Electronic device, control method, and program

Abstract

To provide an electronic apparatus, a control method, and a program capable of reducing the power consumption of a battery and achieving maintenance-free operation.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus includes: a primary battery; a control unit that operates using power supplied from the primary battery; a power generation unit that generates power by energy harvesting; a power storage unit that stores the generated power; and a first communication unit that operates using power supplied from the power storage unit. When power by which the first communication unit can communicate at least once is stored in the power storage unit, the control unit causes the power stored in the power storage unit to be supplied to the first communication unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there are various electronic devices that use power generated by energy harvesting (environmental power generation), a power generation method that converts environmental energy (such as vibration, light, or heat) into electricity. With energy harvesting, the power obtained is dependent on the environment, making it difficult to obtain stable power. As a countermeasure, various technologies have been proposed that enable the combined use of power generated by energy harvesting and power obtained from batteries (primary or secondary batteries).

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a technology for controlling power supply in a vibration-powered energy generator in which a battery (primary battery or secondary battery) is connected in parallel to a power storage unit that stores power generated by vibration. In this technology, the power supply is controlled so that communication is performed using the generated power when the amount of generated power is sufficient, and communication is performed using power obtained from the battery when the amount of generated power is insufficient. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-210167 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in a configuration like the technology in Patent Document 1 that uses battery power when the amount of power generated by energy harvesting is insufficient, the frequency of battery maintenance varies depending on the type and frequency of operations performed using battery power. For example, because communication consumes a lot of power, the more frequently communication using battery power occurs, the faster the battery drains, and the more frequently the battery needs to be replaced. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve maintenance-free operation with a configuration like the technology described in Patent Document 1.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device, a control method, and a program that can reduce the amount of power consumption of a battery and achieve maintenance-free operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an electronic device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a primary battery, a control unit that operates using power supplied from the primary battery, and a sensor unit that operates using power supplied from the primary battery and acquires sensor information; A power generation unit that generates power by energy harvesting, a power storage unit that stores the generated power, and a device that operates using power supplied from the power storage unit. and transmitting the sensor information acquired by the sensor unit to a management server. a first communication unit for the power storage unit supplies stored power only to the first communication unit; When the power storage unit has stored enough power for the first communication unit to perform at least one communication, the control unit supplies the power stored in the power storage unit to the first communication unit.

[0008] A control method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a control step in which a control unit operates using power supplied from a primary battery; a sensor information acquisition step in which a sensor unit operates using power supplied from the primary battery and acquires sensor information; A power generation process in which a power generation unit generates power by energy harvesting, a power storage process in which a power storage unit stores the generated power, and a first communication unit operates using power supplied from the power storage unit. and transmitting the sensor information acquired by the sensor unit to a management server. a first communication step of: the power storage step supplies the power stored in the power storage unit only to the first communication unit; The control process causes the power storage unit to supply the power stored in the power storage unit to the first communication unit when the power storage unit has stored enough power to enable the first communication unit to perform at least one communication.

[0009] A program according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a control unit that operates a computer using power supplied from a primary battery; a sensor information acquisition means that operates using power supplied from the primary battery and acquires sensor information; A power generation unit that generates power by energy harvesting, a power storage unit that stores the generated power, and a device that operates using the power supplied by the power storage unit. and transmitting the sensor information acquired by the sensor information acquisition means to a management server. and a first communication means for the power storage means supplies stored power only to the first communication means; When the power storage means has stored enough power to perform at least one communication using the first communication means, the control means causes the power storage means to supply the power stored therein to the first communication means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the amount of power consumed by the battery and achieve maintenance-free operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a management system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of device information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of the communication device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of reader information according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of a communication device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of a communication device when a read signal includes a device ID according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. A management system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a system for managing sensor information obtained by a sensor device provided in an electronic device. In the following embodiment, as an example, a description will be given of an example in which the management system is used as a container management system for managing the opening and closing of a container door based on the sensor information. Note that the system in which the management system is used is not limited to a container management system. The container is not particularly limited as long as it has a door. The container is transported by rail, truck, ship, airplane, etc. In the following embodiment, an example in which the container is transported by a freight train will be described. The electronic device is, for example, an IoT (Internet of Things) device. In the following embodiment, an example will be described in which the electronic device is a communication device. However, the electronic device is not limited to a communication device. The sensor device may be any sensor device depending on the information to be sensed, the sensing target, etc. In the following embodiment, an example in which the sensor device is a proximity sensor will be described as an example. The proximity sensor detects the open / closed state of the door of the container that is the sensing target, and acquires information indicating the open / closed state as sensor information. Note that the sensor device is not limited to a proximity sensor.

[0013] <<1. First Embodiment>> A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0014] <1-1. Management system configuration> The configuration of the management system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the container management system 1 includes a communication device 10, a management server 20, and a user terminal 30.

[0015] (1) Communication Device 10 The communication device 10 is an electronic device for detecting the open / closed state of the door of the container 40. The communication device 10 detects the open / closed state of the door of the container 40 using a proximity sensor provided in the communication device 10. The communication device 10 is provided with respect to the container 40 such that the proximity sensor provided in the communication device 10 can detect the open / closed state of the door of the container 40. For example, the communication device 10 is provided on the door of the container 40. The location where the communication device 10 is provided is not limited to the door of the container 40. The communication device 10 may be provided at any location depending on the information to be sensed by the sensor device and the sensing target.

