Method and system involving establishing a communications network - Patents.com

Abstract

To provide a system for enabling a user to uniquely and further simply construct a communication network by radio such as wireless sensor network.SOLUTION: A system 1 includes: a plurality of communication devices 60 each of which includes a first communication unit 51; and a first information processor 10 that is connectable by a second communication unit 52 included in each of the plurality of communication devices. The first information processor has: a function 15 for virtually constructing a first communication network 65 by the first communication unit by using identification information IDs on the plurality of communication devices acquired through the second communication unit; and a function 16 for setting first setting information 15s for performing communication according to a virtually constructed first communication network 15n to a communication device 20 for controlling the first communication network via the second communication unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to methods and systems involving establishing a communications network. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a communications device with simple data transfer setup operations and low processing load, which includes: a receiving means for receiving a confirmation message from a device connected to a wireless sensor network that communicates in accordance with 6LoWPAN to confirm whether other devices having the same address as a first address that each device intends to use exist within the network; a determining means for determining whether other devices having the same address as the first address exist within the network when the receiving means receives the confirmation message; a notifying means for notifying each device of the result of the determination by the determining means in response to the confirmation message; and a first setting means for performing transfer settings for data to be transmitted by each device during the period from when the receiving means receives the confirmation message until the notifying means notifies the result of the determination by the determining means in response to the confirmation message. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-24161 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] wireless There is a demand for users to be able to independently and more easily build communication networks using the Internet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is A method for constructing a first network using a plurality of first communication devices selected from a plurality of communication devices, each having a first communication unit for transmitting a communication message for constructing the network, wherein the plurality of communication devices each have a general-purpose second communication unit different from the first communication unit, and the plurality of communication devices can communicate with a general-purpose first information processing device different from the plurality of communication devices constructing the first network, and constructing the first network includes the first information processing device acquiring, via the second communication unit, identification information of the plurality of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices within a communication range of the second communication unit, enabling the first information processing device to select, from the acquired identification information of the plurality of communication devices, the plurality of first communication devices for constructing the first network from the first communication unit, and providing, via the second communication unit, first setting information for communicating with other first communication devices via the first communication unit to construct the first network, to the selected plurality of first communication devices with which the first communication unit has not yet communicated.

[0006] This method may further include having the selected plurality of first communication devices communicate using the first communication units in accordance with the first setting information without the function of the second communication unit, thereby constructing the first network using only the selected plurality of first communication devices. In constructing the first network, communication by the first communication units may include communication for a specified low-power radio station.

[0007] The plurality of communication devices may include a master device and at least one communication device that transmits data to the master device, and making the devices selectable may include making the master device and the at least one communication device selectable. The master device may include a third communication unit connectable to a server, and the master device may upload the data acquired from the at least one communication device to the server.

[0008] Building the first network may include using BLE communication as the second communication unit. The first setting information may include information on a frequency channel used for communication between the first communication units of the selected communication devices when building the first network. After the first network is established, communication with the first information communication device via the second communication unit may be stopped.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a medicament for the treatment of a pulmonary arthritis. A program for controlling a general-purpose information processing device that is different from the plurality of communication devices that establish a network and that can communicate with the plurality of communication devices, each of which has a first communication unit that transmits a communication message for establishing a network, via a general-purpose second communication unit, wherein the plurality of communication devices each have a general-purpose second communication unit that is different from the first communication unit and that allows the plurality of communication devices to communicate with the general-purpose information processing device, and the program includes instructions for the information processing device to acquire, via the second communication unit, identification information of the plurality of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices within a communication range of the second communication unit, enable the information processing device to select, from the acquired identification information of the plurality of communication devices, a plurality of first communication devices that will establish a first network using the first communication unit, and provide, via the second communication unit, first setting information for communicating with other first communication devices via the first communication unit to establish the first network, to the selected plurality of first communication devices with which the first communication unit has not yet communicated. The first setting information may include information on a frequency channel used for communication between the first communication units of the selected communication devices when constructing the first network, and may include information that, after the first network is established, communication with the first information communication device via the second communication unit can be stopped.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a medicament for the treatment of a pulmonary arthritis. The system has a plurality of communication devices, each having a first communication unit that transmits communication messages to construct a network, and a general-purpose first information processing device that is different from the plurality of communication devices that construct the network and can be connected to the plurality of communication devices by a general-purpose second communication unit. The multiple communication devices each have a general-purpose second communication unit different from the first communication unit, with which the general-purpose first information processing device and the multiple communication devices can communicate, and the first information processing device includes a function of acquiring identification information of the multiple communication devices from the multiple communication devices within the communication range of the second communication unit via the second communication unit, a function of enabling selection of multiple first communication devices to construct a first network using the first communication unit from the acquired identification information of the multiple communication devices, and a function of providing first setting information for communicating with other first communication devices via the first communication unit to the selected multiple first communication devices with which the first communication unit has not yet communicated, via the second communication unit, and communicating using the first communication unit in accordance with the first setting information without the function of the second communication unit being required, thereby enabling the first network to be constructed using only the selected multiple first communication devices.

