COMMUNICATION STATUS MANAGEMENT DEVICE, COMMUNICATION DEVICE, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION STATUS MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND PROGRAM

Abstract

In order to solve the issues of being applicable to a variety of network topologies and being able to appropriately determine the state of a communications module, this communications state management device (1) comprises: a monitoring target link management unit (11) that manages the number of links to be monitored that pertain to at least one communications module; a connection management unit (12) that manages the current number of connection links for at least one communications module; and a state determination unit (13) that browses the number of links to be monitored and the current number of connected links and determines the state of at least one communications module.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication status management device, a communication device, a communication system, a communication status management method, and a program for managing a communication status. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technique for managing the communication status of a communication device and presenting it to a user. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a green LED (light emitting diode) and a red LED are arranged near a user port of an indoor device of the communication device, and the operating status of the user port is notified by turning on or off the green LED and the red LED. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-032308 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, there has been an increasing need to use communication devices in a variety of network topologies. In a usage environment that takes such a variety of network topologies into consideration, the number of links to be monitored can fluctuate, and so applying the technology of Patent Document 1 to determine the state of a communication module can confuse users.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and one of its objectives is to provide technology that can be applied to various network topologies and can suitably determine the status of a communication module. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A communication status management device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a monitored link management means for managing the number of monitored links for one or more communication modules, a connection management means for managing the number of currently connected links by the one or more communication modules, and a status determination means for determining the status of the one or more communication modules by referring to the number of monitored links and the currently connected links.

[0007] A communication device according to one aspect of the present invention includes the above-described communication state control device and the one or more communication modules.

[0008] A communication system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a plurality of communication devices, each of which comprises one or more communication modules, a monitored link management means for managing the number of monitored links for the one or more communication modules, a connection management means for managing the number of currently connected links by the one or more communication modules, and a status determination means for determining the status of the one or more communication modules by referring to the number of monitored links and the currently connected links.

[0009] A communication status management method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a communication status management device that acquires the number of links to be monitored for one or more communication modules, acquires the number of currently connected links through the one or more communication modules, and determines the status of the one or more communication modules by referring to the number of links to be monitored and the number of currently connected links.

[0010] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to function as a communication status management device, and causes the computer to function as a monitored link management means that manages the number of monitored links for one or more communication modules, a connection management means that manages the number of currently connected links by the one or more communication modules, and a status determination means that determines the status of the one or more communication modules by referring to the number of monitored links and the currently connected number of links. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to apply the present invention to various network topologies and to suitably determine the state of a communication module. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication state management device according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of a communication state management method according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system and a communication device according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a communication device according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating a specific example of the operation of a communication device according to an exemplary embodiment 3 of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example 1 of the operation of a communication system according to an exemplary embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example 2 of the operation of the communication system according to the exemplary embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example 3 of the operation of the communication system according to the exemplary embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a computer that realizes a communication status management device or a communication device according to each exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Exemplary Embodiment 1 A first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This exemplary embodiment is a basic form of the exemplary embodiments described below.

[0014] <Configuration of the communication status management device> The configuration of a communication state management device 1 according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the communication state management device 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the communication state management device 1 includes a monitored link management unit 11, a connection management unit 12, and a state determination unit 13.

[0015] The monitored link management unit 11 manages the number of monitored links for one or more communication modules. The connection management unit 12 manages the number of currently connected links by one or more communication modules. The status determination unit 13 determines the status of one or more communication modules by referring to the number of monitored links and the number of currently connected links. The monitored link management unit 11 is an example of a configuration that realizes the monitored link management means recited in the claims. The connection management unit 12 is an example of a configuration that realizes the connection management means recited in the claims. The status determination unit 13 is an example of a configuration that realizes the status determination means recited in the claims.

[0016] (one or more communication modules) One or more communication modules are the targets for which the communication status management device 1 determines the status. If there is one communication module, the status is determined for that communication module. If there are multiple communication modules, the status is determined for each of the multiple communication modules. The status of one or more communication modules is, for example, a summary of the connection status of each link to which each communication module is connected. Details of links will be described later. The status of one or more communication modules is, for example, represented by multiple stages (for example, three stages: "good," "bad," and "none"). Furthermore, the status of one or more communication modules is, for example, represented by a numerical value within a predetermined range (for example, a numerical value between 0 and 100). In this case, the numerical value indicating the status may be calculated so that the larger the number, the better the connection status. However, the information representing the "status" is not limited to that described above.

[0017] One or more communication modules are included in a communication device (not shown) that performs communication. Each communication module establishes a link for communication between the communication module and a communication module included in another communication device different from the communication device. Establishing a link and performing communication is also referred to as connecting to a link. Note that the communication status management device 1 may be included in the communication device that includes one or more communication modules to be determined, or may be connected to the outside of the communication device.

[0018] Furthermore, one or more communication modules may include a wireless module. Furthermore, if there are multiple communication modules, the multiple communication modules may include communication modules that comply with different communication standards.

[0019] (link) A link is a session established between at least two communication modules. One communication module can be connected to one or more links. For example, the upper limit of the number of links that one communication module can connect to is determined in advance. Furthermore, when there are multiple communication modules, the upper limit of the number of links that at least one communication module can connect to may be different from or the same as the number of links that at least one other communication module can connect to.

[0020] (Number of monitored links) The number of links to be monitored is the number of links whose connection status is to be monitored among the links to which one or more communication modules can connect. The number of links to be monitored may be a value set by a user operation, or may change dynamically depending on the connection status of the links by one or more communication modules.

[0021] (Number of connecting links) The number of connected links is the total number of links currently connected to one or more communication modules.

[0022] <Flow of communication status management method> The flow of the communication state management method S1 executed by the communication state management device 1 configured as above will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flow diagram showing the flow of the communication state management method S1. As shown in Fig. 2, the communication state management method S1 includes steps S11 to S13.

[0023] (Step S11) In step S11, the monitored link management unit 11 acquires the number of monitored links related to one or more communication modules. For example, the monitored link management unit 11 may acquire a value set by a user operation as the number of monitored links. Alternatively, for example, the monitored link management unit 11 may perform management to dynamically change the number of monitored links based on the connection status of one or more links by one or more communication modules, and acquire the latest number of monitored links.

[0024] (Step S12) In step S12, the connection management unit 12 acquires the number of currently connected links by one or more communication modules. For example, the connection management unit 12 manages the number of currently connected links by sequentially acquiring the connection status of the links of one or more communication modules. The process of sequentially acquiring the number of currently connected links is performed, for example, at predetermined intervals.

[0025] (Step S13) In step S13, the status determination unit 13 determines the status of one or more communication modules by referring to the number of links to be monitored and the number of currently connected links. If there are multiple communication modules, the status determination unit 13 determines the status for each of multiple communication modules. For example, the status determination unit 13 may determine the status based on the difference between the number of links to be monitored and the number of currently connected links. Alternatively, the status determination unit 13 may determine the status based on the ratio of the number of currently connected links to the number of links to be monitored.

