Communication device, communication method, and computer program

Abstract

To provide a communication apparatus which is connected to a drive unit, such as an automobile, to communicate with an external network, while reducing cost required for manufacturing.SOLUTION: A communication apparatus includes: a drive unit communication unit which communicates with a drive unit to which the apparatus is connected; an external communication unit which communicates with another device over a network; an identification information acquisition unit which acquires type identification information indicating the type of the drive unit, from the drive unit connected to the drive unit communication unit; a setting information acquisition unit which transmits the type identification information to the other device via the external communication unit, to obtain, from the other device, setting information according to the type identification information; and a communication control unit which acquires information from the drive unit based on the setting information, and transmits the information to a predetermined device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, a communication device called a telematics control unit (TCU) has been proposed. The TCU is attached to various types of drive devices such as automobiles and agricultural vehicles, and realizes communication with an external network (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6084128 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in order to perform different control depending on the type of drivetrain, it is necessary to design and develop a dedicated TCU for each drivetrain. In this case, the costs required for designing, developing, and manufacturing the TCU may become high. This problem is not limited to TCUs, but is common to all communication devices that are connected to drivetrains, such as those in automobiles, and communicate with external networks.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can reduce the costs required up to the manufacturing stage of a communication device that is connected to a drive unit of an automobile or the like and communicates with an external network. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, a drive device communication unit that communicates with a drive device to which the device itself is connected; an external communication unit that communicates with other devices via a network; an identification information acquisition unit that acquires type identification information indicating a type of the drive device from the drive device connected to the drive device communication unit; a setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information corresponding to the type identification information from another device by transmitting information including the type identification information to the other device via the external communication unit; a communication control unit that acquires information from the drive device based on the setting information and transmits the information to a predetermined device; A communication device is provided, comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the cost required up to the manufacturing stage of a communication device that is connected to a drive unit of an automobile or the like and communicates with an external network. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a system configuration of a drive unit communication system 100 according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a functional configuration of a communication device 10. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of the functional configuration of a management device 30. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of an identification information table stored in an identification information storage unit 321. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of a setting information table stored in a setting information storage unit 322. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of a device information table stored in a device information storage unit 323. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a sequence chart showing a specific example of the flow of an initial operation when the communication device 10 in the drive device communication system 100 is powered on. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the system configuration of a drive unit communication system 100 according to one embodiment. First, an overview of the drive unit communication system 100 will be described. The drive unit communication system 100 includes a communication device 10, a drive unit 20, and a management device 30. The communication device 10 is communicatively connected to the drive unit 20. The communication device 10 communicates with the management device 30 via a network 90. ​​The communication device 10 may be connected to the network 90 via, for example, a base station 91. The network 90 may be a network using wireless communication or a network using wired communication. The network 90 may be configured by combining multiple networks. The communication device 10 may communicate with an artificial satellite 92. Each device will be described in more detail below. The drive unit communication system 100 may further include a user terminal 40. The user terminal 40 communicates with the management device 30 via, for example, the network 90. ​​Each device will be described below.

[0011] First, the communication device 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of the communication device 10. The communication device 10 is an information device capable of communication. The communication device 10 may be, for example, a TCU, or may be configured as another communication device. The communication device 10 includes a drive device communication unit 11, an external communication unit 12, a position information acquisition unit 13, a storage unit 14, and a control unit 15.

[0012] The drive unit communication unit 11 communicates with the drive unit 20 to which its own device (communication device 10) is connected. More specifically, the drive unit communication unit 11 may communicate with a control device (e.g., an ECU (Electronic Control Unit)) of the drive unit 20. The drive unit communication unit 11 may perform CAN (Controller Area Network) communication with the drive unit 20, for example.

[0013] The drive unit communication unit 11 may be physically connected to the drive unit 20 using a terminal, a plug, or the like. In this case, the drive unit communication unit 11 may be configured as a connector such as a terminal or a plug. The drive unit communication unit 11 may be communicatively connected to the drive unit 20 via a cable in a wired manner. In this case, the drive unit communication unit 11 may be configured as a communication interface having a connector to which a communication cable is connected. The drive unit communication unit 11 may be communicatively connected to the drive unit 20 via wireless communication. In this case, the drive unit communication unit 11 may be configured as a communication interface that performs wireless communication with the drive unit 20. The wireless communication performed between the drive unit communication unit 11 and the drive unit 20 may be, for example, short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth (registered trademark)), a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

[0014] The external communication unit 12 is a communication device that is communicatively connected to a network 90, which is an example of an external network. The external communication unit 12 may be connected to the network 90 by, for example, wireless communication with a base station 91. The external communication unit 12 may be connected to the network 90 via the base station 91 using, for example, 4G or 5G mobile communication technology. The external communication unit 12 communicates with other devices via the network 90. ​​For example, the external communication unit 12 communicates with the management device 30.