[0011] The plurality of communication devices may include a master device and at least one communication device that transmits data to the master device, and the selectable function may include a function that enables selection of the master device and the at least one communication device. The master device may include a third communication unit connectable to a server, and the master device may upload the data acquired from the at least one communication device to the server.

[0012] The first communication unit may include a function for performing communication for a specified low-power radio station, and the second communication unit may include a function for performing BLE communication. The first setting information may include information on a frequency channel used for communication between the first communication units of the selected communication devices when establishing the network. After the first network is established, communication with the first information communication device via the second communication unit may be stopped.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: The present invention relates to a plurality of communication devices, each including a first communication unit configured to transmit communication messages to other communication devices to establish a network. Each of the plurality of communication devices further includes a general-purpose second communication unit different from the first communication unit, which is capable of communicating with a general-purpose first information processing device different from the plurality of communication devices establishing the network, and a communication network configuration unit configured to provide identification information of the communication device to the first information processing device via the second communication unit if the second communication unit is within a communication range of the second communication unit, and to acquire first setting information for communication with other communication devices and configure the first communication unit so that a plurality of first communication devices selected by the first information processing device from the plurality of communication devices and with which the first communication unit has not yet communicated can establish a first network using the first communication unit. The first setting information may include information on a frequency channel used for communication between the first communication units of the selected communication devices when establishing the network. After the first network is established, communication with the first information communication device via the second communication unit may be stopped. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system for constructing a network including a plurality of communication devices. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart illustrating the process of building a network. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a virtual network. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a process for building a virtual network. [Figure 5] This figure shows the process of building a virtual network, following on from Figure 4. [Figure 6] This figure shows the process of building a virtual network, following on from Figure 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a system 1 for constructing (configuring) a wireless sensor network (WSN) 65. The WSN 65 includes multiple communication devices 60, each having a first communication unit 51 that transmits a communication message while relaying the message through other communication devices. The multiple communication devices 60 include a slave device 50 that provides measurement data acquired from an internal or external sensor 59 via a master device 20 that can connect to a cloud 9, and a relay device 30 that can relay between the master device 20 and the slave device 50. In the following, construction of the communication device 60 including the master device 20, that is, a communication network (first communication network) 65 consisting of the master device 20, the relay device 30, and the slave device 50, will be described.

[0016] The system 1 includes a plurality of communication devices 60, each having a first communication unit 51 that transmits a communication message while relaying the message through other communication devices 60, in this example, a master device 20 and / or a repeater 30. The system 1 further includes a host PC (first information processing device) 10 that can be connected substantially in parallel to the plurality of communication devices 60 via a second communication unit 52 that each of the plurality of communication devices 60 has. The host PC 10 is equipped with a function (functional unit) 15 that virtually constructs (configures) a first communication network 65 including the plurality of communication devices 60 using identification information ID of the plurality of communication devices 60 acquired via the second communication unit 52, and a function (functional unit) 16 that sets setting information (first setting information) 15s for communicating with other communication devices via the first communication unit 51 according to the virtually constructed first communication network 15n in a communication device, such as the master device 20, that controls the first communication network 65 among the plurality of communication devices 60 via the second communication unit 52. The setting function 16 may set the first setting information 15s to each of the plurality of communication devices 60 that make up the first communication network 65. When building (configuring) a tree-type or star-type network, the network can be built even if the setting information 15s is set only in the central parent device 20. On the other hand, when building a distributed network such as a ring-type or mesh-type network, the setting information 15s may be set in all of the communication devices 60 that make up the network.

[0017] The slave device 50 is one type of communication device 60 that constitutes a first communication network 65 that transmits communication messages while relaying other communication devices 60, for example, the relay device 30 or the master device 20. Each slave device 50 has a first communication unit 51 and establishes the first communication network 65 via the first communication unit 51. The slave device 50 includes a second communication unit 52 that can be connected to a host PC (first information processing device) 10 in parallel with multiple communication devices 60, i.e., the master device 20, the relay device 30, and other slave devices 50, and a communication network configuration unit 55 configured to provide identification information ID of the slave device 50 to the host PC 10 via the second communication unit 52. The communication network configuration unit 55 may have a function of acquiring setting information 15s for communicating with the other communication devices 60 via a communication network 15n that is virtually established in the host PC 10 and includes multiple communication devices, and configuring the first communication unit 51.