[0016] The communication device 10 is communicably connected to the management server 20 and transmits and receives various information. For example, the communication device 10 transmits its own device identification information (hereinafter also referred to as "device ID") and sensor information acquired by a proximity sensor to the management server 20. The communication device 10 communicates with the management server 20 using, for example, LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) as a communication standard. A specific LPWA standard may be any of Sigfox, NB-IoT, LoRa (LoRa WAN), ELTRES, ZETA, Wi-SUN, and the like.

[0017] (2) Management Server 20 The management server 20 is a server device that manages information related to the communication device 10 (hereinafter also referred to as "device information"). The management server 20 includes input devices (mouse, keyboard, touch panel, etc.), display devices (display, etc.), output devices (speakers, data output function), a central processing unit, a storage device, etc. The management server 20 may be a server owned by a business operator that provides the container management system 1, or may be a cloud server. The device information is stored in a storage device that the management server 20 has.

[0018] The management server 20 is communicably connected to the communication device 10 and transmits and receives various information. For example, the management server 20 receives a device ID and sensor information from the communication device 10 via a network. The management server 20 stores the received device ID and sensor information in a storage device as device information. For example, the management server 20 stores the received sensor information in association with a device ID corresponding to the received device ID among device IDs registered in advance in the device information. The management server 20 is also communicably connected to the user terminal 30, and transmits and receives various information to and from the user terminal 30. For example, the management server 20 transmits device information to the user terminal via a network.

[0019] Here, the device information managed by the management server 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the device information according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the device information is made up of, for example, a device ID, container information, and sensor information.

[0020] The device ID is identification information of the communication device 10 provided in each container 40. The container information is information about the container 40 in which the communication device 10 is installed, and includes, for example, a container ID and information indicating the loading position of the container 40. The container ID is identification information of the container 40 in which the communication device 10 is installed. The information indicating the loading position of the container 40 is indicated, for example, by identification information of the vehicle on which the container 40 is loaded (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle ID"), or identification information of the area in which the container 40 is loaded on the vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as "area ID"). The vehicle ID and area ID are registered in advance by, for example, an administrator. In the first embodiment, an example will be described in which the information indicating the loading position of the container 40 is indicated by the vehicle ID. The sensor information is information acquired by a proximity sensor provided in the communication device 10, and includes information indicating the acquisition date and time and the open / close state. The acquisition date and time is information indicating the date and time when the sensor information was acquired. The open / close state is information indicating whether the door of the container 40 is open or closed.

[0021] 2, it can be seen that the communication device 10 with the device ID "d0001" is installed in the container 40 with the container ID "c101". It can also be seen that the container 40 with the container ID "c101" is loaded on a vehicle with the vehicle ID "v01". Furthermore, the sensor information also reveals the open / closed state of the door of container 40 with container ID "c101." Specifically, it can be seen that the door of container 40 with container ID "c101" was closed at the dates and times "2021 / 10 / 1 10:10:00," "2021 / 10 / 1 10:30:00," and "2021 / 10 / 1 10:40:00." On the other hand, it can be seen that the door of container 40 with container ID "c101" was open at the date and time "2021 / 10 / 1 10:20:00." From this, it can be seen that the door of container 40 with container ID "c101" was open at the date and time "2021 / 10 / 1 10:20:00," but was subsequently closed.

[0022] 2, it can be seen that the communication device 10 with the device ID "d0002" is installed in a container with the container ID "c102". It can also be seen that the container with the container ID "c102" is loaded on a vehicle with the vehicle ID "v02". Furthermore, the sensor information also reveals the open / closed state of the door of container 40 with container ID "c102." Specifically, it reveals that the door of container 40 with container ID "c102" is closed at the dates and times "2021 / 10 / 1 10:11:00" and "2021 / 10 / 1 10:21:00." However, while sensor information was received up to "2021 / 10 / 1 10:40:00" from the communication device 10 with the device ID "d0001," sensor information was only received up to "2021 / 10 / 1 10:21:00" from the communication device 10 with the device ID "d0002." From this, it can be inferred that some kind of abnormality may have occurred in the communication device 10 with the device ID "d0002" after "2021 / 10 / 1 10:21:00." The abnormality may be, for example, a failure of the communication device 10, a failure of the sensor device, a power shortage for controlling the operation of the communication device 10, or a power shortage for communication.

[0023] (3) User terminal 30 The user terminal 30 is a terminal used by a user. The user is, for example, a freight train operator. The user terminal 30 includes an input device (mouse, keyboard, touch panel, etc.), a display device (display, etc.), an output device (speaker, data output function), a central processing unit, a storage device, etc. The user terminal 30 may be any terminal such as a computer, smartphone, tablet, etc. The user terminal 30 displays on a display device the information received from the management server 20. For example, the user terminal 30 receives device information from the management server 20 and displays it on a display device.

