COMMUNICATION DEVICE, COMMUNICATION DEVICE CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM

Abstract

To improve user convenience in radio communication standards that require registration processing between devices.SOLUTION: In setting initialization processing of a communication master device, it is determined whether a communication slave device has been registered. When the communication slave device has been registered, a user is notified of the fact that the communication slave device has been registered, and guided to registration cancellation processing of the communication slave device. When there is an instruction of cancelling the registration of the communication slave device by a user's operation, registration information of the communication slave device in the communication master device is deleted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] There are various standards for wireless communication devices that communicate using radio waves, such as the so-called wireless LAN or Wi-Fi defined by IEEE802.11a / b / g / n, and Bluetooth (registered trademark), which is widely used in headphones, keyboards, etc. In addition to these, there are other standards such as Zigbee (registered trademark) and Z-Wave, each with its own characteristics in terms of frequency, reach, power consumption, transfer speed, price, etc. Non-Patent Document 1 discloses information on various communication standards.

[0003] In order for devices to communicate with each other according to these communication standards, they must be registered with each other, and once registration is completed between the parent and child devices, communication between the parent and child devices becomes possible. For example, in a home automation system, the parent device is a central control device and the child devices are composed of motion sensors, infrared sensors, etc., and the central control device can monitor the status of various sensors according to the communication standards. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] DSjp, "11 Internet of Things (IoT) Protocols You Should Know," [online], February 20, 2017, [Retrieved June 16, 2021], Internet<URL:https: / / www.rs-online.com / designspark / 11internet-of-things-iot-1> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a configuration like the home automation system mentioned above, the parent device can erase various product settings and return them to their initial state (initialization). The purpose of the initialization process is to return the product to its initial state, erasing almost all settings. This process erases wireless communication registration information on the parent device, while retaining the registration information on the child devices. In communication standards like Z-Wave, for security reasons, a parent device can register multiple child devices, but a child device can only register one parent device. A new registration process is not possible until the parent device is unregistered. Therefore, with this communication standard, even if a child device attempts to re-register with a parent device after initialization or with another parent device, it is already registered and cannot be performed. To resolve this state, the child device must also be initialized. However, for devices without a control panel, the initialization process can be difficult to understand, potentially causing inconvenience to the user. Furthermore, if the child device is not notified of the initialization, it cannot determine that the parent device's registration information has been deleted, leaving the child device confused as to why it can no longer communicate.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to improve user convenience when performing initialization processing in a wireless communication standard that requires registration processing between devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A communication device according to the present invention is a communication device that performs wireless communication by forming a wireless communication system with an external communication device by registering each other as communicable devices, and includes: a determination means that, in response to receiving an instruction for initialization, determines whether or not there is an external communication device registered in the wireless communication system; and, when the determination means determines that there is a registered external communication device, a notification means that issues a notification to cancel the registration of the registered external communication device before performing the initialization. a canceling means for canceling the registration of the registered external communication device in response to receiving an instruction based on the notification by the notifying means; and an initializing means for performing initialization after the registration is cancelled by the canceling means. With The initialization means does not perform initialization processing if the registration of the registered external communication device has not been cancelled by the cancellation means.It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve user convenience in a wireless communication standard that requires devices to perform registration processing with each other. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when registering a slave unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure when canceling a slave device registration according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure at the time of setting initialization according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on an external device during setting initialization. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on an external device during setting initialization. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that explains that deregistration is required separately. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the overall configuration of the system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. This system includes a communication base unit 100 and a communication extension unit 200. The communication base unit 100 is connected to an external device 301 via a network 302 by wire. The communication base unit 100 includes a CPU 101 , a memory 102 , a wireless communication unit 103 , and a wired communication unit 104 . The CPU 101 executes various processes by reading out programs stored in the memory 102. The memory 102 is configured by one or more memories such as a ROM, a RAM, and a hard disk. The wireless communication unit 103 is a control unit for communicating with the communication slave unit 200, which is an external communication device, using wireless communication. The wired communication unit 104 is a control unit for communicating with an external device 301 via a network 302 . The functions and processes of the communication base device 100, which will be described later, are realized by the CPU 101 reading out a program stored in the memory 102 and executing this program.

