Communication device, and control method and program for communication device

Abstract

To provide a communication device configured to be protected from a failure that is predicted to occur on the basis of meteorological information.SOLUTION: A power source unit equipped with a battery generates an operating voltage using a battery in place of a commercial power supply when lightning generation information acquired by a first communication unit indicates generation of lightning, and generates an operating voltage using the commercial power supply when the lightning generation information acquired by the first communication unit indicates non-generation of lightning. While the power source unit generates an operating voltage using the commercial power supply, a first communication line connection / disconnection unit establishes a connection between a first communication line and the first communication unit and a second communication line connection / disconnection unit establishes a connection between a second communication line and a second communication unit. While the power source unit generates an operating voltage using the battery, when the first communication line and the first communication unit are disconnected, a connection between the second communication line and the second communication unit is established, or when the first communication line and the first communication unit are connected to each other, the connection between the second communication line and the second communication unit is shut down.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device, a control method thereof, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a control method for electrical appliances that suppresses power consumption according to weather. This control method includes a route calculation step of calculating a travel route of a terminal carried by a user, an acquisition step of acquiring weather information including information on the weather along the travel route, an accumulation step of calculating accumulated weather information by accumulating the weather information acquired in the acquisition step along the travel route calculated in the route calculation step, and an appliance setting step of calculating the magnitude of the influence of the weather on the user based on the accumulated weather information and setting the electrical appliance to control the electrical appliance according to the calculated magnitude. This control method can reduce the power consumption of the electrical appliance to a greater extent by reducing the influence of the weather. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2014 / 050067 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the control method for electrical equipment described in Patent Document 1 only controls the electrical equipment to reduce its power consumption based on meteorological information, and does not protect the electrical equipment from failure even if information that may lead to the failure of the electrical equipment is obtained. In particular, in electrical equipment such as communication equipment that requires connection to a communication line and an external line in addition to a power supply line, it is necessary to protect the equipment from the intrusion of surge currents through the communication line and the external line when lightning strikes.

[0005] Therefore, in view of the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a communication device, a control method for a communication device, and a program that can protect the communication device from failures that are predicted to occur based on weather information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A communication device of the present invention generates an operating voltage based on an AC voltage of a commercial power source supplied via an external power supply line, and communicates with an external device via a first external communication line or a second external communication line using the operating voltage, the communication device comprising: a first communication unit that communicates via the first communication line; a second communication unit that communicates via the second communication line; a control unit that causes the first communication unit to obtain lightning occurrence information indicating whether or not lightning is occurring via the first communication line; and The above a first communication line connection / disconnection unit for connecting or disconnecting the second communication line to the first communication unit; The above a power supply unit having a built-in battery, which generates the operating voltage based on a terminal voltage of the battery instead of the commercial power supply when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates the occurrence of lightning, and thereafter generates the operating voltage based on an AC voltage of the commercial power supply instead of the battery when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates the absence of lightning, and while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the AC voltage of the commercial power supply, the first communication line connection cut-off unit cuts off the connection between the first communication line and the first communication unit. the second communication line connection cut-off unit connects between the first communication line and the second communication unit, and the second communication line connection cut-off unit connects between the second communication line and the second communication unit, while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the inter-terminal voltage of the battery, when the first communication line connection cut-off unit cuts off between the first communication line and the first communication unit, the second communication line connection cut-off unit connects between the second communication line and the second communication unit, and when the first communication line connection cut-off unit connects between the first communication line and the first communication unit, the second communication line connection cut-off unit cuts off between the second communication line and the second communication unit.

[0007] The control method of the communication device of the present invention includes a first communication unit that communicates with an external device via an external first communication line, a second communication unit that communicates with an external device via an external second communication line, and The above a first communication line connection / disconnection unit for connecting or disconnecting the second communication line to the first communication unit; The above A method for controlling a communication device including a second communication line connection / disconnection unit that connects or disconnects a second communication unit and a power supply unit that generates an operating voltage for communicating with an external device based on an AC voltage of a commercial power source supplied through an external power supply line, the method comprising: external a step of the first communication unit acquiring information on the lightning occurrence from the first communication line through the first communication line; a step of generating the operating voltage based on a terminal voltage of a battery instead of the commercial power source when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates an occurrence of lightning; a step of generating the operating voltage based on an AC voltage of the commercial power source instead of the battery after generating the operating voltage based on the terminal voltage of the battery when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates no occurrence of lightning; and a step of the first communication line connection cut-off unit connecting the first communication line and the first communication unit and cutting off the second communication line while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the AC voltage of the commercial power source. the step of a first communication line connection cut-off unit connecting the second communication line and the second communication unit, a step of a second communication line connection cut-off unit connecting the second communication line and the second communication unit when the first communication line connection cut-off unit cuts off the connection between the first communication line and the first communication unit while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the terminal voltage of the battery, and a step of a second communication line connection cut-off unit cutting off the connection between the second communication line and the second communication unit when the first communication line connection cut-off unit connects the first communication line and the first communication unit while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the terminal voltage of the battery.

