Control communication support device, control communication support method, and control communication support program

Abstract

The support device (10) is connected to a master device (40) and a slave device (50) that are communicating wirelessly with each other, and determines setting values ​​for a wireless communication method to be set in the master device (40) and the slave device (50) in order to execute control communication over a communication path including wireless communication between a control device (20) and an appliance (30). The support device (10) includes an acquisition unit (11) that acquires condition information (73) indicating a communication cycle of the control communication and a size of data to be transmitted within the communication cycle as execution conditions for the control communication, a reception unit (12) that receives overhead information (81) indicating a communication state related to wireless communication overhead from the master device (40), a determination unit (14) that determines setting values ​​based on the condition information (73) and the overhead information (81), and an output unit (16) that outputs the determined setting values.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control communication assistance device, a control communication assistance method, and a control communication assistance program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, in factory automation (FA) sites, wireless communication technologies such as wireless local area networks (LANs) and fifth-generation mobile communication systems have been increasingly utilized due to their convenience of enabling reduced wiring and layout freedom. For example, in control systems using control devices such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), which are widely used in FA sites, the above-mentioned wireless communication technologies are applied to data communication between the control devices and controlled devices, thereby building a wireless communication network.

[0003] When constructing a wireless communication network, it is necessary to design the network and then configure each wireless device with a wireless communication method. At factory automation sites, a large number of wireless devices are typically installed, and configuring information for each of these devices individually places a heavy burden on the workers. Therefore, a technology has been proposed for writing configuration information to devices responsible for wireless connections (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-147267 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In FA systems, it is important to transmit data in real time and reliably. However, wireless communication is more susceptible to influences from the surrounding environment than wired communication, and therefore real-time performance and reliability may be impaired in FA systems that use wireless communication. Therefore, it is desirable to determine a wireless communication method suitable for an FA system by taking into consideration the characteristics of wireless communication. However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the characteristics of wireless communication at all when creating setting information.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to define a wireless communication method suitable for an FA system, taking into consideration the characteristics of wireless communication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a control communication assistance device of the present disclosure is a control communication assistance device that is connected to at least two wireless devices that communicate wirelessly with each other, and that determines setting values ​​of a wireless communication method to be set in the two wireless devices in order to execute control communication over a communication path including wireless communication between a control device and a communication device that controls equipment, and that includes: an acquisition means that acquires condition information indicating a communication cycle of the control communication and a size of data to be transmitted within the communication cycle as execution conditions for the control communication; a reception means that receives overhead information indicating a communication state related to wireless communication overhead from at least one of the two wireless devices; a determination means that determines setting values ​​based on the condition information and the overhead information; and a determination means that receives the setting values ​​determined by the determination means. , two radio devices output or output it to a display device and display it. output means; Wireless communication overhead is a load specific to wireless communication that does not occur when wireless communication is replaced with wired communication, and includes the load caused by the smooth transmission of communication data due to environmental factors related to electromagnetic waves. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to determine a wireless communication method suitable for an FA system in consideration of the characteristics of wireless communication. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of communication status information according to the first embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a support device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a support device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of system configuration information according to the first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of wireless device information according to the first embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of condition information according to the first embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram showing a processing flow in a control system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 9] Flowchart showing device ID matching processing according to the first embodiment [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a required value calculation process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 1 is a flowchart showing a process for calculating an approximate lower limit value of a communication speed according to the first embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a communication path according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] Flowchart showing connection destination determination processing according to the first embodiment [Figure 14] Flowchart showing a setting value calculation process according to the first embodiment [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first example of a display screen according to the first embodiment; [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of a display screen according to the first embodiment; [Figure 17] Flowchart showing a required value calculation process according to the second embodiment [Figure 18] Flowchart showing connection destination determination processing according to the second embodiment [Figure 19] Flowchart showing a setting value calculation process according to the second embodiment [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing a processing flow in a control system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, a support device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Embodiment 1 1, a control system 1000 according to this embodiment is a system for controlling equipment in a facility 1001, such as a factory or a plant. In this control system 1000, a setting value of a wireless communication method corresponding to a part of a communication path is determined as one suitable for controlling the equipment.

