Information processing system and electronic device

Abstract

To prevent a load from being biased to a specific electronic device from among a plurality of electronic devices communicating with a server, and to enable many electronic devices to operate for a long time.SOLUTION: An information processing system includes a server, and an electronic device that communicates with other electronic devices, determines whether the device is to operate as a representative device on the basis of information from the other electronic devices, and transmits detection information detected by the other electronic devices to the server when it is determined that the device is to operate as the representative device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system and an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, small devices equipped with communication functions have been known. These types of devices are required to reduce power consumption in order to enable long-term operation. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system including a parent terminal and a child terminal as terminal devices that transmit user status information to a management device. The system of Patent Document 1 reduces the power consumption of the child terminal by having the parent terminal transmit information of the child terminal to a server on behalf of the child terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-206112 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described in Patent Document 1, in a configuration in which a specific device communicates on behalf of other devices, the specific device consumes a large amount of power. Also, the specific device needs to be located in a position where it can communicate with the other devices. This poses a problem in that a specific device that can withstand high power consumption and maintain a position where it can communicate with the other devices is required. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure includes a server and an electronic device that communicates with other electronic devices, determines whether to operate as a representative device based on information from the other electronic devices, and, if it is determined that the other electronic devices will operate as the representative device, transmits detection information detected by the other electronic devices to the server; if it is determined that the electronic device will operate as the representative device, the electronic device transmits representative device information indicating that the other electronic devices will operate as the representative device to the other electronic devices; and, if the other electronic devices receive the representative device information, determines that the other electronic devices will not operate as the representative device. the electronic device compares first status information indicating a load state with second status information received from the other electronic devices and indicating the load states of the other electronic devices, and determines whether to operate as the representative device, the first status information including a first speed of the electronic device and the second status information including a second speed of the other electronic devices, the electronic device compares the first speed with the second speed and determines to operate as the representative device if a difference between the first status information and the second status information is within a predetermined range and the first speed is faster than the second speed; It is an information processing system.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a device including a first communication unit that communicates with another electronic device, a second communication unit that communicates with a server, In an electronic device comprising: a control for determining whether or not to operate as a representative device based on information from the other electronic devices, and transmitting detection information detected by the other electronic devices to the server when it is determined that the other electronic devices will operate as the representative device; Department When it is determined that the electronic device will operate as the representative device, the electronic device transmits representative device information indicating that the electronic device will operate as the representative device to the other electronic devices, and when the electronic device receives the representative device information from the other electronic devices, the electronic device determines that the electronic device will not operate as the representative device. the electronic device compares first status information indicating a load state with second status information received from the other electronic devices and indicating the load states of the other electronic devices, and determines whether to operate as the representative device, the first status information including a first speed of the electronic device and the second status information including a second speed of the other electronic devices, the electronic device compares the first speed with the second speed and determines to operate as the representative device if a difference between the first status information and the second status information is within a predetermined range and the first speed is faster than the second speed; It is an electronic device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of a device in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the operation of an information processing system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the information processing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a device according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] [1. First embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] [1-1. Information Processing System Configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system 100. As shown in FIG. The information processing system 100 includes a server 1 and multiple devices 2. Although four devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D are shown in FIG. 1, this is just an example, and there is no limit to the number of devices 2 included in the information processing system 100. When there is no need to distinguish between the devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D and other devices 2, they will be referred to as devices 2. In the present disclosure, the devices 2 are an example of electronic devices.

[0010] 1 shows the configuration of device 2A. Devices 2B, 2C, 2D, and other devices 2 can have a common configuration with device 2A. For this reason, the configuration of device 2A will be described in this embodiment.

[0011] The device 2 included in the information processing system 100 is a portable device. The device 2 is, for example, a device that can be attached to the human body, luggage, or other object, and includes a battery 27 as a power source, as described below. The shape of the device 2 is not limited. For example, the shape of the device 2 can be a disk shape or a flat plate shape, but other shapes are also possible. For example, the device 2 may be configured with a belt that fastens it to the human body or luggage, and specifically, the device 2 may be a wristwatch-type device. Furthermore, the devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D may have different shapes.

[0012] The device 2 includes a detection unit 25. The detection unit 25 is a device that performs detection, and in this embodiment, as an example, a configuration including a position detection unit 26 that detects the position of the device 2 will be described. There are no limitations on the objects that the detection unit 25 detects and the information that it detects. For example, the detection unit 25 may include a device that detects biological information such as a human heart rate, blood pressure, or blood oxygen concentration. The detection unit 25 may also include a motion sensor that detects acceleration and / or angular velocity, or may be an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) that integrates multiple sensors. The detection unit 25 may also be configured to include an environmental sensor for atmospheric pressure, altitude, humidity, temperature, or the like.

[0013] The device 2 transmits the detection result detected by the detection unit 25. The information processing system 100 includes a server 1 that can communicate with the device 2. The server 1 collects and stores the detection results detected by the device 2.

[0014] Devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D transmit information including the detection results of detector 25. Devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D all have the function of communicating with server 1 and transmitting information to server 1. Because device 2 is a portable device, communication between server 1 and device 2 may be relatively long-distance communication. Therefore, the power consumed by device 2 to communicate with server 1 is not small compared to the capacity of battery 27. Devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D also have the function of wirelessly communicating with each other. Near-field wireless communication technology can be used between devices 2 that are close to each other. Therefore, the power consumed by device 2 to communicate with nearby devices 2 is smaller than the power consumed by device 2 to communicate with server 1.

[0015] Therefore, the information processing system 100 designates one or more devices 2 included in the information processing system 100 as representative devices. Devices 2 that are not representative devices are provisionally called sub-devices. The sub-devices transmit detection results to the device 2 that is the representative device via short-range communication. The device 2 that is the representative device collectively transmits the detection results received from the sub-devices to the server 1. This makes it possible to reduce the number of devices 2 that communicate with the server 1, and by suppressing the power consumption of the devices 2, it becomes possible to extend the time that the devices 2 operate using the power of the battery 27. The representative device corresponds to an example of a representative device.