[0024] <1-2. Functional configuration of communication devices> The configuration of the container management system 1 according to the first embodiment has been described above. Next, the functional configuration of the communication device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1, the communication device 10 includes a primary battery 11, a power generation unit 12, a power storage unit 13, a switch 14, an LPWA communication unit 15 (first communication unit), a storage unit 16, a sensor unit 17, and a control unit 19. In the first embodiment, the functions of the storage unit 16 and the control unit 19 are realized by a microcontroller (microcomputer).

[0025] (1) Primary battery 11 The primary battery 11 has a function of supplying power. The primary battery is, for example, a button-type (coin-type) battery or a cylindrical dry cell battery. The primary battery 11 supplies power to the memory unit 16, the sensor unit 17, and the control unit 19. In the first embodiment, the primary battery 11 does not supply power to the LPWA communication unit 15, which consumes a large amount of power, but supplies power only to the memory unit 16, the sensor unit 17, and the control unit 19, which consume relatively little power.

[0026] (2) Power Generation Unit 12 The power generation unit 12 has a function of generating electricity by energy harvesting (hereinafter also referred to as "EH power generation"). In EH power generation, the power generation unit 12 generates electricity by converting vibrations into electricity. The vibrations are, for example, vibrations that occur when a container 40 in which the communication device 10 is installed is transported. Specifically, the vibrations are vibrations that occur when a freight train carrying the container 40 moves. The power generation unit 12 supplies the generated power to the power storage unit 13 for storage.

[0027] (3) Power storage unit 13 The power storage unit 13 has a function of storing power. The power storage unit 13 is, for example, a supercapacitor. The power storage unit 13 stores the power generated by the power generation unit 12. The power storage unit 13 then supplies the stored power to the LPWA communication unit 15. In the first embodiment, the power storage unit 13 is not supplied with power from the primary battery 11, but supplies power to the LPWA communication unit 15, which consumes a large amount of power. This allows the communication device 10 to operate the LPWA communication unit 15 without consuming power from the primary battery 11, thereby reducing the amount of power consumed by the primary battery 11. Furthermore, reducing the amount of power consumed by the primary battery 11 allows the user to operate the communication device 10 for a long period of time (for example, 10 years or more) without replacing the primary battery 11.

[0028] Furthermore, the supply of power from the power storage unit 13 to the LPWA communication unit 15 is controlled by a switch 14, which will be described later. For example, the power storage unit 13 supplies power to the LPWA communication unit 15 only when the switch 14 is on. If there is no control by the switch 14 and power is always flowing between the power storage unit 13 and the LPWA communication unit 15, the power stored in the power storage unit 13 will be wasted due to the power being flowing even if the LPWA communication unit 15 is not in operation. However, in the first embodiment, the control by the switch 14 prevents power from always being flowing between the power storage unit 13 and the LPWA communication unit 15, thereby preventing the power stored in the power storage unit 13 from being wasted.

[0029] (4) Switch 14 The switch 14 is provided between the power storage unit 13 and the LPWA communication unit 15, and has a function of controlling the supply of power from the power storage unit 13 to the LPWA communication unit 15. The switch 14 is, for example, a field effect transistor (FET) switch. The switch 14 is switched on or off according to the control of the control unit 19, which will be described later.

[0030] (5) LPWA communication unit 15 The LPWA communication unit 15 has a function of transmitting and receiving various information by communication using LPWA. The LPWA communication unit 15 operates using power supplied from the power storage unit 13. The LPWA communication unit 15 communicates only when power is supplied from the power storage unit 13. When communicating, the LPWA communication unit 15 transmits the device ID stored in the memory unit 16 and the sensor information acquired by the sensor unit 17 to the management server 20. The device ID stored in the memory unit 16 is the first identification information.

[0031] (6) Storage section 16 The storage unit 16 has a function of storing various types of information. The storage unit 16 operates using power supplied from the primary battery 11. The storage unit 16 is realized by a memory in a microcomputer that the communication device 10 has as hardware. The storage unit 16 stores the device ID of the communication device 10. The device ID is registered in advance by, for example, a user. The storage unit 16 may also store sensor information acquired by the sensor unit 17.

[0032] (7) Sensor unit 17 The sensor unit 17 has a function of acquiring sensor information. The sensor unit 17 operates using power supplied from the primary battery 11. The sensor unit 17 acquires sensor information only when power is supplied from the primary battery 11. The sensor unit 17 outputs the acquired sensor information to the control unit 19. It is not necessary to constantly supply power from the primary battery 11 to the sensor unit 17, but it is desirable to supply power only when it is desired to acquire sensor information. This makes it possible to prevent the power of the primary battery 11 from being wasted.

[0033] (8) Control Unit 19 Control unit 19 has the function of controlling the overall operation of communication device 10. Control unit 19 operates using power supplied from primary battery 11. Control unit 19 is realized by causing a CPU (Central Processing Unit) in a microcomputer provided as hardware in communication device 10 to execute a program.