[0008] The program of the present invention includes a first communication unit that communicates with an external device via an external first communication line, a second communication unit that communicates with an external device via an external second communication line, and The abovea first communication line connection / disconnection unit for connecting or disconnecting the second communication line to the first communication unit; The above A program for a method of controlling a communication device including a second communication line connection / disconnection unit that connects or disconnects a second communication unit and a power supply unit that generates an operating voltage for communicating with the outside based on an AC voltage of a commercial power source supplied through an external power supply line, the program including a program for ... external a step of the first communication unit acquiring information on the lightning occurrence from the first communication line, a step of generating the operating voltage based on a terminal voltage of a battery instead of the commercial power source when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates an occurrence of lightning, and a step of generating the operating voltage based on an AC voltage of the commercial power source instead of the battery when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates no occurrence of lightning after generating the operating voltage based on the terminal voltage of the battery, and a step of the first communication line connection cut-off unit connecting the first communication line and the first communication unit and disconnecting the second communication line while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the AC voltage of the commercial power source. The control circuit is characterized by executing the steps of: a disconnection unit connecting the second communication line and the second communication unit; a step of the second communication line connection disconnection unit connecting the second communication line and the second communication unit when the first communication line connection disconnection unit disconnects the first communication line and the first communication unit while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the terminal voltage of the battery; and a step of the second communication line connection disconnection unit disconnecting the second communication line and the second communication unit when the first communication line connection disconnection unit connects the first communication line and the first communication unit while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the terminal voltage of the battery. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the communication device, the control method and the program of the present invention, when lightning occurs, a protective operation is performed with minimal connections to the outside based on lightning information as meteorological information, so that it is possible to prevent a surge current from entering the communication device from the outside and to protect the communication device from anticipated failures. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a communication system including a communication device of the present invention. [Diagram 2] A diagram showing the activity level and lightning situation indicated by the lightning nowcast information obtained from the weather information server in the system of Figure 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication device in the system of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration formed by a control unit in the communication device of FIG. 3 executing software. [Figure 5A] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a control unit in the communication device of FIG. 3. [Figure 5B] 5B shows a continuation of the flowchart in FIG. 5A. [Figure 6A] 7 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the control unit in the communication device of FIG. 3. [Figure 6B] 6B shows a continuation of the flowchart of FIG. 6A. [Figure 6C] 6B shows a continuation of the flowchart of FIG. 6A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0012] 1 shows a basic configuration of a communication system including a communication device 10 to which the present invention is applied. In addition to the communication device 10, the communication system includes a PC (personal computer) 11 and a weather information server 12. The communication device 10 and the PC 11 are connected to a LAN (local area network) line 21 (first communication line) and are capable of communicating with each other via the LAN line 21. The PC 11 and the weather information server 12 are connected to an Internet line 22 and are capable of communicating with each other via the Internet line 22.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 3, the communication device 10 is connected to a telephone line 23 (second communication line) and a dedicated line 24 in addition to the LAN line 21. The telephone line 23 includes a wired telephone line for fixed telephones, which is called a public telephone line, and a wireless telephone line for mobile phones. The dedicated line 24 is a line to which an emergency direct dial telephone 48 is connected, and is a line independent of the telephone line 23. In addition, commercial AC power is supplied to the communication device 10 from the outside through a power supply line 25. For example, the communication system is an in-house communication system, and the communication device 10 may be a key telephone device or a private branch exchange that is a facility in the company.

[0014] The PC 11 is a control server for the communication device 10, and controls the communication between the communication device 10 and communication devices on the Internet line 22. The communication devices include the weather information server 12 as well as communication terminals.

[0015] In this embodiment, the weather information server 12 is a server that provides lightning nowcast information (lightning occurrence information) from the Japan Meteorological Agency. The lightning nowcast information is expressed by activity levels of 1 to 4 for each region. As shown in Fig. 2, activity level 1 indicates that no lightning has occurred but there is a possibility of lightning, activity level 2 indicates that there is lightning, activity level 3 indicates that there is some severe lightning, and activity level 4 indicates that there is severe lightning.

[0016] In the present invention, the weather information server 12 is not limited to a server of the Japan Meteorological Agency, but may be, for example, a server of a private weather information provider.

[0017] 3, the communication device 10 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 32 (first communication unit), a ROM (read only memory) 33, a RAM (random access memory) 34, a storage unit 35, a timer 36, an RTC (real-time clock) 37, an external line interface (I / F) circuit 38 (second communication unit), a LAN cutoff circuit 39 (first communication line connection cutoff unit), a telephone switching circuit 40 (second communication line connection cutoff unit), and a power supply unit 41. The control unit 31, the communication unit 32, the ROM 33, the RAM 34, the storage unit 35, the timer 36, the RTC 37, the external line I / F circuit 38, the LAN cutoff circuit 39, the telephone switching circuit 40, and the power supply switching circuit 45 in the power supply unit 41 are connected to a bus 47, and commands and data can be exchanged via the bus 47.

