Radio equipment monitoring device and radio equipment monitoring method

Abstract

To provide a wireless device monitoring apparatus which can easily identify a position of a wireless device in which a malfunction has occurred.SOLUTION: A wireless device monitoring apparatus includes a first display control unit, a second display control unit, and a third display control unit. The first display control unit causes a display unit to display a floor map 51 of a floor in which a plurality of wireless devices are disposed. The second display control unit causes the display unit to display a list 42 of malfunctioning wireless devices. The third display control unit causes, when a wireless device is selected from the list 42, the display unit to display an enlarged map 53 that enlarges an area where the selected wireless device is located, to display icons 54 indicating positions of the wireless devices on the enlarged map 53, and to display icons 54 corresponding to the malfunctioning wireless devices and icons 54 corresponding to wireless devices that do not malfunction in different display modes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates mainly to a wireless device monitoring device that monitors the status of wireless devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system that displays the radio wave strength of wireless devices (home electric appliances) installed within a building. This system includes a position setting unit, a radio wave strength measurement unit, and a display unit. The position setting unit sets a position on a floor plan of the building in response to a user's operation. The radio wave strength measurement unit measures the radio wave strength of wireless devices installed within the building. The display unit displays the floor plan and icons corresponding to the wireless devices. Furthermore, if there is a device whose radio wave strength is below a threshold, the icon of that wireless device is highlighted in a predetermined manner. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6067081 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By using the system of Patent Document 1, it is possible to easily determine the location of wireless devices whose radio wave strength is below a threshold. However, for example, if there are a large number of wireless devices displayed on the display unit, the information displayed on the display unit becomes complicated, and it may be difficult to easily determine the location of wireless devices whose radio wave strength is below a threshold. Furthermore, similar problems exist in systems that detect other abnormalities in wireless devices, not just the radio wave strength of wireless devices.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a wireless device monitoring device that can easily determine the location of a wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above. Next, the means for solving this problem and the effects thereof will be explained.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless device monitoring device having the following configuration: That is, the wireless device monitoring device includes a first display control unit, a second display control unit, and a third display control unit. The first display control unit causes a floor map of a floor on which a plurality of wireless devices are located to be displayed on a display unit. The second display control unit causes a list of wireless devices in which an abnormality has occurred to be displayed on the display unit. When a wireless device is selected from the list, the third display control unit causes an enlarged map of the area in which the selected wireless device is located to be displayed on the display unit, and causes an icon indicating the position of the wireless device to be displayed on the enlarged map, and causes the icon corresponding to the wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred and the icon corresponding to the wireless device in which an abnormality has not occurred to be displayed in different display modes. The third display control unit does not display the icon of the wireless device on the floor map, and when the wireless device is selected from the list, displays the icon of the wireless device on the enlarged map.

[0008] By using the list of wireless devices where an abnormality has occurred, the user can easily instruct the display of an enlarged map of the area where the wireless device where an abnormality has occurred is located. Then, because the icon of the wireless device is displayed on the enlarged map, the user can easily grasp the location of the wireless device where an abnormality has occurred. It also prevents the floor map from becoming too complicated.

[0009] In the wireless device monitoring device, it is preferable that the third display control unit displays differently the icon of the wireless device that is conducting wireless communication at a radio wave strength equal to or greater than a threshold, the icon of the wireless device that is conducting wireless communication at a radio wave strength less than the threshold, and the icon of the wireless device that is not conducting wireless communication.

[0010] This allows the user to easily grasp the location of a wireless device where an abnormality in radio wave strength has occurred. In particular, by providing at least three levels of icons for wireless devices, the user can easily grasp the degree of the abnormality in radio wave strength.

[0011] In the wireless device monitoring device, it is preferable that the first display control unit displays on the floor map the area in which the wireless devices listed in the list are located.

[0012] This allows the area in which the selected wireless device is located to be known at a glance.

[0015] The wireless device monitoring device preferably has the following configuration. That is, the wireless device monitoring device includes a fourth display control unit that causes the display unit to display a communication status map indicating the communication status between the wireless devices. The communication status map includes the floor map and the icons of the wireless devices. The wireless devices include a first wireless device. When the icon corresponding to the first wireless device is selected, the fourth display control unit changes the display mode of the icon of the wireless device that is wirelessly communicating with the first wireless device.

[0016] This makes it easy to understand the communication status between wireless devices.