[0015] The location information acquisition unit 13 acquires location information of the current location of the communication device 10. The location information acquisition unit 13 acquires the location information of the current location, for example, by communicating with a satellite positioning system or a base station of a mobile phone network. Specific examples of satellite positioning systems include GPS (Global Positioning System) and Galileo. The location information acquisition unit 13 outputs the acquired location information to the control unit 15.

[0016] The storage unit 14 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk drive or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 14 functions as a communication device identification information storage unit 141, a type identification information storage unit 142, a drive device identification information storage unit 143, and a setting information storage unit 144. The communication device identification information storage unit 141 stores identification information (communication device identification information) assigned to its own device (communication device 10). The communication device identification information differs for each communication device 10. In other words, the communication device identification information is information that uniquely identifies the communication device 10.

[0017] The type identification information storage unit 142 stores type identification information of the drive unit 20 to which the device itself (communication device 10) is connected. The type identification information is information indicating the type of the drive unit 20, such as the model name, product name, and model number of the drive unit 20 (i.e., information that has the same value for drive units 20 of the same type). The type identification information may further include information indicating the version of the drive unit 20.

[0018] The drive unit identification information storage unit 143 stores identification information (drive unit identification information) of the drive unit 20 to which the device itself (communication device 10) is connected. The drive unit identification information may be, for example, identification information of the drive unit 20 itself, or identification information of an ECU provided in the drive unit 20. The drive unit identification information is identification information uniquely assigned to each drive unit 20 or ECU.

[0019] The setting information storage unit 144 stores setting information. The setting information is information used when the control unit 15 of the communication device 10 operates, and includes information indicating the operation of the control unit 15. The setting information may be, for example, the following information.

[0020] The content and type of information (notification information) that the communication device 10 acquires from the drive device 20 Timing at which the communication device 10 acquires each piece of notification information from the drive device 20 The timing at which the communication device 10 starts to acquire each piece of notification information from the driving device 20 The timing at which the communication device 10 transmits the notification information acquired from the driving device 20 to another device (for example, the management device 30). The content of the notification information that the communication device 10 acquires from the drive device 20 and transmits to another device (for example, the management device 30) The contents of the determination process performed by the communication device 10 based on the information acquired from the drive device 20 The timing at which the communication device 10 transmits information according to the result of the determination process to another device (for example, the management device 30). The timing at which the communication device 10 starts transmitting information according to the result of the determination process to another device (for example, the management device 30). The control content of each device included in the communication device 10 (for example, the timing of activation)

[0021] For example, the startup timing of the external communication unit 12 may be set in the setting information. In this case, the startup timing may be set differently for each product. By configuring in this way, it is possible to prevent interruptions.

[0022] The control unit 15 is configured using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. The control unit 15 functions as an identification information acquisition unit 151, a setting information acquisition unit 152, and a communication control unit 153 by the processor executing a program. Note that all or part of the functions of the control unit 15 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include portable media such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, and a semiconductor storage device (e.g., a solid-state drive (SSD)), and storage devices such as a hard disk or semiconductor storage device built into a computer system. The program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0023] The identification information acquisition unit 151 communicates with the drive unit 20 via the drive unit communication unit 11 and acquires type identification information of the drive unit 20 to which its own device (communication device 10) is connected. The identification information acquisition unit 151 records the acquired type identification information in the type identification information storage unit 142. The identification information acquisition unit 151 may also acquire drive unit identification information of the drive unit 20 to which its own device is connected. The identification information acquisition unit 151 records the acquired drive unit identification information in the drive unit identification information storage unit 143.

[0024] The setting information acquisition unit 152 communicates with the management device 30 via the external communication unit 12 and acquires setting information. At this time, the setting information acquisition unit 152 acquires setting information according to the type identification information stored in the type identification information storage unit 142. That is, the setting information acquisition unit 152 acquires setting information according to the type of the drive unit 20 to which the own device (communication device 10) is connected. At this time, the setting information acquisition unit 152 may further acquire setting information (auxiliary setting information, described later) according to the drive unit identification information of the drive unit 20 to which the own device is connected. The setting information acquisition unit 152 records the acquired setting information in the setting information storage unit 144.

