is an aspect of the "user". The communication system 1 includes a plurality of transmitting devices 10 (transmitting devices 10-1, 10-2,...), a plurality of receiving devices 20 (receiving devices 20-1, 20-2,...), a management device 30 (monitoring console), an in-house broadcast device 40, and a communication cable 50.

[0022] **Note**: There seems to be a small error in the original text where "通信システム1" is written as "通信システム①" in line 29. I've translated it as "communication system 1" in the translation. If this is not correct, please adjust accordingly.Transmitters 10-1, 10-2, ... are carried by each crew member (seafarer) 2-1, 2-2, ... Each transmitter 10-1, 10-2, ... is assigned a transmitter ID for individual identification. Hereafter, unless otherwise specified, each of the transmitters 10-1, 10-2, ... will also be referred to as "transmitter 10". Unless otherwise specified, each of the crew members 2-1, 2-2, ... will also be referred to as "crew member 2".

[0023] Receivers 20-1, 20-2, ... are installed in each area separated by walls or other partitions within the ship. In the following text, unless otherwise specified, each of the receivers 20-1, 20-2, ... will also be referred to as "receiver 20". Each of the receivers 20-1, 20-2, ... may be a simple repeater.

[0024] The transmitting devices 10-1, 10-2, ... and the receiving devices 20-1, 20-2, ... are terminals that comply with the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) standard (hereinafter referred to as BLE terminals). The receiving devices 20-1, 20-2, ... perform scanning using the active scan method.

[0025] The transmitter 10 broadcasts management information for the crew member 2 via radio waves. The transmitter 10 is a device carried and worn by the crew member 2, and is a wristwatch-type terminal powered by a rechargeable battery.

[0026] The transmitting device 10 is configured to broadcast advertisement packets according to the BLE standard. The receiving device 20 is configured to send a connection request to the transmitting device 10 that sent the advertisement packet after receiving it. By responding to this connection request, the transmitting device 10 can establish a connection with the receiving device 20 (pairing is established).

[0027] The transmitter 10 includes a biosensor 15 (Figure 2, described later) that measures biological information such as the pulse rate of the crew member 2. The transmitter 10 includes (stores) management information, including the biological information, a transmitter ID that identifies the transmitter 10, and a crew member ID that identifies the crew member 2, in the advertisement packet. The transmitter ID is the address of the transmitter.

[0028] For the advertising packet format, for example, a format based on the Bluetooth® specification managed by the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group) can be used. Alternatively, a highly versatile format such as "iBeacon®" published by Apple® or "Eddystone®" published by Google® may be used.

[0029] Each of the receiving devices 20-1, 20-2, ... is connected to the management device 30 via a communication cable 50 so as to be able to communicate. The receiving device 20 is configured to receive advertisement packets broadcast from the transmitting device 10. After receiving the advertisement packets, the receiving device 20 is configured to broadcast a scan request packet. After sending the scan request packet, the receiving device 20 is configured to receive a scan response packet sent from the transmitting device 10. This allows a communication connection to be established (pairing) between the transmitting device 10 and the receiving devices 20.

[0030] The details of the components of the transmitting device 10, receiving device 20, and management device 30 included in the communication system 1 of this embodiment will be described in order below.

[0031] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the transmitting device 10 according to Embodiment 1. The transmitting device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a storage device 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a communication device 14, a biosensor 15, a battery 16, a display device 17, and an input device 18.

[0032] The storage device 12 includes, for example, rewritable non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory). The storage device 12 may also include at least one of a hard disk drive and an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage device 12 stores various programs executed by the CPU 11. The various programs read by the CPU 11 are loaded into RAM 13. RAM 13 functions as working memory that temporarily stores data processed by the CPU 11.

[0033] The communication device 14 is configured to broadcast advertisement packets in accordance with instructions from the CPU 11. After sending the advertisement packets, the communication device 14 is configured to receive scan request packets sent from the receiving device 20 as a response to the advertisement packets. The communication device 14 is configured to send scan response packets as a reply to the scan request packets in accordance with instructions from the CPU 11.

[0034] The biosensor 15 outputs biological information (such as pulse, heart rate, and body temperature) of the crew member 2 to whom the transmitter 10 is attached. The biosensor 15 may measure values ​​such as pulse, heart rate, and body temperature and output the measured values ​​as biological information, or it may evaluate the state of the crew member 2 based on the measured values ​​and output the evaluation results as biological information.