[0017] The wireless device monitoring device preferably has the following configuration: the wireless devices include a master device and a slave device. When the icon corresponding to the master device is selected, the fourth display control unit changes the display mode of the icons of one or more slave devices that are wirelessly communicating with the master device. When the icon corresponding to a slave device is selected, the fourth display control unit changes the display mode of the icon of the single master device that is wirelessly communicating with the slave device.

[0018] This makes it easy to grasp the communication status between the parent device and the child device.

[0019] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wireless device monitoring method as follows. That is, the wireless device monitoring method includes a first display step, a second display step, and a third display step. In the first display step, a floor map of a floor on which a plurality of wireless devices are located is displayed on a display unit. In the second display step, a list of wireless devices in which an abnormality has occurred is displayed on the display unit. In the third display step, when a wireless device is selected from the list, an enlarged map of an area in which the selected wireless device is located is displayed on the display unit, and icons indicating the positions of the wireless devices are displayed on the enlarged map, and the icon corresponding to the wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred and the icon corresponding to the wireless device in which an abnormality has not occurred are displayed in different display modes. In the third display step, the icon of the wireless device is not displayed on the floor map, and when the wireless device is selected from the list, the icon of the wireless device is displayed on the enlarged map.

[0020] This allows the list of wireless devices experiencing an abnormality to be linked to the enlarged map, making it easy to display an enlarged map of the area where the wireless devices experiencing an abnormality are located.In addition, icons of the wireless devices are displayed on the enlarged map, making it easy to determine the location of the wireless devices experiencing an abnormality. It also prevents the floor map from becoming too complicated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a wireless device monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of displaying an icon of a wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred on an enlarged map. [Figure 3] An example of a two-dimensional floor map screen and an example of an enlarged map screen that displays an icon of a wireless device that has experienced an abnormality. [Figure 4] An example of a side view floor map screen and an example of an enlarged map screen displaying an icon of a wireless device that has experienced an abnormality. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for displaying a communication status map. [Figure 6] An example of the screen when the parent unit is selected on the communication status map. [Figure 7]An example of the screen when a client unit is selected on the communication status map. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of a wireless device monitoring system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0023] The wireless device monitoring system 1 is a system for performing a wireless device monitoring method for monitoring the status of wireless devices. The wireless device monitoring system 1 of this embodiment is installed in a factory and monitors the status, particularly the communication status, of wireless devices installed in the factory. However, the wireless device monitoring system 1 may also be installed in an office, commercial facility, etc.

[0024] Various wireless devices are installed in a factory where a wireless device monitoring system 1 is installed. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, a proximity wireless receiver 2, a proximity wireless transmitter 3, a wireless access point device 4, and a wireless slave device 5 are installed in the factory. In the following description, the proximity wireless receiver 2, the proximity wireless transmitter 3, the wireless access point device 4, and the wireless slave device 5 may be collectively referred to as "wireless devices."

[0025] The proximity wireless receiver 2 and the proximity wireless transmitter 3 perform wireless communication using a short-range wireless communication standard. The proximity wireless transmitter 3 is configured integrally with, for example, a sensor, and transmits the sensor's detection value to the proximity wireless receiver 2 using short-range wireless communication. The proximity wireless receiver 2 is connected to a network within the factory via a hub 8. The sensor's detection value is transmitted to a predetermined device (for example, a device that manages or gives instructions to the factory) connected to the network within the factory. In this embodiment, multiple proximity wireless receivers 2 are provided, and multiple proximity wireless transmitters 3 transmit the sensor's detection value to each proximity wireless receiver 2. Alternatively, only one proximity wireless receiver 2 or one proximity wireless transmitter 3 may be installed.

[0026] The wireless access point device 4 is connected to the network within the factory via a hub 8. This allows the wireless access point device 4 to communicate with devices connected to the network within the factory. The wireless access point device 4 also establishes a wireless network centered around itself. This allows the wireless access point device 4 to connect devices wirelessly connected to itself to the network within the factory. The wireless communication standard used by the wireless access point device 4 is, for example, IEEE802.11ah, but a different standard may also be used.

[0027] The wireless slave device 5 is a repeater for connecting the industrial machine 6 to a wireless network. The wireless slave device 5 is connected to the industrial machine 6 by wire. Furthermore, the wireless slave device 5 can be connected wirelessly to the wireless access point device 4. That is, the industrial machine 6 communicates with the wireless access point device 4 via the wireless slave device 5. The wireless slave device 5 is not limited to a repeater, and may be an industrial machine having a wireless function. Alternatively, the wireless slave device 5 may be an information device such as a smartphone, a tablet device, or a notebook PC.