[0026] <Advantages of this exemplary embodiment> As described above, the communication status management device 1 and communication status management method S1 according to this exemplary embodiment are configured such that the monitored link management unit 11, which manages the number of monitored links for one or more communication modules, acquires the number of monitored links, the connection management unit 12, which manages the number of currently connected links for one or more communication modules, acquires the current number of connected links, and the status determination unit 13 determines the status of one or more communication modules by referring to the number of monitored links and the current number of connected links.

[0027] According to the above configuration, the number of monitored links is referenced to determine the status of one or more communication modules. The number of monitored links is the number of links to be monitored, and is managed according to the usage environment. As a result, this exemplary embodiment can be applied to various network topologies, and has the advantage of being able to suitably determine the status of one or more communication modules.

[0028] Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, when there are a plurality of communication modules, the state determination unit 13 determines the state for each of the plurality of communication modules.

[0029] Here, if the state of each communication module or each link were to be determined individually, recognizing the current situation from the determination results would require knowledge of the network topology and the communication standards of each communication module, making the determination results difficult to understand. According to the above configuration, a single state is determined for each of multiple communication modules. As a result, this exemplary embodiment has the advantage of being able to obtain determination results that are easy to understand, even if the network topology and the communication standards of each communication module are not known.

[0030] Exemplary Embodiment 2 As a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a communication device 10 including the above-described communication state management device 1 and a communication system 100 including a plurality of the communication devices 10 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same functions as those described in the first exemplary embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0031] <Configuration of communication system and communication device> A communication device 10 and a communication system 100 according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the communication system 100 and the communication device 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the communication system 100 includes communication devices 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3. When there is no need to distinguish between the communication devices 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3, each will also be simply referred to as a communication device 10. The number of communication devices 10 included in the communication system 100 is not limited to three, and may be two, or may be four or more. In other words, the communication system 100 includes a plurality of communication devices 10.

[0032] The communication device 10 includes a communication state management device 1 and communication modules 14-1, 14-2, and 14-3. When there is no need to distinguish between the communication modules 14-1, 14-2, and 14-3, they will also be simply referred to as communication modules 14. The number of communication modules 14 included in the communication device 10 is not limited to three, and may be one or two, or may be four or more. In other words, the communication device 10 includes one or more communication modules 14. In the example of FIG. 3, the number of communication modules 14 is three.

[0033] The communication state management device 1 included in the communication device 10 functions in the same manner as in the first exemplary embodiment, targeting one or more communication modules 14 included in the communication device 10. Specifically, the monitored link management unit 11 manages the number of monitored links related to one or more communication modules 14 included in the communication device 10. The connection management unit 12 manages the number of currently connected links by one or more communication modules 14 included in the communication device 10. The state determination unit 13 determines the state of one or more communication modules 14 by referring to the number of monitored links and the number of currently connected links. In the example of FIG. 3, the state determination unit 13 determines the state for each of multiple communication modules 14.

[0034] <Example of network topology> Next, a specific example of a network topology in the communication system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. In the example of FIG. 3, in the communication system 100, the communication module 14-1 included in each communication device 10 communicates using a first communication standard. The communication module 14-2 included in each communication device 10 communicates using a second communication standard. The communication module 14-3 included in each communication device 10 communicates using a third communication standard. The first communication standard, the second communication standard, and the third communication standard may all be the same, or at least one of them may be different from the others. A link that can be established in the communication system 100 connects two communication modules 14 that use the same communication standard. Therefore, at least nine links L12-1, L12-2, L12-3, L13-1, L13-2, L13-3, L23-1, L23-2, and L23-3 can be established in the communication system 100. Specifically, a communication module 14-n (n=1, 2, 3) included in a communication device 10-i (i=1, 2, 3) can be connected to two links Lij-n (j=1, 2, 3, j≠i). The link Lij-n is a link connecting the communication module 14-n included in the communication device 10-i and the communication module 14-n included in the communication device 10-j.

[0035] In this way, the communication system 100 employs a network topology in which each communication device 10 communicates with other communication devices 10 using one of the three communication modules 14.

[0036] <Specific Example of Operation of Communication System 100> The operation of the communication system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 , taking the communication device 10-1 as an example. As shown in FIG. 3 , the three communication modules 14-1, 14-2, and 14-3 included in the communication device 10-1 can be connected to a total of at least six links L12-1, L12-2, L12-3, L13-1, L13-2, and L13-3. For example, assume that the communication device 10-1 communicates with the communication device 10-2 using link L12-1 and with the communication device 10-3 using link L13-3. In this case, the monitored link management unit 11 of the communication status management device 1 included in the communication device 10-1 manages the number of monitored links to be two. This number "two" may be set by a user operation, or may be determined by the monitored link management unit 11 based on the connection status of the communication modules 14-1, 14-2, and 14-3.

[0037] In this case, the communication state management device 1 included in the communication device 10-1 operates as follows. The monitored link management unit 11 acquires the number of monitored links (step S11). Here, as described above, 2 is acquired as the number of monitored links. Next, the connection management unit 12 acquires the number of currently connected links (step S12). As described above, in this example, two links L12-1 and L13-3 are currently in a connected state, and the other four links L12-2, L12-3, L13-1, and L13-2 are in a disconnected state. In this case, the connection management unit 12 acquires 2 as the number of currently connected links. Next, the state determination unit 13 determines the state of each of the communication modules 14-1, 14-2, and 14-3 based on the number of monitored links, 2, and the currently connected link number, 2. In this example, the number of currently connected links is 2, which matches the number of links to be monitored (2), so the status determination unit 13 determines that the status of each of the communication modules 14-1, 14-2, and 14-3 in the communication device 10-1 is "good."

[0038] Similarly, the communication state management device 1 operates in the same way in communication device 10-2, determining the state of each of communication modules 14-1, 14-2, and 14-3 in communication device 10-2. Similarly, the communication state management device 1 operates in the same way in communication device 10-3, determining the state of each of communication modules 14-1, 14-2, and 14-3 in communication device 10-3. Note that the number of monitored links in each of communication devices 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 may be the same, or at least one may be different from the others. This is because the number of monitored links is managed independently in each communication device 10 according to its usage environment.

[0039] <Advantages of this exemplary embodiment> In this exemplary embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which a communication system 100 includes a plurality of communication devices 10, each of which includes one or more communication modules 14 and a communication status management device 1.

[0040] According to the configuration of the communication device 10, the number of monitored links is referenced to determine the status of one or more communication modules 14. The number of monitored links is the number of links to be monitored, and is managed according to the usage environment. As a result, the communication device 10 according to this exemplary embodiment can be applied to various network topologies, and can preferably determine the status of one or more communication modules 14.