[0018] The control unit 31 is a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and operates by executing a program written in advance in the ROM 33. As shown in Fig. 4, the control unit 31 forms a control information receiving unit 51, a control information storage unit 52, an application unit 53, a control instruction unit 54, a system control unit 55, a time management unit 56, an AC / battery switching control unit 57, an AC power cutoff control unit 58, a LAN communication cutoff control unit 59, and an outside line communication cutoff control unit 60 by executing the program.

[0019] The communication unit 32 performs communication via the LAN line 21 under the control of the control unit 31. The lightning nowcast information provided by the weather information server 12 is obtained via the Internet line 22, the PC 11, and the LAN line 21.

[0020] The outside line I / F circuit 38 communicates via the telephone line 23 under the control of the control unit 31. As will be described later, a LAN cutoff circuit 39 is disposed between the communication unit 32 and the LAN line 21, and a telephone switching circuit 40 is disposed between the outside line I / F circuit 38 and the telephone line 23.

[0021] The LAN cutoff circuit 39 is connected to the LAN terminal of the communication unit 32 and is also connected to the LAN line 21. The LAN cutoff circuit 39 cuts off the connection between the communication unit 32 and the LAN line 21 in response to a command from the control unit 31. Under normal operation conditions, the communication unit 32 is communicatively connected to the LAN line 21 via the LAN cutoff circuit 39, but when the LAN cutoff circuit 39 performs a cutoff operation, the connection between the communication unit 32 and the LAN line 21 is cut off. The LAN cutoff circuit 39 may be, for example, an on-off switch circuit.

[0022] The telephone switching circuit 40 is connected to the outside line terminal of the outside line I / F circuit 38, and is also connected to each of the telephone line 23 and the dedicated line 24. The telephone switching circuit 40 switches the telephone line 23 to either the connection line of the outside line I / F circuit 38 or the dedicated line 24 in response to a command from the control unit 31. That is, the telephone switching circuit 40 switches the connection destination of the telephone line 23 from the outside line I / F circuit 38 to the dedicated line 24 in response to a command from the control unit 31 when the telephone line 23 is connected to the outside line I / F circuit 38, and switches the connection destination of the telephone line 23 from the dedicated line 24 to the outside line I / F circuit 38 in response to a command from the control unit 31 when the telephone line 23 is connected to the dedicated line 24. When switched to the dedicated line 24, the connection of the telephone line 23 to the outside line I / F circuit 38 is cut off.

[0023] The power supply unit 41 supplies operating voltage to each of the control unit 31, communication unit 32, ROM 33, RAM 34, storage unit 35, timer 36, RTC 37, outside line I / F circuit 38, LAN switching circuit 39, and telephone switching circuit 40 in the communication device 10.

[0024] The power supply unit 41 has an AC power supply circuit 42, a DC power supply circuit 43, a battery 44, a power supply switching circuit 45, and a voltage detection circuit 46. The AC power supply circuit 42 is connected to the power supply switching circuit 45, and receives AC power from the power supply switching circuit 45, transforms and rectifies it, and outputs it. The DC power supply circuit 43 is connected to the output of the AC power supply circuit 42. The DC power supply circuit 43 is a constant voltage circuit, has a DC output terminal, and is connected to the battery 44. Although not shown, the DC output terminal is connected to each of the power input terminals of the control unit 31, the communication unit 32, the ROM 33, the RAM 34, the storage unit 35, the timer 36, the RTC 37, the external line I / F circuit 38, the LAN switching circuit 39, and the telephone switching circuit 40 in the communication device 10 described above. During AC operation, the DC power supply circuit 43 constantizes the output DC voltage of the AC power supply circuit 42 and outputs it from the DC output terminal as an operating voltage, while supplying the DC voltage to the battery 44 to charge the battery 44. During battery operation, the DC power supply circuit 43 makes the battery voltage, which is the voltage between the positive and negative terminals of the battery 44, a constant voltage and outputs it from the DC output terminal. Either AC operation or battery operation is selectively set by a command from the control unit 31. Upon receiving a command from the control unit 31, the power supply switching circuit 45 relays AC power supplied via the power supply line 25 to the AC power supply circuit 42 during the AC operation operation mode, and cuts off the supply of AC power to the AC power supply circuit 42 during the battery operation operation mode. During battery operation, the power supply switching circuit 45 causes the DC power supply circuit 43 to stop charging the battery 44, receives the output voltage of the battery 44, makes it a constant voltage, and outputs it from the DC output terminal as an operating voltage.

[0025] The voltage detection circuit 46 detects the battery voltage of the battery 44. The battery voltage can be read out from the voltage detection circuit 46 by the control unit 31, and is supplied to the control unit 31 via a bus 47 as digital data.

