Relay device, communication system, data relay method, and data relay program

Abstract

To provide a relay device capable of efficiently transmitting data transmitted from a sensor module.SOLUTION: A relay device 100 includes a sensor information acquisition unit 111, a reception interval calculation unit 112, a transmission interval calculation unit 113, a progress determination unit 114, and a transmission unit 115. The sensor information acquisition unit 111 receives sensor information transmitted from a sensor module 200, and stores it as reception data in a storage unit 120. The reception interval calculation unit 112 calculates a reception interval of the sensor information received by the sensor information acquisition unit, which is a time interval determined according to the sensor module 200. The transmission interval calculation unit 113 calculates a transmission interval for transmitting the reception data to an external management device based on the reception interval of the sensor information. The progress determination unit 114 determines transmission timing of the reception data based on the transmission interval. The transmission unit 115 transmits the reception data to the management device when the progress determination unit 114 determines that it is transmission timing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a relay device, a communication system, a data relay method, and a data relay program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a communication system has been proposed in which data sensed by a sensor module is collected by a management device via wireless communication. In such a communication system, there are cases where direct communication between the sensor module and the management device is not possible due to reasons such as a long distance between the sensor module and the management device. In such cases, a relay device is provided between the sensor module and the management device. Patent Document 1 discloses a wireless sensor system that uses separate frequencies for communication between the relay device and the management device and communication from the sensor module to the relay device. In the wireless sensor system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the relay device transmits at a constant data transmission interval to the management device, and transmits data to the management device after receiving one or more pieces of data from the sensor module. Thus, at least one piece of data is sent to the management device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-48207 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the wireless sensor system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the transmission interval of the relay device must be set appropriately according to the system. For example, if the relay interval to the management device is set too long, it will take longer for data from the sensor module to reach the management device, and as the time stored in the relay device increases, it will lead to communication delays of the data. On the other hand, since the relay device performs transmission operations at regular intervals, if the relay interval is too short, data from the sensor module will be relayed to the management device without any data, resulting in unnecessary communication and a decrease in the communication efficiency of the communication system.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems inherent in the conventional techniques, and an object of the present invention is to provide a relay device capable of efficiently transmitting data transmitted from a sensor module. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sensor information acquisition unit that receives sensor information transmitted from a sensor module and stores it in a memory unit as received data; a reception interval calculation unit that calculates a reception interval for the sensor information received by the sensor information acquisition unit, the reception interval being a time interval determined according to the sensor module; a transmission interval calculation unit that calculates a transmission interval for transmitting the received data to an external management device based on the reception interval; a progress determination unit that determines the timing to transmit the received data to the management device based on the transmission interval; and a transmission unit that transmits the received data stored in the memory unit to the management device when the progress determination unit determines that it is the transmission timing.

[0007] A communication system according to yet another aspect of the present invention is a communication system comprising a sensor module, a relay device, and a management device, wherein the relay device comprises a sensor information acquisition unit that receives sensor information transmitted from the sensor module and stores it in a memory unit as received data, a reception interval calculation unit that calculates a reception interval of the sensor information received by the sensor information acquisition unit, the reception interval being a time interval determined according to the sensor module, a transmission interval calculation unit that calculates a transmission interval for transmitting the received data to the management device based on the reception interval, a progress determination unit that determines the timing of transmission of the received data to the management device based on the transmission interval, and a transmission unit that transmits the received data stored in the memory unit to the management device when the progress determination unit determines that it is the transmission timing.

[0008] A data relay method according to another aspect of the present invention is a data relay method executed by a computer, which receives sensor information transmitted from a sensor module, stores the sensor information as received data in a memory unit, calculates a reception interval for the sensor information, which is a time interval determined according to the sensor module, calculates a transmission interval for transmitting the received data to an external management device based on the reception interval, determines the transmission timing of the received data to the management device based on the transmission interval, and when it is determined that it is the transmission timing, transmits the received data stored in the memory unit to the management device.

[0009] A data relay program according to another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to execute the steps of receiving sensor information transmitted from a sensor module, storing the sensor information as received data in a memory unit, calculating a reception interval for the sensor information, the reception interval being a time interval determined according to the sensor module, calculating a transmission interval for transmitting the received data to an external management device based on the reception interval, determining the timing to transmit the received data to the management device based on the transmission interval, and when it is determined that it is the transmission timing, transmitting the received data stored in the memory unit to the management device. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a relay device capable of efficiently transmitting data transmitted from a sensor module. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a basic configuration of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a relay device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a relay device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of reception information stored in a reception information DB. [Figure 4B] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of time information stored in a time information DB. [Diagram 5] 4 is a timing chart for explaining a wireless communication process in the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the relay device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a transmission interval calculation process according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The communication system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios. In addition, in the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

[0013] (Schematic configuration of communication system 1) A communication system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the communication system 1 includes a plurality of sensor modules 200, a relay device 100, and a management device 300. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the relay device 100 relays data transmitted from the sensor module 200a (S1), the sensor module 200b (S2), and the sensor module 200c (S3), and transmits the data to the management device 300. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the sensor module 200a, the sensor module 200b, and the sensor module 200c, they will be simply referred to as "sensor module 200".