[0028] The wireless communication between the proximity wireless receiver 2 and the proximity wireless transmitter 3 is referred to as the first wireless communication, and the wireless communication between the wireless access point device 4 and the wireless slave device 5 is referred to as the second wireless communication, and the differences between the two will be described below. The number of devices using the first wireless communication is greater than the number of devices using the second wireless communication. The communication distance of the first wireless communication is shorter than the communication distance of the second wireless communication. The power consumption of the first wireless communication is less than the power consumption of the second wireless communication. The maximum communication speed of the first wireless communication is slower than the maximum communication speed of the second wireless communication. Note that the differences between the first wireless communication and the second wireless communication described above are characteristics based on the wireless communication standard adopted in this embodiment. However, various standards can be applied to the first wireless communication or the second wireless communication. In other words, the above-described characteristics are merely examples, and the first wireless communication and the second wireless communication may be performed by selecting a standard that does not have these characteristics.

[0029] The wireless device monitoring system 1 of this embodiment monitors the status of wireless communication between a proximity wireless receiver 2, a proximity wireless transmitter 3, a wireless access point device 4, and a wireless slave device 5. As shown in Fig. 1, the wireless device monitoring system 1 includes a plurality of investigation devices 10 and a management device (wireless device monitoring device) 20. Note that the wireless device monitoring system 1 may include only one investigation device 10.

[0030] The investigation device 10 is a device for investigating the wireless communication environment at an observation point. The investigation device 10 is immovably fixed within a factory. The investigation device 10 is equipped with one or more wireless modules. The investigation device 10 acquires the radio wave conditions within the factory using the wireless modules. Specifically, the investigation device 10 receives radio waves transmitted and received via wireless communication between a proximity wireless receiver 2 and a proximity wireless transmitter 3. Similarly, the investigation device 10 receives radio waves transmitted and received via wireless communication between a wireless access point device 4 and a wireless slave device 5. Based on the received radio waves, the investigation device 10 calculates the identification information of the device transmitting the radio waves and the radio wave intensity. The identification information is, for example, the MAC address of the wireless device or a unique ID used in wireless communication standards.

[0031] Here, the purpose of the investigation device 10 is to acquire the communication status of the wireless devices, specifically, to acquire the radio wave intensity of the radio waves transmitted by each wireless device. Therefore, there is no need to actually transmit or receive data between the investigation device 10 and the wireless devices. In other words, the investigation device 10 does not need to be specified as the destination of the radio waves transmitted by the wireless devices, and the investigation device 10 intercepts the radio waves transmitted by the wireless devices. Alternatively, the investigation device 10 may acquire the radio waves transmitted and received between the wireless devices to establish a connection, and accordingly calculate the identification information of the device transmitting the radio waves and the radio wave intensity.

[0032] The investigation device 10 is connected to the network in the factory via a hub 8. The detection results of the investigation device 10 (identification information and radio wave intensity of wireless devices acquired by the investigation device 10) are transmitted to the management device 20 via the network. The investigation device 10 transmits the detection results in association with its own device's identification information.

[0033] In this embodiment, the investigation device 10 is described as being fixed in a factory so that it cannot be moved, but the investigation device 10 may also be portable by workers and may be moved around the factory while acquiring the radio wave conditions at each observation point.

[0034] The management device 20 is a device that compiles the radio wave conditions surveyed by the survey device 10 and provides the results to a user. The management device 20 may be a general-purpose device such as a PC, tablet device, or smartphone, or may be a dedicated device used only in the wireless device monitoring system 1. The management device 20 includes a display unit 21, an operation unit 22, a first display control unit 23, a second display control unit 24, a third display control unit 25, and a fourth display control unit 26. The management device 20 is also capable of communicating with devices such as the survey device 10 via a hub 8.

[0035] The display unit 21 is a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and can display, for example, information about the communication status of wireless devices in a factory. The operation unit 22 is a keyboard, a mouse, hardware keys, a touch panel, etc., and can be operated by the user.

[0036] The management device 20 includes a computing device such as a CPU, a storage such as an HDD, an SSD, or a flash memory, and a RAM. The management device 20 implements various functions by loading programs stored in the storage into the RAM and executing them. The first display control unit 23, the second display control unit 24, the third display control unit 25, and the fourth display control unit 26 are names given to these functions for convenience. The processing performed by each display control unit will be described later.