[0026] Next, the control operation of the control unit 31 for the LAN cutoff circuit 39, the telephone switching circuit 40, and the power switching circuit 45 in the communication device 10 in the communication system configured as above will be described with reference to the operation flowchart of the control unit 31 shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B.

[0027] First, during normal operation, the LAN cutoff circuit 39 is in a connected state to the communication unit 32 of the LAN line 21 (LAN connected state), the telephone switching circuit 40 is in a connected state to the outside line I / F circuit 38 of the telephone line 23 (outside line connected state), and the power switching circuit 45 is in a connected state to the AC power circuit 42 of the power supply line 25 (AC operating state) (step S11). In the LAN connected state, the communication device 10 can communicate with communication devices including the PC 11 and the weather information server 12 connected to the Internet line 22 via the Internet line 22. In the outside line connected state, outside line communication including telephone calls using the telephone line 23 is possible.

[0028] The AC operation state represents an operation mode of the communication device 10. In AC operation, the AC voltage of the AC power source is supplied to the AC power source circuit 42 via the power source switching circuit 45, so that the AC power source circuit 42 transforms and rectifies the input AC voltage and supplies it to the DC power source circuit 43, and the DC power source circuit 43 makes the output DC voltage of the AC power source circuit 42 a constant voltage and supplies it to each part in the communication device 10 from the DC output terminal.

[0029] Note that when each step shown in FIG. 5 is executed, if an external connection is required, it is indicated in parentheses as "AC" if the device is in AC operation mode, "LAN" if the device is in LAN connection mode, and "external line" if the device is in an external line connection mode.

[0030] The control unit 31 receives lightning nowcast information for the area (region) in which the communication device 10 is located from the weather information server 12 at predetermined intervals (e.g., 10 minutes) and determines from the received lightning nowcast information whether the activity level is 2 or higher (step S12). Step S12 is performed, for example, by the control information receiving unit 51 and the control information storage unit 52. Since the LAN is connected during normal operation, the lightning nowcast information is obtained by accessing the weather information server 12. As described above, the lightning nowcast information includes the activity level. If the activity level obtained from the lightning nowcast information in step S12 is 1 or lower, the control unit 31 repeatedly executes step S12.

[0031] On the other hand, if the activity level obtained from the lightning nowcast information is 2 or more, lightning has already occurred and there is a possibility of a lightning strike. In this case, the control unit 31 determines whether the battery voltage is equal to or higher than a preset value (step S13). The battery voltage is obtained from the voltage detection circuit 46. The preset value is a voltage value that allows the battery operation of the communication device 10. If the battery voltage is equal to or higher than the preset value, the control unit 31 instructs the power supply switching circuit 45 to switch the operation mode from AC operation to battery operation (step S14), and further instructs the LAN cutoff circuit 39 to cut off the connection of the LAN line 21 (step S15). For example, step S14 is executed by the control instruction unit 54, the AC / battery switching control unit 57, and the AC power cutoff control unit 58, and step S15 is executed by the control instruction unit 54 and the LAN communication cutoff control unit 59.

[0032] In step S14, in response to a command from the control unit 31 to switch to battery operation, the power supply switching circuit 45 cuts off the supply of AC power to the AC power supply circuit 42, causes the DC power supply circuit 43 to stop charging the battery 44, and receives the output voltage of the battery 44, makes it a constant voltage, and outputs it from the DC output terminal. Thus, the communication device 10 enters a battery operation state.

[0033] In step S15, in response to the LAN line cutoff command from the control unit 31, the LAN cutoff circuit 39 cuts off the connection of the communication unit 32 to the LAN line 21. Thus, the communication device 10 is in a protective operation state in which only the outside line is connected under battery operation. During such a protective operation, the cutoff of the connection to the LAN line 21 disables access to the weather information server 12, and new lightning nowcast information cannot be received. At this point, only communication using the telephone line 23 is possible.

[0034] After executing step S15, the control unit 31 determines whether a certain time (for example, 10 minutes) has elapsed without receiving the lightning nowcast information (step S16). For example, step S16 is executed by the time management unit 56 using the timer 36. If the certain time has elapsed as measured by the timer 36, the control unit 31 commands the telephone switching circuit 40 to switch the connection destination to the dedicated line 24, and commands the LAN cutoff circuit 39 to restore the connection to the LAN line 21 (step S17). For example, step S17 is executed by the outside line communication cutoff control unit 60 and the LAN communication cutoff control unit 59. In response to the command to switch the connection destination to the dedicated line 24, the telephone switching circuit 40 switches the connection destination of the telephone line 23 from the outside line I / F circuit 38 to the dedicated line 24, i.e., the direct telephone 48, and in response to the LAN line restoration command from the control unit 31, the LAN cutoff circuit 39 restores the connection (LAN connection state) of the communication unit 32 to the LAN line 21. Therefore, external communication including calls using the telephone line 23 is disabled in the communication device 10, and only calls using the direct dial telephone 48 using the dedicated line 24 are possible. In addition, restoration of the connection with the LAN line 21 makes it possible to access the weather information server 12.