[0025] The communication control unit 153 operates based on the setting information stored in the setting information storage unit 144. The communication control unit 153 controls, for example, communication with the driving device 20 via the driving device communication unit 11, communication with the management device 30 via the external communication unit 12, and the operation of the device itself. The communication control unit 153 operates according to the setting information stored in the setting information storage unit 144.

[0026] Next, the drive unit 20 will be described. The drive unit 20 is a device including a drive unit such as an engine or a motor. The drive unit 20 may be a device that moves by being driven by the drive unit, or a device that includes a drive unit but does not move by itself. The drive unit 20 may be, for example, a vehicle that carries people or objects, a work vehicle such as a lawn mower or a snow blower, a marine engine (outboard motor) that is attached to and drives a boat, a transport cart, a generator, a general-purpose engine, or other device. A work machine may, for example, include a drive unit for a working unit separate from a drive unit that generates power for movement, or may be equipped with a transmission that distributes power from the drive unit that generates power for movement to the working unit. The drive unit 20 may be provided with a control device such as an ECU. In this case, the control device such as an ECU controls the operation of the drive unit 20 and controls components provided in the drive unit 20. A power source connected to the drive unit 20 may supply power to the communication device 10 connected to the drive unit 20. The control device of the drive device 20 transmits information (hereinafter referred to as "notification information") indicating the operation and status of the device itself (the drive device 20) (including the operation and status of its components) to the communication device 10, for example, at a predetermined timing. The timing at which the control device transmits the notification information to the communication device 10 may be determined in advance by the drive device 20, may be set by the communication device 10, or may be the timing at which an inquiry is received from the communication device 10. The content of the notification information may be determined in advance by the drive device 20, may be set by the communication device 10, or may be defined in the inquiry transmitted from the communication device 10. The timing and content of such notification information may be defined in the setting information that the communication device 10 receives from the management device 30.

[0027] Next, the management device 30 will be described. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of the functional configuration of the management device 30. The management device 30 is configured using an information processing device such as a personal computer or a server device. The management device 30 includes a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a control unit 33.

[0028] The communication unit 31 is a communication device communicably connected to the network 90. ​​The communication unit 31 communicates with other devices via the network 90. ​​For example, the communication unit 31 communicates with the communication device 10 and the user terminal 40.

[0029] The storage unit 32 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk drive, a semiconductor storage device, etc. The storage unit 32 functions as an identification information storage unit 321, a setting information storage unit 322, a device information storage unit 323, and a history information storage unit 324.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of an identification information table stored in the identification information storage unit 321. The identification information table has multiple identification information records. The identification information record has values ​​of communication device identification information and type identification information. The communication device identification information indicates the identification information of the communication device 10. The type identification information indicates the type of driving device 20 to which the communication device 10 indicated by the communication device identification information in the same identification information record is connected. In other words, the communication device 10 indicated by the communication device identification information included in the identification information record is connected to a driving device 20 of the type indicated by the type identification information included in the same identification information record. The identification information record may further have a value of driving device identification information. In this case, the communication device identification information, type identification information, and driving device identification information are stored in association with each other.

[0031] 5 is a diagram showing a specific example of a setting information table stored in the setting information storage unit 322. The setting information table has multiple setting information records. A setting information record has type identification information and a value of setting information. The type identification information indicates the type of the driving device 20. The setting information is setting information to be applied to a communication device 10 connected to a driving device 20 of the type indicated by the type identification information of the same setting information record. One setting information record may include one or more type identification information.

[0032] The device information storage unit 323 stores a device information table. The device information table has multiple device information records. The device information records have information indicating the state history of the drive unit 20, information indicating settings for the drive unit 20, and information indicating the operation of the drive unit 20. Figure 6 is a diagram showing a specific example of a device information table stored in the device information storage unit 323. In the example of Figure 6, the device information record has values ​​for drive unit identification information, failure information, and auxiliary setting information. The drive unit identification information is identification information for the drive unit 20. The failure information is information indicating a failure that has occurred in the past or is currently occurring in the drive unit 20 indicated by the drive unit identification information of the same device information record. The failure information may indicate the type of failure and the date and time of the failure. The auxiliary setting information indicates setting information that is set in addition to the setting information that is normally applied to the drive unit 20 indicated by the drive unit identification information of the same setting information record. The auxiliary setting information may be set automatically by the control unit 33, for example, in response to failure information of the drive unit 20, or may be set based on information received from the terminal device (user terminal 40) of the owner of the drive unit 20.