[0041] Furthermore, according to such a configuration of the communication system 100, the number of monitored links is referenced in each communication device 10 to determine the status of one or more communication modules 14 in each communication device 10. The number of monitored links is managed independently in each communication device 10 according to its usage environment. As a result, the system can be applied to a variety of network topologies, and the status of one or more communication modules 14 in each communication device 10 can be suitably determined.

[0042] Exemplary Embodiment 3 A third exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Components having the same functions as those described in the first and second exemplary embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted as appropriate. This exemplary embodiment is a modification of the communication system 100 according to the second exemplary embodiment, in which the communication devices 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 are replaced by communication devices 10A-1, 10A-2, and 10A-3. When there is no need to distinguish between the communication devices 10A-1, 10A-2, and 10A-3, each of them will also be simply referred to as a communication device 10A. The number of communication devices 10A included in the communication system 100 is not limited to three, and may be two, four, or more. In other words, the communication system 100 according to this exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of communication devices 10A.

[0043] <Configuration of communication device> The configuration of a communication device 10A according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the communication device 10A. As shown in FIG. 4, the communication device 10A includes a communication status management device 1A, wireless modules 14A-1, 14A-2, and 14A-3, a status display unit 21, an interface unit 22, and a packet transmission / reception unit 23. The communication status management device 1A includes a monitored link management unit 11A, a connection management unit 12A, a status determination unit 13A, and a steady state determination unit 15A. The steady state determination unit 15A is an example of a configuration that realizes the steady state determination means described in the claims. The status display unit 21 is an example of a configuration that realizes the display means described in the claims. When there is no need to particularly distinguish between the wireless modules 14A-1, 14A-2, and 14A-3, each will also be simply referred to as the wireless module 14A. The multiple wireless modules 14A are an example of a configuration that realizes "one or multiple communication modules" as recited in the claims.

[0044] (Interface section) The interface unit 22 is an interface for connecting to an information processing device (not shown). Examples of the information processing device include, but are not limited to, a host computer, an I / O device, and an accelerator. Specifically, for example, a host computer may be connected to one interface unit 22 of the multiple communication devices 10A, an I / O device may be connected to another interface unit 22, and an accelerator may be connected to yet another interface unit 22. For example, the interface unit 22 may be Ethernet (registered trademark) or GPIO (general-purpose input / output), but is not limited to these.

[0045] (Packet transmitter / receiver) The packet transmitter / receiver 23 transmits a packet received from an information processing device via the interface unit 22 via one of the multiple wireless modules 14A. At this time, the wireless module 14A used to transmit the packet is a wireless module 14A that has established a link with one of the wireless modules 14A included in the communication device 10A that is the destination of the packet. Furthermore, the packet transmitter / receiver 23 transmits the packet received via one of the wireless modules 14A to the information processing device via the interface unit 22. The wireless module 14A that receives the packet is a wireless module 14A that has established a link with one of the wireless modules 14A included in the communication device 10A that is the sender of the packet. In this way, the packet transmitter / receiver 23 can transmit and receive packets as long as there is at least one wireless module 14A among the multiple wireless modules 14A that has established a link with another communication device 10A with which to communicate.

[0046] (multiple radio modules) The multiple wireless modules 14A will be described in the same manner as "one or more communication modules" in the first exemplary embodiment. Furthermore, the fact that there are multiple wireless modules 14A and that wireless communication standards are used will be described as follows. The "multiple wireless modules 14A" are targets for determining the status, and the status is determined for each of the multiple wireless modules 14A. Each wireless module 14A establishes a link for wireless communication between itself and a wireless module 14A included in another communication device 10A different from the communication device 10A including the wireless module 14A. Note that the multiple wireless modules 14A may include wireless modules 14A that comply with different wireless communication standards. For example, assume that the wireless module 14A-1 uses a first wireless communication standard, the wireless module 14A-2 uses a second wireless communication standard, and the wireless module 14A-3 uses a third wireless communication standard. In this case, the first wireless communication standard, the second wireless communication standard, and the third wireless communication standard may all be the same, or at least one may be different from the others. Specific examples of the first to third wireless communication standards include, but are not limited to, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications), and private LTE (Long Term Evolution).

[0047] A wireless module 14A included in a certain communication device 10A establishes a link with a wireless module 14A included in another communication device 10A that uses the same wireless communication standard. In this exemplary embodiment, a wireless module 14A-1 included in a certain communication device 10A establishes a link with the wireless module 14A-1 included in the other communication device 10A using a first wireless communication standard. A wireless module 14A-2 included in a certain communication device 10A establishes a link with the wireless module 14A-2 included in the other communication device 10A using the first wireless communication standard. A wireless module 14A-3 included in a certain communication device 10A establishes a link with the wireless module 14A-3 included in the other communication device 10A using the first wireless communication standard.

[0048] (Connection Management Unit) The connection management unit 12A manages the number K of currently connected links by the multiple wireless modules 14A. Specifically, the connection management unit 12A calculates the total number of currently connected links by the wireless modules 14A-1, 14A-2, and 14A-3 as the number of currently connected links by the multiple wireless modules 14A.

[0049] (Steady state determination section) The steady state determination unit 15A sequentially acquires the number of connected links K managed by the connection management unit 12A and determines whether the acquired number of connected links K is steady. Furthermore, if the steady state determination unit 15A determines that the acquired number of connected links K is steady, it supplies the number of connected links K to the monitored link management unit 11A. For example, if the number of connected links K managed by the connection management unit 12A increases, the steady state determination unit 15A determines that the increased number of connected links K is steady. Furthermore, for example, if the number of connected links K managed by the connection management unit 12A decreases, the steady state determination unit 15A determines that the decreased number of connected links K is steady if the decreased number of connected links K remains unchanged for a predetermined period. Specific examples of determinations made by the steady state determination unit 15A will be described later.

[0050] (Monitored Link Management Unit) The monitored link management unit 11A manages the number N of monitored links related to the multiple wireless modules 14A. Specifically, the monitored link management unit 11A manages the maximum number K of connected links to date by the multiple wireless modules 14A as the number N of monitored links. The monitored link management unit 11A also updates the number N of monitored links by referencing the number K of connected links acquired from the steady state determination unit 15A. For example, the monitored link management unit 11A updates the number N of monitored links so that the number K of connected links acquired from the steady state determination unit 15A becomes the number N of monitored links.

[0051] Here, when the communication device 10A is powered on, the monitored link management unit 11A sets the number of monitored links N to a predetermined value. The predetermined value may be zero. The predetermined value may also be a value set at the time of shipment or a value set by a user operation. The predetermined value may also be the value of the number of monitored links N immediately before the communication device 10A was last powered off. In this case, the monitored link management unit 11A stores the value of the number of monitored links N at that time in memory immediately before the communication device 10A is powered off.