[0035] When the control unit 31 determines in step S13 that the battery voltage is lower than the preset value, it commands the LAN cutoff circuit 39 to cut off the connection of the LAN line 21 (step S25). This step S25 is the same as step S15, and the LAN cutoff circuit 39 cuts off the connection of the communication unit 32 to the LAN line 21. After executing step S25, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the outside line communication is not in use (step S26). Since the communication device 10 is in an outside line connection state, if the outside line I / F circuit 38 is in a sending / receiving operation, the outside line communication is in use. If the outside line communication is in use, the control unit 31 repeats step S26 to determine whether the outside line communication is not in use. On the other hand, if the outside line communication is not in use, the control unit 31 commands the telephone switching circuit 40 to switch the connection destination to the dedicated line 24 (step S27). In response to the connection destination switching command, the telephone switching circuit 40 switches the connection destination of the telephone line 23 from the outside line I / F circuit 38 to the dedicated line 24. Therefore, only an outside call can be made by the direct dial telephone 48 using the dedicated line 24. At this stage, the communication device 10 is in an AC operating state.

[0036] After executing step S27, the control unit 31 judges whether the battery voltage is equal to or higher than a preset value (step S28). If the battery voltage obtained from the voltage detection circuit 46 is equal to or higher than the preset value, the control unit 31 instructs the power supply switching circuit 45 to switch the operation mode from AC operation to battery operation (step S29), and further instructs the telephone switching circuit 40 to switch the connection destination of the telephone line 23 to the outside line I / F circuit 38 (step S30). Step S29 is the same as step S14. In response to the connection destination switching command of step S30, the telephone switching circuit 40 switches the connection destination of the telephone line 23 from the leased line 24 to the outside line I / F circuit 38, and the telephone connection of the communication device 10 is restored to the outside line connection state. After switching to the telephone line 23 in step S30, the control unit 31 proceeds to the judgment of step S16. When it is determined that the battery voltage is lower than the predetermined value in this way, the communication device 10 waits until the battery voltage reaches or exceeds the predetermined value as a result of charging the battery 44, and then goes into protective operation in a state in which only the outside line is connected and the device is running on battery power.

[0037] If the battery voltage obtained from the voltage detection circuit 46 in step S28 is lower than the predetermined value, the determination in step S28 is repeated until the charging of the battery 44 progresses and the battery voltage becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value.

[0038] After executing step S17, the control unit 31 receives lightning nowcast information for the area (region) in which the communication device 10 is located from the weather information server 12, and determines whether the activity level is 1 or less from the received lightning nowcast information (step S18). Since the LAN connection state is established when step S18 is executed, the lightning nowcast information is obtained by accessing the weather information server 12. If the activity level obtained from the lightning nowcast information received in step S18 is 1 or less, the control unit 31 commands the telephone switching circuit 40 to switch the connection destination of the telephone line 23 (step S19). In response to the command to switch the connection destination of the telephone line 23, the telephone switching circuit 40 switches the connection destination of the telephone line 23 from the dedicated line 24 to the outside line I / F circuit 38, and the communication device 10 is thereby restored to the outside line connection state.

[0039] The control unit 31 also commands the power supply switching circuit 45 to release the cut-off of the power supply line 25 (step S20), and determines whether or not the AC power supply voltage has been detected for a certain period of time (step S21). In step S20, in response to the power supply line cut-off release command from the control unit 31, the power supply switching circuit 45 releases the cut-off of the power supply line 25, and in step S21, if the AC power supply voltage has been detected from the power supply line 25 for a certain period of time, the power supply switching circuit 45 supplies the control unit 31 with a response signal indicating the input of the AC power supply voltage, and if the AC power supply voltage has not been detected from the power supply line 25 for a certain period of time, the power supply switching circuit 45 supplies the control unit 31 with a response signal indicating the non-input of the AC power supply voltage. The power supply switching circuit 45 incorporates an AC detection element (not shown) to detect the presence or absence of the AC power supply voltage.

[0040] The control unit 31 instructs the power supply switching circuit 45 to switch the operation mode from battery operation to AC operation in response to a response signal indicating that the AC power supply voltage has been detected for a certain period of time (step S22). By executing step S22, the power supply switching circuit 45 operates the AC power supply circuit 42 using AC power from the power supply line 25, and the output voltage of the AC power supply circuit 42 is thereby supplied to the DC power supply circuit 43, so that the DC power supply circuit 43 makes the output DC voltage of the AC power supply circuit 42 a constant voltage and outputs it from the DC output terminal instead of the battery voltage from the battery 4. The output DC voltage of the AC power supply circuit 42 is supplied to the battery 44, and the battery 44 is charged. Therefore, after executing step S22, the communication device 10 returns to normal operation, becomes an AC operation state, an outside line connection state, and a LAN connection state, and the operation of the control unit 31 proceeds to step S11.