[0014] The sensor module 200 transmits the sensed data to the management device 300 at regular intervals. It may be difficult for the sensor module 200 and the management device 300 to communicate directly due to various factors such as distance and obstacles. For this reason, a relay device 100 is used between the sensor module 200 and the management device 300 to receive data transmitted from the sensor module 200 and transmit the received data to the management device 300, i.e., to relay data for communication.

[0015] The relay device 100 communicates with the management device 300 at a communication frequency different from the communication frequency broadcast by the sensor module 200. In this embodiment, the relay device 100 prioritizes data transmission to the management device 300 over data reception from the sensor module 200. Furthermore, the relay device 100 communicates (transmits data) with the management device 300 at a set interval. The transmission interval is automatically calculated from the data collection interval (reception interval) of the sensor module 200. The method of calculating the transmission interval will be described later in detail.

[0016] The management device 300 is, for example, a server, and is a device that collects and uses data transmitted from each sensor module 200 via the relay device 100.

[0017] (Configuration and Functions of Relay Device 100) Next, the configuration and functions of the relay device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the relay device 100 may be configured as a general-purpose computer including a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, a communication IF 130, an input / output IF 140, and a timer 150. In this case, a computer program for making the computer function as the relay device 100 may be installed in the computer. By executing the computer program, the computer functions as a plurality of information processing circuits included in the relay device 100. Note that in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the plurality of information processing circuits included in the relay device 100 are realized by software, but it is of course possible to prepare dedicated hardware for executing each information process shown below to configure the information processing circuit. Also, the plurality of information processing circuits may be configured by individual hardware. Details of the control unit 110 will be described later.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 3, the storage unit 120 stores information included in a received information DB 121 (DB: Data Buffer) and a time information DB 122 as data. The storage unit 120 for storing these pieces of data may be one or more. For example, a single storage unit 120 may be configured to store the data in separate areas. Alternatively, the data may be distributed and stored in a plurality of storage devices installed in physically separate locations.

[0019] FIG. 4A shows an example of the reception information stored in the reception information DB 121. The reception information DB 121 stores data transmitted from the sensor module 200. As shown in FIG. 4A, the reception information stored in the reception information DB 121 includes, for example, an "identification number" for identifying the sensor module 200, "received data," and "received time" as items. The "received time" is information obtained by acquiring from the timer 150 the time information when the relay device 100 receives data transmitted from the sensor module 200, and storing the information in the reception information DB 121. The reception information DB 121 may also include a "communication frame time" as an item. The "communication frame time" is an interval (time) during which data is actually received when receiving data transmitted from the sensor module 200. In this embodiment, the "communication frame time" may differ for each sensor module 200. In this embodiment, the "communication frame time" is a value that is determined in advance for each sensor module 200 and stored in the storage unit 120. Note that the "communication frame time" is not limited to the present embodiment in that it is determined in advance and stored in the storage unit 120. For example, the "communication frame time" may be a value measured by the timer 150 when receiving data from the sensor module 200.

[0020] The received information DB 121 may also include a "status" item. The "status" item indicates the state of data received by the relay device 100 from the sensor module 200. The "status" item stores information indicating "received" for received data, and stores information indicating "sent" for data transmitted to the management device 300.

[0021] An example of time information stored in the time information DB 122 is shown in Fig. 4B. The time information includes items such as "transmission interval," "start time," and "current time." The "transmission interval" indicates the interval at which data is transmitted from the relay device 100 to the management device 300. In this embodiment, a predetermined initial value (default value) is used as the "transmission interval" when the relay device 100 is started up, and the "transmission interval" is updated by a transmission interval calculation unit 113 (see Fig. 3), which will be described later, after data is received from each sensor module 200.

[0022] The "start time" indicates the time when measurement of the transmission interval for transmitting data from the relay device 100 to the management device 300 begins. The "start time" is set to the current time measured by the timer 150 when the previous data transmission from the relay device 100 to the management device 300 is completed and a new transmission interval is to be measured. The "start time" is also set to the current time measured by the timer 150 immediately after the relay device 100 is started.

[0023] "Current time" stores the time measured by timer 150 at a predetermined interval. In this embodiment, the predetermined interval at which "current time" is stored is, for example, 10 ms. Note that the predetermined interval at which "current time" is stored is not limited to 10 ms, and may be an interval shorter or longer than 10 ms. In addition, the form in which the time measured by timer 150 is stored as "current time" does not limit this embodiment, and for example, the time information measured by timer 150 may be used as is without being stored in time information DB 122.