[0018] The slave device 50 includes a sensor 59 for measuring temperature, humidity, etc., an internal memory 58 for recording measured values ​​(measurement data) 59a, a specified low-power (400 MHz) wireless communication unit functioning as a first communication unit 51, a BLE (2.4 GHz) communication unit functioning as a second communication unit 52, and a processor 53 for controlling these. The slave device 50 may include an interface connectable to an external sensor in addition to or instead of the sensor 59. The specified low-power wireless unit 51 is used to communicate with the master device 20 or the repeater 30, and the BLE communication unit 52 is used to communicate with a host PC 10 such as a smartphone or tablet terminal.

[0019] The specified low-power wireless communication unit 51 is used to transmit and upload a communication message 2a including recording data (measurement data) 59a of the slave device 50 via the specified low-power wireless 2 to a server 40 constructed on the Internet 9 or another communication network, while relaying the message 2a through another communication device, the repeater 30 or the master device 20. The specified low-power wireless communication unit 51 is also used to set recording conditions (measurement conditions) in the slave device 50.

[0020] The BLE communication unit 52 communicates with the host PC 10 via wireless communication 3 according to specifications established as part of the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard. The BLE communication unit 52 is used by the slave device 50 to communicate with the master device 20 and the repeater device 30 via specified low-power wireless communication 2, and to provide the host PC with conditions (ID, frequency channel) for building (forming) a sensor network 65. The BLE communication unit 52 may also be used to provide information (setting information) 15s for configuring the communication network 65.

[0021] The slave device 50 includes computer resources including a memory 58 and a processor 53. The processor 53 implements predetermined functions by downloading a program (program product) 53a stored in the memory 58, and operates as a functional module or functional unit. The processor 53 also includes a function as a communication network configuration unit 55. The communication network configuration unit 55 provides identification information (ID) of the slave device 50 to the host PC 10 via a BLE communication unit 52, which is a second communication unit. The communication network configuration unit 55 may acquire setting information 15s, which includes a frequency channel for communicating with other communication devices according to a communication network (virtual communication network) 15n, which includes multiple communication devices 60 virtually constructed in the host PC 10, and configure the specified low-power wireless communication unit 51, which is a first communication unit. The communication network configuration unit 55 may communicate via the specified low-power wireless communication unit 51 using a preset frequency channel, ID, etc. By this process, the slave device 50 can configure an actual communication network 65 including the repeater device 30 and the master device 20 and transmit the message 2 a by the specified low-power radio 2 .

[0022] Processor 53 further includes a measurement function 56 that periodically acquires measurement data 59a from an internal sensor 59 or an external sensor, and a communication function (communication control unit) 54 that transmits a message 2a including measurement data 59a in response to a call from base unit 20 or repeater 30 via specified low-power wireless communication unit 51. Sensor 59 may be built-in or external, and may measure one physical quantity such as temperature, humidity, voltage, current, pulse, illuminance, infrared intensity, or CO2 concentration, or may include a variety of sensors (multiple sensors) that measure multiple types of physical quantities.

[0023] The communication function 54 operates the specified low-power wireless communication unit 51 to communicate with other communication devices 60 in a power-saving manner using conditions 15s for establishing a communication network 65 acquired via the BLE communication unit 52 or using preset conditions. Specifically, the communication function 54 operates the specified low-power wireless communication unit 51 with the master device 20 or the repeater 30 in accordance with specifications or protocols set by a user or the designer of the system 1. Communication by the specified low-power wireless communication unit 51 does not require versatility, such as communication with a general-purpose communication function installed in the host 10. It is sufficient to be able to communicate in accordance with a specific protocol or specifications within the first communication network 65 established from the specific communication device 60, and communication can be performed using a protocol or specifications that prioritizes power saving for a specific purpose, for example.

[0024] The BLE communication unit 52 communicates with a general-purpose Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit 52 installed in the host 10 according to a general-purpose protocol. Therefore, the slave 50 can communicate with the host 10 via the BLE communication unit 52 if a predetermined process such as pairing has been performed and the slave 50 is within a distance where BLE communication 3 is possible. On the other hand, in order to communicate with the general-purpose host 10, the BLE communication unit 52 communicates according to general-purpose specifications and protocols, and communication is not necessarily performed according to a purpose that is given top priority by the user or the system 1, such as power saving.

[0025] The first communication network 65 is a network (sensor network) including sensors included in the slave device 50 and connected via the slave device 50. That is, once the first communication network 65 is configured using the specified low-power wireless communication unit 51, it functions as a sensor network. The slave device 50 acquires measurement data 59a from the sensor, includes it in a message 2a, and uploads it to the cloud 9 via the sensor network 65. In this process, the function of the BLE communication unit 52 is not required. Therefore, once communication via the sensor network 65 is established, it is also possible to stop the BLE communication unit 52 to further reduce power consumption.