[0041] On the other hand, if the control unit 31 receives a response signal indicating that AC power has not been detected for a certain period of time in step S21, it instructs the power source switching circuit 45 to continue battery operation (step S23), and returns to step S21 to determine whether AC power has been detected for a certain period of time.

[0042] In the determination of step S18, if the activity level is not 1 or less from the received lightning nowcast information, that is, if the activity level has not decreased since the lightning occurred and is still 2 or more, it is determined whether or not the battery voltage has decreased to the over-discharge voltage or less because the battery is in operation (step S31). The over-discharge voltage is a voltage level at which the communication device 10 cannot be operated by the output voltage of the battery 44 due to a decrease in the stored charge of the battery 44. If the battery voltage is higher than the over-discharge voltage, the control unit 31 commands the LAN cutoff circuit 39 to cut off the connection of the LAN line 21, and commands the telephone switching circuit 40 to switch the connection destination of the telephone line 23 to the outside line I / F circuit 38 (step S32). By executing step S32, the LAN cutoff circuit 39 cuts off the connection of the communication unit 32 to the LAN line 21, and the telephone switching circuit 40 switches the connection destination of the telephone line 23 from the dedicated line 24 to the outside line I / F circuit 38, and the communication device 10 is thereby restored to the outside line connection state.

[0043] When it is determined in step S32 that the battery voltage is equal to or lower than the overdischarge voltage, the control unit 31 commands the LAN cutoff circuit 39 to cut off the connection of the LAN line 21 (step S33) and commands the power supply switching circuit 45 to switch the operation mode from battery operation to AC operation (step S34). Since the communication device 10 is no longer in a LAN connection state due to the execution of step S33, it is in a state in which it cannot receive lightning nowcast information. By executing step S34, the power supply switching circuit 45 operates the AC power supply circuit 42 with AC power from the power supply line 25, and the output voltage of the AC power supply circuit 42 is thereby supplied to the DC power supply circuit 43, so that the DC power supply circuit 43 makes the output DC voltage of the AC power supply circuit 42 a constant voltage and outputs it from the DC output terminal instead of the battery voltage from the battery 44. The output DC voltage of the AC power supply circuit 42 is supplied to the battery 44, causing the battery 44 to be charged. Therefore, after the execution of step S34, the communication device 10 is in an AC operation state.

[0044] The control unit 31 determines whether a certain time has passed in a state where lightning nowcast information cannot be received under AC operation (step S35). If the certain time has passed, the control unit 31 determines whether the battery voltage has risen to or above the operable voltage (step S36). The operable voltage is, for example, a voltage lower than a preset value and higher than the overdischarge voltage. If the battery voltage is lower than the operable voltage, the control unit 31 repeatedly executes step S36 until the battery voltage becomes equal to or higher than the operable voltage. On the other hand, if the battery voltage is lower than the operable voltage, the control unit 31 instructs the power supply switching circuit 45 to switch the operation mode from AC operation to battery operation (step S37), and further instructs the LAN cutoff circuit 39 to restore the connection with the LAN line 21 (step S38).

[0045] In step S37, in response to a command from the control unit 31 to switch to battery operation, the power supply switching circuit 45 cuts off the supply of AC power to the AC power supply circuit 42, causes the DC power supply circuit 43 to stop charging the battery 44, and receives the output voltage of the battery 44, makes it a constant voltage, and outputs it from the DC output terminal. Thus, the communication device 10 enters a battery operation state. In step S38, in response to a LAN line restoration command from the control unit 31, the LAN cutoff circuit 39 restores the connection of the communication unit 32 to the LAN line 21 (LAN connection state). Restoration of the connection to the LAN line 21 makes it possible to access the weather information server 12. After executing step S38, the control unit 31 proceeds to the determination of step S18.

[0046] In this way, when the communication device 10 is in normal operation and the received lightning nowcast information indicates an activity level of 2 or more, if the battery voltage is equal to or higher than a preset value, the communication device 10 operates on the battery, and by disconnecting the LAN line 21 as in step S15, the communication device 10 is only connected to the outside world via an external line via the telephone line 23. Therefore, when the communication device 10 is at an activity level of 2 or more, it is in a protective operation state with a minimum connection to the outside world, with only an external line connection, so that it is possible to prevent a surge current from entering the communication device 10 from the outside.

[0047] However, since it is not possible to receive lightning nowcast information with only this outside line connection state, every time a certain time has passed, as in step S17, the connection of the outside line I / F circuit 38 with the telephone line 23 is cut off and the direct telephone 48 via the dedicated line 24 is used, and the communication device 10 is in a LAN connection state only and receives lightning nowcast information via the LAN line 21. Therefore, even when checking lightning nowcast information during protective operation, the protection operation is performed with minimal connection to the outside only with the LAN connection state, so that it is possible to prevent a surge current from entering the communication device 10 from the outside.