[0035] The battery 16 is mounted on the transmitter 10 as a power source. The battery 16 is a rechargeable battery such as a nickel-metal hydride battery or a lithium-ion battery.

[0036] The display device 17 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, touch panel, etc., provided on the transmitter 10 (wristwatch-type terminal). The display device 17 displays various information such as biometric information and the current time. The input device 37 is, for example, a touch panel, a physical push button, etc. The input device 18 receives input (commands) from the crew member 2 wearing the transmitter 10 by operating the touch panel or a button.

[0037] The CPU 11 controls various processes of the transmitter 10 by executing various programs stored in the storage device 12. Specifically, by executing various programs, the CPU 11 functions as a communication control unit 111, a generation unit 113, and a time adjustment unit 115.

[0038] The generation unit 113 generates an advertisement packet. The time adjustment unit 115 adjusts the current time based on the current time information when it receives the current time information.

[0039] The communication control unit 111, after the communication device 14 has sent an advertisement packet, receives a scan request packet, and if the address of the destination sender included in the scan request packet is the address of its own device (sender 10), then communication will take place between the sender 10 and the receiver 20, and during that time, the control unit 111 will not allow the next advertisement packet to be sent.

[0040] If the communication device 14 does not receive a scan request packet after sending an advertisement packet, or if it receives a scan request packet but the address of the destination sender included in the scan request packet is not the address of its own device (sender 10), the communication control unit 111 will send an advertisement packet after 100 msec.

[0041] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the receiving device 20 according to Embodiment 1. The receiving device 20 includes a CPU 21, a storage device 22, a RAM 23, a first communication device 24, and a second communication device 25.

[0042] The storage device 22 includes, for example, rewritable non-volatile memory such as ROM. The storage device 22 may also include at least one of a hard disk drive and an SSD. The storage device 22 stores various programs executed by the CPU 21. The various programs read by the CPU 21 are loaded into RAM 23. RAM 23 functions as working memory that temporarily stores data processed by the CPU 21.

[0043] The first communication device 24 is configured to receive advertisement packets broadcast by the transmitting device 10 and scan response packets transmitted by the transmitting device 10. The first communication device 24 is configured to send scan request packets to the transmitting device 10. The first communication device 24 sends and receives information for time adjustment with the communication device 14.

[0044] The second communication device 25 is connected to the management device 30 via a communication cable 50 (see Figure 1). The second communication device 25 is configured to transmit management information to the management device 30. The second communication device 25 transmits and receives information for time adjustment with the management device 30.

[0045] The CPU 21 controls various processes of the receiving device 20 by executing various programs stored in the storage device 22. As a specific example, by executing various programs, the CPU 21 functions as a communication control unit 215 and a management information generation unit 216.

[0046] When the first communication device 24 receives an advertisement packet, the communication control unit 215 causes the first communication device 24 to broadcast a scan request packet. The communication control unit 215 causes the second communication device 25 to transmit management information. The communication control unit 215 causes the first communication device 24 and the second communication device 25 to send and receive information for time adjustment.

[0047] The management information generation unit 216 generates management information including biometric information, transmitter ID, crew ID, etc. The management information may also include information other than this. For example, the management information may include information such as an emergency signal (an SOS signal to notify when in a dangerous situation) transmitted by crew member 2 operating the transmitter 10, or information such as the battery level of the transmitter 10. This information may also be included in the advertisement packet and transmitted, and managed by the management device 30.

[0048] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management device 30 according to Embodiment 1. The management device 30 includes a CPU 31, a storage device 32, a RAM 33, a communication device 34, a communication interface 35, a display 36, and an input device 37.

[0049] The storage device 32 includes, for example, rewritable non-volatile memory such as ROM. The storage device 32 may also include at least one of a hard disk drive and an SSD. The storage device 32 stores various programs executed by the CPU 31. The various programs read by the CPU 31 are loaded into RAM 33. RAM 33 functions as working memory that temporarily stores data processed by the CPU 31.

[0050] The communication device 34 is connected to multiple receiving devices 20 via a communication cable 50. The communication device 34 is configured to receive management information including biometric information, transmitter ID, crew ID, etc. The communication device 34 also sends and receives information for time adjustment with the second communication device 25.

[0051] The display 36 is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The display 36 displays various information. The input device 37 is, for example, a keyboard, mouse, etc. The input device 37 receives input (commands) from the administrator 3 who manages the management device 30.