[0034] The control unit 19 controls the supply of power from the power storage unit 13 to the LPWA communication unit 15 by controlling whether the switch 14 is turned on or off depending on the amount of power stored in the power storage unit 13. Specifically, the control unit 19 monitors the amount of power stored in the power storage unit 13 while always keeping the switch 14 off. During monitoring, if the power storage unit 13 stores enough power for the LPWA communication unit 15 to perform at least one communication, the control unit 19 determines to supply the power stored in the power storage unit 13 to the LPWA communication unit 15. At this time, the control unit 19 turns on the switch 14. As a result, power is supplied from the power storage unit 13 to the LPWA communication unit 15, and the LPWA communication unit 15 becomes ready for communication. When communication by LPWA communication unit 15 is completed, control unit 19 determines to stop the supply of power from power storage unit 13 to LPWA communication unit 15. At this time, control unit 19 turns off switch 14. This stops the supply of power from power storage unit 13 to LPWA communication unit 15, and LPWA communication unit 15 enters a state in which it cannot communicate. This allows control unit 19 to prevent the power stored in power storage unit 13 from being wasted in LPWA communication unit 15. After turning off switch 14, control unit 19 resumes monitoring the amount of power stored in power storage unit 13, and repeats the above-described control.

[0035] When the power stored in the power storage unit 13 is supplied to the LPWA communication unit 15, the control unit 19 outputs information to be transmitted from the LPWA communication unit 15 to the management server 20 (hereinafter also referred to as "transmission information") together with a transmission instruction to the LPWA communication unit 15. For example, the control unit 19 acquires a device ID and sensor information as transmission information and outputs them to the LPWA communication unit 15. Specifically, the control unit 19 acquires the device ID from the storage unit 16 and acquires the sensor information from the sensor unit 17.

[0036] The control unit 19 may control the on / off of the storage unit 16 and the sensor unit 17. For example, the control unit 19 turns on the storage unit 16 and the sensor unit 17 using power supplied from the primary battery 11 only when acquiring the transmission information, and turns off the storage unit 16 and the sensor unit 17 after acquiring the transmission information. This allows the control unit 19 to reduce the amount of power consumed by the primary battery 11 compared to when the storage unit 16 and the sensor unit 17 are always on.

[0037] <1-3. Operation> The functional configuration of the communication device 10 according to the first embodiment has been described above. Next, the operation of the communication device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the communication device 10 according to the first embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 3, it is assumed that power is generated by the power generation unit 12 and power is stored by the power storage unit 13 every time vibration occurs. It is also assumed that processing starts with the switch 14 in an off state.

[0038] 3, first, the control unit 19 of the communication device 10 monitors the amount of power stored in the power storage unit 13 (step S101). In this monitoring, the control unit 19 determines whether or not the power storage unit 13 has stored enough power to allow the LPWA communication unit 15 to perform at least one communication (step S102). If it is determined that power has been stored (step S102 / YES), the control unit 19 proceeds to step S103. On the other hand, if it is determined that power has not been stored (step S102 / NO), the control unit 19 returns the process to step S101 and continues monitoring the amount of stored power.

[0039] When the process proceeds to step S103, the control unit 19 acquires a device ID from the storage unit 16 (step S103).

[0040] Next, the control unit 19 acquires sensor information from the sensor unit 17 (step S107). Specifically, the control unit 19 turns on the sensor unit 17 using power supplied from the primary battery 11. This causes the sensor unit 17 to operate and acquire the sensor information. After acquiring the sensor information from the sensor unit 17, the control unit 19 turns off the sensor unit 17.

[0041] Next, the control unit 19 turns on the switch 14 (step S105), which starts supplying power from the power storage unit 13 to the LPWA communication unit 15, and the LPWA communication unit 15 becomes ready for communication.

[0042] Next, the control unit 19 performs communication processing (step S106). Specifically, the control unit 19 outputs the acquired device ID and sensor information together with an instruction to transmit the device ID and sensor information to the LPWA communication unit 15. As a result, the LPWA communication unit 15 transmits the device ID and sensor information to the management server 20.

[0043] Next, the control unit 19 turns off the switch 14 (step S107), which stops the supply of power from the power storage unit 13 to the LPWA communication unit 15, and the LPWA communication unit 15 enters a state where it cannot communicate. After the switch 14 is turned off, the control unit 19 repeats the process from step S101.

[0044] The order of the processes from step S103 to step S105 shown in FIG. 3 is not limited to this example.

[0045] As described above, the communication device 10 according to the first embodiment includes a primary battery 11, a control unit 19 that operates using power supplied from the primary battery 11, a power generation unit 12 that generates power through energy harvesting, a power storage unit 13 that stores the generated power, and an LPWA communication unit 15 that operates using power supplied from the power storage unit 13. When the power storage unit 13 has stored enough power for the LPWA communication unit 15 to perform at least one communication, the control unit 19 causes the power stored in the power storage unit 13 to be supplied to the LPWA communication unit 15.

[0046] With this configuration, the communication device 10 uses only power generated by energy harvesting for communications that require a large amount of power consumption, and performs communication without using power from the primary battery 11. This allows the communication device 10 to reduce the amount of power consumed by the primary battery 11 compared to devices that use power from a primary battery for communication, and allows the primary battery 11 to last longer. This reduces the frequency with which the primary battery 11 in the communication device 10 needs to be replaced.

[0047] As described above, the communication device 10 according to the first embodiment can reduce the amount of power consumed by the battery and achieve maintenance-free operation.