[0037] Furthermore, information relating to the wireless devices and the investigation device 10 is stored in advance in the storage of the management device 20. Specifically, the location of the wireless device, identification information of the wireless device, the type of wireless device (proximity wireless receiver 2, proximity wireless transmitter 3, wireless access point device 4, or wireless slave device 5), the location of the investigation device 10, identification information of the investigation device 10, etc. are stored in the storage.

[0038] The display unit 21 and the operation unit 22 are not essential components of the management device 20 and can be omitted. In this case, the management device 20 processes data related to radio wave conditions and displays the processing results on the display unit of an external terminal (for example, a tablet device or a smartphone). The management device 20 also receives instructions given by a user operating the external terminal and performs processing according to the user's instructions.

[0039] Next, a process for displaying on the display unit 21 the wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0040] When an abnormality occurs in a wireless device in a factory, it is necessary to notify a user of the location of the wireless device where the abnormality occurred. However, because a large number of wireless devices are densely arranged in a factory, it is difficult for a user to easily determine the location of the wireless device where the abnormality occurred. For example, if an icon of a wireless device where the abnormality occurred and an icon of a wireless device where the abnormality occurred are displayed on the floor map 51 shown in FIG. 3, many icons are densely arranged on the floor map 51. Therefore, a user cannot easily determine the location of the wireless device where the abnormality occurred. Furthermore, by displaying only the icon of the wireless device where the abnormality occurred on the floor map 51, the number of icons displayed on the floor map 51 can be reduced. However, in this case, a user cannot easily determine which wireless device among the many wireless devices arranged closely has the abnormality.

[0041] Taking the above points into consideration, in this embodiment, an enlarged map 53 is displayed that enlarges the area including the wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred, and icons of the wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred and icons of normal wireless devices are displayed on the enlarged map 53. This will be described in detail below.

[0042] 2 is performed for the proximity wireless receiver 2 and the proximity wireless transmitter 3, i.e., the first wireless communication. The reason is that the number of installed proximity wireless receivers 2 and proximity wireless transmitters 3 is greater than the number of installed wireless access point devices 4 and wireless slave devices 5. However, the processing shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 can also be performed for the wireless access point devices 4 and wireless slave devices 5.

[0043] The management device 20 receives the radio wave conditions of the wireless devices from the investigation device 10 (S101). Next, the management device 20 estimates the radio wave strength for each wireless device (S102). The radio wave strength here refers not to the radio wave strength at the time of reception by the investigation device 10, but to the radio wave strength at the time of transmission by the wireless device. The radio wave strength at the time of transmission by the wireless device can be estimated, for example, as follows. That is, the location of the wireless device and the location of the investigation device 10 are registered in advance in the management device 20. Therefore, the radio wave strength at the time of transmission by the wireless device can be estimated based on the distance from the wireless device to the investigation device 10, the radio wave strength attenuation rate over this distance, and the radio wave strength at the time of reception by the investigation device 10. Furthermore, in this embodiment, multiple investigation devices 10 are installed, so radio wave strength at multiple points can be obtained. This can be used to accurately estimate the radio wave strength attenuation rate, etc., and improve the accuracy of the estimation of the radio wave strength at the time of transmission by the wireless device.

[0044] Next, the management device 20 identifies a wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred (an abnormal wireless device) (S103). In this embodiment, a wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred in wireless communication, in other words, a wireless device in which the radio wave intensity is abnormal, is an abnormal wireless device. The management device 20 estimates an abnormal wireless device based on the radio wave intensity estimated in step S102. Specifically, the management device 20 identifies a wireless device that communicates with a radio wave intensity below a threshold and a wireless device in which the radio wave intensity cannot be measured (i.e., a wireless device that is not communicating wirelessly) as an abnormal wireless device. Note that a wireless device in which an abnormality other than radio wave intensity has occurred may also be treated as an abnormal wireless device. For example, a wireless device in which the measurement value of a sensor such as a temperature sensor is abnormal may be treated as an abnormal wireless device.

[0045] Next, the management device 20 displays a floor map 51 and a list 42 of abnormal wireless devices on the display unit 21 (S104, first display step, second display step), as shown in the upper diagram of Fig. 3. The first display control unit 23 of the management device 20 controls the display unit 21 to display the floor map 51. The second display control unit 24 of the management device 20 controls the display unit 21 to display the list 42.