[0024] The communication IF 130 is an interface for enabling communication between the sensor module 200 and the management device 300. In the present embodiment, wireless communication is applied to the communication between the sensor module 200 and the relay device 100. Wireless communication is also applied to the communication between the relay device 100 and the management device 300. Note that the communication between the relay device 100 and the management device 300 is not limited to wireless communication, and wired communication may be applied.

[0025] The input / output IF 140 is, for example, a component (interface) for a user to exchange data with the relay device 100. The input / output IF 140 includes an input unit and an output unit (not shown).

[0026] The input unit in the input / output IF 140 has an interface function for a user to input various information, and information is input from outside the relay device 100. The user inputs information to the input unit through, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a trackball, a voice recognition device, or the like, connected to the relay device 100. The input unit can also input information as a data input terminal for inputting data from an external storage device (not shown), or the like. For example, the user can store an initial value of the "transmission interval" stored in the above-mentioned time information DB 122 via the input / output IF 140. The user may also store a "communication frame time" via the input / output IF 140.

[0027] An output unit in the input / output IF 140 makes it possible to display various information on a display device (not shown) that can be connected to the relay device 100. The display device is, for example, a display device, a projector device, or the like.

[0028] The timer 150 is a timer used to measure the communication timing with the sensor module 200 and the management device 300, and in this embodiment, is, for example, a clock that records real time. Note that the form of the timer 150 does not limit the configuration of this embodiment, and may be, for example, a counter that counts the accumulated time from the start of the relay device 100, or a counter using a clock obtained by dividing a crystal inside the relay device 100. In other words, the timer 150 may be any timer that can measure the communication timing with the sensor module 200 and the management device 300, and does not limit the configuration of this embodiment.

[0029] Next, each function performed by the control unit 110 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the functions of the relay device 100. The control unit 110 includes a sensor information acquisition unit 111, a reception interval calculation unit 112, a transmission interval calculation unit 113, a progress determination unit 114, and a transmission unit 115 as functions. The control unit 110 also controls the relay device 100 as a whole by operating, for example, an operation system. The control unit 110 also operates based on a program stored in the storage unit 120, and executes each function included in the sensor information acquisition unit 111, the reception interval calculation unit 112, the transmission interval calculation unit 113, the progress determination unit 114, and the transmission unit 115. The program is not limited to being stored in the storage unit 120, and may be stored in, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) (not shown) in the relay device 100.

[0030] Next, the details of each function of the control unit 110 will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. 3 and the timing chart shown in FIG.

[0031] The sensor information acquiring unit 111 receives the sensor information transmitted from the sensor module 200 and stores it in the received information DB 121. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4A, the "identification number," "received data," and "status" of the sensor module 200 are stored in the received information DB 121. Furthermore, the sensor information acquiring unit 111 stores the time at which the reception of the data transmitted from the sensor module 200 is completed based on information from the timer 150 as the "reception time." For example, at times T1-T2, T5-T6, and T7-T8 shown in FIG. 5, the sensor information acquiring unit 111 acquires sensor information from the sensor modules 200a, 200b, and 200c, respectively.

[0032] The reception interval calculation unit 112 calculates the interval for receiving sensor information from each sensor module 200 based on the reception information stored in the reception information DB 121. That is, the reception interval calculation unit 112 calculates the reception interval of the sensor information received by the sensor information acquisition unit 111, which is a time interval determined according to each sensor module 200. For example, the example shown in FIG. 4A shows an example in which the sensor information acquisition unit 111 receives the sensor information transmitted from the sensor module 200a at an interval of 120 ms. That is, in FIG. 5, the intervals "t1", "t2", and "t3" show an example in which the reception intervals of data from the sensor module 200a, the sensor module 200b, and the sensor module 200c are 120 ms, 1000 ms, and 100 ms, respectively.

[0033] The transmission interval calculation unit 113 calculates the transmission interval of data to the management device 300 based on the reception interval of data from the sensor module 200. In this embodiment, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 calculates the transmission interval such that at least one piece of data transmitted from the sensor module 200 is included in the transmission data from the relay device 100 to the management device 300.

[0034] Specifically, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 calculates the transmission interval T so as to satisfy the following formulas (1) and (2). t1, t2, ... are reception intervals of data transmitted from each sensor module 200. For example, in this embodiment, the reception interval of the sensor module 200a (S1) is set as "t1", the reception interval of the sensor module 200b (S2) is set as "t2", and the reception interval of the sensor module 200c (S3) is set as "t3". Also, 1FT is one communication frame time of the received data. T ≥ min(t1, t2,...)+1FT...(1) T < 2max(t1, t2,...)...(2)

[0035] Here, min(t1, t2, . . .) indicates the minimum value (shortest reception interval) among the reception intervals of data from each sensor module 200. Also, max(t1, t2, . . .) indicates the maximum value (longest reception interval) among the reception intervals of data from each sensor module 200. For example, in the examples shown in Figs. 4A and 5, min(t1, t2, . . .) = t3, and max(t1, t2, . . .) = t2.