[0016] One example of how the information processing system 100 can be used is a sporting event. In a sporting event, each athlete wears a device 2, which detects their location information. In this case, the server 1 can collect information about the location of each athlete. Furthermore, each device 2 periodically transmits its location information to the server 1, allowing the server 1 to update the location of each athlete. In this configuration, if the power consumption of each device 2 can be reduced, the device 2 can be used in a sporting event that lasts for a long period of time.

[0017] The devices that make up the information processing system 100 will be described in detail below.

[0018] [1-2. Device configuration] 1 shows the detailed configuration of the device 2A. The configuration of the device 2A can be said to be the basic configuration of the device 2 in the information processing system 100. The device 2A includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a first communication unit 23, a second communication unit 24, a detection unit 25, and a battery 27.

[0019] Both the first communication unit 23 and the second communication unit 24 are wireless communication devices that perform wireless communication under the control of the control unit 21. The second communication unit 24 performs wireless communication over a longer distance than the first communication unit 23. In other words, the first communication unit 23 is a device that performs wireless communication over a shorter distance than the second communication unit 24, using a short-range communication technology.

[0020] The first communication unit 23 is a communication device equipped with an antenna and a modem (not shown), and performs data communication between multiple devices 2. The first communication unit 23 performs wireless communication conforming to the Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy standard, for example. The communication method performed by the first communication unit 23 may be UWB (Ultra Wide Band), Zigbee (registered trademark), or other PAN (Personal Area Network) technology. An example in which the device 2 performs communication using Bluetooth Mesh technology using the first communication unit 23 will be described below.

[0021] The second communication unit 24 is a communication device equipped with an antenna and a modem (not shown), and transmits and receives various data to and from the server 1. The second communication unit 24 performs, for example, LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) communication. The specific specifications of the LPWA communication are not limited. For example, the second communication unit 24 performs wireless communication in accordance with various standards such as NB-IoT, LTE-M, LTE Cat. NB1, Sigfox (registered trademark), LoRaWAN (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark) HaLow, Wi-SUN (registered trademark), ELTRES (registered trademark), and ZETA (registered trademark). Furthermore, the second communication unit 24 is not limited to LPWA communication, and may be configured to perform LTE (Long Term Evolution) communication or 5G cellular communication.

[0022] The detection unit 25 is a device that performs detection and outputs the detection result, and includes a sensor. The detection unit 25 of this embodiment includes a position detection unit 26. The position detection unit 26 is a device that measures the current position of the device 2A. Specifically, the position detection unit 26 is a device that receives radio waves emitted by artificial satellites and uses the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and the detection unit 25 outputs position information that indicates the result of positioning by the position detection unit 26.

[0023] As described above, the detection unit 25 may include a biological information sensor that detects biological information such as the heart rate, blood pressure, or blood oxygen concentration of the human body. The detection unit 25 may also include a motion sensor that detects acceleration and / or angular velocity. The motion sensor may be an IMU that integrates multiple sensors. The detection unit 25 may also include an environmental sensor for measuring air pressure, altitude, humidity, temperature, or the like.

[0024] Battery 27 supplies power to each component of device 2A through a power supply line (not shown). Battery 27 is a replaceable primary battery or a secondary battery. Device 2A may include a charging circuit or terminal (not shown) for charging battery 27. Device 2A may also include a wireless charging device for charging battery 27.

[0025] The control unit 21 is a computer having a processor including one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units), MPUs (Micro-Processing Units), etc. The control unit 21 controls each part of the device 2A by executing a program using the processor. The control unit 21 includes a non-volatile ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the program executed by the processor, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that forms a work area for the processor's processing. The control unit 21 may be configured as a semiconductor device that integrates the processor, ROM, and RAM. The processor of the control unit 21 may also be configured as programmed hardware.

[0026] The control unit 21 includes an information generation unit 211, a communication control unit 212, and a battery management unit 213. These are functional units realized by a combination of hardware and software, for example, when a processor executes a program. Alternatively, the control unit 21 may include hardware corresponding to these units.

[0027] The storage unit 22 is a non-volatile storage device configured by a semiconductor memory element or a magnetic storage device, and stores a device ID 221, a representative device ID 222, communication history information 223, and battery information 224.

[0028] The device ID 221 is identification information assigned to the device 2A. In this embodiment, each device 2 has a device ID 221 that allows it to be distinguished from other devices 2. For example, the device 2A stores a device ID 221A that is different from the device IDs 2B, 2C, and 2D in the storage unit 22. This allows the server 1 to identify each of the devices 2 included in the information processing system 100 by the device ID 221.

[0029] The representative device ID 222 is the device ID 221 of the device 2 that functions as the representative device. When the device 2A functions as the representative device, the representative device ID 222 stored in the device 2A is the same as the device ID 221A. Also, when the device 2B functions as the representative device, the representative device ID 222 stored in the device 2A is the device ID 221 of the device 2B.

[0030] The representative device ID 222 is the destination when device 2A transmits information to the representative device. Therefore, the representative device ID 222 stored in device 2A is the device ID 221 of the representative device located within the communication range of device 2A.

[0031] The communication history information 223 is information indicating a history of communication performed by the device 2A via the second communication unit 24. For example, the communication history information 223 includes one or more of the number of times communication has been performed via the second communication unit 24 and the cumulative value of the time during which communication has been performed via the second communication unit 24. The time during which communication has been performed via the second communication unit 24 may be the operating time of the second communication unit 24. The communication history information 223 is reset, for example, every time the power of the device 2A is turned off and on, when the battery 27 is replaced or charged, or due to other initialization processing.