[0048] <<2. Second Embodiment>> Having described the first embodiment above, a second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the LPWA communication unit performs communication when the power storage unit has stored enough power to perform at least one communication, but the present invention is not limited to this example. In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which, when the power storage unit has stored enough power for the LPWA communication unit to perform at least one communication, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) can be used to control the timing at which the LPWA communication unit performs communication. In the following, descriptions that overlap with the description in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

[0049] <2-1. Management system configuration> The configuration of a management system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management system according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the container management system 1a includes a communication device 10a, a management server 20a, a user terminal 30a, and an RFID reader 50.

[0050] (1) Communication device 10a The communication device 10a according to the second embodiment differs from the communication device 10 according to the first embodiment in that it has a configuration capable of communicating by RFID. For example, the communication device 10a has an antenna and an IC (integrated circuit) as the configuration. This enables the communication device 10a to receive a signal (hereinafter also referred to as a "read signal") from an RFID reader 50. Then, the communication device 10a communicates with the management server 20a at the timing when the read signal is received from the RFID reader 50.

[0051] The communication device 10a receives, for example, a read signal including identification information (hereinafter also referred to as "reader ID") of the RFID reader 50 from the RFID reader 50. The communication device 10a transmits the reader ID received from the RFID reader 50 to the management server 20a in addition to the device ID and sensor information.

[0052] (2) Management server 20a Unlike the management server 20 according to the first embodiment, the management server 20a according to the second embodiment also manages information relating to the RFID reader 50 (hereinafter also referred to as "reader information"). The reader information is stored in a storage device included in the management server 20a.

[0053] Here, the reader information managed by the management server 20a will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the reader information according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the reader information is made up of, for example, a reader ID and an installation location.

[0054] The reader ID is identification information of the RFID reader 50 provided at an arbitrary position. The installation location is information indicating the location where the RFID reader 50 is installed. The installation location is indicated by, for example, coordinates, a garage name, a station name, etc., which are registered in advance by a user. In the second embodiment, an example in which the installation location is indicated by coordinates will be described.

[0055] From the reader information shown in FIG. 5, the RFID reader 50 with the reader ID "r201" is located at the "(X 201 ,Y 201 )" coordinates. The RFID reader 50 with the reader ID "r202" is located at the coordinates of the installation location "(X 202 ,Y 202 )" coordinates.

[0056] Furthermore, in communication with the communication device 10a, the management server 20a receives the reader ID in addition to the device ID and sensor information.

[0057] Furthermore, in communication with the user terminal 30a, the management server 20a also transmits information based on the reader information to the user terminal 30a. For example, the management server 20a transmits to the user terminal 30a information indicating where the RFID reader 50 was installed to read the communication device 10a, based on the reader ID received from the communication device 10a and the reader information stored in the storage device.

[0058] (3) User terminal 30a The user terminal 30a according to the second embodiment differs from the user terminal 30 according to the first embodiment in that it also displays information based on the reader information received from the management server 20a on the display device.

[0059] (4) RFID Reader 50 The RFID reader 50 is a reading device that communicates with the communication device 10a via RFID. In this communication, the RFID reader 50 transmits a read signal including its own reader ID to the communication device 10a. The RFID reader 50 is, for example, fixedly installed at an arbitrary position. As an example, the RFID reader 50 is installed in a freight train depot or station. In this case, the RFID reader 50 transmits a read signal to the communication device 10a installed in the container 40 when the freight train carrying the container 40 leaves the depot or stops at or passes through a station. This allows the user to check the open / closed state of the door of the container 40 at these times.

[0060] <2-2. Functional configuration of communication devices> The configuration of the container management system 1a according to the second embodiment has been described above. Next, the functional configuration of the communication device 10a according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the communication device 10a includes a primary battery 11, a power generation unit 12, a power storage unit 13, a switch 14, an LPWA communication unit 15a, a memory unit 16, a sensor unit 17, an RFID communication control unit 18, and a control unit 19a.

[0061] (1) Primary battery 11 The function of the primary battery 11 according to the second embodiment is similar to the function of the primary battery 11 according to the first embodiment, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0062] (2) Power Generation Unit 12 The function of the power generating section 12 according to the second embodiment is similar to the function of the power generating section 12 according to the first embodiment, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0063] (3) Power storage unit 13 The function of the power storage unit 13 according to the second embodiment is similar to the function of the power storage unit 13 according to the first embodiment, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0064] (4) Switch 14 The function of the switch 14 according to the second embodiment is similar to the function of the switch 14 according to the first embodiment, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0065] (5)LPWA Communication Department 15a When communicating, the LPWA communication unit 15a transmits to the management server 20a the device ID stored in the memory unit 16, the sensor information acquired by the sensor unit 17, and also the reader ID received from the RFID reader 50.

[0066] (6) Storage section 16 The function of the storage unit 16 according to the second embodiment is similar to the function of the storage unit 16 according to the first embodiment, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0067] (7) Sensor unit 17 The function of the sensor unit 17 according to the second embodiment is similar to the function of the sensor unit 17 according to the first embodiment, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0068] (8) RFID communication control unit 18 The RFID communication control unit 18 has a function of controlling communication by the RFID communication function. The function of the RFID communication control unit 18 is realized by, for example, an antenna and an IC (integrated circuit) that the communication device 10a has as hardware. The RFID communication control unit 18 communicates with the RFID reader 50 using the RFID communication function. The RFID communication control unit 18 operates using power generated by communication with the RFID reader 50. Therefore, the RFID communication control unit 18 does not use power from the primary battery 11 or the power storage unit 13. As shown in FIG. 4, the RFID communication control unit 18 includes an RFID communication unit 180 (second communication unit) and a control unit 181.