[0036] The transmission interval calculation unit 113 calculates the transmission interval T in equation (1) so that the transmission interval T is longer than the time obtained by adding 1FT, which is one communication frame time of the received data, to min(t1, t2, ...). Also, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 calculates the transmission interval T in equation (2) so that the transmission interval T is shorter than twice the time obtained by multiplying max(t1, t2, ...). Note that in this embodiment, the transmission interval T is calculated to satisfy equation (1) and / or equation (2).

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when a time including the reception interval and one communication frame time is equal to or shorter than the current transmission interval T, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 updates the transmission interval T to the time including the reception interval and one communication frame time. Specifically, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 updates the transmission interval T to a time obtained by adding one communication frame time of the received data to the reception interval of the received data. Furthermore, as described above, in this embodiment, the relay device 100 prioritizes data transmission to the management device 300 over data reception from the sensor module 200. Therefore, by adding one communication frame time of the received data to the reception interval of the received data, it is possible to prevent the data reception interval and the transmission interval T from continuously overlapping, and it is possible to realize the relay device 100 that efficiently receives received data.

[0038] The progress determination unit 114 determines the timing of transmitting the received data to the management device 300 based on the transmission interval T. Specifically, the progress determination unit 114 determines whether or not the time of the transmission interval T has elapsed since the above-mentioned "start time". When the progress determination unit 114 determines that the time of the transmission interval T has elapsed since the "start time", it instructs the transmission unit 115 to transmit data. Note that the timing at which it is determined that the time of the transmission interval T has elapsed since the "start time" corresponds to the transmission timing.

[0039] When the progress determination unit 114 determines that it is transmission timing, the transmission unit 115 transmits the "received data" stored in the reception information DB 121 to the management device 300. Specifically, the transmission unit 115 transmits the "received data" stored in the reception information DB 121, which is sensor information sent from the sensor module 200, to the management device 300 at the transmission timing. Here, the data transmitted to the management device 300 is data stored from the previous transmission to the current transmission. In this embodiment, the transmission unit 115 transmits, for example, the reception information shown in FIG. 4A with a "status" of "received" at the transmission timing. After transmitting the "received data" to the management device 300, the transmission unit 115 updates the "status" of the reception information to "transmitted". This allows the transmission unit 115 to determine whether the "received data" is data that has already been transmitted at the transmission timing.

[0040] Each function included in the relay device 100 described above will be specifically described with reference to FIG.

[0041] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the transmission interval T is set to the initial value t 00 5, the relay device 100 receives data at intervals T of t1 (120 ms), t2 (1000 ms), and t3 (100 ms) from the sensor module 200a, the sensor module 200b, and the sensor module 200c, respectively. 00 After 140 ms has elapsed, at time T3, the data is transmitted to the management device 300.

[0042] At time T9, data is received from the sensor module 200a (S1). Time T9 is the time when the interval t1 has elapsed since the previous completion of data reception from the sensor module 200a (S1). Furthermore, one communication frame time (T2-T1) in receiving data from the sensor module 200a (S1) is 10 ms. Here, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 calculates that the time including the reception interval and one communication frame time is equal to or greater than the current transmission interval T(t 00 If the reception interval is equal to or shorter than t 00 (140ms) to t 01 (120 ms + 10 ms = 130 ms). Then, at time T11, the transmission interval T(t 01 After the lapse of the time (time t1: 130 ms), the relay device 100 transmits the received data to the management device 300.

[0043] Next, at time T13, data is received from the sensor module 200c (S3). Here, time T13 is the time when the interval t3 has elapsed since the previous completion of data reception from the sensor module 200c (S3). Also, one communication frame time (T8-T7) in receiving data from the sensor module 200c (S3) is 8 ms. The transmission interval calculation unit 113 calculates that the time including the reception interval and one communication frame time is the current transmission interval T(t 01 If the reception interval is equal to or shorter than t 01 (130ms) to t 03 (100 ms + 8 ms = 108 ms). Then, at time T17, the transmission interval T(t 03 After the elapse of the time (time t1: 108 ms), the relay device 100 transmits the received data to the management device 300.

[0044] That is, the relay device 100 transmits the signal from the time T12 to the time interval t 01The relay device 100 transmits the data to the management device 300 at time T17, which is earlier than time T18 that has passed. This reduces the delay in transmission to the management device 300 of, for example, data received from the sensor module 200c (S3) during the period T13-T14 and data received from the sensor module 200a (S1) during the period T15-T16. In addition, since at least one piece of data is transmitted to the management device 300, it is possible to avoid unnecessary communication between the relay device 100 and the management device 300 that does not contain data.