[0032] The battery information 224 is information indicating the remaining amount of power of the battery 27. The battery information 224 is updated as the power of the battery 27 is consumed.

[0033] The information generation unit 211 generates information based on the operation of the device 2A. For example, the information generation unit 211 generates detection information of the device 2A based on the detection result output by the detection unit 25. The specific content of the detection information generated by the information generation unit 211 corresponds to the type of information output by the sensor included in the detection unit 25. In this embodiment, the detection unit 25 performs positioning, and therefore the detection information generated by the information generation unit 211 is position information.

[0034] Furthermore, the information generating unit 211 generates communication history information 223 and stores it in the storage unit 22, or updates the communication history information 223 stored in the storage unit 22, every time the second communication unit 24 executes communication.

[0035] Furthermore, the information generating unit 211 generates detection information S1 including detection information and state information. The detection information S1 will be described later. The state information is information indicating the load state of the device 2A. For example, the state information is information indicating the remaining amount of the battery 27, and is battery information 224. Also, for example, the state information is information regarding the operation history of the second communication unit 24, and is part or all of the communication history information 223. The state information may be information including all of these.

[0036] When device 2A operates as a representative device, communication control unit 212 controls second communication unit 24 to communicate with server 1 via second communication unit 24. For example, communication control unit 212 transmits information package S2, which will be described later, to server 1.

[0037] The communication control unit 212 controls the first communication unit 23 to execute communication with devices 2 other than the device 2A. For example, the communication control unit 212 transmits the detection information S1 to the device 2.

[0038] The battery management unit 213 detects the remaining charge of the battery 27 and generates battery information 224 indicating the remaining charge of the battery 27. The battery management unit 213 executes a process of storing the battery information 224 in the storage unit 22 or a process of updating the battery information 224 stored in the storage unit 22.

[0039] [1-3. Server Configuration] The server 1 includes a server control unit 11, a server storage unit 12, and a server communication unit 13.

[0040] The server control unit 11 is a computer having a processor including one or more CPUs, MPUs, etc. The server control unit 11 executes a program using the processor, and controls each part of the server 1 through cooperation between hardware and software.

[0041] The server control unit 11 includes a non-volatile ROM that stores programs executed by the processor, and a RAM that forms a work area for the processor's processing. The server control unit 11 may be configured as a semiconductor device that integrates the processor, ROM, and RAM. The processor of the server control unit 11 may also be configured as programmed hardware.

[0042] The server storage unit 12 is a non-volatile storage device configured by a semiconductor memory element or a magnetic storage device. The server storage unit 12 accumulates information received from the device 2. The server communication unit 13 is a communication device that performs data communication with the device 2. For example, the server communication unit 13, like the second communication unit 24, is a wireless communication device that performs wireless communication conforming to standards such as LPWA communication. The server communication unit 13 performs communication with the device 2 under the control of the server control unit 11.

[0043] In the information processing system 100, the server 1 and the device 2 may communicate directly via LPWA communication or the like. Alternatively, the server 1 and the device 2 may be connected to a communication network including various devices such as an access point, a base station, a router, and a gateway (not shown), and may perform data communication with each other via the communication network. In this case, the device 2 also connects to the server 1 by performing long-distance wireless communication using the second communication unit 24.

[0044] [1-4. Operation of information processing system] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the operation of the information processing system 100 in the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the information processing system 100 in the first embodiment. The operation of the information processing system 100 will be described with reference to these figures.

[0045] 2 and 3 show an example in which device 2A operates as a representative device, and devices 2B, 2C, and 2D connect to device 2A as subdevices. In the example of Fig. 2, device 2A can be called a parent device or a representative device, while devices 2B, 2C, and 2D can be called child devices.

[0046] The sequence diagram of FIG. 3 shows the operation of device 2B as an example of a sub-device, the operation of device 2A as a representative device, and the operation of server 1.

[0047] The device 2B executes position detection using the detection unit 25, and generates position information using the information generation unit 211 (step SA11).

[0048] Next, the device 2B generates state information (step SA12). As described above, the state information is communication history information 223 generated by information generation unit 211 or battery information 224 generated by battery management unit 213. Device 2B generates detection information S1 using information generation unit 211, and transmits detection information S1 to device 2A by communication control unit 212 controlling first communication unit 23 (step SA13).

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2, the detection information S1 includes a device ID S11, location information S12, and status information S13, which are associated with each other. The device ID S11 is a device ID 221 stored by the device 2B. The location information S12 indicates the location of the device 2B detected by the detection unit 25 of the device 2B. The status information S13 is information indicating the load state of the device 2B. For example, the status information S13 is information indicating the remaining charge of the battery 27 of the device 2B or the operation history of the second communication unit 24 of the device 2B. The destination to which the device 2B sends the detection information S1 is specified by a representative device ID 222 stored in the storage unit 22 of the device 2B. That is, in the example of FIG. 2, the device 2B stores the device ID 221 of the device 2A as the representative device ID 222. When device 2A is the representative device, the status information of device 2A corresponds to an example of first status information, and the status information S13 of device 2B included in the detection information S1 received by device 2A corresponds to an example of second status information.

[0050] 3, generate detection information S1, and transmit it to device 2A. The detection information S1 generated by device 2C includes device IDS11, location information S12, and status information S13 of device 2C. The detection information S1 generated by device 2D includes device IDS11, location information S12, and status information S13 of device 2D.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, device 2A, which is the representative device, receives detection information S1 transmitted by device 2B, which is the sub-device, via first communication unit 23 (step SB11), and extracts device ID S11 and location information S12 from the received detection information S1 via information generation unit 211 (step SB12).

[0052] Device 2A performs position detection using detector 25, and generates position information using information generator 211 (step SB13).

[0053] Device 2A generates information package S2 using information generation unit 211, and transmits information package S2 to server 1 by communication control unit 212 controlling second communication unit 24 (step SB14). In detail, device 2A generates information package S2 by integrating device ID S11 and location information S12 extracted in step SB12, and device ID 221 of device 2A and location information generated in step SB13.