[0052] (Status determination section) The status determination unit 13A determines the status for each of a plurality of wireless modules 14A. The status determination unit 13A determines the status for each of a plurality of wireless modules 14A so that the status of each of the plurality of wireless modules 14A corresponds to the difference between the number of links to be monitored N and the number of currently connected links K. The status determination unit 13A also controls the status display unit 21 so that the result of the determination is displayed on the status display unit 21.

[0053] (Status display section) The status display unit 21 performs display according to the determination result by the status determination unit 13A. The communication device 10A includes one status display unit 21 for each of the multiple wireless modules 14A. The status display unit 21 may be configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display or a light-emitting device, but is not limited to these. For example, when configured by a liquid crystal display, the status display unit 21 may display text information indicating the determination result (e.g., "good," "bad," or "none"). Furthermore, when configured by a light-emitting device, the status display unit 21 may emit light in a light-emitting state associated with the determination result (e.g., "good," "bad," or "none"). The light-emitting state may be, for example, a lighting pattern that specifies the time and sequence of lighting and extinguishing, or may be an emitted color.

[0054] In this exemplary embodiment, an example will be described in which the status display unit 21 is an indicator including multiple LEDs that emit light in different colors. Hereinafter, the status display unit 21 will also be referred to as the indicator 21. One indicator 21 is included in the communication device 10A. That is, the indicator 21 displays the status (determination results) determined for the multiple wireless modules 14A. The indicator 21 emits an LED of an emission color associated with the determination result based on the control of the status determination unit 13A. For example, the determination result "good" is associated with "blue," "bad" with "yellow," and "none" with "red."

[0055] <Operation of communication device> A specific example of the operation of the communication device 10A configured as above will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of the operation of the communication device 10A from time t1 to time t4.

[0056] 5, at time t1, the current number of connected links K is 5. Here, it is assumed that the maximum number of connected links K from power-on until time t1 is 5. Therefore, the monitored link management unit 11A manages the number of monitored links N as 5 at time t1.

[0057] Next, at time t2, which is later than time t1, the current number of connected links K is 5. Therefore, the connection management unit 12A acquires 5 as the number of connected links K. Here, the status determination unit 13A determines that the status of the multiple wireless modules 14A is "good" because the number of links to be monitored N and the current number of connected links K are equal. Furthermore, the status determination unit 13A causes the indicator 21 to emit light in "blue," which is associated with the determination result of "good."

[0058] Next, at time t3, which is later than time t2, three of the five links that were connected at time t2 are disconnected, so the current number of connected links K is 2. Therefore, the connection management unit 12A acquires 2 as the number of connected links K. Here, the status determination unit 13A determines that the status of the multiple wireless modules 14A is "bad" because the current number of connected links K is less than the number of monitored links N and is greater than 0. Furthermore, the status determination unit 13A causes the indicator 21 to emit "yellow", which is associated with the determination result of "bad".

[0059] Next, at time t4, which is later than time t3, both of the two links that were connected at time t3 are disconnected, and therefore the current number of connected links K is 0. Therefore, the connection management unit 12A acquires 0 as the number of connected links K. Here, when the current number of connected links K is 0, the status determination unit 13A determines that the status of the multiple wireless modules 14A is "absent." Furthermore, the status determination unit 13A causes the indicator 21 to emit "red," which is associated with the determination result of "absent."

[0060] <Example of communication system operation> Specific examples 1 to 3 of the operations of communication devices 10A-1, 10A-2, and 10A-3 in communication system 100 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Note that link Lij-n shown in Figures 6 to 8 is a link connecting wireless module 14A-n included in communication device 10A-i with wireless module 14A-n included in communication device 10A-j (i = 1, 2, 3, j = 1, 2, 3, i ≠ j). Furthermore, in the examples of Figures 6 to 8, indicators 21 included in communication devices 10A-1, 10A-2, and 10A-3, respectively, are described as indicators 21-1, 21-2, and 21-3.

[0061] (Example 1) Concrete Example 1 is an example of the operation of the communication system 100 when the number of connected links increases over time. Concrete Example 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the communication system 100 at time points t11 and t12.

[0062] 6, at time t11, the number of links established in the communication system 100 is one, and link L13-1 has been established. Also, assume that the communication device 10A-1 and the communication device 10A-2 have been connected only to link L13-1 from when they were each powered on until time t11.

[0063] At time t11, communication device 10A-1 has established link L13-1 with destination communication device 10A-3. Therefore, the current number of connected links K is 1. Furthermore, since the maximum number of connected links K up to now is also 1, the number of links to be monitored N is managed as 1. Therefore, since the number of links to be monitored N=1 and the number of connected links K=1 are equal, status determination unit 13A determines that the status of the multiple wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is "good." Furthermore, indicator 21-1 emits light in "blue," which is associated with "good."

[0064] Furthermore, at time t11, communication device 10A-3 has established link L13-1 with destination communication device 10A-1. Therefore, the current number of connected links K is 1. Furthermore, since the maximum number of connected links K up to now is also 1, the number of links to be monitored N is managed as 1. Therefore, since the number of links to be monitored N=1 and the number of connected links K=1 are equal, status determination unit 13A determines that the status of the multiple wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is "good." Furthermore, indicator 21-3 emits light in "blue," which is associated with "good."

[0065] Furthermore, at time t11, communication device 10A-2 has not established a link with communication devices 10A-1 and 10A-3. Therefore, the current number of connected links K is 0. Furthermore, since the maximum number of connected links K up to now is also 0, the number of links to be monitored N is managed as 0. Therefore, since the number of connected links K=0, status determination unit 13A determines that the status of the plurality of wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is "none." Furthermore, indicator 21-2 emits light in "red," which is associated with "none."

[0066] Next, at time t12, which is later than time t11, the number of links established in the communication system 100 increases to 7. The operation of the communication device 10A-3 at time t11 will be described with reference to Table T1 shown in FIG. 6. As shown in Table T1, in the communication device 10A-3, links L13-1, L13-2, and L13-3 are established between the communication device 10A-3 and the destination communication device 10A-1. In addition, links L23-1 and L23-2 are established between the communication device 10A-3 and the destination communication device 10A-2. As a result, the number K of connected links managed by the connection management unit 12A increases from 1 at time t11 to 5 at time t12.

[0067] Next, since the number of connected links K has increased from 1 to 5, the steady state determination unit 15A determines that the increased number of connected links, 5, is steady. The steady state determination unit 15A also supplies the number of connected links K=5 determined to be steady to the monitored link management unit 11A. The monitored link management unit 11A also updates the number of monitored links N so that it becomes the number of connected links K=5 obtained from the steady state determination unit 15A. In other words, as shown in Table T1, links L13-1, L13-2, link L13-3, and links L23-1 and L23-2 are monitored and are in a connected state. Link L23-3 is in a disconnected state and is not monitored.