[0033] The history information storage unit 324 records the history of information transmitted from the communication device 10. For example, the communication device 10 transmits notification information acquired from the drive device 20 to the management device 30 at a predetermined timing based on setting information stored in the communication device 10. The history information storage unit 324 stores this notification information transmitted from each communication device 10. For example, the history information storage unit 324 may store communication device identification information of the communication device 10, drive device identification information of the drive device 20, notification information acquired from the drive device 20, and information indicating date and time in association with each other. Also, for example, the communication device 10 generates error report information based on error information received from the drive device 20 and transmits the error report information to the management device 30. The history information storage unit 324 stores this error report information transmitted from each communication device 10.

[0034] The control unit 33 is configured using a processor such as a CPU and a memory. The control unit 33 functions as an identification information acquisition unit 331, a setting information provision unit 332, and an information management unit 333 by the processor executing a program. All or part of the functions of the control unit 33 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC, PLD, or FPGA. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and semiconductor storage devices (e.g., SSDs: Solid State Drives), as well as storage devices such as hard disks and semiconductor storage devices built into computer systems. The program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0035] The identification information acquisition unit 331 communicates with the communication device 10 via the communication unit 31, and acquires the identification information (communication device identification information) of the communication device 10 and the type identification information of the drive device 20 to which the communication device 10 is connected. The identification information acquisition unit 331 records the acquired communication device identification information and type identification information in the identification information storage unit 321 in association with each other.

[0036] When the setting information providing unit 332 receives a request for setting information from the communication device 10, it reads setting information corresponding to the type of the drive device 20 to which the communication device 10 is connected from the setting information storage unit 322. For example, if type identification information is received when the setting information is requested, the setting information providing unit 332 reads the setting information recorded in the setting information storage unit 322 in association with the type identification information. Then, the setting information providing unit 332 transmits the read setting information to the communication device 10 that sent the request.

[0037] The request for setting information may include the drive device identification information of the drive device 20 to which the communication device 10 that sent the setting information is connected. In this case, the setting information providing unit 332 determines whether the drive device identification information of the requested target is registered in association with auxiliary setting information in the device information record stored in the device information storage unit 323. If such auxiliary setting information is registered, the setting information providing unit 332 reads out the auxiliary setting information and transmits it to the communication device 10 that sent the request.

[0038] The information management unit 333 manages the information stored in the device information storage unit 323 and the information stored in the history information storage unit 324. For example, the information management unit 333 manages the auxiliary setting information stored in the device information storage unit 323. The information management unit 333 may register or change the auxiliary setting information for a specific drive unit 20 based on, for example, change information transmitted from the user terminal 40. Such change information includes the auxiliary setting information and the drive unit identification information. Based on the received change information, the information management unit 333 may register a new device information record recorded in the device information storage unit 323 or update already registered device information. Furthermore, when malfunction information is registered in the device information storage unit 323, the information management unit 333 may register auxiliary setting information according to the malfunction information. A rule (association) as to what kind of auxiliary setting information is registered when what kind of malfunction information is registered may be determined in advance.

[0039] The information management unit 333 receives notification information and error report information transmitted from each communication device 10 and records them in the history information storage unit 324. For example, the information management unit 333 may associate the communication device identification information of the communication device 10, the drive device identification information of the drive device 20, the notification information or error report information acquired from the drive device 20, and information indicating the date and time, and record them in the history information storage unit 324. The information management unit 333 may also determine whether a malfunction has occurred in each drive device 20 based on the information stored in the history information storage unit 324. Criteria for determining a malfunction may be predetermined. If the information management unit 333 determines that a malfunction has occurred, it registers the drive device identification information of the drive device 20 that was the subject of the determination and information indicating the determined malfunction in the device information storage unit 323, in association with each other.

[0040] 7 is a sequence chart showing a specific example of the flow of initial operations when the communication device 10 is powered on in the drive device communication system 100. For example, when the drive device 20 to which the communication device 10 is connected is powered on, power may be supplied from the drive device 20 to the communication device 10, and the communication device 10 may also be powered on and started up. When the communication device 10 is powered on and started up (step S101), the identification information acquisition unit 151 requests the type identification information of the drive device 20 to which the communication device itself (communication device) is connected from the drive device 20 (step S102).