[0054] 2, information package S2 is a single piece of data that combines information about device 2, which connects to device 2A as a sub-device, and information about device 2A. Device 2A transmits information package S2 to server 1. Here, information package S2 only needs to be a single piece of data, and, for example, when device 2A transmits information package S2 to server 1, it is of course permissible for the information package S2 to be divided and transmitted.

[0055] 2 includes device IDs S21, S22, S23, S24, and S25. Device ID S21 is the device ID 221 stored in device 2A, and device ID S22 is the device ID 221 stored in device 2B. Device ID S23 is the device ID 221 stored in device 2C, and device ID S24 is the device ID 221 stored in device 2D.

[0056] The information package S2 includes location information S31 associated with the device IDS21. The location information S31 indicates the location detected by the device 2A using the location detection unit 26. The information package S2 also includes location information S32 associated with the device IDS22, location information S33 associated with the device IDS23, and location information S34 associated with the device IDS24. The location information S32 indicates the location detected by the device 2B using the location detection unit 26, and the location information S33 indicates the location detected by the device 2C using the location detection unit 26. The location information S31 indicates the location detected by the device 2D using the location detection unit 26.

[0057] In this way, the information package S2 includes a combination of location information and device ID 221 for the device 2 that recognizes the device 2A as a representative device, and for the device 2A.

[0058] Returning to FIG. 3, the server 1 receives the information package S2 via the server communication unit 13 (step SC11) and extracts the device IDS21 to S24 and the location information S31 to S34 from the received information package S2 (step SC12). The server 1 stores the information extracted from the information package S2 in the server storage unit 12. The server storage unit 12 stores the device IDS21 and the location information S31 in association with each other. Similarly, the server storage unit 12 stores the location information S32 in association with the device IDS22, the location information S33 in association with the device IDS23, and the location information S34 in association with the device IDS24.

[0059] In this way, device 2A transmits information package S2 to server 1, allowing server 1 to obtain the location information of devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D. In this configuration, device 2A is the only device 2 that communicates with server 1 via LPWA communication, and devices 2B, 2C, and 2D do not need to perform LPWA communication. This reduces the power consumption of devices 2B, 2C, and 2D, and allows location information of devices 2B, 2C, and 2D to be transmitted to server 1.

[0060] 2, the information package S2 includes all of the device IDs S21 to S22 and location information S31 to S34 of the devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, but there is no limit to the number of pieces of information that the information package S2 can include.Furthermore, there is no limit to the number of pieces of detection information S1 that the device 2A receives.

[0061] Device 2A may receive detection information S1 in step SB11 each time any of devices 2B, 2C, and 2D transmits it, or may repeatedly execute steps SB11 and SB12 to SB13 at a preset cycle. For example, device 2A may execute step SB11 every time period T1 and execute steps SB12 to SB14 every time period T2, in which case period T2 is longer than period T1. The information package S2 generated by device 2A may include device IDs and location information of at least some of devices 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D. Period T2 corresponds to an example of a second period in the present disclosure.

[0062] 3 every predetermined period T3. Period T3 is shorter than period T2. Period T3 may be the same as period T1, or may be longer or shorter than period T1.

[0063] In the information processing system 100, the device 2 operating as the representative device is not fixed but can be changed. For example, a transition can occur from a state in which device 2A operates as the representative device to a state in which any of devices 2B, 2C, and 2D operates as the representative device.

[0064] As a method for changing the representative device, this embodiment discloses an example in which each device 2 determines whether to operate as a representative device or a sub-device. In this operation example, the device 2 uses status information indicating the load status of the device 2.

[0065] [1-5. Operation regarding change of representative device] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the device 2 in the first embodiment. The operation shown in Fig. 4 is performed by a device 2 operating as a representative device among devices 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, and other devices 2. Here, an example will be described in which device 2A performs the operation of Fig. 4. Period T4, which is the execution cycle of the operation of Fig. 4, is longer than the above-mentioned period T2. Period T4 corresponds to an example of the first period in this disclosure.

[0066] Steps ST11 to ST24 are executed by the control unit 21. The device 2A sets itself, i.e., the device 2A, as a sub-device (step ST11). The device 2A searches for a representative device located within a communicable range using the first communication unit 23 (step ST12). For example, the device 2A performs Bluetooth mesh network communication using the first communication unit 23, and searches for a representative device present within the Bluetooth mesh.

[0067] The device 2A determines whether or not a representative device has been found by the search in step ST12, that is, whether or not there is a representative device other than the device 2A (step ST13). For example, when the device 2A receives representative device information, which will be described later, the device 2A determines that there is a representative device.

[0068] If it is determined that a representative device exists (step ST13; YES), the device 2A acquires the device ID of the discovered representative device as the representative device ID (step ST14). That is, the device 2A performs the same operation as when it is determined that the device 2A will not operate as a representative device. The device 2A updates the representative device ID 222 stored in the device 2A with the device ID acquired in step ST14 (step ST15). Furthermore, the device 2A generates status information and transmits it to the representative device (step ST16). In step ST16, the device 2A may generate and transmit the detection information S1 described above. The operation of step ST16 may be the same as the operation of the device 2B shown in FIG. 3.

[0069] On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no representative device (step ST13; NO), the device 2A sets itself as a tentative representative device (step ST17). Device 2A transmits the representative device information via the first communication unit 23 (step ST18). The representative device information is information indicating that device 2A is the representative device, and the representative device information is transmitted to all devices 2 within the Bluetooth Mesh network to which the first communication unit 23 belongs. This notifies devices 2 other than device 2A that device 2A is the representative device. The representative device information corresponds to an example of representative equipment information in the present disclosure.