[0011] Next, the communication slave device 200 includes a wireless communication unit 201 , a CPU 202 , and a memory 203 . The wireless communication unit 201 is a control unit for communicating with the communication base unit 100, which is an external communication device, using wireless communication. The CPU 202 and the memory 203 are equivalent to the CPU 101 and the memory 102 . The external device 301 is a device used by an operator of the communication base unit 100 to operate the communication base unit 100 and to display information from the communication base unit 100. The external device 301 has an operation unit therein that accepts operations from the operator and a display unit that displays information to the operator. The network 302 is a communication medium between the communication base unit 100 and the external device 301 .

[0012] The external device 301, the network 302, and the wired communication unit 104 are used for inputting operations from the operator and notifying the operator of information, and are not essential to the system, so they may be omitted. Furthermore, the communication base unit 100 may be provided with an operation unit and a display unit.

[0013] Because the communication base unit 100 and the communication handset 200 use radio waves, they must perform registration processing between themselves. By performing registration processing with each other, a wireless communication system is formed, and they are able to communicate with each other wirelessly.

[0014] Here, the registration process between communication devices will be described. In the following description, these communication devices will be appropriately referred to as a parent device or a child device depending on their roles. This registration process has two main roles. One is to determine the connection between devices, allowing devices that are not physically connected to identify each other and communicate with each other. The other is to authenticate each other so that connected devices can communicate securely only with each other, preventing eavesdropping or spoofing by third parties. Depending on the communication standard, this may also involve pairing, which is an information exchange process for encrypting data as needed.

[0015] With Wi-Fi, the base station has a unique ID (SSID) and password, and when a client device attempts to connect to the base station, it attempts to connect using that SSID and password. Communication between the base station and client device is only possible if authentication using the password is successful. Due to the characteristics of this authentication method, the base station does not usually manage the client devices and accepts communication from an unspecified number of client devices, which can cause significant damage if the password is leaked. Also, when a client device registers with a new base station, it only needs to use the new base station's SSID and password.

[0016] With Bluetooth, the parent and child devices perform a specific action almost simultaneously (usually a long press of a button, etc.), during which they exchange encryption keys, enabling encrypted data communication. In some cases, the user may also need to enter a number (PIN code) or perform a confirmation action to verify the validity of the encryption key. Because both the parent and child devices require operation, it is possible to register only specific child devices, and when registering a child device to a new parent device, the same operation can be performed on the new parent device.

[0017] Other wireless communication standards also use similar methods for registration as Bluetooth (specific actions or entering a PIN code). On the other hand, in a communication standard such as Z-Wave, from the viewpoint of security, a slave device cannot register with a new master device unless it is first deregistered from the current master device. The communication between the communication master device 100 and the communication slave device 200 in this embodiment will be described as being based on a communication standard with such restrictions.

[0018] Next, the flow of the process of registering the communication slave device 200 in the communication base device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 2. This process starts when an operator in the external device 301 issues an instruction to start registering the communication slave device 200. First, in S501 , the CPU 101 of the communication base device 100 causes the wireless communication unit 103 to transition to a registration mode for accepting a registration request from the communication handset 200 . In S502, CPU 101 waits until a registration request is received from communication slave device 200 via wireless communication unit 103. The registration request is transmitted by CPU 202 to communication master device 100 via wireless communication unit 201 in response to an operator operating communication slave device 200. When CPU 101 determines that a registration request has been received, it advances the process to S503.

[0019] In S503, the CPU 101 exchanges information such as the capabilities and performance of the communication devices between the communication base unit 100 and the communication handset 200, registers the communication handset 200 as a handset, and ends the process. Specifically, for example, communication base device 100 registers the communication slave device 200 by linking the identification ID of communication base device 200 with information such as the capabilities and performance of communication base device 200 and storing the linked information in memory 102. Furthermore, communication slave device 200 links the identification ID of communication base device 100 with information such as the capabilities and performance of communication base device 100 and stores the linked information in memory 102. The information exchanged includes information such as the device identification ID, the sensor type such as a motion sensor or infrared sensor, and setting items such as the device operation interval, the device dead time, the remaining battery level, and the sleep time.