[0041] The control device (e.g., ECU) of the drive device 20 transmits a type identification information response including type identification information of the own device (drive device 20) to the communication device 10 (step S103). The setting information acquisition unit 152 determines whether or not setting information corresponding to the type of the drive device 20 to which the own device (communication device 10) is connected has already been registered in the setting information storage unit 144 (step S104). For example, if the type identification information stored in the type identification information storage unit 142 matches the type identification information received in step S103 and the setting information is stored in the setting information storage unit 144, it may be determined that setting information corresponding to the type of the drive device 20 to which the own device (communication device 10) is connected has already been registered in the setting information storage unit 144. If the setting information has already been registered (step S104-YES), the setting information acquisition unit 152 of the communication device 10 does not execute processing to acquire the setting information from the management device 30, and the communication control unit 153 starts communication control using the setting information stored in the setting information storage unit 144 (step S111).

[0042] On the other hand, if the setting information corresponding to the drive unit 20 to which the communication device 10 is connected has not yet been registered in the setting information storage unit 144 (step S104-NO), the setting information acquisition unit 152 generates a setting information request and transmits it to the management device 30 (step S105). The setting information request includes, for example, at least information indicating a request for setting information, identification information (communication device identification information) of the communication device 10 itself, and type identification information of the drive unit 20 to which the communication device 10 is connected. The setting information request may further include drive device identification information.

[0043] When the setting information request is received, the setting information providing unit 332 of the management device 30 reads out the setting information stored in the setting information storage unit 322 in association with the type identification information included in the received setting information request. The setting information providing unit 332 also reads out the auxiliary setting information stored in the device information storage unit 323 in association with the drive device identification information included in the received setting information request. The setting information providing unit 332 generates a setting information response including the read setting information and auxiliary setting information. The setting information providing unit 332 then transmits the generated setting information response to the communication device 10 that has requested the setting information (step S106).

[0044] Furthermore, the identification information acquisition unit 331 of the management device 30 associates the communication device identification information and type identification information included in the received setting information request and registers them in the identification information storage unit 321 (step S107). If another identification information record having the same communication device identification information value has already been registered at this time, that identification information record may be deleted and a new identification information record may be registered, or the type identification information of that identification information record may be updated.

[0045] When the setting information acquisition unit 152 of the communication device 10 receives the setting information response, it registers the received setting information in the setting information storage unit 144. At this time, the setting information acquisition unit 152 also registers the auxiliary setting information included in the received setting information response as setting information in the setting information storage unit 144 (step S108). The setting information acquisition unit 152 interprets the registered setting information (including the auxiliary setting information) (step S109). The interpretation is a process of determining how to operate based on the setting information. The setting information acquisition unit 152 transmits information indicating the interpretation result (hereinafter referred to as "interpretation information") to the management device 30 (step S110). Then, the communication control unit 153 starts communication control using the setting information stored in the setting information storage unit 144 (step S111).

[0046] When the setting information providing unit 332 of the management device 30 receives the interpretation information, it records the received interpretation information in the history information storage unit 324 (step S112).

[0047] Next, a first specific example of communication control based on the setting information will be described. For example, if the driving device 20 is a work machine (e.g., a lawnmower), the communication device 10 may operate as follows based on the setting information. Here, the work machine has a working part (such as a lawnmower blade, a snowblower auger, or an outboard motor propeller) that is controlled by the control device of the moving device 20 or operated by the user.

[0048] While the drive unit 20 is performing a predetermined operation as a work machine (e.g., mowing a lawn) (hereinafter referred to as "in operation"), the communication device 10 may transmit information acquired from the drive unit 20 to the management device 30 at a first transmission cycle. While the drive unit 20 is not performing a predetermined operation as a work machine (e.g., while charging; hereinafter referred to as "not in operation"), the communication device 10 may transmit information acquired from the drive unit 20 to the management device 30 at a second transmission cycle. In this case, the first transmission cycle may be set to be shorter than the second transmission cycle. At this time, the communication device 10 may transmit to the management device 30 not only the information acquired from the drive unit 20 but also the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 13. Information defining the state of the drive unit 20 when it is in operation and the state when it is not in operation may be included in, for example, the setting information. In other words, information indicating the conditions for determining the state of the drive unit 20 (state determination conditions) may be included in the setting information. The state of the drive unit 20 may be defined as other states besides operating and not operating.