[0046] The floor map 51 is a map (e.g., a schematic plan view or side view) of the factory in which the wireless device monitoring system 1 is installed. The list 42 displays the abnormal wireless devices identified in step S103 together with related information. As shown in FIG. 3, the related information for the abnormal wireless devices in the list 42 includes the area, frequency band, and identification information. The area is a range into which the floor map is divided into multiple sections. The frequency band is a frequency band in which the wireless device communicates wirelessly. As described above, the identification information is a MAC address, ID, or the like.

[0047] Furthermore, an extraction condition box 41 is displayed on the display unit 21 adjacent to the list 42. The extraction condition box 41 defines extraction conditions for extracting abnormal wireless devices to be displayed in the list 42. The extraction conditions include, for example, radio wave conditions and location conditions. By setting a radio wave strength condition as the radio wave condition, abnormal wireless devices that satisfy the radio wave condition are extracted and displayed in the list 42. By setting an area-related condition as the location condition, abnormal wireless devices that satisfy the location condition are extracted and displayed in the list 42.

[0048] The management device 20 determines whether or not the cursor is on the list 42 (S105). For example, the management device 20 determines whether or not the position of the mouse cursor (pointer) is located on the list 42. Note that, when a rectangular selection cursor is moved instead of the mouse cursor, the management device 20 determines whether or not the rectangular selection cursor is on the list 42 (whether or not it is pointing to the list 42).

[0049] When the cursor is placed on the list 42, the first display control unit 23 of the management device 20 displays the area where the wireless device where the cursor is placed is located on the floor map 51 (S106). Specifically, the first display control unit 23 displays the range occupied by the area where the wireless device where the cursor is placed is located in a display mode different from other ranges. The display mode refers to the way in which an object is displayed, and specifically refers to the color, shape, whether or not the object is blinking, whether or not additional display is displayed, etc. In this embodiment, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 3, the range occupied by the area where the wireless device where the cursor is placed is located is displayed on the floor map 51 using a range image 52. This allows the user to easily understand the area where the wireless device where the cursor is placed is located.

[0050] Next, the management device 20 determines whether the display button 43 has been operated (S107). As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 3, the display button 43 is a button provided individually for each wireless device in the list 42. If the management device 20 determines that the display button 43 has been operated, it determines that the abnormal wireless device corresponding to the display button 43 has been selected. Then, the third display control unit 25 of the management device 20 displays an enlarged map 53 of the area in which the selected abnormal wireless device is located, and displays an icon 54 of the wireless device on the enlarged map 53 (S108, third display step).

[0051] In this embodiment, the icons 54 are not displayed on the floor map 51. If the icons 54 were displayed on the floor map 51, the icons 54 would be arranged densely, reducing the visibility of the floor map 51. However, the icons 54 may be displayed on the floor map 51.

[0052] The bottom diagram in FIG. 3 is an example of a screen displaying an enlarged map 53 and an icon 54. The enlarged map 53 is displayed on top of the floor map 51 so as to overlap the floor map 51. The display mode of the floor map 51 is changed by, for example, graying it out so that it does not stand out, thereby emphasizing the enlarged map 53. Note that the process of changing the display mode of the floor map 51 may be omitted. The display mode of the icon 54 differs depending on the status of the wireless device. Specifically, the display mode of the icon 54 of a wireless device in a normal communication state, the icon 54 of a wireless device communicating with radio wave strength below a threshold, and the icon 54 of a wireless device not communicating wirelessly differs. In the example in FIG. 3, the icon 54 of a normal wireless device is displayed as a circle, the icon 54 of a wireless device communicating with radio wave strength below a threshold is displayed as a triangle, and the icon 54 of a wireless device not communicating wirelessly is displayed as a cross.

[0053] In this embodiment, the wireless device icon 54 has three patterns, but it may have two patterns (normal and abnormal), or four or more patterns. Also, in this embodiment, the shape of the icon 54 is made different, but instead, the display mode may be made different by making the color of the icon 54 different, by making the icon blink, or by making an additional display different.

[0054] As described above, the method of displaying wireless device icons 54 on the floor map 51 makes it difficult for the user to know which wireless device has experienced an abnormality. In contrast, by displaying icons 54 of normal and abnormal wireless devices on the enlarged map 53, the user can easily know which wireless device has experienced an abnormality.