[0012] The control system 1000 includes a control device 20 and devices 31 to 33 that perform control communication with each other, parent devices 41 and 42 and child devices 51 to 53 that perform wireless communication between the control device 20 and the devices 31 to 33, relay devices 61 and 62 that relay the communication, and a support device 10 that supports the realization of smooth control communication by determining setting values ​​for the wireless communication method. Hereinafter, the devices 31 to 33 will be referred to as device 30 without distinction, the parent devices 41 and 42 will be referred to as parent device 40 without distinction, the child devices 51 to 53 will be referred to as child device 50 without distinction, and the relay devices 61 and 62 will be referred to as relay device 60 without distinction.

[0013] The control device 20 is wiredly connected to the master device 41 via a relay device 61, and is wiredly connected to the master device 42 via relay devices 61 and 62 in this order. In FIG. 1 , the master device 41 communicates wirelessly with the slave device 51, and the master device 42 communicates wirelessly with the slave devices 52 and 53, as indicated by broken lines. However, each master device 40 and each slave device 50 can change the partner of the wireless communication more easily than in wired communication. The slave device 51 is wiredly connected to the device 31, the slave device 52 is wiredly connected to the device 32, and the slave device 53 is wiredly connected to the device 33. The wired connections between the control device 20, the relay device 60, and the master device 40, and the wired connections between the slave device 50 and the device 30 are each realized by a communication cable such as a LAN cable.

[0014] The control device 20 is an FA device typified by a PLC. The control device 20 controls the device 30 by communicating with the device 30 via the relay device 60, the parent device 40, and the child device 50, and performs manufacturing, machining, inspection, and other processes. For example, the control device 20 receives sensing results from the device 31, which is a sensor, and causes the device 32, which is a robot, to transport a workpiece and causes the device 33, which is a machine tool, to cut the workpiece. The device 30 is a controlled device controlled by the control device 20. The devices 30 are not limited to the above examples, and may be, for example, a remote I / O (Input / Output) device or a camera, or other FA devices.

[0015] Control communication that guarantees real-time performance and reliability must be carried out between the control device 20 and the device 30. Specifically, the control communication is carried out in accordance with a protocol that specifies sending and receiving a predetermined size of data at each predetermined communication cycle. Control communication differs from information communication in a general information network in that real-time performance and reliability are guaranteed.

[0016] The master device 40 and the slave device 50 are wireless devices that perform wireless communication on a communication path for control communication. The master device 40 is an access point that has the function of connecting with a plurality of slave devices 50, and the slave devices 50 are stations that participate in a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network established by the master device 40 and the slave devices 50 may be a wireless LAN or a mobile communication network represented by LTE (Long Term Evolution) and a fifth generation mobile communication system. The following description focuses on an example in which a wireless LAN is established by the master device 40 and the slave devices 50.

[0017] The master device 40 and the slave device 50 are capable of wireless communication in one or more frequency bands selected from the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, and the 6 GHz band. The master device 40 and the slave device 50 are also capable of wireless communication using one or more bandwidths selected from the 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and 160 MHz bands. The master device 40 and the slave device 50 are also capable of wireless communication compliant with one or more standards of the IEEE 802.11 series. The IEEE 802.11 series includes, for example, the so-called 802.11be, 802.11ax, 802.11ac, and 802.11n / a standards. Note that the frequency bands and bandwidths used by the master device 40 and the slave device 50 to perform their functions and the standards they comply with are not limited to these. The master device 40 and the slave device 50 may use other frequency bands, such as the 920 MHz band, or other bandwidths, such as the 320 MHz band, or may perform wireless communication in accordance with standards different from those described above.