[0026] Based on the first setting information 15s obtained by the BLE communication unit 52, the master device 20 configures a first communication network 65 using a specified low-power wireless communication unit 51, which functions as a sensor network. Furthermore, the master device 20 also functions as a device that uploads a message 2a, including recorded data 59a uploaded from the slave device 50 via the specified low-power wireless communication 2, to a cloud service (WebStorage) server 40 on the Internet 9. The master device 20 includes two wireless functions: a specified low-power (400 MHz) wireless communication unit 51 and a BLE (2.4 GHz) communication unit 52. Furthermore, as a function for connecting to the Internet 9, a cloud connection unit (third communication unit, network connection unit) 21 that performs wired LAN, wireless LAN, or 3G / LTE communication is included. The master device 20 includes computer resources including a memory 28 and a processor 23. The processor 23 implements predetermined functions by downloading a program (program product) 23a stored in the memory 28, and operates as a functional module or functional unit.

[0027] The processor 23 includes a function as the communication network configuration unit 25 and performs the same processing as the communication network configuration unit 55 of the slave device 50. The communication network configuration unit 25 provides the identification information ID of the master device 20 to the host PC 10 via the BLE communication unit 52, which is a second communication unit. The communication network configuration unit 25 acquires first setting information 15s, which includes frequency channels for communicating with other communication devices according to a communication network (virtual communication network) 15n, which includes multiple communication devices 60 virtually constructed in the host PC 10, and configures the specified low-power wireless communication unit 51, which is a first communication unit. Through this processing, the master device 20 configures an actual first communication network 65, which includes the repeater 30 and the slave device 50, and enables transmission of the message 2a via the specified low-power wireless communication 2.

[0028] The processor 23 further includes an upload function 26 that uploads the measurement data 59a of the message 2a transferred from the slave device 50 to the cloud 9 via the cloud connection unit 21, and a communication function 24 that calls the slave device 50 or the repeater 30 using the specified low-power wireless communication unit 51 to acquire the message 2a. The communication function (communication control unit) 24 sets the specified low-power wireless communication unit 51 using setting information 15s for constructing a sensor network 65 acquired via the BLE communication unit 52, and communicates with the slave device 50 or the repeater 30 using the specified low-power wireless communication unit 51 to acquire the message 2a.

[0029] The repeater 30 is used to form a sensor network 65 by relaying a message 2a between the slave device 50 and the master device 20, and is a device for extending the wireless communication distance between the master device 20 and the slave device 50. The repeater 30 includes wireless functions for two standards: a specified low-power (400 MHz) wireless communication unit 51 and a BLE (2.4 GHz) communication unit 52. The repeater 30 also includes computer resources including a memory 38 and a processor 33. The processor 33 implements predetermined functions by downloading a program (program product) 33a stored in the memory 38, and operates as a functional module or functional unit. The processor 33 includes a communication network configuration unit 35 that performs processing similar to that of the communication network configuration unit 55 of the slave device 50, and a communication function (communication control unit) 34 that communicates with the slave device 50 and the repeater 30 using the specified low-power wireless communication unit 51 to relay the message 2a. The network configuration unit 35 may acquire setting information 15s for constructing the sensor network 65 via the BLE communication unit 52, and the communication function 34 may configure the specific low-power wireless communication unit 51 using the setting information 15s.

[0030] The host PC (host, first information processing device) 10 may be a personal computer, tablet computer, smartphone, or the like, and includes general-purpose computer resources, including a memory 13 and a processor 11, as well as communication and processing resources. Typically, the host 10 includes a Bluetooth (registered trademark) (BLE) communication unit 52, a cloud connection unit (network connection unit) 12 for wired LAN, wireless LAN, or 3G / LTE communication, the memory 13, the processor 11, and a user interface 14. The processor 11 implements specific functions by downloading a program (program product) 11a stored in the memory 13, and operates as a functional module or unit. The processor 11 includes a function for executing various applications 19, a function 15 for virtually constructing a first communication network 65, which is a sensor network, and a function 16 for setting, in each of the communication devices 60, setting information (first setting information) 15s for the communication devices 60 to communicate via the virtually constructed first communication network 15n. The program 11a includes instructions for implementing these functions, and the program (program product) 11a can be provided by being recorded in a memory or other recording medium.

[0031] The function 15 for constructing a communication network (function for constructing a first communication network) includes a function 15a for displaying a plurality of icons each representing a plurality of communication devices 60, and a function 15b for constructing a virtual communication network 15n using the plurality of icons by dragging and dropping the plurality of icons.