[0070] The device 2A waits to receive status information from the device 2, which is a sub-device (step ST19). Here, the device 2A waits for status information transmitted by a device 2 other than the device 2A, for example, in step ST16 or by an operation similar to that of the device 2B in FIG.

[0071] In step ST19, the device 2A attempts to receive detection information S1 including status information or status information during a preset waiting period. The device 2A determines whether or not status information has been received during the waiting period (step ST20). In step ST20, if the device 2A receives status information from a number of devices 2 equal to or greater than a preset threshold N during the waiting period, the device 2A makes a positive determination (step ST20; YES). The threshold N may be 1 or a number equal to or greater than 1. Furthermore, if the device 2A receives status information only from devices 2 whose number is less than the threshold N during the waiting period, the device 2A makes a negative determination (step ST20; NO).

[0072] If a negative determination is made in step ST20 (step ST20; NO), the device 2A returns to step ST11. If the determination in step ST20 is affirmative (step ST20; YES), the device 2A compares the state information received in step ST19 (step ST21). Based on the comparison result in step ST21, the device 2A determines whether or not the device 2A operates as the representative device (step ST22).

[0073] Steps ST21 and ST22 will now be described in detail. The device 2A compares the status information received from the other devices 2 with the status information of the device 2A, and selects the device 2 with the lightest load as the representative device. The status information is, for example, the communication history information 223. In detail, the communication history information 223 indicates the number of communications by the second communication unit 24 and the communication time of the second communication unit 24. The status information is also the remaining power of the battery 27 indicated by the battery information 224.

[0074] For example, if the remaining charge of the battery 27 is used as the state information, in steps ST21 and ST22, the device 2A designates the device 2 with the largest remaining charge of the battery 27 as the representative device. If the device 2 with the largest remaining charge of the battery 27 is the device 2A, the device 2A determines that the device 2A will operate as the representative device (step ST22; YES). Furthermore, if the device 2 with the largest remaining charge of the battery 27 is not the device 2A, the device 2A determines that the device 2A will not operate as the representative device (step ST22; NO). In this example, it is possible to prevent a device 2 with a low remaining charge of the battery 27 from communicating via the second communication unit 24. Therefore, it is possible to prevent uneven distribution of the remaining charges of the batteries 27 of the devices 2 constituting the Bluetooth Mesh network, and to realize a state in which a large number of devices 2 can operate for a long time.

[0075] Furthermore, for example, when the number of communications by the second communication unit 24 is used as the state information, in steps ST21 and ST22, the device 2A designates the device 2 with the least number of communications by the second communication unit 24 as the representative device. If the device 2A is the device 2 with the least number of communications by the second communication unit 24, the device 2A determines that the device 2A operates as the representative device (step ST22; YES). If the device 2 with the least number of communications by the second communication unit 24 is not the device 2A, the device 2A determines that the device 2A does not operate as the representative device (step ST22; NO). The power consumed by the second communication unit 24 in performing communications accounts for a large proportion of the power consumption of the device 2. Therefore, the number of communications by the second communication unit 24 can be used as a guide for the power consumed by the device 2. Therefore, in this example, the device 2 with high power consumption can be prevented from communicating via the second communication unit 24. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the remaining power levels of the batteries 27 of the devices 2 that make up the Bluetooth Mesh network from varying unevenly, and to realize a state in which a large number of devices 2 can operate for a long period of time.

[0076] Furthermore, for example, when the communication time of the second communication unit 24 is used as the state information, in steps ST21 and ST22, the device 2A designates the device 2 with the shortest cumulative value of the communication time of the second communication unit 24 as the representative device. If the device 2A is the device 2 with the shortest cumulative value of the communication time of the second communication unit 24, the device 2A determines that the device 2A will operate as the representative device (step ST22; YES). If the device 2 with the shortest cumulative value of the communication time of the second communication unit 24 is not the device 2A, the device 2A determines that the device 2A will not operate as the representative device (step ST22; NO). The power consumed by the second communication unit 24 in performing communication accounts for a large proportion of the power consumption of the device 2. Therefore, the cumulative value of the communication time of the second communication unit 24 can be used as a guide for the power consumed by the device 2. Therefore, in this example, it is possible to avoid a device 2 with high power consumption from communicating via the second communication unit 24. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the remaining power levels of the batteries 27 of the devices 2 that make up the Bluetooth Mesh network from varying unevenly, and to realize a state in which a large number of devices 2 can operate for a long period of time.

[0077] If the device 2A determines that the device 2A does not operate as a representative device (step ST22; NO), the process returns to step ST11. If the device 2A determines that the device 2A operates as a representative device (step ST22; YES), the device 2A transmits representative device information via the first communication unit 23 (step ST23), as in step ST18. The device 2A updates the representative device ID 222 stored in the device 2A with the device ID 221 of the device 2A (step ST24), and ends this process.

[0078] In the information processing system 100, each of the devices 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, and other devices 2 executes the operation of Fig. 4 to determine whether or not to operate as a representative device. As a result, among the multiple devices 2 that mutually configure a Bluetooth Mesh network, the device 2 with the lightest load becomes the representative device.

[0079] The determinations in steps ST21 and ST22 are merely examples. For example, the device 2A may determine whether to operate as a representative device by identifying a device 2 with a light load by combining two or more of the remaining amount of battery 27, the number of communications by the second communication unit 24, and the cumulative value of the communication time of the second communication unit 24. The same applies to devices 2 other than device 2A.

[0080] [1-6. Effects, etc.] As described above, the information processing system 100 of the present disclosure includes a server 1 and a device 2 that communicates with other devices 2, determines whether to operate as a representative device based on information from the other devices 2, and, if it determines that the other devices 2 will operate as a representative device, transmits detection information detected by the other devices 2 to the server 1. As a result, one of the multiple devices 2 that can communicate with the server 1 functions as a representative device, and the representative device transmits the detection information transmitted by the other devices 2 to the server 1. This makes it possible to reduce the overall power consumption of the multiple devices 2. Then, by determining whether a device 2 operates as a representative device, an appropriate representative device is determined from among the multiple devices 2. This prevents the load from being concentrated on a specific device 2, and makes it possible to achieve a state in which many devices 2 can operate for long periods of time.