[0020] 3, a description will be given of the flow of processing for deregistering the communication slave device 200 in the communication master device 100. This processing is started when an operator of the external device 301 issues an instruction to start deregistration of the communication slave device 200. First, in S510 , the CPU 101 of the communication base device 100 causes the wireless communication unit 103 to transition to a deregistration mode for accepting a deregistration request from the communication handset 200 . In S511, CPU 101 waits until a deregistration request is received from communication slave device 200 via wireless communication unit 103. The deregistration request is transmitted by CPU 202 to communication master device 100 via wireless communication unit 201 in response to an operator operating communication slave device 200. When CPU 101 determines that a deregistration request has been received, it advances the process to S512. In S512, CPU 101 deletes communication slave device 200 from the registration as a slave device and ends the process. In this process, CPU 101 transmits a message to communication slave device 200 indicating that the registration is to be cancelled, and deletes information necessary for the registration from memory 102. When communication slave device 200 receives the message indicating that the registration is to be cancelled, CPU 202 deletes necessary information related to communication master device 100, such as the identification ID of communication master device 100, from memory 203.

[0021] Next, the flow of processing for initializing the settings of the communication base device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 4 and the screen display examples in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. This processing is processing in the communication base device 100 that, when a setting initialization instruction is received by the communication base device 100, checks the registration of the communication slave device 200 and, if necessary, cancels the registration of the communication slave device 200. This processing is started when an operator in the external device 301 issues an instruction to initialize the communication base device 100. First, in S701, CPU 101 of communication base device 100 determines whether or not communication slave device 200 is registered. If CPU 101 determines that communication slave device 200 is registered, it proceeds to S702. On the other hand, if CPU 101 determines that communication slave device 200 is not registered, it proceeds to S705.

[0022] In S702, CPU 101 transmits information to external device 301 to display the screen shown in Fig. 6, and presents to the operator that communication slave device 200 has been registered and options for the next process to be performed. In the example screen display shown in Fig. 6, options are presented: cancel the initialization of the settings, initialize the settings without deregistering communication slave device 200, and deregister the communication slave device 200 and initialize the settings. This allows the operator to know that communication slave device 200 has been registered, and also allows the operator to select an appropriate process.

[0023] In S703, CPU 101 receives an instruction for the next process from external device 301 and determines the content of the instruction. If CPU 101 determines that there has been an instruction to cancel the registration of communication slave device 200 and initialize the settings, it proceeds to S704. If CPU 101 determines that there has been an instruction to initialize the settings without canceling the registration of communication slave device 200, it proceeds to S707. If CPU 101 determines that there has been an instruction to cancel the initialization of the settings, it ends this flow. In S704, the CPU 101 executes the slave device registration cancellation process described above with reference to FIG. In S705, the CPU 101 transmits information to the external device 301 to display a screen such as that shown in Fig. 5, and presents the operator with options for the next process to be performed. In the example screen display of Fig. 5, options to cancel the initialization of the settings and to initialize the settings are presented.

[0024] In S706, the CPU 101 receives an instruction for the next process from the external device 301 and determines the instruction. If the CPU 101 determines that initialization has been instructed, the process proceeds to S707. On the other hand, if the CPU 101 determines that cancellation has been instructed, the process ends. In S707, the CPU 101 erases various setting information in the communication base device 100 and initializes the communication base device 100. Here, the various setting information refers to settings related to the communication base device 100 itself or the communication slave device 200 that the communication base device 100 has. For example, the setting information includes the date and time of the communication base device 100, network settings, the name and operating conditions of the communication slave device 200, and settings that are not related to this embodiment.