[0032] 2 shows a process including step 70 in which a communication network (first communication network, sensor network) 65 is established in a host PC 10 by communication devices 60 including a master device 20, a repeater 30, and a slave device 50. In step 71, the host 10 communicates with multiple communication devices 60 that are within the BLE communication range of the host 10 and have undergone processing for starting communication, such as pairing. The host 10 and the multiple communication devices 60 communicate substantially in parallel via a BLE communication unit 52 and acquire identification information IDs of each communication device 60, i.e., the master device 20, the repeater 30, and the slave device 50. The identification information IDs may include the type of communication device 60, such as the master device 20, the repeater 30, or the slave device 50, and may also include a sensor 59 built into the slave device 50.

[0033] In this step 71, the BLE communication unit 52 is only required to collectively receive the identification information IDs of the multiple communication devices 60 that are part of the communication network 65. Therefore, it is sufficient for communication with the multiple communication devices 60 that are part of or are candidates for part of the wireless network 65 to be performed at time intervals that do not interfere with the process of creating a virtual network on the host 10, and it is not necessary for communication with the communication devices 60 to be performed simultaneously. In this step and subsequent processes, communication 3 using the BLE communication unit 52 is only required to be performed in parallel, intermittently, or sequentially, i.e., substantially in parallel, to the extent that the user can obtain or operate information from the communication devices 60 almost simultaneously.

[0034] In step 72, a communication network including a plurality of communication devices 60 is virtually constructed on the host 10 using the identification information ID of the communication device 60 acquired via the BLE communication unit 52. This step 72 includes step 73 of displaying a plurality of icons representing the plurality of communication devices 60 on a user interface (U / I) 14 such as a display or touch panel of the host 10, and step 74 of constructing a virtual communication network 15n using the plurality of icons by dragging and dropping the plurality of icons.

[0035] 3 to 6 show an example of constructing a virtual network 15n using a U / I 14, for example, a touch panel. In this example, a virtual communication network 15n for measuring the temperature inside a refrigerator, as shown in Fig. 3, is constructed using multiple communication devices 60, and that information is provided (supplied, fed back) to a master device 20 to configure the master device 20, thereby constructing a communication network (sensor network) 65. The communication network (sensor network) 65 may also be constructed by providing (supplied, fed back) information to the master device 20 and other communication devices 60 to configure each communication device 60.

[0036] First, as shown in Fig. 4, when "12340000" is selected from the IDs of the multiple master units 20 displayed on the touch panel 14, a master unit icon 81 is displayed on the touch panel 14 as the master unit 20 of the network 15n for measuring the temperature inside the refrigerator. Next, as shown in Fig. 5, from the multiple repeaters 30 and slave units 50 displayed on the touch panel 14, a repeater 30 and a slave unit 50 that will communicate directly with the master unit 20 are selected and dragged and dropped onto the icon 81 of the master unit 20.

[0037] For example, drag and drop the icons 82 of three repeaters 30 (Repeater 1 to 3) and the icons 83 of two slave devices 50 onto the icon 81 of the master device 20. This operation creates a network in which the master device 20 is directly connected to these repeaters 30 and the slave devices 50 (without any repeaters). Alternatively, drag and drop the icons 83 of the three slave devices 50 onto the icon 82 of the repeater 30 connected to the master device 20. This operation creates a network in which the repeater 30 is directly connected to these slave devices 50 (without any other repeaters), and the slave devices 50 are connected to the master device 20 via the repeaters 30.

[0038] Alternatively, an icon 82 of another repeater 30 may be dragged and dropped onto the icon 82 of a repeater 30 connected to the master device 20, and then icons 83 of two slave devices 50 may be dragged and dropped onto the icon 82 of that repeater 30. This operation builds a network in which these slave devices 50 are connected to the master device 20 via the two repeaters 30.

[0039] 6 shows a state in which the configuration of a portion of the virtually formed network 15n is confirmed as described above. For example, the state in which icons 83 representing three slave devices 50 are connected to an icon 82 of a repeater 30 connected to a master device 20 is shown, indicating that a network in which three slave devices 50 are connected to the repeater 30 is constructed.

[0040] Returning to FIG. 2 , when the virtual network 15n is formed in step 74, the host 10 provides the master device 20 with setting information (first setting information) 15s for communicating with other communication devices via the specified low-power wireless unit (first communication unit) 51 in accordance with the virtual communication network 15n via the BLE communication unit (second communication unit) 52 in step 75. In step 76, the master device 20 communicates with the repeater 30 and the slave device 50 based on the routing information of the communication network 15n included in the setting information 15s. The repeater 30 communicates with the subordinate repeater 30 and / or the slave device 50 in accordance with the setting information 15s including the routing information provided by the master device 20 along with the communication. The slave device 50 and the repeater 30 transmit a message 2a including measurement data 59a to the repeater 30 or the master device 20 in accordance with the setting information 15s including the routing information received from the master device 20. In this way, a first communication network 65 using a specific low-power wireless unit (first communication unit) 51 can be formed and operated in real space by multiple communication devices 60 included in a communication network 15n virtually constructed by the host PC 10.