[0052] The CPU 31 controls various processes of the management device 30 by executing various programs stored in the storage device 32. As a specific example, the CPU 31 functions as a management unit 311 and a communication control unit 313 by executing various programs.

[0053] When the communication control unit 313 receives management information, it sends the received management information to the management unit 311. The management unit 311 updates the management DB 90 based on the received management information (see Figure 7 below). The management unit 311 also manages the current time information based on time information obtained from an external server. Furthermore, the management unit 311 can transmit the current time information in response to a request from the receiving device 20, and can also send a request to the receiving device 20 to update the time on the transmitting device 10 based on the current time information.

[0054] Figures 5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the processing procedure of the communication system 1 of Embodiment 1. The processing performed by the communication system 1 includes processing performed by the transmitting device 10, processing performed by the receiving device 20, and processing performed by the management device 30.

[0055] Figure 5 shows the process for updating the current time of the receiving device 20, which is performed between the receiving device 20 and the management device 30. These processes are initiated periodically. The receiving device 20 is configured to be able to acquire the current time information held by the management device 30.

[0056] The management device 30 adjusts the current time according to the ship's position and maintains correct current time information corresponding to the ship's position. For example, the management device 30 obtains GPS position information and NTP (Network Time Protocol) server time information and corrects the current time based on this information. If the ship enters a region with a different time zone, the current time managed by the management device 30 is changed according to the region it has entered.

[0057] In S10, the receiving device 20 requests current time information from the management device 30. If the receiving device 20 requests current time information (YES in S21), the management device 30 transmits the current time information it manages and terminates its processing. If the receiving device 20 does not request current time information, the management device 30 waits until such a request is made (NO in S21).

[0058] When the receiving device 20 receives current time information from the management device 30, it updates the current time based on that information and terminates its processing. As a result, the receiving device 20 maintains a state synchronized with the current time of the management device 30.

[0059] Figure 6 shows the advertisement packet transmission process performed periodically (every 100 msec) by the transmitting device 10, and the processes performed by the receiving device 20 and the management device 30 at that time.

[0060] The transmitting device 10 is configured to periodically transmit advertisement packets containing management information for the crew members 2. The receiving device 20 is configured to receive advertisement packets from the transmitting device 10. The management device 30 receives management information from the receiving device 20 and manages the received management information.

[0061] Crew member 2 is wearing a wristwatch-type terminal, the transmitter 10. When Crew member 2 wants to synchronize the current time, they press the "time synchronization button" on the transmitter 10 (hereinafter referred to as the "synchronization request operation"). The synchronization request operation is performed by pressing a physical push button (input device 18) provided on the transmitter 10. Alternatively, the synchronization request operation may be performed by clicking the time synchronization button displayed on the touch panel (input device 18) of the transmitter 10.

[0062] The processing on the transmitting device 10 is performed every 100 msec. The transmitting device 10 is configured to send advertisement packets to the receiving device 20, including a synchronization request in the advertisement packet. A "synchronization request" means a request to synchronize with the time indicated by the current time information managed by the management device 30. Based on the synchronization request operation of crew member 2, the transmitting device 10 includes a synchronization request in the advertisement packet.

[0063] The following is an explanation following the flowchart. If the transmitting device 10 receives a synchronization request operation (the time synchronization button is pressed) (YES in S101), it includes the synchronization request in the advertisement packet (specifically, sets the synchronization request bit in the advertisement packet to ON) (S102) and proceeds to S103. If the transmitting device 10 does not receive a synchronization request operation (NO in S101), it proceeds to S103 as is (with the synchronization request bit OFF).

[0064] In S103, the transmitting device 10 acquires management information such as biological information (pulse rate, etc.) detected by the biosensor 15 of the transmitting device 10, and sets the acquired management information such as biological information into an advertisement packet. In S104, the transmitting device 10 transmits the advertisement packet.

[0065] The receiving device 20 sets the synchronization request bit to OFF (S200), waits until it receives an advertisement packet from the transmitting device 10 (NO in S201), and if it receives an advertisement packet from the transmitting device 10 (YES in S201), it proceeds to S202.

[0066] In S202, the receiving device 20 transmits management information, such as biometric information, contained in the advertisement packet received from the receiving device 20 to the management device 30. In S310, when the management device 30 receives the management information, such as biometric information, from the receiving device 20, it records the biometric information, etc., in the management DB 90 of the storage device 32.