[0068] Next, since the number of links to be monitored N=5 is equal to the number of connected links K=5, the status determination unit 13A determines that the status of the wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is "good." Furthermore, the indicator 21-1 emits light in "blue," which is associated with "good."

[0069] Furthermore, at time t12, in the communication device 10A-1, links L13-1, L13-2, and link L13-3 are established between the communication device 10A-1 and the destination communication device 10A-3. Furthermore, links L12-1 and L12-2 are established between the communication device 10A-1 and the destination communication device 10A-2. In this manner, the number of connected links K managed by the connection management unit 12A increases from 1 at time t11 to 5 at time t12. As a result, at time t12, the number of monitored links N in the communication device 10A-1 is updated to 5. Therefore, since the number of monitored links N=5 and the number of connected links K=5 are equal, the status determination unit 13A determines that the status of the plurality of wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is "good." Furthermore, the indicator 21-2 emits light in "blue," which is associated with "good."

[0070] Furthermore, at time t12, in communication device 10A-2, links L12-1 and L12-2 are established between communication device 10A-1, which is the destination of communication, and communication device 10A-2. Furthermore, links L23-1 and L23-2 are established between communication device 10A-3, which is the destination of communication. In this manner, the number of connected links K managed by connection management unit 12A increases from 0 at time t11 to 4 at time t12. As a result, at time t12, the number of monitored links N in communication device 10A-2 is updated to 4. Therefore, since the number of monitored links N=4 and the number of connected links K=4 are equal, status determination unit 13A determines that the status of the plurality of wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is "good." Furthermore, indicator 21-3 emits light in "blue," which is associated with "good."

[0071] (Example 2) Specific Example 2 is an example of the operation of the communication system 100 when all of the links connected to a certain communication device 10A are disconnected. Specific Example 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of the operation of the communication system 100 at time points t12 and t13. Note that the operation of each communication device 10A at time point t12 shown in Fig. 7 is the same as that described in Specific Example 1, and therefore detailed description will not be repeated.

[0072] Next, the operation of the communication device 10A-3 at time t13, which is after time t12, will be described with reference to Table T2 shown in FIG. 7. As shown in Table T2, at time t13, in the communication device 10A-3, all five links L13-1, L13-2, L13-3, L23-1, and L23-2 that were connected at time t12 are disconnected, and the number of connected links K is 0. Here, time t13 is assumed to be the time when a predetermined period has already elapsed since the number of connected links K became 0 after time t12. Therefore, since the number of connected links K managed by the connection management unit 12A decreases from 5 to 0 and the number of connected links K=0 after the decrease does not change for the predetermined period, the steady state determination unit 15A determines that the number of connected links K=0 after the decrease is steady. Furthermore, the steady state determination unit 15A supplies the number of connected links K=0 determined to be steady to the monitored link management unit 11A. Furthermore, the monitored link management unit 11A updates the number of monitored links N so that the number of connected links K obtained from the steady state determination unit 15A becomes 0. In other words, as shown in Table T1, none of the links L13-1, L13-2, link L13-3, and links L23-1, L23-2, and L23-3 are monitored and are in an unconnected state. In this case, since the number of connected links K is 0, the state determination unit 13A determines that the state of the wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is "absent." Furthermore, the indicator 21-3 emits light in "red," which is associated with "absent."

[0073] 7, the number K of connected links in each of the communication devices 10A-1 and 10A-2 has decreased relative to the time t12, but the number K of connected links after the decrease is determined to be steady, and the state is determined to be "good." The operation when the number K of connected links decreases in this way will be described using the following specific example 3.

[0074] (Example 3) Concrete Example 3 is an example of the operation of communication system 100 when the number of connected links K decreases over time. Concrete Example 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of communication system 100 at time points t14 and t15.

[0075] 8, at time t14, two links L13-2 and L23-2 are disconnected out of seven links L13-1, L13-2, L13-3, L12-1, L12-2, L23-1, and L23-2 that were connected immediately before that point in time in the communication system 100. Therefore, at time t14, five links L13-1, L13-3, L12-1, L12-2, and L23-1 are connected.

[0076] At time t14, communication device 10A-1 has established links L13-1 and L13-3 with destination communication device 10A-3, and has established links L12-1 and L12-2 with communication device 10A-2. Therefore, the current number of connected links K is 4. Furthermore, since the maximum number of connected links K up to time t14 was 5, the number of links to be monitored N is managed as 5. Therefore, since the number of connected links K=4 is less than the number of links to be monitored N=5, status determination unit 13A determines that the status of multiple wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is "bad." Furthermore, indicator 21-1 emits light in "yellow," which is associated with "bad."

[0077] Furthermore, at time t14, communication device 10A-2 has established links L12-1 and L12-2 with destination communication device 10A-1, and has established link L23-1 with communication device 10A-3. Therefore, the current number of connected links K is 3. Furthermore, since the maximum number of connected links K up to time t14 was 4, the number of links to be monitored N is managed as 4. Therefore, since the number of connected links K=3 is less than the number of links to be monitored N=4, status determination unit 13A determines that the status of multiple wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is "bad." Furthermore, indicator 21-2 emits light in "yellow," which is associated with "bad."

[0078] Furthermore, at time t14, in communication device 10A-3, links L13-1 and L13-3 are established with destination communication device 10A-1, and link L23-1 is established with communication device 10A-2. Therefore, the current number of connected links K is 3. Furthermore, since the maximum number of connected links K up to time t14 was 5, the number of links to be monitored N is managed as 5. Therefore, since the number of connected links K=3 is less than the number of links to be monitored N=5, the status determination unit 13A determines that the status of the multiple wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is "bad." Furthermore, indicator 21-3 emits light in "yellow," which is associated with "bad."

[0079] Next, the operation of the communication device 10A-3 at time t15, a predetermined period of time after time t14, will be described with reference to Table T3 shown in FIG. 8. As shown in Table T3, in the communication device 10A-3, the number of connected links K decreases from 5 at time t14 to 3 at time t15, and the number of connected links K=3 after the decrease remains unchanged during the predetermined period from time t14 to time t15. Therefore, the steady state determination unit 15A determines that the number of connected links K=3 after the decrease is steady. The steady state determination unit 15A also supplies the number of connected links K=3 determined to be steady to the monitored link management unit 11A. The monitored link management unit 11A also updates the number of monitored links N so that it becomes the number of connected links K=3 obtained from the steady state determination unit 15A. 6, links L13-2 and L23-2 are no longer monitored and are not connected. As a result, the number of monitored links N=3 is equal to the number of connected links K=3, so the status determination unit 13A determines that the status of the wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is "good." Furthermore, the indicator 21-3 emits light in "blue," which is associated with "good."

[0080] Furthermore, at time t15, in communication device 10A-1, the number of connected links K=4 remains unchanged for a predetermined period from time t14 to time t15, and therefore it is determined that the number of connected links K=4 is steady. As a result, the number of monitored links N is updated to 4. As a result, the status of the wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is determined to be "good." Furthermore, indicator 21-1 emits light in "blue," which is associated with "good."