[0049] The notification information acquired by the communication device 10 from the drive unit 20 may include, for example, one or more of the number of revolutions per unit time of the engine, whether or not the lawnmower blade is rotating, the number of revolutions per unit time of the lawnmower blade, and the measurement value of a thermometer installed near the engine. Furthermore, if the drive unit 20 is equipped with a motor, the communication device 10 may acquire from the drive unit 20 the number of revolutions per unit time of the motor, the voltage value applied to the motor, the current value of the motor, and the like. In particular, if the drive unit moving device 20 is a work machine, information related to a drive unit (engine or motor) mounted on the work machine may be used as the notification information. In particular, if the drive unit 20 is a work machine, information related to a drive unit (engine or motor) that drives a work unit (such as a lawnmower blade, a snowplow auger, or an outboard motor propeller) mounted on the work machine may be used as the notification information. In particular, if the drive unit moving device 20 is equipped with a battery, the communication device 10 may acquire, from the drive unit moving device 20, the fluctuation value of the battery capacity, and the like.

[0050] Furthermore, the notification information that the communication device 10 acquires from the drive device 20 may be different while the device is operating and while the device is not operating. The definition of this predetermined operation may be specified in the setting information. The predetermined operation may involve movement of the drive device 20 in part or in its entirety, and the drive device 20 may be in a state of not moving while the predetermined operation is not being performed. This configuration reduces the possibility of the location becoming unknown during the predetermined operation, and reduces power consumption by reducing the communication frequency during periods when the possibility of the location becoming unknown is low in the first place (when the device is not operating, for example, while charging).

[0051] Next, a second specific example of communication control based on the setting information will be described. For example, if the frequency of occurrence of a failure in the drive device 20 exceeds a predetermined threshold, notification information may be transmitted at a relatively short interval, and if the frequency of occurrence of the failure does not exceed the predetermined threshold, notification information may be transmitted at a relatively long interval. The predetermined threshold may be defined in the setting information. The frequency of the failure may be determined, for example, by the communication control unit 153. In this case, the communication control unit 153 may record information (e.g., date and time) indicating the timing at which information indicating a failure (error information) was acquired from the drive device 20 in the storage unit 14, and determine the frequency of the failure based on the contents of the record.

[0052] Next, a third specific example of communication control based on the setting information will be described. For example, the setting information may be defined so that notification information related to the drive unit 20 is stored in the communication device 10 for a predetermined time period going back from the present until a predetermined failure occurs in the drive unit 20, and when the predetermined failure occurs, the notification information going back from the predetermined time period and notification information obtained from the drive unit 20 thereafter are transmitted to the management device 30.

[0053] Next, a fourth specific example of communication control based on setting information will be described. For example, setting information may be defined so that a predetermined part of functions of communication device 10 is not activated until a predetermined state indicating that drive device 20 is in operation is reached. The predetermined part of functions may be, for example, external communication unit 12 or position information acquisition unit 13 of communication device 10. The predetermined state indicating that drive device 20 is in operation may be, for example, a state in which the engine of drive device 20 is running (a state in which cranking is completed).

[0054] In the drive unit communication system 100 configured in this manner, setting information defining the operation of the communication unit 10 is provided to the communication unit 10 from the management unit 30 according to the type of drive unit 20 to which the communication unit 10 is connected. Therefore, it is not necessary to design the communication unit 10 in advance according to the type of drive unit 20, and it is possible to design the communication unit 10 as a unit common to multiple drive units 20. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost required up to the manufacturing stage of the communication unit 10 that is connected to the drive unit 20 and communicates with an external network.

[0055] Additionally, auxiliary setting information corresponding to each individual drive unit identification information can be registered in the device information storage unit 323. Such registration can be performed, for example, by operating the user terminal 40. Therefore, the user of each drive unit 20 can operate the user terminal 40 to individually set the communication device 10 to perform operations according to the user's own preferences and circumstances.

[0056] (Variation) Communication device identification information may be stored instead of drive device identification information in the device information storage unit 323. Furthermore, the drive device identification information and the communication device identification information may be registered in association with each other in the device information storage unit 323.

[0057] The management device 30 does not necessarily have to be configured as a single device. For example, the management device 30 may be configured using a plurality of information processing devices. The plurality of information processing devices that make up the management device 30 may be communicably connected via a communication path such as a network 90, and may be configured as a system such as a cluster machine or a cloud.