[0067] Figure 7 shows an example of the management DB 90 according to Embodiment 1. The management DB 90 is data in which management information such as biometric information (heart rate, etc.) and synchronized information (described later) are recorded for each crew member ID. Management information is added each time an advertised packet is received (every 100 msec) and recorded as time-series information every 100 msec. In addition to biometric information, management information such as emergency signals (SOS signals) and the battery level of the transmitter 10 may also be recorded. The synchronized flag is set to "OFF" as an initial state. The synchronized flag will be described later.

[0068] Returning to the explanation of Figure 6, the receiving device 20 transmits current time information to the transmitting device 10 upon receiving a synchronization request. Specifically, if the advertisement packet contains a synchronization request, the receiving device 20 transmits current time information to the transmitting device 10 that sent the advertisement packet containing the synchronization request. The transmitting device 10 updates its own current time using the current time information received from the receiving device 20.

[0069] Let's explain using the flowchart. In S203, the receiving device 20 determines whether the synchronization request bit of the advertisement packet received from the transmitting device 10 is ON or not (whether or not a synchronization request was made from the transmitting device 10).

[0070] If the receiving device 20 determines that the synchronization request bit is ON (YES in S203), it proceeds to process S204. On the other hand, if the receiving device 20 determines that the synchronization request bit is OFF (NO in S203), it returns to process S200.

[0071] In S204, the receiving device 20 broadcasts a scan request packet (connection request). Meanwhile, in S105, the transmitting device 10 determines whether or not it has received a connection request from the receiving device 20. Specifically, when the transmitting device 10 receives a scan request packet, it determines that it has received a connection request if the address of the destination transmitting device included in the packet is the address of its own device (transmitting device 10).

[0072] If the transmitting device 10 receives a connection request from the receiving device 20 (YES in S105), it responds to the request to establish a connection with the transmitting device 10 (pairing is established) (S106). On the other hand, if the transmitting device 10 does not receive a connection request from the receiving device 20 (NO in S105), it terminates its processing.

[0073] When the receiving device 20 establishes a connection with the transmitting device 10 (S205), it transmits current time information to the transmitting device 10 (S206). This current time information is the current time that the receiving device 20 updates and maintains based on the current time information managed by the management device 30 (see Figure 5).

[0074] When the transmitting device 10 receives current time information from the receiving device 20, it updates the current time of the transmitting device 10 based on the current time information (S107).

[0075] When the transmitting device 10 receives current time information from the receiving device 20 and updates the current time, it sends synchronized information (a synchronized flag set to ON) to the receiving device 20 indicating that it has synchronized with the time indicated by the current time information. The management device 30 is configured to receive synchronized information via the receiving device 20. When the management device 30 receives synchronized information, it stores the synchronized information in the management DB 90 of the storage device 32.

[0076] Specifically, in S108, the transmitting device 10 sets the synchronized flag to ON and transmits the set synchronized flag to the receiving device 20. In S207, the receiving device 20 transmits the synchronized flag received from the transmitting device 10 to the management device 30. In S311, the management device 30 records the synchronized flag received from the receiving device 20 in the management DB 90 of the storage device 32 and returns to the process in S310 (the process in S310 is executed when the next management information, such as biological information, is received).

[0077] For example, in S311, if a synchronized flag set to ON is received from the transmitter 10 worn by crew member 2 with crew member ID=001, the synchronized flag for crew member 2 with crew member ID=001 is updated from OFF to ON, as shown in the management DB 90 in Figure 7.

[0078] In the example shown in Figure 7, the synchronized flag, which is set to ON, is received from the transmitter 10 worn by crew member 2 with crew member ID=003 and 004, and the synchronized flag is changed to ON in both cases. On the other hand, the synchronized flag, which is set to ON, is not received from the transmitter 10 worn by crew member 2 with crew member ID=002, and the synchronized flag remains set to OFF.

[0079] Returning to the explanation of Figure 6, after the completion of processes S108 and S207, the receiving device 20 and the transmitting device 10 terminate their connection to each other (they unpair: S109, S208). This completes the processing on the transmitting device 10 side. Meanwhile, the processing on the receiving device 20 side returns to S200.

[0080] From this point onward, the processing on the transmitting device 10 is executed every 100 msec. If a synchronization request operation is made, management information such as biometric information is transmitted and the current time is synchronized. If no synchronization request operation is made, only management information such as biometric information is transmitted. As shown in Figure 1, there are multiple transmitting devices 10, and the processing shown in Figure 6 is executed for each transmitting device 10, and the receiving device 20 receives advertisement packets transmitted from multiple transmitting devices 10.