[0041] In step 75, first setting information 15s may be provided to each of the plurality of communication devices 60 included in the communication network 15n, and communication conditions for the specified low-power wireless units (first communication units) 51 of each communication device 60 may be set. This process creates conditions for operating the first communication network 65 by the plurality of communication devices 60 in real space. For this reason, in step 76, for example, the BLE communication unit 52 may notify the plurality of communication devices 60, including the master device 20, the repeater 30, and the slave device 50, of the start of a process for measuring using the sensor 59 and transmitting a message 2a including the measurement data 59a. This allows the master device 20, the repeater 30, and the slave device 50 belonging to the communication network 65 to start communication using the specified low-power wireless units 51, thereby operating the communication network 65. In this case, the BLE communication unit 52 may be able to distribute setting information 15s for starting communication via the wireless network 65 to the plurality of communication devices 60 in a batch and access the plurality of communication devices 60 substantially in parallel.

[0042] In the above example, a specific low-power radio (400 MHz) is used as an example of the first communication unit (first wireless unit) 51 that establishes the communication network 65 between the multiple communication devices (wireless devices) 60. However, the specific low-power radio (900 MHz) may also be used, or a communication unit using another communication method that enables power-saving communication, such as ZigBee (registered trademark), may also be used. The slave device 50 and the repeater 30 may be battery-operated, and it is desirable that the power consumption required for communication is low. Therefore, the first communication unit 51 is not included as standard in the host PC 10, and may be a communication unit that is easily customizable and easy to reduce power consumption.

[0043] Meanwhile, although the above example shows the use of a BLE communication unit as the second communication unit 52 connected to the host PC 10, it may be another general-purpose communication unit that is normally installed in the host PC 10, such as a wireless LAN unit. Furthermore, the above example shows a sensor network in which the slave device 50 has a built-in sensor or is connected to a sensor, but the slave device 50 may also have a built-in function as a repeater 30. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to sensor networks, and can be applied to other communication networks including terminals that communicate using a wireless communication multi-hop method.