[0081] Furthermore, at time t15, in communication device 10A-2, the number of connected links K=3 remains unchanged for a predetermined period from time t14 to time t15, and therefore it is determined that the number of connected links K=3 is steady. As a result, the number of links to be monitored N is updated to 3. As a result, the status of the wireless modules 14A-1 to 14A-3 as a unit is determined to be "good." Furthermore, indicator 21-2 emits light in "blue," which is associated with "good."

[0082] In this way, in each communication device 10A, at time t14 when the number of connected links K has decreased, the status is determined to be "bad" and the indicator 21 emits "red" light. Then, at time t15 after a predetermined period has elapsed, the decreased number of connected links K is considered to be steady and the status is determined to be "good", and the indicator 21 emits "blue" light.

[0083] <Advantages of this exemplary embodiment> In this exemplary embodiment, in each communication device 10A, a monitored link management unit 11A manages the maximum number of connected links K to date by multiple wireless modules 14A as the number of monitored links N.

[0084] Here, it is highly likely that the maximum number K of connected links up to now is a normal number of connected links in the current usage environment of the communication system 100. Such a maximum number K of connected links up to now does not depend on the wireless communication standard adopted by each of the multiple wireless modules 14A or the network topology in the communication system 100.

[0085] Therefore, the above configuration has the effect of being able to suitably determine the state of a plurality of wireless modules 14A as a unit, without depending on the wireless communication standard or network topology of each wireless module 14A.

[0086] Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the status determination unit 13A determines the status of the multiple wireless modules 14A so that the status corresponds to the difference between the number of monitored links N and the number of currently connected links K. Specifically, the status determination unit 13A determines the status as "good" if K matches N and K is not 0, determines the status as "bad" if K is smaller than N, and determines the status as "none" if K is 0.

[0087] According to the above configuration, the states of the plurality of wireless modules 14A can be more appropriately determined based on the difference between the number N of links to be monitored and the number K of currently connected links.

[0088] Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, the steady state determination unit 15A sequentially acquires the number of connected links K managed by the connection management unit 12A, determines whether the acquired number of connected links K is steady, and if it determines that the acquired number of connected links K is steady, supplies the number of connected links to the monitored link management unit 11A, and the monitored link management unit 11A updates the number of monitored links N so that the number of connected links K acquired from the steady state determination unit 15A becomes the number of monitored links N.

[0089] According to the above configuration, the number K of connected links that is determined to be steady is referenced to determine the state of the plurality of wireless modules 14A. As a result, even if the number K of connected links changes, the state can be determined more appropriately.

[0090] In addition, in this exemplary embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which, when the number K of connected links managed by the connection management unit 12A increases, the steady state determination unit 15A determines that the number K of connected links after the increase is steady.

[0091] Here, if a new link is connected in the communication system 100, it is desirable to monitor that link. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the newly connected link is added to the monitoring targets, so that the states of the multiple wireless modules 14A can be determined more appropriately.

[0092] In addition, in this exemplary embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which, when the number of connected links managed by the connection management unit 12A decreases, the steady state determination unit 15A determines that the number of connected links after the decrease is steady if the number of connected links after the decrease does not change for a predetermined period of time.

[0093] Here, the usage environment of the communication system 100 may change, causing a previously connected link to be disconnected, resulting in a decrease in the number of connected links. For example, one of the communication devices 10A may move out of an area where wireless communication with other communication devices 10A is possible. If this state becomes steady, there is no need to monitor the link with the moved communication device 10A. In this case, if the number of monitored links N is not updated, the status determination unit 13A will determine that the number of monitored links N is "bad," and the indicator 21 will illuminate red, which is inconsistent with the situation. Therefore, according to the above configuration, if the number of connected links K after the decrease is steady, the number of connected links K after the decrease is set as the number of monitored links N, thereby enabling more appropriate determination of the status of the multiple wireless modules 14A.

[0094] In addition, in this exemplary embodiment, each communication device 10A includes multiple wireless modules 14A, and the status determination unit 13A is configured to determine the status of each of the multiple wireless modules 14A.

[0095] Here, if the status of each wireless module 14A or the status of each link were determined individually, it would be necessary to know the network topology and the wireless communication standard of each wireless module 14A in order to understand the determination result, making the determination result difficult to understand. According to the above configuration, the status of multiple wireless modules 14A is determined based on the number of connected links, which is the total number of links to which multiple wireless modules 14A are connected. As a result, this exemplary embodiment can provide a determination result that is easier to understand regarding the status of multiple wireless modules 14A, even if the network topology and the wireless communication standard of each wireless module 14A are not known.

[0096] In addition, in this exemplary embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which an indicator 21 is further provided to display an indication according to the determination result by the state determination unit 13A.

[0097] According to the above configuration, the state determination results for the multiple wireless modules 14A are displayed by one indicator 21, so that the determination results can be presented to the user in a more easily understandable manner.

[0098] [Modification] In this exemplary embodiment, the determination result by the status determination unit 13A has been described as having three levels: "good," "bad," and "none." However, the determination result may have two or more levels. For example, the status determination unit 13A may determine the case where the number of currently connected links K is smaller than the number of monitored links N by dividing the determination into multiple levels. Specifically, for example, if K is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio of N, the status may be determined as "slightly bad," and if K is less than the predetermined ratio, the status may be determined as "bad." In this case, the determination result has four levels: "good," "slightly bad," "bad," and "none." In this case, the indicator 21 includes LEDs with four different colors and emits light in the colors associated with the determination results. The determination result may also be the ratio of the number of connected links K to the number of monitored links N. In this case, the determination result is expressed as a numerical value between 0 and 100. In this case, the status display unit 21 may be configured as a liquid crystal display, and the numerical value itself may be displayed on the status display unit 21.

[0099] In this exemplary embodiment, the monitored link management unit 11A has been described as updating the number of monitored links N so that the number of connected links K acquired from the steady state determination unit 15A becomes the number of monitored links N. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the monitored link management unit 11A may update the number of monitored links N by referring to the acquired number of connected links K. For example, the monitored link management unit 11A may set the number of monitored links N to a statistical value (average value, maximum value, etc.) of a plurality of numbers of connected links K acquired successively over the most recent predetermined period, but is not limited to this.

[0100] In this exemplary embodiment, a case has been described in which there are a plurality of wireless modules 14A, but the number of wireless modules 14A included in at least one of the plurality of communication devices 10A included in the communication system 100 may be one. Furthermore, at least one of the plurality of communication devices 10A may include a wired communication module instead of or in addition to at least one of the wireless modules 14A.

[0101] [Software implementation example] Some or all of the functions of the communication state control devices 1, 1A and the communication devices 10, 10A may be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit (IC chip), or may be realized by software.