[0081] When the ship enters a region with a different time zone and the current time managed by the control device 30 is changed, each crew member 2 presses the time synchronization button on their own transmitter 10 to synchronize their current time. The synchronized flag in the control DB 90 (Figure 7) of crew member 2 whose current time has been synchronized is set to ON. On the other hand, the synchronized flag in the control DB 90 of crew member 2 whose current time has not yet been synchronized remains set to OFF.

[0082] The management device 30 notifies the transmitting device 10 of information that has not yet transmitted synchronized information. The following explanation will be given using the flowchart in Figure 8. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the notification process in Embodiment 1.

[0083] This process is performed by the management device 30 and a terminal (not shown). The terminal is a smartphone or similar device owned by each crew member 2, and is capable of communicating with the management device 30. Alternatively, a transmitter 10 worn by each crew member 2 may perform this process instead of a smartphone.

[0084] The processing on the management device 30 may be triggered by an operation by the administrator 3 of the management device 30. Alternatively, it may be automatically executed after a predetermined time has elapsed since the ship entered a region where time zones change and the current time managed by the management device 30 changed.

[0085] In S30, the management device 30 searches the management DB 90 (Figure 7) for unsynchronized crew IDs. Here, "unsynchronized" means that the synchronized flag is OFF. For example, in the example in Figure 7, crew ID=002, which has the synchronized flag set to OFF, is detected.

[0086] If there are unsynchronized crew IDs (YES in S31), the management device 30 proceeds to S32. On the other hand, if there are no unsynchronized crew IDs (NO in S31), the management device 30 terminates its own processing.

[0087] In S32, the management device 30 displays information about the unsynchronized crew ID on its display 36. In the above example, the display 36 shows that the current time is not synchronized on the transmitter 10 worn by crew member 2 with crew member ID=002. As a result, the management device 30 is notified of the information of the transmitter 10 that has not yet transmitted synchronized information.

[0088] After confirming the above information on the display 36, administrator 3 can use the in-house broadcasting system 40 to make an announcement to crew member 2, crew member ID=002, prompting them to synchronize the time on the transmitter 10.

[0089] In S33, the management device 30 transmits information to the terminal held by crew member 2, whose crew member ID is not synchronized, indicating that it is not synchronized.

[0090] Each terminal waits until it receives information from the management device 30 indicating that it is out of sync (NO in S40). If a terminal receives information from the management device 30 indicating that it is out of sync (YES in S40), it displays information indicating that it is out of sync on its screen (S41) and terminates the terminal's processing. In the above example, a message is displayed on the screen of the terminal held by Crew Member 2, Crew Member ID=002, prompting the user to synchronize the time on the transmitter 10 because it is out of sync.

[0091] Furthermore, notification of non-synchronization may be configured to be made either through an in-house announcement or via a notification to a terminal. Additionally, after the notification process shown in Figure 8 is executed, the synchronized flags in the management DB 90 may be changed to OFF.

[0092] This embodiment discloses a time synchronization method that allows a crew member 2 of a ship operating abroad to change the time displayed on a wristwatch-type terminal (transmitter 10) worn on board, without having to manually change the time themselves, in synchronization with the ship's time at their destination. With conventional wristwatch-type terminals, the crew member 2 had to manually adjust the time to match the ship's standard time. If the crew member 2 had to manually change the time on the wristwatch-type terminal they were wearing, it would require extra effort to change the time, and there was a possibility of misrecognizing the time due to forgetting to change it.

[0093] Therefore, as explained above, the communication system 1 was configured as follows: The communication system 1 comprises a transmitting device 10 (wristwatch-type terminal), a receiving device 20, and a management device 30. The transmitting device 10 is a device carried by the crew member 2 and is configured to periodically transmit advertisement packets containing the crew member 2's management information. The receiving device 20 is configured to receive advertisement packets from the transmitting device 10. The management device 30 is configured to communicate with the receiving device 20 and manages the management information received from the receiving device 20. The receiving device 20 is configured to acquire the current time information held by the management device 30. When the receiving device 20 receives a synchronization request that requests synchronization to the time indicated by the current time information, it transmits the current time information to the transmitting device 10. The transmitting device 10 updates its current time using the current time information received from the receiving device 20.