[0081] The device 2 included in the information processing system 100 includes a first communication unit 23 that communicates with other devices 2, a second communication unit 24 that communicates with the server 1, and a control unit 21 that determines whether or not to operate as a representative device based on information from the other devices 2, and if it determines that the other devices 2 will operate as a representative device, transmits detection information detected by the other devices 2 to the server 1. As a result, in an information processing system 100 including a plurality of devices 2, one of the plurality of devices 2 that can communicate with the server 1 functions as a representative device, and the representative device transmits detection information transmitted by the other devices 2 to the server 1. This makes it possible to reduce the overall power consumption of the plurality of devices 2. Then, by determining whether a device 2 operates as a representative device, an appropriate representative device is determined from among the plurality of devices 2. This prevents the load from being concentrated on a particular device 2, and makes it possible to realize a state in which many devices 2 can operate for long periods of time.

[0082] In the first embodiment, when a device 2 determines that it will operate as a representative device, it transmits representative device information indicating that it will operate as a representative device to the other devices 2. When the other devices 2 receive the representative device information, they determine that they will not operate as representative devices. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when device 2A receives the representative device information and determines that there is a representative device different from device 2A, it operates as a sub-device. This prevents multiple devices 2 located within a range where they can communicate with each other via the first communication unit 23 from operating as representative devices, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the multiple devices 2. This prevents the load from being concentrated on a specific device 2, allowing many devices 2 to operate for long periods of time.

[0083] The control unit 21 of the device 2 compares the first status information indicating the load state with the second status information received from the other device 2 indicating the load state of the other device 2, and determines whether the device 2 will operate as a representative device. As a result, one of the devices 2 determines for itself whether to act as the representative device based on the load conditions of the multiple devices 2. As a result, the representative device is selected based on the load conditions of the devices 2. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the load from being concentrated on a specific device 2.

[0084] Device 2 receives the detection information and the device ID of the other device 2. As a result, the detection information including the detection result of the detection unit 25 is received by the other device 2 in association with the device ID 221 of the device 2. Therefore, the device 2 can collect the detection information of the other device 2 in a manner that can be distinguished by the device ID 221.

[0085] Device 2 receives the location information and device ID of other device 2. As a result, the device 2 receives the location information of the other device 2 in association with the device ID 221 of the other device 2. Therefore, the device 2 can collect the location information of the other device 2 in a manner that allows the device 2 to be distinguished by the device ID 221.

[0086] The device 2 periodically determines whether to operate as a representative device every first period, and if it determines that the device 2 operates as a representative device, it periodically performs an operation of transmitting detection information to the server 1 every second period that is shorter than the first period. As a result, the cycle of processing in which the representative device may be changed becomes longer than the cycle of processing in which the representative device transmits the information package S2, which makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the operation of transmitting the information package S2 to the server 1 is delayed due to a change in the representative device, and makes it possible to more reliably transmit the information package S2 to the server 1.

[0087] For example, the period T4, which is the cycle for executing the process in Figure 4, can be set to 10 minutes, and the period T2, which is the cycle for the representative device to transmit the information package S2, can be set to 30 seconds. In this case, after the representative device is selected, the representative device will not be changed for 10 minutes. This prevents frequent changes in the representative device, and ensures stable transmission of the information package S2 from the representative device to the server 1.

[0088] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the device 2 operating as a representative device executes the operation of FIG. 4 . However, the device 2 operating as a sub-device may also execute the operation. Specifically, the device 2 operating as a sub-device executes the operation of FIG. 4 when it becomes unable to communicate with the representative device. For example, while operating as a sub-device, the device 2 executes the operation of FIG. 4 when it becomes unable to detect the representative device in Bluetooth Mesh. As a result, if the device 2 loses communication with the representative device due to an increase in the distance between the representative device and the sub-device or other communication failure, the device 2 can quickly find a new representative device or operate as the representative device. This allows the server 1 to more reliably collect detection information about each device 2 in the information processing system 100.

[0089] [2. Second Embodiment] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the operation of the information processing system 100 in the second embodiment. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the information processing system 100 in the second embodiment. In Fig. 5, components common to the information processing system 100 described in the first embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0090] In the second embodiment, the information processing system 100 regards the location information collected by the server 1 as the location information of the device 2 operating as the representative device. That is, the information processing system 100 performs processing to regard the location information of the device 2 operating as the representative device as the location information of the device 2 of the sub-device.

[0091] In the example of Figure 5, devices 2B, 2C, and 2D operate as sub-devices. Devices 2B, 2C, and 2D transmit detection information S3 to device 2A, which is the representative device. Unlike detection information S1 in the first embodiment, detection information S3 does not include location information S12. In other words, detection information S3 includes device ID S11 and status information S13.

[0092] 6, device 2B generates state information (step SA21) without performing an operation corresponding to step SA11 (FIG. 3). The operation of step SA21 is the same as that of step SA12. Device 2B generates detection information S3 using information generation unit 211 and transmits detection information S3 to device 2A using first communication unit 23 (step SA22).

[0093] 6, generate detection information S3, and transmit it to device 2A. The detection information S3 generated by device 2C includes the device IDS11 and status information S13 of device 2C, and the detection information S3 generated by device 2D includes the device IDS11 and status information S13 of device 2D.

[0094] Device 2A receives detection information S3 from devices 2B, 2C, and 2D (step SB21) and extracts device ID DS11 from detection information S3 (step SB22). Furthermore, device 2A detects the location of device 2A using detection unit 25 included in device 2A (step SB23).