[0044] The above describes a method in which a plurality of communication devices, each having a first communication unit for transmitting a communication message, establish a first communication network using the first communication unit. Each of the plurality of communication devices includes a second communication unit capable of communicating with a first information processing device (a host information processing device, a host PC), and establishing the first communication network includes the following steps: 1) the first information processing device acquires identification information of the plurality of communication devices via the second communication unit; 2) using the identification information, virtually establishes a first communication network including the plurality of communication devices on the first information processing device; and 3) setting, via the second communication unit, first setting information for communicating with other communication devices via the virtually established first communication network in a communication device among the plurality of communication devices that controls the first communication network. The communication device to which the first setting information is set is, for example, a top-level communication device capable of managing the first communication network, and is sometimes referred to as a parent device. In a distributed communication network, the first setting information may be set in each communication device. The method may further include a plurality of communication devices belonging to the first communication network communicating through a first communication unit in accordance with the first setting information. The second communication unit may be capable of allowing the plurality of communication devices and the first information processing device to communicate substantially in parallel. Obtaining the identification information may include each of the plurality of communication devices communicating substantially in parallel with the first information processing device. The communication device is equipped with a second communication unit capable of communication via wireless LAN, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, or the like, which is typically installed on a first information processing device, such as a laptop PC, tablet device, or smartphone device, and provides information to the first information processing device serving as a host. A communication network using the communication devices can be virtually established on the first information processing device. Information about the virtually established communication network is fed back from the first information processing device to a communication device controlling the communication network via the second communication unit, allowing a low-power communication network to be easily established using a first communication unit that is not typically installed on the first information processing device. An example of a first communication unit that is not typically installed on information processing devices such as PCs is ZigBee (registered trademark), which is easily customizable and provides low-power communication for specific low-power radio stations. Such a first communication unit allows a low-power communication network suitable for sensor networks to be easily established. The step of virtually constructing a first communication network may include displaying a plurality of icons representing a plurality of communication devices on the first information processing device, and constructing a virtual first communication network using the plurality of icons by dragging and dropping the plurality of icons. The plurality of communication devices may include a parent device, a child device, and a repeater capable of relaying between the parent device and the child device. The plurality of communication devices may include a child device that provides measurement data acquired from a sensor via the parent device connectable to a cloud, and a repeater capable of relaying between the parent device and the child device. Virtually constructing the first communication network includes constructing a communication network including the parent device, the repeater, and the child device, thereby enabling a wireless sensor network (WSN) to be constructed in a short period of time. The step of virtually constructing the first communication network may include constructing a communication network including the parent device. The parent device may include a third communication unit connectable to a cloud, and the child device may include a sensor that acquires measurement data or an interface with the sensor, and virtually constructing the first communication network may include constructing a sensor network. The setting may include setting the first setting information in the master unit via the second communication unit. The setting may include setting the first setting information in each of the plurality of communication devices via the second communication unit. The establishing of the first communication network may include the second communication unit using BLE communication. The above publication discloses a program (program product) for controlling an information processing device capable of communicating with a plurality of communication devices, each having a first communication unit for transmitting a communication message, via a second communication unit. The program includes instructions for the information processing device to acquire identification information of the plurality of communication devices via the second communication unit, virtually construct a first communication network using the first communication units on the information processing device using the identification information, and set, via the second communication unit, first setting information for communication according to the virtually constructed first communication network in a communication device, among the plurality of communication devices, that controls the first communication network. The program (program product) may be provided by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The above publication also discloses a system including a plurality of communication devices, each having a first communication unit for transmitting a communication message, and a first information processing device connectable to the plurality of communication devices via a second communication unit each of the plurality of communication devices. The first information processing device includes a function (unit, functional unit) for virtually constructing a first communication network using the first communication units using identification information of the plurality of communication devices acquired via the second communication unit, and a function (unit, functional unit) for setting, via the second communication unit, first setting information for communicating with other communication devices according to the virtually constructed first communication network in a communication device among the plurality of communication devices that controls the first communication network. In this system, the plurality of communication devices can easily construct a first communication network in which communication is performed by the first communication units according to the first setting information. The function of virtually constructing a first communication network may include a function of displaying multiple icons representing multiple communication devices on the first information processing device and a function of constructing a virtual first communication network using the multiple icons by dragging and dropping the multiple icons. The multiple communication devices may include a master unit, a slave unit, and a repeater capable of relaying between the master unit and the slave unit. The multiple communication devices may include a slave unit that provides measurement data acquired from a sensor via the master unit connectable to the cloud, and a repeater capable of relaying between the master unit and the slave unit. The function of virtually constructing a communication network may include a function of constructing a communication network including the master unit. The first communication unit may include a function of performing communication for a specified low-power radio station, and the second communication unit may include a function of performing BLE communication. The first information processing device serving as a host may be a laptop computer, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone terminal. The master unit may include a third communication unit connectable to the cloud, and the slave unit may include a sensor or an interface with the sensor that acquires measurement data. The first communication unit may include a function for performing communication for a specific low-power radio station, and the second communication unit may include a function for performing BLE communication. The above also discloses a communication device that constructs a first communication network including a plurality of communication devices, each having a first communication unit that transmits a communication message to another communication device. The communication device has a second communication unit that can connect to the plurality of communication devices with respect to a first information processing device, and a communication network configuration unit that is constructed to provide identification information of the communication device to the first information processing device via the second communication unit, obtain first setting information for communicating with the other communication devices according to a first communication network that is virtually constructed in the first information processing device and includes a plurality of communication devices, and configure the first communication unit. Furthermore, while particular embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various other embodiments and modifications may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention, and such other embodiments and modifications are within the scope of the following claims, which define the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 System, 10 First information processing device 51 First communication unit 52 Second communication unit

Claims

1. A method for constructing a first network by a plurality of first communication devices selected from a plurality of communication devices each having a first communication unit for transmitting a communication message for constructing a network, the method comprising: each of the plurality of communication devices includes a general-purpose second communication unit different from the first communication unit, and the general-purpose first information processing device different from the plurality of communication devices that construct the first network can communicate with the plurality of communication devices; constructing the first network includes: The first information processing device collectively acquires, via the second communication unit, identification information corresponding to each of the plurality of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices within a communicable range of the second communication unit and with which communication by the first communication unit has not yet been established; selecting, on the first information processing device, a plurality of pieces of identification information corresponding to the plurality of communication devices from the plurality of pieces of identification information acquired collectively, thereby making it possible to select the plurality of first communication devices for constructing the first network; the first information processing device provides, via the second communication unit, first setting information for communicating with other first communication devices by the first communication unit to the selected first communication devices in order to construct the first network; A method in which communication on the first network is performed only by selected ones of the plurality of first communication devices, and the first communication devices communicate with other first communication devices using the first communication unit without requiring the functionality of the second communication unit.

2. In claim 1, further comprising: The method comprises the selected plurality of first communication devices communicating using the first communication unit in accordance with the first setting information without the function of the second communication unit, and constructing the first network using only the selected plurality of first communication devices.

3. In claim 1 or 2, A method in which the establishing of the first network includes communication by the first communication unit for a specific low-power radio station.

4. In claim 1 or 2, the plurality of communication devices include a master device and at least one communication device that transmits data to the master device; The method, wherein the enabling comprises enabling each of the base unit and the at least one communication device to be selected.

5. In claim 4, the base unit includes a third communication unit connectable to a server; The method includes the base unit uploading the data obtained from the at least one communication device to the server.