[0045] (Outline of process flow of relay device 100) Next, the flow of processing in the relay device 100 will be described using the flowcharts shown in Figures 6 and 7. The series of operations of the relay device 100 shown in the flowcharts of Figures 6 and 7 starts when the relay device 100 is started, and ends when the operation is completed. The processing in the flowchart shown in Figure 6 also ends when the power is turned off or an interrupt occurs to end the processing. In the following description of the flowcharts, the same contents as those described in the above description of the relay device 100 will be omitted or simplified.

[0046] In step S601, the control unit 110 sets the transmission interval T to an initial value t 00 Set.

[0047] In step S602, the control unit 110 sets the current time CT to the start time ST. Specifically, the control unit 110 sets the current time CT, which is the time information from the timer 150, to the start time ST.

[0048] In step S603, the sensor information acquisition unit 111 determines whether or not there is data to be transmitted from the sensor module 200. If the sensor information acquisition unit 111 determines in step S603 that there is data to be transmitted from the sensor module 200 (step S603: YES), the process proceeds to step S604. On the other hand, if the sensor information acquisition unit 111 determines in step S603 that there is no data to be transmitted from the sensor module 200 (step S603: NO), the process proceeds to step S606.

[0049] In step S604, if it is determined in step S603 that there is data (sensor information) to be transmitted from the sensor module 200, the sensor information acquisition unit 111 receives the sensor information. Furthermore, in step S604, the sensor information acquisition unit 111 stores the received sensor information as "received data" in the received information DB 121. Furthermore, based on information from the timer 150, the sensor information acquisition unit 111 stores the time at which reception of the data transmitted from the sensor module 200 is completed as the "reception time."

[0050] The process in step S605 is a subroutine process of "calculating transmission interval" shown in Fig. 7. The subroutine process of "calculating transmission interval" shown in Fig. 7 will be described below.

[0051] In step S701, the reception interval calculation unit 112 determines whether or not there is data related to a time interval. The data related to a time interval is, for example, data that can be measured when the data transmitted from each sensor module 200 is the second or subsequent transmission data. In step S701, if the reception interval calculation unit 112 determines that there is data related to a time interval (step S701: YES), the process proceeds to step S702. On the other hand, in step S701, if the reception interval calculation unit 112 determines that there is no data related to a time interval (step S701: NO), the subroutine process shown in FIG. 7 ends, and the process returns to step S605 shown in FIG. 6.

[0052] In step S702, the reception interval calculation unit 112 calculates the interval for receiving sensor information from each sensor module 200 based on the reception information stored in the reception information DB 121. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 4A, the sensor information acquisition unit 111 receives sensor information from the sensor module 200a (S1) at intervals of 120 ms. Also, in Fig. 5, the reception intervals of sensor information from the sensor module 200a (S1), the sensor module 200b (S2), and the sensor module 200c (S3) are indicated as intervals "t1", "t2", and "t3". In other words, the time interval is a value indicating the interval from the reception of sensor information to the start of the next reception of sensor information.

[0053] In step S703, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 determines whether or not to set a new transmission interval based on the reception interval. In the process in step S703, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 determines whether or not the time obtained by adding one communication frame time of the received data to the reception interval of the received data is equal to or less than the currently set transmission interval T. More specifically, in step S703, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 determines whether or not the following formula (3) is satisfied. Here, t n is the reception interval of the received data. n " is one communication frame time of the received data. T ≧ t n +1FT n (3)

[0054] In step S703, if the transmission interval calculation unit 113 determines that the above formula (3) is satisfied (step S703: YES), the process proceeds to step S704. On the other hand, in step S703, if the transmission interval calculation unit 113 determines that the above formula (3) is not satisfied (step S703: NO), the subroutine process shown in Fig. 7 ends, and the process returns to step S605 shown in Fig. 6.

[0055] In step S704, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 updates the transmission interval T to a time obtained by adding one communication frame time (1FT) of the received data to the transmission interval of the received data. After that, the subroutine process shown in Fig. 7 ends, and the process returns to step S605 shown in Fig. 6.

[0056] Returning to the flowchart shown in Fig. 6, in step S606, the progress determination unit 114 determines whether or not the time of the transmission interval T has elapsed. Specifically, the progress determination unit 114 determines whether or not the following formula (4) is satisfied. T ≦ Current time CT - Start time ST (4) That is, it is determined whether the time elapsed from the start time ST set in step S602 or step S609 described later to the current time CT is longer than the transmission interval T.

[0057] In step S606, if the progress determination unit 114 determines that the above formula (4) is satisfied (step S606: YES), the process proceeds to step S607. On the other hand, in step S606, if the progress determination unit 114 determines that the above formula (4) is not satisfied (step S606: NO), the process returns to step S603 and repeats the process from step S603.

[0058] In step S607, the transmitting unit 115 transmits the data held (stored) in the reception information DB 121 to the management device 300. The data to be transmitted in step S607 is the data whose "status" field is "received" among the received data shown in Fig. 4A. In step S607, after transmitting the data to the management device 300, the transmitting unit 115 updates the "status" of the transmitted data to "transmitted".