[0094] In this way, by systematically changing the time information of the transmitter 10, the workload of the crew 2 can be reduced, and forgetting to change the time can be prevented. Furthermore, the communication system 1 is based on the premise that the management device 30 manages the crew 2's management information contained in the periodically transmitted advertisement packets. In this embodiment, the synchronization process of the current time of the transmitter 10 is realized by utilizing (reusing) the functions of the already installed communication system 1. By doing so, the system installation cost can be reduced compared to a system that requires the installation of a separate dedicated device to realize the synchronization process of the current time. With the above configuration, the current time of the transmitter 10 can be suitably synchronized with the current time information held by the management device 30.

[0095] The transmitting device 10 is configured to send advertisement packets to the receiving device 20, including a synchronization request in the advertisement packet. If the advertisement packet contains a synchronization request, the receiving device 20 sends current time information to the transmitting device 10 that sent the advertisement packet containing the synchronization request. This allows the transmitting device 10 to make synchronization requests using the advertisement packets used for managing management information.

[0096] The transmitter 10 includes a synchronization request in the advertised packet based on the operation of the crew member 2. In this way, the crew member 2 only needs to perform the synchronization request operation on the transmitter 10, and the current time synchronization process will be executed automatically, reducing the effort required to change the time compared to manually changing the time. Furthermore, if the configuration is such that the administrator 3 instructs when the current time synchronization process is performed, the current time may not be synchronized even when the ship enters a time zone change area. With the above configuration, the current time can be freely synchronized according to the crew member 2's will.

[0097] When the transmitting device 10 receives current time information from the receiving device 20 and updates the current time, it transmits synchronized information to the receiving device 20 indicating that it has synchronized with the time indicated by the current time information. The management device 30 is configured to receive synchronized information via the receiving device 20. The management device 30 includes a storage device 32 that stores the synchronized information when it receives it. The management device 30 notifies the transmitting device 10 of any information that has not yet transmitted synchronized information. This allows the system to prompt crew member 2 to change their time even if they have forgotten to do so or are in a location where they cannot communicate with the receiving device 20 and are unable to change their time.

[0098] The transmitter 10 includes a biosensor 15 that measures the biometric information of the crew member 2. The management information includes the biometric information. This allows the management device 30 to manage the biometric information of the crew member 2 measured by the biosensor 15, while suitably synchronizing the current time of the transmitter 10 with the current time information held by the management device 30.

[0099] [Embodiment 2] In Embodiment 1, the transmitting device 10 is configured to include a synchronization request in the advertisement packet based on the operation of the crew member 2. On the other hand, in Embodiment 2, the management device 30 is configured to send a synchronization request to the receiving device 20.

[0100] Specifically, the management device 30 is configured to send a synchronization request to the receiving device 20 based on the operation of the administrator 3 of the management device 30. Furthermore, when the receiving device 20 receives a synchronization request from the management device 30, it is configured to send current time information to the transmitting device 10 that sent the advertisement packet.

[0101] The differences from Embodiment 1 will be explained below using a flowchart. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the communication system 1 of Embodiment 2. Compared with the flowchart in Figure 6, the flowchart in Figure 9 is similar in processing content except that the processing of the management device 30 is supplemented with processes S301 and S302, and the processing of the transmitting device 10 is removed with processes S101 and S102.

[0102] In Embodiment 2, since the crew member 2 holding the transmitter 10 does not press the "time synchronization button" (synchronization request operation), the process of including a synchronization request in the advertisement packet (S101, S102) is not performed. For this reason, in the processing of the transmitter 10, the processes from S103 onwards are executed at 100 msec intervals.

[0103] On the other hand, in Embodiment 2, the management device 30 is configured to allow administrator 3 to execute synchronization requests. When administrator 3 wants to synchronize the current time, they make a synchronization request by operating the input device 37 of the management device 30.

[0104] For example, a synchronization request can be made by clicking the "time synchronization button" displayed on the display 36 of the management device 30 using an input device 37 (such as a mouse) (this is referred to as a "synchronization request operation").

[0105] Similar to Embodiment 1, for example, if a ship enters a region with a different time zone and the current time managed by the management device 30 changes, the administrator 3 can synchronize the current time by performing a synchronization request operation.