[0102] In the latter case, the communication state management devices 1, 1A and the communication devices 10, 10A are realized, for example, by a computer that executes instructions of a program, which is software that realizes each function. An example of such a computer (hereinafter referred to as computer C) is shown in FIG. 9. The computer C includes at least one processor C1 and at least one memory C2. The memory C2 stores a program P for causing the computer C to operate as the communication state management devices 1, 1A and the communication devices 10, 10A. In the computer C, the processor C1 reads and executes the program P from the memory C2, thereby realizing each function of the communication state management devices 1, 1A and the communication devices 10, 10A.

[0103] The processor C1 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a micro processing unit (MPU), a floating point number processing unit (FPU), a physics processing unit (PPU), a microcontroller, or a combination thereof. The memory C2 may be, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a combination thereof.

[0104] The computer C may further include a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the program P during execution and for temporarily storing various data. The computer C may also include a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from other devices. The computer C may also include an input / output interface for connecting input / output devices such as a keyboard, mouse, display, and printer.

[0105] Furthermore, the program P can be recorded on a non-transitory tangible recording medium M that can be read by the computer C. Such a recording medium M can be, for example, a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, or a programmable logic circuit. The computer C can acquire the program P via such a recording medium M. The program P can also be transmitted via a transmission medium. Such a transmission medium can be, for example, a communication network or broadcast waves. The computer C can also acquire the program P via such a transmission medium.

[0106] [Appendix 1] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the above-described embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0107] [Appendix 2] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can also be described as follows: However, the present invention is not limited to the following described aspects.

[0108] (Appendix 1) a monitored link management means for managing the number of monitored links relating to one or more communication modules; a connection management means for managing the number of currently connected links by the one or more communication modules; a status determination means for determining a status of the one or more communication modules by referring to the number of monitored links and the number of currently connected links; A communication status management device comprising:

[0109] According to the above configuration, the number of monitored links is referenced to determine the status of one or more communication modules. The number of monitored links is managed as the number of links to be monitored. As a result, the configuration can be applied to a variety of network topologies, and the status of one or more communication modules can be suitably determined.

[0110] (Appendix 2) The monitored link management means manages the maximum number of currently connected links by the one or more communication modules as the number of monitored links. 2. A communication state management device according to claim 1.

[0111] Here, the maximum number of connected links up to now is likely to be the normal number of connected links in the current usage environment of one or more communication modules. Such a maximum number of connected links up to now does not depend on the network topology. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to suitably determine the status of one or more communication modules without depending on the network topology.

[0112] (Appendix 3) The state determination means determining a state of the one or more communication modules so that the state of the one or more communication modules corresponds to a difference between the number of monitored links and the number of currently connected links; 3. A communication state management device according to claim 1 or 2.

[0113] According to the above configuration, the state of one or more communication modules can be more appropriately determined according to the difference between the number of links to be monitored and the number of currently connected links.

[0114] (Appendix 4) further comprising a steady state determination means for sequentially acquiring the number of connected links managed by the connection management means and determining whether the acquired number of connected links is steady; When the steady state determination means determines that the acquired number of connected links is steady, it supplies the number of connected links to the monitored link management means; The monitored link management means updates the number of monitored links by referring to the number of connected links acquired from the steady state determination means. 4. A communication state management device according to any one of appendices 1 to 3.

[0115] According to the above configuration, the number of monitored links used to determine the status of the plurality of communication modules is updated by referring to the number of connected links determined to be steady, thereby making it possible to more appropriately determine the status even when the number of connected links changes.

[0116] (Appendix 5) The steady state determination means When the number of connected links managed by the connection management means increases, the number of connected links after the increase is determined to be steady. 5. A communication state management device according to claim 4.

[0117] Here, if there is a link to which one or more communication modules are newly connected, it is desirable to monitor that link. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the newly connected link is added to the monitoring targets, so that the status of one or more communication modules can be more appropriately determined.

[0118] (Appendix 6) The steady state determination means When the number of connected links managed by the connection management means decreases, if the number of connected links after the decrease does not change for a predetermined period of time, the number of connected links after the decrease is determined to be steady. 6. A communication state management device according to claim 4 or 5.

[0119] Here, there may be cases where at least some of the links previously connected by one or more communication modules are disconnected, resulting in a decrease in the number of connected links. If this state becomes steady, there is no need to monitor the disconnected links. Therefore, according to the above configuration, if the number of connected links after the decrease remains steady, the number of monitored links is updated by referring to the number of connected links after the decrease, thereby more appropriately determining the state of one or more communication modules.

[0120] (Appendix 7) The monitored link management means The number of monitored links is updated so that the number of connected links acquired from the steady state determination means becomes the number of monitored links. 7. A communication state management device according to any one of appendixes 4 to 6.

[0121] According to the above configuration, the number of monitored links used to determine the status of the plurality of communication modules is updated to the number of connected links determined to be steady, thereby making it possible to more appropriately determine the status even when the number of connected links changes.

[0122] (Appendix 8) the number of the communication modules is plural, The state determination means determines the state of each of the plurality of communication modules. 8. A communication state management device according to any one of appendices 1 to 7.

[0123] According to the above configuration, one state is judged for a plurality of communication modules as a unit, so the judgment result is easy to understand even if one does not know the network topology or the communication standards of the individual communication modules.

[0124] (Appendix 9) a display means for displaying a display according to the result of the determination by the state determination means; 9. The communication state management device according to any one of appendices 1 to 8, further comprising:

[0125] According to the above configuration, the status of one or more communication modules can be presented to the user in a recognizable manner.

[0126] (Appendix 10) The one or more communication modules include a wireless module. 10. A communication state management device according to any one of appendices 1 to 9.

[0127] According to the above configuration, the same effect as that of Supplementary Note 1 is achieved for one or more communication modules including a wireless module.

[0128] (Appendix 11) the number of the communication modules is plural, The plurality of communication modules include communication modules that comply with different communication standards. 11. A communication state management device according to any one of appendices 1 to 10.

[0129] According to the above configuration, the determination result is easy to understand even if the user does not understand the different communication standards adopted by the multiple communication modules.

[0130] (Appendix 12) A communication state management device according to any one of appendices 1 to 11; the one or more communication modules; A communication device comprising:

[0131] According to the above configuration, a communication device that achieves the same effects as those of Supplementary Note 1 can be realized.

[0132] (Appendix 13) A plurality of communication devices are provided, Each of the plurality of communication devices one or more communication modules; a monitored link management means for managing the number of monitored links relating to the one or more communication modules; a connection management means for managing the number of currently connected links by the one or more communication modules; a status determination means for determining a status of the one or more communication modules by referring to the number of monitored links and the number of currently connected links; A communication system comprising:

[0133] According to the above configuration, a communication system that achieves the same effects as those of Supplementary Note 1 can be realized.