[0069] (8-1) RFID communication unit 180 The RFID communication unit 180 has an RFID communication function and has a function of performing communication by RFID. The function of the RFID communication unit 180 is realized by, for example, an antenna that the RFID communication control unit 18 has as hardware. The RFID communication unit 180 uses the RFID communication function to communicate with the RFID reader 50. In communication with the RFID reader 50, the RFID communication unit 180 receives a read signal including a reader ID from the RFID reader 50.

[0070] (8-2) Control unit 181 The control unit 181 has a function of controlling the overall operation of the RFID communication control unit 18. The control unit 181 operates using power supplied from the RFID communication unit 180. The function of the control unit 181 is realized, for example, by an IC that the RFID communication control unit 18 has as hardware. The control unit 181 outputs the reader ID received by the RFID communication unit 180 to the control unit 19a.

[0071] (9) Control unit 19a When the power storage unit 13 stores enough power for the LPWA communication unit 15a to perform at least one communication and the RFID communication unit 180 receives a read signal from the RFID reader 50, the control unit 19a supplies the power stored in the power storage unit 13 to the LPWA communication unit 15a. With this configuration, the communication device 10a transmits transmission information to the management server 20a at the timing of receiving the read signal from the RFID reader 50. This allows the user to control the timing of communication by the communication device 10a, i.e., the timing of checking the open / closed state of the door of the container 40, by causing the RFID reader 50 to transmit a read signal to the communication device 10a.

[0072] Furthermore, when the power stored in the power storage unit 13 is supplied to the LPWA communication unit 15a, the control unit 19a outputs the reader ID included in the read signal received by the RFID communication unit 180 from the RFID reader 50 to the LPWA communication unit 15a. Specifically, the control unit 19a acquires the reader ID as transmission information in addition to the device ID and sensor information, and outputs it to the LPWA communication unit 15a. The control unit 19a acquires the reader ID from the control unit 181 of the RFID communication control unit 18.

[0073] <2-3. Operation> The functional configuration of the communication device 10a according to the second embodiment has been described above. Next, the operation of the communication device 10a according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the communication device 10a according to the second embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 6, it is assumed that power is generated by the power generation unit 12 and power is stored by the power storage unit 13 every time vibration occurs. It is also assumed that processing starts with the switch 14 in an off state.

[0074] The processing in steps S201 and S202 shown in FIG. 6 is similar to the processing in steps S101 and S102 described with reference to FIG. 3, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0075] When the process proceeds to step S203, the control unit 19a determines whether or not a read signal has been received from the RFID reader 50 (step S203). When it is determined that a read signal has been received (step S203 / YES), the control unit 19a proceeds to step S204. On the other hand, when it is determined that a read signal has not been received (step S203 / NO), the control unit 19a repeats the process of step S203.

[0076] When the process proceeds to step S204, the control unit 19a acquires the device ID from the storage unit 16 (step S204). Next, the control unit 19a acquires the reader ID included in the read signal received from the RFID reader 50 (step S205).

[0077] The processing from step S206 to step S209 is the same as the processing from step S104 to step S107 described with reference to FIG. 3, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted. In step S208, the control unit 19a outputs the reader ID in addition to the acquired device ID and sensor information together with a transmission instruction to the LPWA communication unit 15a, causing the LPWA communication unit 15a to transmit the reader ID in addition to the device ID and sensor information to the management server 20a.

[0078] The order of the processes from step S204 to step S207 shown in FIG. 6 is not limited to this example.

[0079] As described above, the communication device 10a according to the second embodiment includes a primary battery 11, a control unit 19a that operates using power supplied from the primary battery 11, a power generation unit 12 that generates power through energy harvesting, a power storage unit 13 that stores the generated power, and an LPWA communication unit 15a that operates using power supplied from the power storage unit 13. When the power storage unit 13 has stored enough power for the LPWA communication unit 15a to perform at least one communication, the control unit 19a causes the power storage unit 13 to supply the power stored in the power storage unit 13 to the LPWA communication unit 15a.

[0080] With this configuration, in the communication device 10a, only power generated by energy harvesting is used for communication that requires a large amount of power consumption, and communication is performed without using power from the primary battery 11. As a result, in the communication device 10a, the amount of power consumed by the primary battery 11 can be reduced compared to devices that use power from a primary battery for communication, and the primary battery 11 can last longer. Therefore, the frequency of replacing the primary battery 11 in the communication device 10a can be reduced.

[0081] As described above, the communication device 10a according to the second embodiment can reduce the amount of power consumed by the battery and achieve maintenance-free operation.

[0082] Furthermore, the communication device 10a according to the second embodiment includes an RFID communication unit 180 that communicates with the RFID reader 50. When the power storage unit 13 stores enough power for the LPWA communication unit 15a to perform at least one communication and the RFID communication unit 180 receives a read signal from the RFID reader 50, the control unit 19a supplies the power stored in the power storage unit 13 to the LPWA communication unit 15a. With this configuration, the user can control the timing of communication between the communication device 10a and the management server 20a by using the RFID reader 50. This allows the user to make the communication device 10a communicate with the management server 20a at any timing.