[0059] In step S608, control unit 110 determines whether or not the processing in relay device 100 has ended. In step S608, if control unit 110 determines that the processing in relay device 100 has ended (step S608: YES), control unit 110 ends the processing in relay device 100. On the other hand, in step S608, if control unit 110 determines that the processing in relay device 100 has not ended (step S608: NO), control unit 110 proceeds to step S609.

[0060] In step S609, the control unit 110 sets the current time CT to the start time ST in the same manner as in step S602 described above. Specifically, the control unit 110 sets the current time CT, which is the time information from the timer 150, to the start time ST. Thereafter, the process returns to step S603, and the process from step S603 is repeated.

[0061] As described above, the relay device 100 in this embodiment includes the sensor information acquisition unit 111, the reception interval calculation unit 112, the transmission interval calculation unit 113, the progress determination unit 114, and the transmission unit 115. The sensor information acquisition unit 111 receives sensor information transmitted from the sensor module 200 and stores it in the storage unit 120 as received data. The reception interval calculation unit 112 calculates the reception interval of the sensor information received by the sensor information acquisition unit 111, which is a time interval determined according to the sensor module 200. The transmission interval calculation unit 113 calculates the transmission interval for transmitting the received data to the external management device 300 based on the reception interval of the sensor information. The progress determination unit 114 determines the transmission timing of the received data based on the transmission interval. The transmission unit 115 transmits the received data to the management device 300 when the progress determination unit 114 determines that it is the transmission timing.

[0062] This allows the relay device 100 to transmit data to the management device 300 in accordance with the time interval determined in accordance with the sensor module 200 and in accordance with the reception interval of the sensor information received by the sensor information acquisition unit 111. In other words, it is possible to realize the relay device 100 that can flexibly and efficiently set the transmission interval to the management device 300 in accordance with the sensor module 200.

[0063] Furthermore, when relaying sensor information from a plurality of sensor modules 200, even if the reception intervals from the respective sensor modules 200 are not uniform, the relay device 100 can efficiently transmit the data to be transmitted to the management device 300. Furthermore, even if a sensor module 200 is added, the relay device 100 can calculate the reception interval and the transmission interval to the management device 300, so that the user does not need to set the transmission intervals individually, and an efficient relay device 100 can be realized.

[0064] Furthermore, the relay device 100 in this embodiment calculates a transmission interval to the management device 300 based on the reception interval of data from each sensor module 200. Therefore, the relay device 100 can be realized as a relay device 100 adapted to the communication characteristics (data reception interval) of each sensor module 200, and communication delay can be reduced.

[0065] Furthermore, the transmission interval calculation section 113 calculates, as the transmission interval, an interval at which at least one piece of received data is transmitted to the management device 300. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary communication from the relay device 100 to the management device 300.

[0066] Furthermore, the transmission interval from the relay device 100 to the management device 300 in the above embodiment is equal to or greater than the minimum reception interval from the sensor module 200 plus one communication frame time of the received data. This means that the data transmitted from the relay device 100 to the management device 300 includes data from at least one sensor module 200, making it possible to more reliably prevent unnecessary communication to the management device 300.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when a time including the reception interval and one communication frame time is equal to or shorter than the current transmission interval T, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 updates the time including the reception interval and one communication frame time as the transmission interval T. That is, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 updates the transmission interval T so that the transmission interval T becomes the time obtained by adding one communication frame time of the received data to the reception interval of the received data. In this way, by adding one communication frame time of the received data to the reception interval of the received data, it is possible to prevent the data reception interval and the transmission interval T from continually overlapping, and it is possible to realize a relay device 100 that efficiently receives received data.

[0068] Furthermore, the transmission interval from the relay device 100 to the management device 300 in the above embodiment is an interval shorter than twice the maximum value of the reception interval from the sensor module 200. This makes it possible to include received data from many sensor modules 200 when transmitting data to the management device 300 while reducing communication delays.

[0069] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the present embodiments are not limited to the contents described in the above embodiments. The components described above include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described above can be appropriately combined. Various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations can be made without departing from the spirit of the embodiments.