[0025] As described above, according to the present embodiment, when an instruction to initialize the communication base device 100 is received, the communication base device 200 is deregistered before initialization is performed. This eliminates the need for initialization in the base device, making it possible to smoothly re-register the communication base device and the base device, improving user convenience, particularly in wireless communication standards that require the base device and the base device to be deregistered before registration with a new base device. Note that, in step S703, if the CPU 101 determines that an instruction to initialize the settings without deregistering the communication base device 200 has been received, the CPU 101 proceeds to step S707. However, a confirmation screen may be presented before proceeding to step S707. For example, if the operator selects "Initialize" on the screen of FIG. 6, the CPU 101 transmits information to the external device 301 to display the screen of FIG. 7, thereby informing the operator that deregistration of the communication base device 200 is required. If the operator selects "Yes" on the screen of FIG. 7, the process may proceed to S707, and if the operator selects "Return," the process may return to the screen of FIG.

[0026] 6, although the user can select from three options, "Cancel," "Initialize," and "Deregister and then Initialize," it is also possible to select only two options, "Cancel" and "Deregister and then Initialize." In other words, if deregistration with communication slave device 200 has not been performed, initialization processing may not be possible. Alternatively, the deregistration and initialization of the communication extension device 200 may be automatically performed without presenting a confirmation screen such as that shown in Fig. 6. In this case, if the CPU 101 determines in step S701 that the communication extension device 200 is registered, the process proceeds to step S704.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a communication standard is assumed in which communication handset 200 cannot be registered to communicate with a different communication device unless the registration of communication base device 100 is cancelled, but the present invention may be applied to a communication standard in which a handset can register with multiple communication devices. By the processing procedure in Fig. 3, communication handset 200 can immediately recognize that it can no longer communicate with communication base device 100 because the registration information with communication base device 100 has been deleted. Therefore, even if initialization is performed on the base device, it can be immediately recognized on the handset side that re-registration is required, improving user convenience.

[0028] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 101 CPU, 103 Wireless Communication Department, 201 Wireless Communication Department, 202 CPU

Claims

1. A communication device that performs wireless communication by configuring a wireless communication system with an external communication device by registering each other as communicable devices, a determination means for determining whether or not an external communication device is registered in the wireless communication system in response to receiving an instruction to initialize the wireless communication system; a notification means for issuing a notification to cancel the registration of the registered external communication device before performing the initialization when the determination means determines that a registered external communication device exists; a canceling means for canceling the registration of the registered external communication device in response to receiving an instruction based on the notification by the notifying means; an initialization means for performing initialization after the registration is cancelled by the cancellation means; and The communication device is characterized in that the initialization means does not perform initialization processing when the registration of the registered external communication device has not been cancelled by the cancellation means.

2. 2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein the notification means issues a notification to prompt the user to select whether or not to cancel the registration of the registered external communication device before the initialization is performed.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, characterized in that, when an instruction not to cancel the registration of the registered external communication device is received, the notification means separately notifies that the registration of the external communication device needs to be canceled.

4. The communication device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the wireless communication system is a system based on a communication standard that does not allow the external communication device to register to communicate with a different communication device unless the external communication device deregisters the communication device.

5. A control method for a communication device that performs wireless communication by configuring a wireless communication system with an external communication device by registering each other as communicable devices, comprising: a determination step of determining whether or not there is an external communication device registered in the wireless communication system in response to receiving an instruction to initialize; a notification step of issuing a notification to cancel the registration of the registered external communication device before performing the initialization when it is determined in the determination step that a registered external communication device exists; a canceling step of canceling the registration of the registered external communication device in response to receiving an instruction based on the notification in the notifying step; an initialization step of performing initialization after canceling the registration in the cancellation step; and A control method for a communication device, characterized in that in the initialization step, if the registration of the registered external communication device has not been canceled in the cancellation step, initialization processing is not performed.

6. A program for controlling a communication device that configures a wireless communication system with an external communication device by registering each other as communicable devices and performs wireless communication, a determination step of determining whether or not there is an external communication device registered in the wireless communication system in response to receiving an instruction to initialize; a notification step of issuing a notification to cancel the registration of the registered external communication device before performing the initialization when it is determined in the determination step that a registered external communication device exists; a canceling step of canceling the registration of the registered external communication device in response to receiving an instruction based on the notification in the notifying step; an initialization step of performing initialization after canceling the registration in the cancellation step; on the computer, A program for preventing initialization processing in the initialization step if the registration of the registered external communication device has not been cancelled in the cancellation step.

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