[0083] Furthermore, the control unit 19a outputs the reader ID of the RFID reader 50, which is included in the read signal received by the RFID communication unit 180 from the RFID reader 50, to the LPWA communication unit 15a. With this configuration, the management server 20a can also provide the user terminal 30a with information about the RFID reader 50 that transmitted the read signal to the communication device 10a.

[0084] <2-4. Modifications> The second embodiment has been described above. Next, modifications of the second embodiment will be described. Note that each modification described below may be applied to the second embodiment alone or in combination with other modifications. Furthermore, each modification may be applied in place of the configuration described in the second embodiment, or may be applied in addition to the configuration described in the second embodiment.

[0085] In the second embodiment described above, an example has been described in which the read signal received by the communication device 10a from the RFID reader 50 includes only the reader ID, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the read signal received by the communication device 10a from the RFID reader 50 may include a device ID in addition to the reader ID. The communication device 10a uses the device ID received from the RFID reader 50 to determine whether to communicate with the management server 20a. The device ID received by the communication device 10a from the RFID reader 50 is second identification information.

[0086] Specifically, the control unit 19a of the communication device 10a determines whether to communicate with the management server 20a, i.e., whether to supply the power stored in the power storage unit 13 to the LPWA communication unit 15a, depending on whether the device ID stored in the memory unit 16 matches the device ID received from the RFID reader 50. For example, the control unit 19a makes a determination when the RFID communication unit 180 receives a read signal including a device ID from the RFID reader 50. If the device ID stored in the storage unit 16 matches the device ID included in the read signal, the control unit 19a causes the power stored in the power storage unit 13 to be supplied to the LPWA communication unit 15a. On the other hand, if the device ID stored in the storage unit 16 does not match the device ID included in the read signal, the control unit 19a does not cause the power stored in the power storage unit 13 to be supplied to the LPWA communication unit 15a. With this configuration, only the communication device 10a corresponding to the device ID transmitted from the RFID reader 50 communicates with the management server 20a. This allows the user to have only a specific communication device 10a communicate with the management server 20a. For example, if there are multiple containers 40, the user can have the RFID reader 50 transmit a read signal containing the device ID of the communication device 10a provided in the container 40 for which the user wants to check the open / closed state of the door. This allows the user to check the open / closed state of only the door of a specific container 40 from among the multiple containers 40.

[0087] Here, the operation of the communication device 10a when the read signal includes a device ID will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the communication device 10a when the read signal includes a device ID according to the second embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 7, it is assumed that power is generated by the power generation unit 12 and power is stored by the power storage unit 13 every time vibration occurs. It is also assumed that processing starts with the switch 14 in an off state.

[0088] The processing from step S301 to step S303 shown in FIG. 7 is the same as the processing from step S201 to step S203 described with reference to FIG. 6, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0089] If the process proceeds to step S303, the control unit 19a acquires the device ID from the storage unit 16 and the received read signal (step S304). Next, the control unit 19a determines whether the acquired device IDs match (step S305). If it is determined that they match (step S305 / YES), the control unit 19a proceeds to step S306. On the other hand, if it is determined that they do not match (step S305 / NO), the control unit 19a repeats the process from step S303.

[0090] The processing from step S306 to step S310 is the same as the processing from step S205 to step S209 described with reference to FIG. 6, and therefore a duplicated description will be omitted. The order of the processes from step S306 to step S308 shown in FIG. 7 is not limited to this example.

[0091] In the second embodiment described above, the RFID reader 50 is a type of reader that is fixedly installed at an arbitrary position, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the RFID reader 50 may be a handheld reader that a user holds in his / her hand, or may be a smartphone or tablet terminal capable of communicating via RFID.

[0092] <<3. Modifications>> The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. Next, modified examples of the above-described embodiments will be described. Note that each modified example described below may be applied to each of the above-described embodiments alone, or may be applied to each of the above-described embodiments in combination. Furthermore, each modified example may be applied in place of the configuration described in each of the above-described embodiments, or may be applied in addition to the configuration described in each of the above-described embodiments.

[0093] In the above-described embodiments, an example has been described in which the communication standard used by the communication devices 10 and 10a to communicate with the management servers 20 and 20a, respectively, is LPWA, but this is not limiting. For example, the communication standard used by the communication devices 10 and 10a to communicate with the management servers 20 and 20a, respectively, may be a communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), 3G (third generation mobile communication system), LTE (Long Term Evolution), or 5G (fifth generation mobile communication system).

[0094] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, examples have been described in which the loading position is indicated by a vehicle ID or an area ID, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. For example, the loading position may be indicated by coordinates. In this case, the communication devices 10 and 10a are configured to be capable of GPS (Global Positioning System) positioning. The GPS is activated, for example, in the same manner as a sensor device, and acquires position information of the communication devices 10 and 10a. As a result, when the communication devices 10 and 10a transmit sensor information to the management servers 20 and 20a, the position information acquired by GPS positioning is also transmitted to the management servers 20 and 20a. Therefore, the management servers 20 and 20a can manage the loading positions of the containers 40 using coordinates.