[0058] <Summary of the embodiment> The above embodiment discloses at least the following communication device and management device. 1. The communication device (e.g., 10) of the above embodiment is a drive device communication unit (e.g., 11) that communicates with a drive device (e.g., 20) to which the device itself is connected; an external communication unit (e.g., 12) that communicates with other devices (e.g., 30) via a network (e.g., 90); an identification information acquisition unit (e.g., 151) that acquires type identification information indicating the type of the driving device from the driving device connected to the driving device communication unit; a setting information acquisition unit (e.g., 152) that acquires setting information corresponding to the type identification information from another device by transmitting information including the type identification information via the external communication unit; a communication control unit (e.g., 153) that acquires information from the driving device based on the setting information and transmits the information to a predetermined device; Equipped with.

[0059] According to this embodiment, it becomes possible to apply one type of communication device to many types of drive devices, and as a result, it becomes possible to reduce the costs required up to the manufacturing stage of the communication device.

[0060] 2. According to the above embodiment, The identification information acquisition unit acquires the type identification information from the driving device when the device itself is started up. According to this embodiment, the user does not need to manually set the setting information when, for example, attaching the communication device to the drive device.

[0061] 3. According to the above embodiment, Further, a storage unit (e.g., 144) is provided to store the setting information, When the storage unit stores setting information corresponding to the type identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit, the setting information acquisition unit does not acquire the setting information from the other device. According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the process of acquiring setting information again even though it has already been acquired, thereby reducing the amount of communication traffic.

[0062] 4. According to the above embodiment, The setting information includes information indicating a state determination condition, which is a condition for determining the state of the drive device. According to this embodiment, by transmitting appropriate information depending on the state of the drive device, it is possible to reduce the amount of communication traffic.

[0063] 5. According to the above embodiment, The setting information includes information related to information that the communication control unit acquires from the drive device. According to this embodiment, it is possible to transmit only the data required for each type of drive device, thereby reducing the amount of communication traffic.

[0064] 6. According to the above embodiment, The setting information includes information indicating the timing at which the communication control unit transmits the information to the predetermined device via the external communication unit. According to this embodiment, by transmitting information at an appropriate timing according to the type of drive unit, it is possible to reduce the amount of communication traffic. Also, by changing the startup timing of the external communication unit for each product, it is possible to prevent interruptions in communication.

[0065] 7. According to the above embodiment, the identification information acquisition unit further acquires, from the drive device, drive device identification information that uniquely identifies the drive device; The communication control unit transmits the drive device identification information and communication device identification information, which is identification information of the device itself, to the predetermined device. According to this embodiment, when a communication device is used in a drive unit and then in another drive unit of the same type, it is possible for a predetermined device to determine this fact, and accordingly, different setting information can be provided for the drive unit and the other drive unit.

[0066] 8. The management device (e.g., 30) of the above embodiment is The communication device includes a control unit (e.g., 33) that receives the device identification information and the communication device identification information from the communication device (e.g., 10) and records the received device identification information and the communication device identification information in association with each other in a memory unit (e.g., 32). According to this embodiment, when a communication device is used in a drive device and then in another drive device of the same type, it becomes possible for the management device to determine this.

[0067] 9. According to the above embodiment, The control unit receives auxiliary setting information, which is part of the setting information, from a user terminal (e.g., 40) in association with the drive device identification information, and records the drive device identification information and the auxiliary setting information in association with each other in a memory unit (e.g., 32). According to this embodiment, by storing the drive device identification information and the auxiliary setting information in association with each other, it is possible to provide different setting information for each drive device.

[0068] 10. The communication method of the above embodiment is A communication device including a drive device communication unit (e.g., 11) that communicates with a drive device (e.g., 20) to which the device itself is connected, and an external communication unit (e.g., 12) that communicates with another device (e.g., 30) via a network (e.g., 90), an identification information acquisition step of acquiring type identification information indicating a type of the driving device from the driving device connected to the driving device communication unit; a setting information acquisition step of transmitting information including the type identification information to another device via the external communication unit, and acquiring setting information corresponding to the type identification information from the other device; a communication control step of acquiring information from the driving device based on the setting information and transmitting the information to a predetermined device; Do the following.