[0055] In this embodiment, the management device 20 displays the enlarged map 53 when the display button 43 is operated, but the method of selecting a wireless device may be different. For example, the management device 20 may display the enlarged map 53 when the cursor is moved on the list 42. Alternatively, the management device 20 may display the enlarged map 53 when a predetermined operation is performed on a row or range image 52 of the list 42.

[0056] The management device 20 may also have a function of specifying an area and displaying the enlarged map 53. For example, the display of the corresponding enlarged map 53 may be triggered by performing a predetermined operation on the floor map 51 or inputting area information into a predetermined box.

[0057] The floor map 51 and enlarged map 53 shown in Fig. 3 are plan views of a factory or the like seen from above. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 4, the floor map 51 and enlarged map 53 may be side views of a factory or the like seen from the side.

[0058] Next, a process for displaying the communication status map on the display unit 21 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0059] Generally, when wireless communication is performed, a master device and a slave device are set up. The master device communicates with multiple slave devices. In principle, the slave devices communicate with one predetermined master device. In other words, a communication group is formed with one master device and multiple slave devices. However, as described above, a large number of wireless devices are densely arranged in a factory, and it may be difficult for a user to easily grasp the communication group. In consideration of the above, in this embodiment, a communication group consisting of a master device and a slave device can be displayed in a related manner so that a user can easily grasp the communication group.

[0060] 5 to 7 are performed on the wireless access point device 4 and the wireless slave device 5. The wireless access point device 4 corresponds to the master device, and the wireless slave device 5 corresponds to the slave device. However, the processes shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 can also be performed on the proximity wireless receiver 2 and the proximity wireless transmitter 3. In this case, the proximity wireless receiver 2 corresponds to the master device, and the proximity wireless transmitter 3 corresponds to the slave device.

[0061] The management device 20 receives the radio wave conditions of the wireless devices from the investigation device 10 (S201) and estimates the radio wave strength of each wireless device (S202). The process of step S201 is the same as the process of step S101, and the process of step S202 is the same as the process of step S102.

[0062] Next, the fourth display control unit 26 of the management device 20 causes the display unit to display a communication status map (S203). The communication status map shows the communication status between the master unit and the slave unit, particularly the communication group of the master unit and the slave unit. The communication status map displays a master unit icon 55 and a slave unit icon 56 on a floor map 51. The fourth display control unit 26 displays the communication status map based on information previously stored in storage.

[0063] The display unit 21 also displays a wireless device list 45. The wireless device list 45 displays the parent devices and child devices displayed on the communication status map together with related information. In the example shown in the upper diagram of Fig. 6, the IDs and MAC addresses are displayed as related information.

[0064] Next, the management device 20 determines whether a master device (first wireless device) has been selected (S204). In this embodiment, the master device is selected by pointing the cursor at the master device icon 55 as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 6. However, the method for selecting a master device is not limited to this. For example, the master device may be selected by performing a predetermined operation on the wireless device list 45.

[0065] When the management device 20 determines that a master unit has been selected, it flashes the master unit icon 55 of the selected master unit and the slave unit icons 56 of all slave units currently communicating with the master unit (S205), as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 6. This allows the user to easily understand the communication group of the master unit and the slave units. Note that flashing the icon is just one example, and the display mode of the icon may be changed by other methods. There may be one or more slave units currently communicating with the master unit.

[0066] The management device 20 identifies a slave device that is communicating with a master device based on the identification information and network name contained in the radio waves transmitted by the master device or the slave device. The management device 20 may also acquire information about a slave device that is communicating with the master device via wired communication between the management device 20 and the master device.

[0067] In parallel with the processing of step S205, the management device 20 displays information about the selected parent device and information about all child devices communicating with this parent device on the display unit 21 (S206). Specifically, the management device 20 displays a related information pop-up 57 near the selected parent device icon 55. The related information pop-up 57 displays the ID and MAC address of the selected parent device and the IDs and MAC addresses of all child devices communicating with this parent device.

[0068] The related information pop-up 57 may be displayed in a different position (for example, an empty area at the edge) rather than near the parent device icon 55. The information displayed in the related information pop-up 57 is just an example, and only the ID or only the MAC address may be displayed. Other information such as the network name may also be displayed in the related information pop-up 57. Information about the parent device may be displayed near the parent device icon 55, and information about the child device may be displayed near the corresponding child device icon 56.