[0095] Here, device 2A generates an information package S2 including the location information detected in step SB23 and the device IDS11 extracted in step SB22 (step SB24). The information package S4 generated in step SB24 includes device IDS21 to S24 of device 2A and sub-devices 2B, 2C, and 2D, as shown in Fig. 5, and also includes location information S31 of device 2A. In other words, the location information of devices 2B, 2C, and 2D is not included in information package S4.

[0096] The server 1 receives the information package S4 sent by the device 2A (step SC21) and extracts the device IDs S21 to S24 from the received information package S4 (step SC22). Furthermore, the server 1 extracts the location information S31 from the information package S4 (step SC23).

[0097] The server 1 stores the location information S31 extracted in step SC23 in the server storage unit 12 in association with each of the device IDs S21 to S24 extracted in step SC22 (step SC24).

[0098] As a result, the location information S31 is stored in the server storage unit 12 in association with the device IDS21. The location information S31 is also stored in the server storage unit 12 in association with each of the device IDS22, S23, and S24.

[0099] In the second embodiment, when device 2 is not operating as a representative device, it transmits detection information S3, which does not include location information but includes a device IDS11 and status information S13, to device 2A, which is the representative device. Device 2A operating as a representative device generates an information package S4 based on the location information of device 2A and the device IDS11 included in the detection information S3 transmitted by device 2 operating as a sub-device. In detail, device 2A generates an information package S4 that includes a device IDS21 of device 2A, device IDS22 to S24 of one or more devices 2 that transmitted the detection information S3, and location information S31 of device 2A. Device 2A transmits the information package S4 to server 1, and server 1 associates the location information S31 with each of device IDS21 to S24 based on the information package S4 and stores the information in the server storage unit 12.

[0100] Device 2A, which is the representative device, and device 2, which connects to device 2A as a sub-device via first communication unit 23, are located within a range where the first communication unit 23 can communicate with each other. Because first communication unit 23 performs short-range communication, the distance between device 2A and device 2 is short, and therefore the location of device 2A can be considered the location of other device 2. This reduces the number of location detection operations performed by device 2 operating as a sub-device and reduces the amount of data in detection information S3 transmitted by device 2. This further reduces the power consumption of device 2 operating as a sub-device. Furthermore, because the amount of data in information package S4 is smaller than in the configuration of the first embodiment, it is also possible to reduce the power consumption of device 2A functioning as a representative device.

[0101] 3. Third Embodiment In the third embodiment, a device 2 operating as a sub-device transmits speed information to a representative device in an information processing system 100. The speed information is calculated by an information generating unit 211 based on a change in position detected by a position detecting unit 26, for example.

[0102] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the device 2 in the third embodiment. The operation of FIG. 7 is executed by the device 2 operating as the representative device, in place of the operation of FIG. 4. Here, an example will be described in which the device 2A executes the operation of FIG. 7. The operation of FIG. 7 is executed every period T4, similar to the operation of FIG. 4. In the operation of FIG. 7, the same step numbers are assigned to processes common to FIG. 4, and explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0103] Steps ST11 to ST24 and ST31 to ST34 are executed by the control unit 21. If a representative device is found by the search in step ST12 (step ST13; YES), the device 2A acquires a representative device ID (step ST14) and updates the representative device ID 222 (step ST15). Thereafter, the device 2A generates status information and speed information and transmits them to the representative device (step ST31). In step ST31, the device 2A may transmit detection information S1 including a device ID S11, location information S12, status information S13, and speed information indicating the speed of the device 2.

[0104] On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no representative device (step ST13; NO), the device 2A executes the processes of steps ST17 to ST20. In step ST21, the device 2A compares the state information received in step ST19 (step ST21). Based on the comparison result in step ST21, the device 2A determines whether the difference in the state information is within a predetermined range (step ST31).

[0105] For example, when the remaining charge of the battery 27 is used as the status information, in step ST21 the device 2A compares the remaining charge of the battery 27 received from the other device 2 with the remaining charge of the battery 27 of the device 2A. As a result of the comparison in step ST21, the device 2A determines in step ST31 whether the difference in the remaining charge of the battery 27 is within a predetermined range. Furthermore, for example, when the number of communications by the second communication unit 24 is used as the state information, in step ST21 the device 2A compares the number of communications by the second communication unit 24 received from another device 2 with the number of communications by the second communication unit 24 of the device 2A. As a result of the comparison in step ST21, the device 2A determines in step ST31 whether or not the difference in the number of communications by the second communication unit 24 is within a predetermined range. Furthermore, for example, when the communication time of the second communication unit 24 is used as the state information, in step ST21 the device 2A compares the communication time of the second communication unit 24 received from another device 2 with the communication time of the second communication unit 24 of the device 2A. As a result of the comparison in step ST21, the device 2A determines in step ST31 whether or not the difference in the communication time of the second communication unit 24 is within a predetermined range.

[0106] If it is determined that the difference in the state information exceeds the predetermined range (step ST32; NO), the device 2A skips step ST33 and proceeds to step ST34. In step ST34, the device 2A determines whether or not to operate as the representative device based on the comparison result of step ST21 (step ST34). The determination in step ST34 in this case is the same as that in step ST22 (FIG. 4).

[0107] If it is determined that the difference in the status information is within a predetermined range (step ST32; YES), the device 2A compares the speed information (step ST33). In step ST33, the device 2A calculates the speed of the device 2A and compares it with the speed indicated by the speed information received from the other devices 2. The speed of the device 2A corresponds to an example of a first speed, and the speed indicated by the speed information received by the device 2A from the other devices 2 corresponds to an example of a second speed. The device 2A determines whether or not the device 2A operates as the representative device based on the speed comparison result (step ST34). If there is a device 2 that is faster than the device 2A, the device 2A determines that the device 2A does not operate as the representative device (step ST34; NO). Furthermore, if the speed of the device 2A is faster than the other devices 2, the device 2A determines that the device 2A operates as the representative device (step ST34; YES). The subsequent processing is the same as in FIG. 4.