[0048] If the activity level obtained from the lightning nowcast information received during protection operation is 1 or less, the use of the direct telephone 48 is stopped and the external connection state via the telephone line 23 is restored as in step S19, and if AC power is available from the power supply line 25, the communication device 10 can immediately restore from battery operation to AC operation and return to normal operation.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the transition to the protection operation during normal operation may be limited to during working hours (a predetermined time period set in advance). When the communication device 10 is a private branch exchange, working hours, holidays, and the like can be set, and working hours, i.e., working hours, can be set in advance as a predetermined time period. For example, as shown in Figs. 6A to 6C, when the lightning nowcast information received in step S12 indicates an activity level of 2 or more, the control unit 31 may determine whether the current time is within working hours (step S51), and if the current time obtained from the RTC 37 is within working hours (a predetermined time period set in advance), the control unit 31 may execute steps S13 and onward to perform the protection operation. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the same operation parts in each step of Figs. 6A to 6C as those in Figs. 5A and 5B. In step S17 of FIG. 5A, in FIG. 6A, the control unit 31 determines whether or not outside line communication is not in use (step S17a), and if outside line communication is not in use, commands the telephone switching circuit 40 to switch the connection destination to the dedicated line 24 (step S17b), and commands the LAN cutoff circuit 39 to restore the connection with the LAN line 21 (step S17c).

[0050] If the current time is outside working hours (outside a preset time zone) in step S51, the control unit 31 instructs the LAN cutoff circuit 39 to cut off the connection of the LAN line 21 (step S52), as shown in Fig. 6C, and determines whether or not the outside line communication by the telephone line 23 is not in use (step S53). If the outside line communication is not in use, the control unit 31 instructs the connection destination of the telephone line 23 to be switched from the outside line I / F circuit 38 to the dedicated line 24 (step S54), and then determines whether or not the current time is within working hours (step S55). For example, if the current time obtained from the RTC 37 is within working hours, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the battery voltage is equal to or higher than a preset value (step S56), and if the battery voltage is equal to or higher than the preset value, the control unit 31 instructs the power supply switching circuit 45 to switch the operation mode from AC operation to battery operation (step S57), and proceeds to step S17c. In this way, if the current time is outside working hours, the LAN line 21 is immediately cut off, while if the telephone line 23 is in use at that time, it is not cut off until it becomes unused. However, as long as the current time is outside working hours, as in step S55, the AC operation is maintained.

[0051] By doing this, if lightning is detected before working hours, i.e., in the morning before work begins, battery charging is prioritized, and if lightning continues to be detected after work ends, the operating time on battery power can be extended, and normal outside call operations can be performed during morning working hours.

[0052] The communication system is an in-home communication system, and the communication device 10 may be an AV (audio-visual) device or home appliance such as a television set having an external communication terminal such as a LAN terminal, or further may be a personal computer or a peripheral device thereof such as a home gateway.

[0053] Similarly, in the case where the communication system is an in-home communication system and the communication device 10 is a home gateway or the like, a predetermined time period may be set in advance, a function may be provided that can determine whether the current time is within the predetermined time period or outside the predetermined time period, and a wake-up time period may be set as the predetermined time period, thereby limiting the transition to protective operation during normal operation to when the device is awake (the predetermined time period). [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10. Communications Equipment 11 PC 12 Weather Information Server 21 LAN lines 22 Internet connection 23 Telephone Line 24 Dedicated Lines 25 Power supply line 31 Control Unit 32 Communications Department 33 ROM 34 RAM 35 Storage section 36 Timer 37 RTC 38 External line I / F circuit 39 LAN cutoff circuit 40 Telephone switching circuits 41 Power supply section 42 AC power circuit 43 DC power circuit 44 Battery 45 Power supply switching circuit 46 Voltage detection circuit 47 Bus 48 Direct dial phone 51 Control information receiver 52 Control information storage unit 53 Application Section 54 Control instruction section 55 System control section 56 Time Management Department 57 AC / battery switching control unit 58 AC circuit breaker control unit 59 LAN communication cutoff control unit 60 External communication cutoff control unit

Claims

1. A communication device that generates an operating voltage based on an AC voltage of a commercial power supply supplied through an external power supply line, and communicates with an external device through an external first communication line or a second communication line using the operating voltage, A first communication unit that performs communication via the first communication line; A second communication unit that performs communication via the second communication line; a control unit that causes the first communication unit to acquire lightning occurrence information indicating whether or not lightning is occurring via the first communication line; a first communication line connection cutoff unit that connects or cuts off the first communication line and the first communication unit; a second communication line connection cutoff unit that connects or cuts off the second communication line and the second communication unit; a power supply unit that includes a built-in battery, and when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates the occurrence of lightning, generates the operating voltage based on a terminal voltage of the battery instead of the commercial power supply, and thereafter, when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates the absence of lightning, generates the operating voltage based on an AC voltage of the commercial power supply instead of the battery; while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the AC voltage of the commercial power supply, the first communication line connection / shutoff unit connects between the first communication line and the first communication unit, and the second communication line connection / shutoff unit connects between the second communication line and the second communication unit, a communication device characterized in that, while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the terminal voltage of the battery, when the first communication line connection cut-off unit cuts off the connection between the first communication line and the first communication unit, the second communication line connection cut-off unit connects the second communication line and the second communication unit, and when the first communication line connection cut-off unit connects the first communication line and the first communication unit, the second communication line connection cut-off unit cuts off the connection between the second communication line and the second communication unit.