[0069] Next, the management device 20 performs the processes of steps S207 to S209. The processes of steps S207 to S209 are the same as the processes of steps S204 to S206, except that the selected device is changed from a parent device to a child device. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the processes of steps S204 to S206. Note that the description of variations and the like related to the processes of steps S204 to S206 can also be applied to the processes of steps S207 to S209.

[0070] The management device 20 determines whether a slave device (first wireless device) has been selected (S207). If the management device 20 determines that a slave device has been selected, it blinks the slave device icon 56 of the selected slave device and the master device icon 55 of the master device currently communicating with the slave device, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 7 (S208). This allows the user to easily understand the communication group of the master device and the slave device. There is one master device currently communicating with the slave device.

[0071] In parallel with the processing of step S208, the management device 20 causes the display unit 21 to display information about the selected slave device and information about the master device communicating with this slave device (S209). Specifically, the management device 20 displays a related information pop-up 57 near the selected slave device icon 56. The related information pop-up 57 displays the ID and MAC address of the selected slave device and the ID and MAC address of the master device communicating with this slave device.

[0072] The management device 20 repeats the above process each time the selection target is changed. This allows the user to easily understand the communication group of the master unit and the slave unit, starting from the master unit or the slave unit. Furthermore, for example, if the light of a nearby slave unit does not blink when the master unit is selected, or if the light of the master unit does not blink when a slave unit is selected, the user can know that a communication abnormality may be occurring.

[0073] As described above, the management device 20 of this embodiment includes the first display control unit 23, the second display control unit 24, and the third display control unit 25. The first display control unit 23 causes the display unit 21 to display a floor map 51 of a floor on which multiple wireless devices (proximity wireless receivers 2, proximity wireless transmitters 3, wireless access point devices 4, and wireless slave devices 5) are located. The second display control unit 24 causes the display unit 21 to display a list 42 of wireless devices in which an abnormality has occurred. When a wireless device is selected from the list 42, the third display control unit 25 causes the display unit 21 to display an enlarged map 53 that enlarges the area in which the selected wireless device is located, and displays icons 54 indicating the positions of the wireless devices on the enlarged map 53, and causes the icons 54 corresponding to wireless devices in which an abnormality has occurred and icons 54 corresponding to wireless devices in which an abnormality has not occurred to be displayed in different display modes.

[0074] Thus, by using the list 42 of wireless devices in which an abnormality has occurred, the user can easily instruct the display of an enlarged map 53 of the area in which the wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred is located. Then, an icon 54 of the wireless device is displayed on the enlarged map 53, so the user can easily grasp the location of the wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred.

[0075] In the management device 20 of this embodiment, the third display control unit 25 displays differently the icons 54 of wireless devices that are performing wireless communication at radio wave strength above a threshold, the icons 54 of wireless devices that are performing wireless communication at radio wave strength below the threshold, and the icons 54 of wireless devices that are not performing wireless communication.

[0076] This allows the user to easily grasp the location of the wireless device where an abnormality in radio wave strength has occurred. In particular, by providing at least three levels of wireless device icon 54, the user can easily grasp the degree of the abnormality in radio wave strength.

[0077] In the management device 20 of this embodiment, the first display control unit 23 causes the floor map 51 to display the range of the area in which the wireless devices listed in the list 42 are located on the floor map 51.

[0078] This allows the area in which the selected wireless device is located to be known at a glance.

[0079] In the management device 20 of this embodiment, the third display control unit 25 does not display the icon 54 of the wireless device on the floor map 51, but displays the icon 54 of the wireless device on the enlarged map 53 when a wireless device is selected from the list 42.

[0080] This prevents the floor map 51 from becoming complicated.

[0081] The management device 20 of this embodiment includes a fourth display control unit 26 that causes the display unit 21 to display a communication status map that indicates the communication status between the wireless devices. The communication status map includes a floor map 51, a parent device icon 55, and a child device icon 56. The wireless devices include a first wireless device (parent device or child device). When an icon corresponding to the first wireless device is selected, the fourth display control unit 26 changes the display mode of the icon 54 of the wireless device that is wirelessly communicating with the first wireless device.

[0082] This makes it easy to understand the communication status between wireless devices.