6. In claim 1 or 2, The method, wherein constructing the first network includes using BLE communication as the second communication unit.

7. In claim 1, A method according to claim 1, wherein the first setting information includes information on a frequency channel to be used for communication between the first communication units of the selected communication devices when constructing the first network.

8. In claim 1, After the first network is established, communication with the first information processing device via the second communication unit can be stopped.

9. A program for controlling a general-purpose first information processing device that is different from a plurality of communication devices that construct a network and that can communicate with a plurality of communication devices each having a first communication unit that transmits a communication message for constructing the network via a general-purpose second communication unit, the program comprising: the plurality of communication devices each include the general-purpose second communication unit different from the first communication unit, and capable of communicating with the general-purpose information processing device, the information processing device collectively acquires, via the second communication unit, identification information corresponding to each of the plurality of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices within a communicable range of the second communication unit and with which communication by the first communication unit has not yet been established; On the information processing device, a plurality of pieces of the identification information corresponding to the plurality of communication devices are selected from the plurality of pieces of the identification information acquired collectively, thereby making it possible to select a plurality of first communication devices for constructing a first network; the first information processing device provides, via the second communication unit, first setting information for communicating with other first communication devices by the first communication unit to the selected first communication devices in order to construct the first network; Run The communication of the first network is performed only by the selected plurality of first communication devices, and in the first communication device, communication is performed with other first communication devices by the first communication unit in a state where the function of the second communication unit is unnecessary. A program that has instructions.

10. In claim 9, The program, wherein the first setting information includes information on a frequency channel used for communication between the first communication units of the selected communication devices when constructing the first network.

11. In claim 9, After the first network is established, communication with the information processing device via the second communication unit can be stopped.

12. a plurality of communication devices each having a first communication unit for transmitting a communication message for constructing a network; a general-purpose first information processing device that is connectable to the plurality of communication devices by a general-purpose second communication unit and is different from the plurality of communication devices that construct the network; the plurality of communication devices each have a general-purpose second communication unit different from the first communication unit, which allows communication between the general-purpose first information processing device and each of the plurality of communication devices; The first information processing device a function of collectively acquiring, via the second communication unit, identification information corresponding to each of the plurality of communication devices from the plurality of communication devices within a communicable range of the second communication unit and with which communication by the first communication unit has not yet been established; a function of selecting a plurality of first communication devices for constructing a first network by selecting a plurality of pieces of identification information corresponding to the plurality of communication devices from the plurality of pieces of identification information acquired collectively; a function of providing first setting information to the selected plurality of first communication devices via the second communication unit for communication with other first communication devices by the first communication unit in order to construct the first network, and causing the first communication units to perform communication in a state in which the function of the second communication unit is unnecessary in accordance with the first setting information, thereby enabling the first network to be constructed only by the selected plurality of first communication devices, system.

13. In claim 12, the plurality of communication devices include a master device and at least one communication device that transmits data to the master device; The system, wherein the selectable function includes a function that enables selection of the base unit and the at least one communication device, respectively.

14. In claim 13, the base unit includes a third communication unit connectable to a server; The system further includes the base unit uploading the data acquired from the at least one communication device to the server.

15. In any one of claims 12 to 14, A system, wherein the first communication unit includes a function for performing communication for a specific low-power radio station, and the second communication unit includes a function for performing BLE communication.

16. In claim 12, A system in which the first setting information includes information on a frequency channel used for communication between the first communication units of the selected communication devices when constructing the network.

17. In claim 12, After the first network is established, communication with the first information processing device via the second communication unit can be stopped.

18. a plurality of communication devices each including a first communication unit configured to transmit a communication message to another communication device to form a network, each of the plurality of communication devices further comprising: a general-purpose second communication unit different from the first communication unit, which is capable of communicating with a general-purpose first information processing device different from the plurality of communication devices that configure the network and the plurality of communication devices; providing, via the second communication unit, to the first information processing device, identification information of the communication device when the communication device is within a communication range of the second communication unit and communication by the first communication unit has not yet been established with the communication device; a communication network configuration unit configured to acquire first setting information for a plurality of first communication devices with which the first communication unit has not yet communicated, selected by the first information processing device by selecting a plurality of pieces of the identification information corresponding to the plurality of communication devices from among the plurality of communication devices, and to configure the first communication unit so that the plurality of first communication devices can communicate with other communication devices and configure a first network using the first communication unit; and communication of the first network is performed only by the selected plurality of first communication devices, and in the first communication device, communication with other first communication devices is performed by the first communication unit in a state where the function of the second communication unit is unnecessary; Communication equipment.

19. In claim 18, The communication device, wherein the first setting information includes information on a frequency channel used for communication between the first communication units of the selected communication device when the network is constructed.

20. In claim 18, After the first network is established, communication with the first information processing device via the second communication unit can be stopped.

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