[0106] The management device 30 waits until a synchronization request operation is made (the "time synchronization button" is clicked) (NO in S301). When a synchronization request operation is made (YES in S101), the management device 30 sends a synchronization request to the receiving device 20 (sending with the synchronization request bit set to ON) and terminates this process.

[0107] The subsequent processing is similar to that shown in Figure 6. The transmitting device 10 acquires biometric information (such as pulse rate) and sets it in an advertisement packet (S103), and sends the advertisement packet to the receiving device 20 (S104). However, in this case, the synchronization request bit of the advertisement packet is always set to OFF (no synchronization request is made from the transmitting device 10).

[0108] The processing of the receiving device 20 from S200 onward is similar to the processing in Figure 6. After setting the synchronization request bit to OFF (S200), the receiving device 20 transmits the management information, such as biometric information, contained in the received advertisement packet to the management device 30 (S201, S202). When the management device 30 receives the management information, such as biometric information, it records the management information (S310, Figure 7).

[0109] If the synchronized flag of the transmitting device 10 that sent the advertised packet is OFF, and the synchronization request bit received from the management device 30 is ON (there is a synchronization request) (YES in S203), the receiving device 20 pairs with the transmitting device 10 and updates the current time (S105~S109, S204~S208). In this case, the synchronization request is made based on the synchronization request operation of the management device 30. When the management device 30 receives the synchronized flag, it records the synchronized flag (S311, Figure 7).

[0110] From this point onward, the processing on the transmitting device 10 is executed every 100 msec. The receiving device 20 returns to the processing of S201 after completing a series of processes, including the processing of S208. At this point, if a synchronization request operation has already been performed in the management device 30, the synchronization request bit remains set to ON. The management device 30 also returns to the processing of S310 after the processing of S311.

[0111] As described above, the time synchronization process is executed only when the administrator 3 of the management device 30 has performed a synchronization request operation and the sending device 10 that sent the advertised packet has not yet been synchronized. Therefore, unless the administrator of the management device 30 performs a synchronization request operation, the synchronization process will not be executed for any of the sending devices 10. Also, the synchronization process will not be executed for sending devices 10 that have already been synchronized.

[0112] As shown in Figure 1, there are multiple transmitting devices 10, and the process shown in Figure 9 is executed for each transmitting device 10. The receiving device 20 receives and responds to the advertisement packets transmitted from the multiple transmitting devices 10. After the administrator of the management device 30 performs a synchronization request operation, the synchronization process of the transmitting device 10 that sent the advertisement packet is executed each time the receiving device 20 receives advertisement packets from the multiple transmitting devices 10.

[0113] For example, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the synchronization request operation by administrator 3, the notification process shown in Figure 8 may be executed. This makes it possible to identify any transmitting devices 10 that have not undergone synchronization processing for some reason (e.g., not being within communication range). After the notification process is performed, the system should be configured to change all synchronized flags in the management DB 90 to OFF. Then, the process shown in Figure 9 can be executed again. This makes it possible to perform time synchronization processing again in response to a synchronization request operation by administrator 3.

[0114] As explained above, the management device 30 is configured to send synchronization requests to the receiving device 20. When the receiving device 20 receives a synchronization request from the management device 30, it sends current time information to the transmitting device 10 that sent the advertisement packet. This allows the management device 30 to also send synchronization requests.

[0115] The management device 30 sends a synchronization request to the receiving device 20 based on the operation of the administrator 3 of the management device 30. In this way, the administrator 3 can perform the synchronization process for the current time of all transmitting devices 10 at once simply by performing the synchronization request operation of the management device 30, thereby preventing the crew member 2 from forgetting to change the time.

[0116] In embodiments 1 and 2, the system is configured to allow manual synchronization requests by crew member 2 or administrator 3, but it is not limited to this, and synchronization may be performed automatically. For example, in the processing of the transmitter 10 in Figure 6, instead of turning on the synchronization request bit when a synchronization request operation is made (S101, S102), the system may be configured to turn on the synchronization request bit once every N periods. Alternatively, the system may be configured to detect when the vessel enters a region where a time zone is changing and to automatically synchronize at the time of detection. This allows the synchronization process to be performed automatically at regular intervals. It is also possible to configure the system to broadcast an advertisement packet containing current time information from the receiver 20 to the transmitter 10, thereby performing the current time synchronization process.

[0117] In the communication system 1 described above, an example was given in which a communication protocol conforming to the BLE standard is used for communication between the transmitting device 10 and the receiving device 20. However, other communication protocols may be used instead of the communication protocol conforming to the BLE standard.