[0108] According to the third embodiment, the device 2 can transmit first status information including a first speed, which is the speed of the device 2. In other words, the device 2 receives second status information from another device 2, the second status information including the second speed, which is the speed of the other device 2. The device 2 compares the first speed with the second speed when the difference between the second status information received by the first communication unit 23 and the first status information of the device 2 is within a predetermined range. The device 2 determines that it will operate as the representative device when the first speed is faster than the second speed. As a result, in the information processing system 100, a device 2 determines whether to operate as a representative device based on its own first speed and the second speed of another device 2. As a result, a representative device is selected based on the speed of the device 2. This prevents the load from being concentrated on a specific device 2, and further, by selecting a device 2 moving at high speed as the representative device, the efficiency of the operation of the information processing system 100 can be improved.

[0109] The information processing system 100 has been described above as being used in a sporting event. For example, assume that athlete(s) wear device 2 in a marathon, triathlon, duathlon, or other competition in which multiple athletes compete to see who can reach the finish line the fastest. In this example, an athlete moving at high speed can reach the finish line in a shorter time than other athletes. Therefore, it is not a problem if the device 2 worn by this athlete has a shorter operational time than the devices 2 worn by other athletes. By increasing the power consumption of such a device 2, the power consumption of the devices 2 of athletes moving at slower speeds can be reduced, allowing more devices 2 to be operated for longer periods of time throughout the information processing system 100. Furthermore, when the difference in status information exceeds a predetermined range, the device 2 determines whether to operate as a representative device based on the status information, thereby preventing excessive load imbalance on a specific device 2.

[0110] In this way, a representative device is selected to prevent the load from being concentrated on a specific device 2 and to increase the load on devices 2 that move at high speed, making it possible to operate many of the devices 2 included in the information processing system 100 for long periods of time.

[0111] 4. Other Embodiments The above-described embodiment is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0112] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the device 2 is configured to include a first communication unit 23 that performs short-range communication and a second communication unit 24 that performs LPWA communication or the like, but these may be integrated into a single communication module. In this case, the communication history information 223 may be information indicating the number of times and the duration of LPWA communication performed by the integrated communication module.

[0113] Each functional unit of the information processing system 100 shown in Figure 1 represents a functional configuration, and the specific implementation form is not particularly limited. It is not necessary to implement hardware corresponding to each functional unit shown in the figure, and it is of course possible to implement a configuration in which a single processor executes a program to realize the functions of multiple functional units. Furthermore, some of the functions realized by software in each of the above embodiments may be realized by hardware, and some of the functions realized by hardware may be realized by software.

[0114] 3, 4, 6, and 7 are divided according to the main processing content to facilitate understanding of the processing of each part in information processing system 100, and the present invention is not limited by the way in which the processing units are divided or the names of the processing units. These processes can be divided into more processing units depending on the processing content, or one processing unit can be divided so that it includes more processes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1...server, 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D...device (electronic device), 11...server control unit, 12...server memory unit, 13...server communication unit, 21...control unit, 22...memory unit, 23...first communication unit, 24...second communication unit, 25...detection unit, 26...position detection unit, 27...battery, 100...information processing system, 211...information generation unit, 212...communication control unit, 213...battery management unit, 221, 221A...device ID, 222...representative device ID, 223...communication history information, 224...battery information, N...threshold, S1, S3...detection information, S2, S4...information package, S11...device ID, S12...location information, S13...status information, S21, S22, S23, S24...device ID, S31, S32, S33, S34...location information, T1...period, T2...period (second period), T3...period, T4...period (first period).

Claims

1. The server and an electronic device that communicates with other electronic devices, determines whether or not to operate as a representative device based on information from the other electronic devices, and, if it is determined that the other electronic devices will operate as a representative device, transmits detection information detected by the other electronic devices to the server; When the electronic device determines that it will operate as the representative device, the electronic device transmits representative device information indicating that it will operate as the representative device to the other electronic devices; When the other electronic device receives the representative device information, the other electronic device determines that it will not operate as the representative device; the electronic device compares first status information indicating a load state with second status information received from the other electronic device indicating a load state of the other electronic device, and determines whether to operate as the representative device; the first status information includes a first speed of the electronic device; the second status information includes a second speed of the other electronic device; the electronic device determines to operate as the representative device when a difference between the first status information and the second status information is within a predetermined range, and the electronic device compares the first speed with the second speed and the first speed is faster than the second speed; Information processing system.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic device receives the detection information and identification information of the other electronic device.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2 , wherein the electronic device receives the location information and the identification information of the other electronic device.

4. the electronic device periodically determines whether to operate as the representative device for each first period; 4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein when the electronic device determines that it will operate as the representative device, it periodically performs an operation of transmitting the detection information to the server every second period that is shorter than the first period.

5. a first communication unit that communicates with other electronic devices; a second communication unit that communicates with a server, a control unit that determines whether or not the other electronic device will operate as a representative device based on information from the other electronic devices, and when it determines that the other electronic devices will operate as a representative device, transmits detection information detected by the other electronic devices to the server; When it is determined that the other electronic device will operate as the representative device, representative device information indicating that the other electronic device will operate as the representative device is transmitted to the other electronic device; When the representative device information is received from the other electronic device, the electronic device determines that the other electronic device will not operate as the representative device; comparing first status information indicating a load state of the electronic device with second status information received from the other electronic devices indicating load states of the other electronic devices, and determining whether or not the electronic device operates as the representative device; the first status information includes a first speed of the electronic device; the second status information includes a second speed of the other electronic device; a determination that the device will operate as the representative device when a difference between the first status information and the second status information is within a predetermined range and the first speed is compared with the second speed and the first speed is faster than the second speed; electronic equipment.

Images