[0070] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the transmission interval calculation unit 113 updates the time including the reception interval and one communication frame time as the transmission interval T when the time including the reception interval and one communication frame time is equal to or shorter than the current transmission interval T. That is, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the transmission interval calculation unit 113 updates the transmission interval so that the transmission interval is the time obtained by adding one communication frame time of the received data to the transmission interval of the received data, but this configuration does not limit the embodiment. For example, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 may add a time longer than one communication frame time to the reception interval and update it as the transmission interval T. That is, as long as the above formula (2) is satisfied, the transmission interval calculation unit 113 does not need to limit the time to be added to one communication frame time. For example, by making it possible to set the time to be added to the reception interval according to the status of the communication system 1, it is possible to realize the relay device 100 according to the performance required of the communication system 1, such as reducing communication delay or transmitting more data.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the receiving interval calculation unit 112 and the transmitting interval calculation unit 113 are provided in the relay device 100, but the communication system 1 is not limited to this configuration. For example, the communication system 1 may be provided with a management terminal (not shown) that consolidates information related to sensor information received by each relay device 100, and the receiving interval calculation unit 112 and / or the transmitting interval calculation unit 113 may be provided in the management terminal. For example, in the case where the communication system 1 is configured to include a plurality of relay devices 100, the information from the sensor modules can be collectively managed by the management terminal, and an efficient relay device 100 can be realized even in a large-scale communication system. Moreover, the communication system 1 may be configured to include the management terminal in the management device 300.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the communication system 1 is configured to include a plurality of sensor modules 200, but the embodiment is not limited to this configuration. For example, the communication system 1 may be configured to include one sensor module 200, a relay device 100, and a management device 300. By applying the above relay device 100 to one sensor module 200, the relay device 100 can calculate a transmission interval T according to a reception interval determined according to the one sensor module 200. For example, when a relay device 100 is provided to relay communication between one sensor module 200 and the management device 300, the user does not need to set the transmission interval T each time, and the relay device 100 can flexibly and efficiently set the transmission interval T.

[0073] In addition, a computer program (data relay program) that causes a computer to execute the process (data relay method) in the relay device 100 described above, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, are included in the scope of this embodiment. Any type of computer-readable recording medium may be used. In addition, the computer program is not limited to one recorded on the recording medium, and may be one transmitted via a telecommunications line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network such as the Internet, or the like.

[0074] The features of the relay device 100, the communication system 1, the data relay method, and the data relay program of the present embodiment will be described below.

[0075] The relay device 100 according to the first aspect includes a sensor information acquisition unit 111 that receives sensor information transmitted from a sensor module and stores the sensor information in the storage unit 120 as received data. The relay device 100 also includes a reception interval calculation unit 112 that calculates a reception interval of the sensor information received by the sensor information acquisition unit 111, the reception interval being a time interval determined according to the sensor module. The relay device 100 also includes a transmission interval calculation unit 113 that calculates a transmission interval for transmitting the received data to the external management device 300 based on the reception interval, and a progress determination unit 114 that determines a transmission timing of the received data to the management device 300 based on the transmission interval. The relay device 100 also includes a transmission unit 115 that transmits the received data stored in the storage unit 120 to the management device 300 when the progress determination unit 114 determines that it is transmission timing.

[0076] According to the above configuration, the relay device 100 can transmit data to the management device 300 according to the reception interval of the sensor information received by the sensor information acquisition unit 111, which is a time interval determined according to the sensor module 200. In other words, it is possible to realize the relay device 100 that can flexibly and efficiently set the transmission interval to the management device 300 according to the sensor module 200.

[0077] It is preferable that the transmission interval calculation unit 113 of the relay device 100 according to the second aspect calculates an interval at which at least one piece of received data is transmitted to the management device 300 as the transmission interval.

[0078] According to the above configuration, at least one piece of received data is transmitted from the relay device 100 to the management device 300, and the relay device 100 can prevent unnecessary communication from the relay device 100 to the management device 300.

[0079] The transmission interval in the relay device 100 according to the third aspect is preferably equal to or greater than the minimum reception interval plus the frame time of the received data.

[0080] According to the above configuration, the data transmitted from the relay device 100 to the management device 300 includes data from at least one sensor module 200, so that it is possible to more reliably prevent unnecessary communication to the management device 300.

[0081] The transmission interval in the relay device 100 according to the fourth aspect is preferably an interval shorter than twice the maximum value of the reception interval.

[0082] According to the above configuration, when transmitting data to the management device 300, the relay device 100 can include received data from many sensor modules 200 while reducing communication delays.

[0083] The communication system 1 according to the fifth aspect includes a sensor module 200, a relay device 100, and a management device 300. The relay device 100 includes a sensor information acquisition unit 111 that receives sensor information transmitted from the sensor module and stores the sensor information in the storage unit 120 as received data. The relay device 100 includes a reception interval calculation unit 112 that calculates a reception interval of the sensor information received by the sensor information acquisition unit 111, the reception interval being a time interval determined according to the sensor module. The relay device 100 includes a transmission interval calculation unit 113 that calculates a transmission interval for transmitting received data to an external management device 300 based on the reception interval, and a progress determination unit 114 that determines a transmission timing of the received data to the management device 300 based on the transmission interval. The relay device 100 includes a transmission unit 115 that transmits the received data stored in the storage unit 120 to the management device 300 when the progress determination unit 114 determines that it is transmission timing.