[0018] All or some of the base unit 40 and the slave unit 50 may have a multi-link function that establishes links with communication partners via multiple frequency channels and communicates. Using the multi-link function to transmit the same data in parallel over multiple frequency channels improves the reliability of the wireless communication network. Using the multi-link function to simultaneously transmit different data over multiple frequency channels effectively improves the communication speed. Also, all or some of the base unit 40 and the slave unit 50 may have a low-latency function that reduces the latency when transmitting data. The low-latency function is, for example, a function that provides a period for transmitting data that requires a short latency, such as R-TWT (Restricted Target Wake Time).

[0019] Each base device 40 holds communication status information indicating the status of communication with the connected handset 50. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the communication status information is information indicating, for each connected handset 50, a device ID (identifier), radio wave intensity, the number of communication retries, the number of reception errors, the number of transmission errors, and the accumulated data volume, all of which are associated with one another. The device ID is identification information for uniquely identifying a device on the network, such as a MAC (Media Access Control) address. Note that the communication status information is not limited to the example illustrated in FIG. 2, and may represent other statistical values ​​calculated from the communication history with the handset 50. The number of communication retries, the number of reception errors, and the number of transmission errors, which are included in the communication status information, are used as information regarding wireless communication overhead. The use of information regarding overhead will be described in detail below.

[0020] The relay device 60 is a communication device such as a switching hub, a bridge, or a gateway. The relay device 60 relays data transmission in the control system 1000.

[0021] The support device 10 is a computer device such as an industrial personal computer (PC), a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. The support device 10 is connected to a relay device 61 via a communication cable, and is connected to a control device 20, a device 30, a parent device 40, a child device 50, and another relay device 62 via the relay device 61.

[0022] The assistance device 10 has a hardware configuration as shown in Fig. 3. The assistance device 10 has a processor 101, a main memory unit 102, an auxiliary memory unit 103, an input unit 104, an output unit 105, and a communication unit 106. The main memory unit 102, the auxiliary memory unit 103, the input unit 104, the output unit 105, and the communication unit 106 are all connected to the processor 101 via an internal bus 107.

[0023] The processor 101 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) as a processing circuit. The processor 101 executes a program P1 stored in the auxiliary storage unit 103 to realize various functions and perform the processes described below. The program P1 may be an engineering tool. The program P1 corresponds to an example of a control communication support program.

[0024] The main memory unit 102 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory). A program P1 is loaded into the main memory unit 102 from the auxiliary memory unit 103. The main memory unit 102 is used as a working area for the processor 101.

[0025] The auxiliary storage unit 103 includes a nonvolatile memory such as a semiconductor flash memory and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). In addition to the program P1, the auxiliary storage unit 103 stores various data used in the processing of the processor 101. The auxiliary storage unit 103 supplies the processor 101 with data used by the processor 101 in accordance with instructions from the processor 101. The auxiliary storage unit 103 also stores data supplied from the processor 101.

[0026] The input unit 104 includes input components such as hardware switches, input keys, a keyboard, and a pointing device. The input unit 104 acquires information input by a user of the support device 10 and notifies the processor 101 of the acquired information. The user of the support device 10 is, for example, an operator or administrator of the control system 1000.

[0027] The output unit 105 includes output components such as a light emitting diode (LED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), and a speaker. The output unit 105 presents various information to the user in accordance with instructions from the processor 101. The LCD of the output unit 105 and the pointing device of the input unit 104 may be integrated into a touch screen.

[0028] The communication unit 106 includes a communication interface circuit for communicating with an external device and a terminal such as a serial port or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port. The communication unit 106 receives a signal from the outside and outputs data indicated by this signal to the processor 101. The communication unit 106 also transmits a signal indicating the data output from the processor 101 to the external device.