[0118] The embodiments described above are specific examples of the following appendix. (Note 1) A device owned by a user, configured to periodically transmit advertisement packets containing the user's management information, A receiving device configured to receive the advertised packets from the transmitting device, The system comprises a management device configured to communicate with the receiving device and for managing the management information received from the receiving device, The receiving device is, The management device is configured to acquire the current time information it holds, Upon receiving a synchronization request that requests synchronization to the time indicated by the current time information, the current time information is transmitted to the transmitting device. A communication system that updates the current time of the transmitting device using the current time information received from the receiving device.

[0119] (Note 2) The transmitting device is configured to include the synchronization request in the advertisement packet and transmit the advertisement packet to the receiving device. The communication system as described in Appendix 1, wherein the receiving device transmits the current time information to the transmitting device that transmitted the advertisement packet containing the synchronization request, if the advertisement packet contains the synchronization request.

[0120] (Note 3) The communication system as described in Appendix 2, wherein the transmitting device includes the synchronization request in the advertisement packet based on the user's operation.

[0121] (Note 4) The management device is configured to transmit the synchronization request to the receiving device, The communication system as described in Appendix 1, wherein the receiving device, upon receiving the synchronization request from the management device, transmits the current time information to the transmitting device that sent the advertisement packet.

[0122] (Note 5) The management device transmits the synchronization request to the receiving device based on the operation of the administrator of the management device, as described in Appendix 4.

[0123] (Note 6) When the transmitting device receives the current time information from the receiving device and updates the current time, it transmits synchronized information to the receiving device indicating that it has synchronized with the time indicated by the current time information. The aforementioned control device is The receiving device is configured to receive the synchronized information, When the synchronized information is received, the device includes a storage device that stores the synchronized information. A communication system according to any one of the appendices 1 to 5, which notifies the information of the transmitting device for which the synchronized information has not been transmitted.

[0124] (Note 7) The transmitting device includes a biosensor for measuring the user's biometric information. The aforementioned management information includes the aforementioned biometric information and is a communication system as described in any of the appendices 1 to 6.

[0125] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1 Communication system, 2 Crew, 3 Administrator, 10 Transmitter, 11, 21, 31 CPU, 12, 22, 32 Memory device, 13, 23, 33 RAM, 14, 34 Communication device, 15 Biosensor, 16 Battery, 17 Display device, 18 Input device, 20 Receiving device, 24 First communication device, 25 Second communication device, 30 Management device, 35 Communication interface, 36 Display, 37 Input device, 111, 215, 313 Communication control unit, 113 Generation unit, 115 Time adjustment unit, 216 Management information generation unit, 311 Management unit, 40 In-house broadcasting device, 50 Communication cable, 90 Management information.

Claims

1. A device owned by a user, configured to periodically transmit advertisement packets containing the user's management information, A receiving device configured to receive the advertised packets from the transmitting device, The system comprises a management device configured to communicate with the receiving device and for managing the management information received from the receiving device, The receiving device is, The management device is configured to acquire the current time information it holds, Upon receiving a synchronization request that requests synchronization to the time indicated by the current time information, the current time information is transmitted to the transmitting device. A communication system that updates the current time of the transmitting device using the current time information received from the receiving device.

2. The transmitting device is configured to include the synchronization request in the advertisement packet and transmit the advertisement packet to the receiving device. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device transmits the current time information to the transmitting device that transmitted the advertisement packet containing the synchronization request, if the advertisement packet contains the synchronization request.

3. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the transmitting device includes the synchronization request in the advertisement packet based on the user's operation.

4. The management device is configured to transmit the synchronization request to the receiving device, The communication system according to claim 1, wherein when the receiving device receives the synchronization request from the management device, it transmits the current time information to the transmitting device that sent the advertisement packet.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein the management device transmits the synchronization request to the receiving device based on an operation by the administrator of the management device.

6. When the transmitting device receives the current time information from the receiving device and updates the current time, it transmits synchronized information to the receiving device indicating that it has synchronized with the time indicated by the current time information. The aforementioned control device is The receiving device is configured to receive the synchronized information, When the synchronized information is received, the device includes a storage device that stores the synchronized information. The communication system according to claim 1, which provides information about the transmitting device for which the synchronized information has not yet been transmitted.

7. The transmitting device includes a biosensor for measuring the user's biometric information. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the management information includes the biometric information.

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