[0084] According to the above configuration, the relay device 100 in the communication system 1 can transmit data to the management device 300 according to the reception interval of the sensor information received by the sensor information acquisition unit 111, which is a time interval determined according to the sensor module 200. In other words, it is possible to realize the relay device 100 that can flexibly and efficiently set the transmission interval to the management device 300 according to the sensor module 200.

[0085] A data relay method according to a sixth aspect is a data relay method executed by a computer, which receives sensor information transmitted from a sensor module, and stores the sensor information as received data in storage unit 120. The data relay method also calculates a reception interval for the sensor information, which is a time interval determined according to the sensor module, and calculates a transmission interval for transmitting the received data to external management device 300 based on the reception interval. Furthermore, the data relay method determines the transmission timing of the received data to management device 300 based on the transmission interval, and transmits the received data stored in storage unit 120 to management device 300 when it is determined that it is the transmission timing.

[0086] According to the above configuration, the data relay method makes it possible to transmit data to the management device 300 according to the reception interval of the received sensor information, which is a time interval determined according to the sensor module 200. In other words, it is possible to realize a data relay method that can flexibly and efficiently set the transmission interval to the management device 300 according to the sensor module 200.

[0087] A data relay program according to a seventh aspect is a data relay program executed by a computer, and includes the steps of receiving sensor information transmitted from a sensor module, and storing the sensor information as received data in storage unit 120. The data relay program also includes the steps of calculating a reception interval for the sensor information, the reception interval being a time interval determined according to the sensor module, and calculating a transmission interval for transmitting the received data to an external management device 300 based on the reception interval. The data relay program also includes the steps of determining, based on the transmission interval, the timing to transmit the received data to management device 300, and transmitting the received data stored in storage unit 120 to management device 300 when it is determined that it is the transmission timing.

[0088] According to the above configuration, the data relay program makes it possible to transmit data to the management device 300 according to the reception interval of the received sensor information, which is a time interval determined according to the sensor module 200. In other words, it is possible to realize a data relay program that can flexibly and efficiently set the transmission interval to the management device 300 according to the sensor module 200. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1. Communication Systems 100 Repeater 111 Sensor information acquisition unit 112 Reception interval calculation unit 113 Transmission interval calculation unit 114 Progress Judgment Section 115 Transmitter 121 Received Information DB 122 Time Information DB 200, 200a, 200b, 200c Sensor Module

Claims

1. a sensor information acquisition unit that receives sensor information transmitted from the sensor module and stores the received sensor information in a storage unit as received data; a reception interval calculation unit that calculates a reception interval of the sensor information received by the sensor information acquisition unit, the reception interval being a time interval determined according to the sensor module; a transmission interval calculation unit that calculates a transmission interval for transmitting the received data to an external management device based on the reception interval; a progress determination unit that determines a timing for transmitting the received data to the management device based on the transmission interval; a transmission unit that transmits the reception data stored in the storage unit to the management device when the progress determination unit determines that it is the transmission timing, The transmission interval calculation unit is a relay device that calculates, as the transmission interval, an interval at which at least one of the received data is transmitted to the management device, a value obtained by adding a frame time of the received data to a minimum value of the reception interval.

2. A communication system including a sensor module, a relay device, and a management device, The relay device is a sensor information acquisition unit that receives the sensor information transmitted from the sensor module and stores the sensor information in a storage unit as received data; a reception interval calculation unit that calculates a reception interval of the sensor information received by the sensor information acquisition unit, the reception interval being a time interval determined according to the sensor module; a transmission interval calculation unit that calculates a transmission interval for transmitting the received data to the management device based on the reception interval; a progress determination unit that determines a timing for transmitting the received data to the management device based on the transmission interval; a transmission unit that transmits the reception data stored in the storage unit to the management device when the progress determination unit determines that it is the transmission timing, The transmission interval calculation unit calculates, as the transmission interval, an interval at which at least one of the received data is transmitted to the management device, the minimum value of the reception interval plus the frame time of the received data.

3. 1. A computer-implemented method for relaying data, comprising: Receives sensor information transmitted from a sensor module; The sensor information is stored in a storage unit as received data. Calculating a time interval for receiving the sensor information, the time interval being determined according to the sensor module; calculating a transmission interval for transmitting at least one of the received data to an external management device, the transmission interval being a minimum value of the reception interval plus a frame time of the received data; determining a timing for transmitting the received data to the management device based on the transmission interval; a data relay method for transmitting the received data stored in the storage unit to the management device when it is determined that the transmission timing has arrived;

4. receiving sensor information transmitted from a sensor module; storing the sensor information in a storage unit as received data; calculating a time interval for receiving the sensor information, the time interval being determined according to the sensor module; calculating a transmission interval for transmitting at least one of the received data to an external management device, the transmission interval being a minimum value of the reception interval plus a frame time of the received data; determining a timing for transmitting the received data to the management device based on the transmission interval; and transmitting the received data stored in the storage unit to the management device when it is determined that it is the transmission timing.

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