[0134] (Appendix 14) In each of the plurality of communication devices, the number of the communication modules is plural, The state determination means determines the state of each of the plurality of communication modules. 14. The communication system of claim 13.

[0135] According to the above configuration, a communication system that achieves the same effects as those of Supplementary Note 8 can be realized.

[0136] (Appendix 15) The one or more communication modules include a wireless module. 15. The communication system of claim 13 or 14.

[0137] According to the above configuration, a communication system that achieves the same effects as those of Supplementary Note 10 can be realized.

[0138] (Appendix 16) the number of the communication modules is plural, The plurality of communication modules include communication modules that comply with different communication standards. 16. A communication system according to any one of appendices 13 to 15.

[0139] According to the above configuration, a communication system that achieves the same effects as those of Supplementary Note 11 can be realized.

[0140] (Appendix 17) A communication state management device Obtaining a number of monitored links for one or more communication modules; Obtaining the number of currently connected links by the one or more communication modules; The number of monitored links and the number of currently connected links are referenced to determine the state of the one or more communication modules. Communication status management method.

[0141] According to the above configuration, the same effects as those in Supplementary Note 1 are achieved.

[0142] (Appendix 18) A program for causing a computer to function as a communication status management device, the program comprising: a monitored link management means for managing the number of monitored links relating to one or more communication modules; a connection management means for managing the number of currently connected links by the one or more communication modules; a status determination means for determining a status of the one or more communication modules by referring to the number of monitored links and the number of currently connected links; A program that functions as a

[0143] According to the above configuration, the same effects as those in Supplementary Note 1 are achieved.

[0144] [Appendix 3] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can also be expressed as follows.

[0145] at least one processor, the processor comprising: a monitored link management process for managing the number of monitored links for one or more communication modules; a connection management process for managing the number of currently connected links by the one or more communication modules; a state determination process for determining the state of the one or more communication modules by referring to the number of monitored links and the number of currently connected links; A communication status management device that executes the above. The communication status management device may further include a memory that stores a program for causing the processor to execute the monitored link management process, the connection management process, and the status determination process. The program may also be recorded on a computer-readable, non-transitory, tangible recording medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 1. 1A Communication Status Management Device 100 Communication Systems 10, 10A Communication Equipment 11, 11A Monitored link management section 12, 12A Connection Management Unit 13, 13A Status determination section 14 Communication Module 14A Wireless Module 15, 15A Steady state determination section 21 Status display section (indicator) 22 Interface section 23 Packet Transmitter / Receiver C1 processor C2 Memory

Claims

1. A monitored link manager that manages the number of monitored links for one or more communication modules. and a connection management means for managing the number of currently connected links by the one or more communication modules; 、 The one or more communication links are monitored by referring to the number of monitored links and the number of currently connected links. a state determination means for determining the state of the module; The number of connected links managed by the connection management means is sequentially acquired, and the acquired connected links If the number is steady, the number of connected links is recorded in the monitored link management means. a steady state determination means for supplying the Equipped with The monitored link management means refers to the number of connected links acquired from the steady state determination means. The number of monitored links is updated based on the Communication status management device.

2. The monitored link management means is configured to monitor the latest link information of the one or more communication modules. The number of large connection links is managed as the number of links to be monitored. The communication state management device according to claim 1 .

3. The state determination means The status of the one or more communication modules is determined by the number of monitored links and the current connection determining a state of the one or more communication modules so that the state is in accordance with the difference between the number of links; Determine The communication state management device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. When the steady state determination means determines that the acquired number of connected links is steady, supplies the number of connected links to the monitoring target link management means; The monitored link management means refers to the number of connected links acquired from the steady state determination means. The number of monitored links is updated based on the The communication state management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The steady state determination means When the number of connection links managed by the connection management means increases, the number of connection links after the increase Determine the number of links as steady The communication state management device according to claim 4.

6. The steady state determination means When the number of connection links managed by the connection management means is reduced, the number of connection links after the reduction is If the number of connected links does not change for a predetermined period of time, the number of connected links after the decrease is determined to be steady. do 6. The communication state management device according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The monitored link management means The number of connected links acquired from the steady state determination means is set to the number of monitored links. , update the number of monitored links. The communication state management device according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

8. the number of the communication modules is plural, The state determination means determines the state of each of the plurality of communication modules. The communication state management device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. a display means for displaying a display according to the result of the determination by the state determination means; The communication state management device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

10. The one or more communication modules include a wireless module. The communication state management device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. the number of the communication modules is plural, The plurality of communication modules include communication modules that comply with different communication standards. be captured The communication state management device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A communication state management device according to any one of claims 1 to 11; the one or more communication modules; A communication device comprising:

13. A plurality of communication devices are provided, Each of the plurality of communication devices one or more communication modules; A monitoring target link that manages the number of monitoring target links related to the plurality of communication modules. a link management means; A connection management means for managing the number of currently connected links by said one or more communication modules. and, By referring to the number of monitored links and the number of currently connected links, the one or more communication links are a state determination means for determining a state of the receiving module; The number of connected links managed by the connection management means is sequentially acquired, and the acquired number of connected links is When the number of connected links is steady, the number of connected links is a steady state determination means for supplying the Equipped with The monitored link management means determines the number of connected links acquired from the steady state determination means. Refer to the above and update the number of links to be monitored. Communication system.

14. In each of the plurality of communication devices, the number of the communication modules is plural, The state determination means determines the state of each of the plurality of communication modules.

14. The communication system of claim 13.

15. The one or more communication modules include a wireless module.

15. A communication system according to claim 13 or 14.

16. the number of the communication modules is plural, The plurality of communication modules include communication modules that comply with different communication standards. be captured 16. A communication system according to any one of claims 13 to 15.

17. A communication state management device A monitored link manager that manages the number of monitored links for one or more communication modules. The processing process and a connection management step of managing the number of currently connected links by the one or more communication modules; 、 The one or more communication links are monitored by referring to the number of monitored links and the number of currently connected links. a state determination step of determining the state of the module; The number of connected links managed in the connection management step is sequentially acquired, and the acquired connected links are When the number of connected links is steady, the number of connected links is a steady state determination step of supplying the Including, In the monitoring target link management step, the number of connected links acquired from the steady state determination step is Refer to the above and update the number of links to be monitored. Communication status management method.

18. A program for causing a computer to function as a communication status management device, Computer, A monitored link manager that manages the number of monitored links for one or more communication modules. and a connection management means for managing the number of currently connected links by the one or more communication modules; 、 The one or more communication links are monitored by referring to the number of monitored links and the number of currently connected links. a state determination means for determining the state of the module; The number of connected links managed by the connection management means is sequentially acquired, and the acquired connected links If the number is steady, the number of connected links is recorded in the monitored link management means. a steady state determination means for supplying the It functions as The monitored link management means refers to the number of connected links acquired from the steady state determination means. The number of monitored links is updated based on the program.

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