[0069] 11. The computer program of the above embodiment A computer including a drive device communication unit (for example) 11 that communicates with a drive device (for example, 20) to which the computer is connected, and an external communication unit (for example, 12) that communicates with another device (for example, 30) via a network (for example, 90), an identification information acquisition unit that acquires type identification information indicating a type of the drive device from the drive device connected to the drive device communication unit; a setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information corresponding to the type identification information from another device by transmitting information including the type identification information to the other device via the external communication unit; and a communication control unit that acquires information from the drive device based on the setting information and transmits the information to a specified device.

[0070] 12. The management method of the above embodiment is A management device (e.g., 30) receives the device identification information and the communication device identification information from the communication device (e.g., 10); a recording step in which the management device records the received device identification information and the communication device identification information in association with each other in a storage unit (e.g., 32); It has.

[0071] 13. The computer program of the above embodiment This is a computer program for causing a computer to function as a management device (e.g., 30) having a control unit that receives the device identification information and the communication device identification information from the above-mentioned communication device (e.g., 10), and records the received device identification information and the communication device identification information in correspondence with each other in a memory unit (e.g., 32).

[0072] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 100... drive unit communication system, 10... communication device, 11... drive unit communication unit, 12... external communication unit, 13... position information acquisition unit, 14... memory unit, 141... communication device identification information memory unit, 142... type identification information memory unit, 143... drive unit identification information memory unit, 144... setting information memory unit, 15... control unit, 151... identification information acquisition unit, 152... setting information acquisition unit, 153... communication control unit, 20... drive unit, 30... management device, 31... communication unit, 32... memory unit, 321... identification information memory unit, 322... setting information memory unit, 323... device information memory unit, 324... history information memory unit, 33... control unit, 331... identification information acquisition unit, 332... setting information provision unit, 333... information management unit, 40... user terminal, 90... network, 91...Base station, 92...Artificial satellite

Claims

1. a drive device communication unit that communicates with a drive device to which the device itself is connected; an external communication unit that communicates with other devices via a network; an identification information acquisition unit that acquires type identification information indicating a type of the drive device from the drive device connected to the drive device communication unit; a setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information corresponding to the type identification information from another device by transmitting information including the type identification information to the other device via the external communication unit; a communication control unit that acquires information from the drive device based on the setting information and transmits the information to a predetermined device; Equipped with The setting information includes information indicating a state determination condition, which is a condition for determining the state of the drive device.

2. a drive device communication unit that communicates with a drive device to which the device itself is connected; an external communication unit that communicates with other devices via a network; an identification information acquisition unit that acquires type identification information indicating a type of the drive device from the drive device connected to the drive device communication unit; a setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information corresponding to the type identification information from another device by transmitting information including the type identification information to the other device via the external communication unit; a communication control unit that acquires information from the drive device based on the setting information and transmits the information to a predetermined device; Equipped with The setting information includes information indicating a timing at which the communication control unit transmits the information to the predetermined device via the external communication unit.

3. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the identification information acquisition unit acquires the type identification information from the driving device when the device itself is started up.

4. further comprising a storage unit for storing the setting information; the setting information acquisition unit does not acquire the setting information from the other device when the storage unit stores setting information corresponding to the type identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit; A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the setting information includes information related to information acquired by the communication control unit from the drive device.

6. the identification information acquisition unit further acquires, from the drive device, drive device identification information that uniquely identifies the drive device; the communication control unit transmits the drive device identification information and communication device identification information, which is identification information of the own device, to the predetermined device; A communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. a communication device including a drive device communication unit that communicates with a drive device to which the device itself is connected, and an external communication unit that communicates with other devices via a network; an identification information acquisition step of acquiring type identification information indicating a type of the driving device from the driving device connected to the driving device communication unit; a setting information acquisition step of transmitting information including the type identification information to another device via the external communication unit, and acquiring setting information corresponding to the type identification information from the other device; a communication control step of acquiring information from the driving device based on the setting information and transmitting the information to a predetermined device; and The communication method, wherein the setting information includes information indicating a timing for transmitting the information to the predetermined device via the external communication unit in the communication control step.

8. A computer including a drive device communication unit that communicates with a drive device to which the computer is connected, and an external communication unit that communicates with other devices via a network, an identification information acquisition unit that acquires type identification information indicating a type of the drive device from the drive device connected to the drive device communication unit; a setting information acquisition unit that acquires setting information corresponding to the type identification information from another device by transmitting information including the type identification information to the other device via the external communication unit; a communication control unit that acquires information from the drive device based on the setting information and transmits the information to a predetermined device, The setting information includes information indicating the timing at which the communication control unit transmits the information to the specified device via the external communication unit.

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