2. The communication device described in claim 1, characterized in that the first communication line connection cut-off unit cuts off the connection between the first communication line and the first communication unit when the power supply unit starts generating the operating voltage based on the terminal voltage of the battery, and while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the terminal voltage of the battery, the control unit switches the state between the first communication line and the first communication unit from a cut-off state to a connected state at regular intervals so that the control unit can obtain the lightning occurrence information.

3. 3. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit charges the battery using the AC voltage of the commercial power supply while the operating voltage is being generated based on the AC voltage of the commercial power supply.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, characterized in that when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates the occurrence of lightning and the terminal voltage of the battery is lower than a predetermined value, the power supply unit generates the operating voltage based on the terminal voltage of the battery instead of the commercial power source after the terminal voltage of the battery becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value through charging of the battery.

5. 5. A communication device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the switching between connection and disconnection between the first communication line and the first communication unit by the first communication line connection cut-off unit, the switching between connection and disconnection between the second communication line and the second communication unit by the second communication line connection cut-off unit, and the switching between the commercial power source and the battery for generating the operating voltage of the power supply unit are controlled by the control unit.

6. the second communication line is a telephone line; A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the second communication line connection cut-off unit connects between the telephone line and a dedicated line to which a direct dial telephone is connected when the connection between the telephone line and the second communication unit is cut off.

7. The communication device described in claim 6, characterized in that when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates the occurrence of lightning, if the time is outside a predetermined time period, the power supply unit continues to generate the operating voltage based on the AC voltage of the commercial power source, the first communication line connection cut-off unit cuts off the connection between the first communication line and the first communication unit, and the second communication line connection cut-off unit cuts off the connection between the telephone line and the second communication unit and connects the dedicated line and the telephone line.

8. a first communication unit that communicates with an external device via a first external communication line; A second communication unit that communicates with the outside via a second external communication line; a first communication line connection cutoff unit that connects or cuts off the first communication line and the first communication unit; a second communication line connection cutoff unit that connects or cuts off the second communication line and the second communication unit; a power supply unit that generates an operating voltage for communicating with an external device based on an AC voltage of a commercial power source supplied via an external power supply line, a step of the first communication unit acquiring lightning occurrence information indicating whether or not lightning is occurring from an outside via the first communication line; generating the operating voltage based on a terminal voltage of a battery instead of the commercial power source when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates an occurrence of lightning; generating the operating voltage based on a terminal voltage of the battery, when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates that no lightning has occurred, generating the operating voltage based on an AC voltage of the commercial power source instead of the battery; a step in which the first communication line connection / shutoff unit connects the first communication line and the first communication unit and the second communication line connection / shutoff unit connects the second communication line and the second communication unit while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the AC voltage of the commercial power supply; a step of, when the first communication line connection cutoff unit cuts off the connection between the first communication line and the first communication unit while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on a terminal voltage of the battery, the second communication line connection cutoff unit connects the second communication line and the second communication unit; and when the first communication line connection cut-off unit connects between the first communication line and the first communication unit while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the terminal voltage of the battery, the second communication line connection cut-off unit cuts off the connection between the second communication line and the second communication unit.

9. a first communication unit that communicates with an external device via a first external communication line; A second communication unit that communicates with the outside via a second external communication line; a first communication line connection cutoff unit that connects or cuts off the first communication line and the first communication unit; a second communication line connection cutoff unit that connects or cuts off the second communication line and the second communication unit; a power supply unit that generates an operating voltage for communicating with the outside based on an AC voltage of a commercial power supply supplied via an external power supply line, the program comprising: a step of the first communication unit acquiring lightning occurrence information indicating whether or not lightning is occurring from an outside via the first communication line; generating the operating voltage based on a terminal voltage of a battery instead of the commercial power source when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates an occurrence of lightning; generating the operating voltage based on a terminal voltage of the battery, when the lightning occurrence information acquired by the first communication unit indicates that no lightning has occurred, generating the operating voltage based on an AC voltage of the commercial power source instead of the battery; a step in which the first communication line connection / shutoff unit connects the first communication line and the first communication unit and the second communication line connection / shutoff unit connects the second communication line and the second communication unit while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the AC voltage of the commercial power supply; a step of, when the first communication line connection cutoff unit cuts off the connection between the first communication line and the first communication unit while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on a terminal voltage of the battery, the second communication line connection cutoff unit connects the second communication line and the second communication unit; and when the first communication line connection cut-off unit connects between the first communication line and the first communication unit while the power supply unit is generating the operating voltage based on the terminal voltage of the battery, the second communication line connection cut-off unit cuts off the connection between the second communication line and the second communication unit.

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