[0083] In the management device 20 of this embodiment, the wireless devices include a master device (a proximity wireless receiver 2 or a wireless access point device 4) and a slave device (a proximity wireless transmitter 3 or a wireless slave device 5). When a master device icon 55 corresponding to a master device is selected, the fourth display control unit 26 changes the display mode of the slave device icons 56 of one or more slave devices that are communicating wirelessly with the master device. When a slave device icon 56 corresponding to a slave device is selected, the fourth display control unit 26 changes the display mode of the master device icon 55 of a single master device that is communicating wirelessly with the slave device.

[0084] This makes it easy to grasp the communication status between the parent device and the child device.

[0085] The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the above configuration can be modified, for example, as follows.

[0086] A part of the processing performed by the management device 20 in the above embodiment may be performed by the investigation device 10 or another device.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the enlarged map 53 is displayed superimposed on the floor map 51, but the floor map 51 may be hidden and the enlarged map 53 may be displayed.

[0088] The flowcharts shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and some processes may be omitted, some processes may be changed, or new processes may be added. For example, in the flowchart of Fig. 2, the processes (S105, S106) for displaying the area in which the wireless device is located when the cursor is moved over the list may be omitted. Also, in the flowchart of Fig. 5, the processes (S206, S209) for displaying the related information popup 57 may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1. Wireless equipment monitoring system 2. Proximity wireless receiver (wireless device, parent unit) 3. Proximity wireless transmitters (wireless devices, slave units) 4. Wireless access point device (wireless device, parent device) 5 Wireless adapter (wireless device, adapter) 10. Research equipment 20 Management device 21 Display section 22 Control section 23 First display control unit 24 Second display control unit 25 Third display control unit 26 Fourth display control unit

Claims

1. a first display control unit that causes a display unit to display a floor map of a floor on which a plurality of wireless devices are arranged; a second display control unit that causes the display unit to display a list of wireless devices in which an abnormality has occurred; a third display control unit that, when the wireless device is selected from the list, causes the display unit to display an enlarged map of an area in which the selected wireless device is located, and causes the display unit to display icons indicating the positions of the wireless devices on the enlarged map, and causes the icon corresponding to the wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred and the icon corresponding to the wireless device in which an abnormality has not occurred to be displayed in different display modes; Equipped with The wireless device monitoring device is characterized in that the third display control unit does not display the icon of the wireless device on the floor map, and when the wireless device is selected from the list, displays the icon of the wireless device on the enlarged map.

2. The wireless device monitoring device according to claim 1, The wireless device monitoring device is characterized in that the third display control unit changes the display mode of the icon of the wireless device that is conducting wireless communication with a radio wave strength above a threshold, the icon of the wireless device that is conducting wireless communication with a radio wave strength below the threshold, and the icon of the wireless device that is not conducting wireless communication.

3. The wireless device monitoring device according to claim 1 or 2, The wireless equipment monitoring device is characterized in that the first display control unit displays on the floor map the area in which the wireless equipment listed in the list is located, occupying an area on the floor map.

4. The wireless device monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a fourth display control unit that causes the display unit to display a communication status map that indicates a communication status between the wireless devices; the communication status map includes the floor map and the icon of the wireless device; the wireless device includes a first wireless device; A wireless device monitoring device characterized in that when the icon corresponding to the first wireless device is selected, the fourth display control unit changes the display mode of the icon of the wireless device that is communicating wirelessly with the first wireless device.

5. The wireless device monitoring device according to claim 4, The wireless device includes a master device and a slave device, When the icon corresponding to the parent device is selected, the fourth display control unit changes a display mode of the icon of one or more child devices that are wirelessly communicating with the parent device, A wireless equipment monitoring device characterized in that when the icon corresponding to the child device is selected, the fourth display control unit changes the display mode of the icon of the single parent device that is wirelessly communicating with the child device.

6. a first display step of displaying, on a display unit, a floor map of a floor on which a plurality of wireless devices are arranged; a second display step of displaying a list of wireless devices in which an abnormality has occurred on the display unit; a third display step of, when the wireless device is selected from the list, displaying on the display unit an enlarged map in which an area in which the selected wireless device is located is enlarged, displaying icons indicating the positions of the wireless devices on the enlarged map, and displaying the icon corresponding to the wireless device in which an abnormality has occurred and the icon corresponding to the wireless device in which an abnormality has not occurred in different display modes; Including, A wireless device monitoring method characterized in that in the third display step, the icon of the wireless device is not displayed on the floor map, and when the wireless device is selected from the list, the icon of the wireless device is displayed on the enlarged map.

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