[0095] In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, an example has been described in which the user terminals 30 and 30a display device information received from the management servers 20 and 20a on a display device, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the user terminals 30 and 30a may display information generated based on the device information on a display device. The information may be generated by the management servers 20 and 20a, or may be generated by the user terminals 30 and 30a.

[0096] In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, the power generation unit 12 generates power by converting vibrations into electricity, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the power generation unit 12 may generate power by converting sunlight, heat, or the like into electricity.

[0097] In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, an example has been described in which the storage unit 16 is realized by a memory in a microcomputer, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the storage unit 16 may be any storage medium depending on the type, size, etc. of the electronic device. For example, the storage unit 16 may be configured by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a random access read / write memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), or any combination of these storage media.

[0098] Modifications of the above-described embodiments have been described above. Note that some or all of the communication devices 10 and 10a in each of the above-described embodiments may be implemented by a computer. In this case, a program for implementing the functions may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program may be loaded into a computer system and executed. Note that the term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" may also include devices that dynamically store programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or telephone lines, or devices that store programs for a fixed period of time, such as volatile memory within a computer system that serves as a server or client. The program may be for implementing some of the functions described above, or may be capable of implementing the functions in combination with a program already stored in the computer system, or may be implemented using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0099] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to that described above, and various design changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1, 1a... container management system, 10, 10a... communication device, 11... primary battery, 12... power generation unit, 13... power storage unit, 14... switch, 15, 15a... LPWA communication unit, 16... memory unit, 17... sensor unit, 18... RFID communication control unit, 19, 19a... control unit, 20, 20a... management server, 30, 30a... user terminal, 40... container, 50... RFID reader, 180... RFID communication unit, 181... control unit

Claims

1. A primary battery; a control unit that operates using power supplied from the primary battery; a sensor unit that operates using power supplied from the primary battery and acquires sensor information; a power generation unit that generates electricity by energy harvesting; a power storage unit that stores the generated power; a first communication unit that operates using power supplied from the power storage unit and transmits the sensor information acquired by the sensor unit to a management server; Equipped with the power storage unit supplies stored power only to the first communication unit, the control unit causes the power storage unit to supply the power stored in the power storage unit to the first communication unit when the power storage unit has stored enough power for the first communication unit to perform at least one communication. electronic equipment.

2. the control unit stops the supply of power from the power storage unit to the first communication unit when communication by the first communication unit is terminated; The electronic device according to claim 1 .

3. a switch provided between the power storage unit and the first communication unit; Furthermore, the control unit controls the supply of power from the power storage unit to the first communication unit by controlling the on or off of the switch.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit outputs the sensor information acquired by the sensor unit to the first communication unit when the power stored in the power storage unit is supplied to the first communication unit. The electronic device according to claim 1 .

5. the control unit turns on the sensor unit using the power supplied from the primary battery when the power stored in the power storage unit is supplied to the first communication unit, and turns off the sensor unit after acquiring the sensor information.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4.

6. a second communication unit that communicates with the reading device; Furthermore, the control unit causes the power storage unit to supply the power stored in the power storage unit to the first communication unit when the power storage unit stores enough power for the first communication unit to perform at least one communication and the second communication unit receives a signal from the reading device. The electronic device according to claim 1 .

7. the control unit outputs, to the first communication unit, identification information of the reading device included in the signal received by the second communication unit from the reading device; 7. The electronic device according to claim 6.

8. a storage unit that stores first identification information; Furthermore, the control unit, when the second communication unit receives the signal including second identification information from the reading device, causes the power storage unit to supply the power stored therein to the first communication unit if the first identification information and the second identification information match, and does not cause the power storage unit to supply the power stored therein to the first communication unit if the first identification information and the second identification information do not match; 8. The electronic device according to claim 6 or 7.

9. The sensor unit is configured to be able to detect the open / closed state of the container door, and acquires information indicating the detected open / closed state as the sensor information. The electronic device according to claim 1 .

10. a control step in which the control unit operates using power supplied from the primary battery; a sensor information acquisition step in which a sensor unit operates using power supplied from the primary battery and acquires sensor information; a power generation process in which the power generation unit generates electricity by energy harvesting; a power storage step in which the power storage unit stores the generated power; a first communication step in which a first communication unit operates using power supplied from the power storage unit and transmits the sensor information acquired by the sensor unit to a management server; Including, the power storage step supplies the power stored in the power storage unit only to the first communication unit; the control step includes, when the power storage unit has stored therein power sufficient for the first communication unit to perform at least one communication, causing the power storage unit to supply the power stored in the power storage unit to the first communication unit. Control method.

11. Computer, a control means that operates using power supplied from a primary battery; a sensor information acquisition means that operates using power supplied from the primary battery and acquires sensor information; a power generation means for generating electricity by energy harvesting; a power storage means for storing the generated power; a first communication means that operates using power supplied by the power storage means and transmits the sensor information acquired by the sensor information acquisition means to a management server; It functions as the power storage means supplies stored power only to the first communication means; the control means causes the power storage means to supply the power stored in the power storage means to the first communication means when the power storage means has stored enough power to perform at least one communication by the first communication means; program.

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