[0029] The above-described hardware configurations work together to enable the support device 10 to perform various functions for determining setting values ​​for a wireless communication method and setting the setting values ​​in the master device 40 and the slave device 50. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , the support device 10 includes an acquisition unit 11 that acquires pre-set information, a reception unit 12 that receives information from an external device, a verification unit 13 that verifies the device ID of the device 30, a determination unit 14 that determines setting values, a display unit 15 that displays information to the user, and an output unit 16 that outputs the determined setting values. Information input to and output from each functional unit of the support device 10 is stored in at least one of the main memory unit 102 and the auxiliary memory unit 103 of the support device 10, as appropriate. Note that the arrows in FIG. 4 schematically indicate the main flow of information, and information may be transmitted via paths different from those indicated by the arrows in FIG. 4 as appropriate.

[0030] The acquisition unit 11 is mainly realized by the input unit 104. The acquisition unit 11 acquires system configuration information 71, wireless device information 72, and condition information 73 indicating conditions for control communication, which are created, edited, and input by a user. The acquisition unit 11 corresponds to an example of an acquisition means that acquires condition information via a user interface.

[0031] All or part of the information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 may be read from a removable memory card by the acquisition unit 11 realized by the processor 101, or may be input to a UI terminal external to the assistance device 10 and received by the acquisition unit 11 realized by the communication unit 106. For example, the acquisition unit 11 may acquire the condition information 73 by receiving it from the control device 20 and the device 30.

[0032] The system configuration information 71 is information that indicates the configuration of the control system 1000. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the system configuration information 71 indicates, for each device that constitutes the control system 1000, the name, model name, device ID, and connected devices that are directly connected to the device via a wired connection, in association with each other. The device names in FIG. 5 include numbers that are equivalent to the symbols of the devices. For example, the name of device 31 is indicated as "device #31." Furthermore, by referencing the connected devices in the system configuration information 71, the wired connection relationships between the devices in the control system 1000 as shown in FIG. 1 can be determined.

[0033] The wireless device information 72 is information indicating the functions possessed by the wireless devices, that is, the master device 40 and the slave device 50. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the wireless device information 72 indicates, for each wireless device, the name, location, wireless communication standard, frequency band, bandwidth, and channel that the wireless device supports, whether the multilink function is provided, and whether the low latency function is provided, in association with each other. The positions of the wireless devices in FIG. 6 are expressed as coordinate values ​​in a three-dimensional space in meters, but are not limited to this, and any information indicating the positional relationship between the wireless devices may be used. For example, the positions of the wireless devices may be expressed by latitude and longitude, or by distance from a specific point.

[0034] The condition information 73 indicates the conditions required for control communication between the control device 20 and the device 30. As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the condition information 73 indicates, for each device 30, the communication cycle, the allowable delay time, the data size of data to be transmitted within the communication cycle, whether data loss prevention is required, and whether or not the device 30 is mobile, in association with each other. The necessity of data loss prevention indicates whether or not measures to prevent data loss as much as possible when a failure occurs in part of the network need to be applied to the control communication of the device 30. In this embodiment, when data loss prevention is required, the multilink function transmits the same data in parallel over multiple channels, so that even if communication on one channel is malfunctioning, the data can be transmitted over the other channels. The mobile possibility is set to "yes," for example, when the device 30 is a mobile object such as an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle). The acquisition unit 11 corresponds to an example of an acquisition means for acquiring condition information indicating the communication cycle of the control communication and the size of the data to be transmitted within the communication cycle as execution conditions for the control communication.

[0035] 7, the condition information 73 does not indicate the conditions for control communication for the control device 20, but the condition information 73 may indicate conditions related to the control device 20. However, in general, the control device 20 has many functions for performing control communication with various devices 30, and the method of control communication that is actually performed is often determined by the conditions on the device 30 side.

[0036] 4, the receiving unit 12 is mainly realized by the communication unit 106. The receiving unit 12 receives overhead information 81 indicating the overhead of wireless communication from each base unit 40, and receives device ID information 82 indicating the device ID of each device 30 from each device 30. The receiving unit 12 may periodically collect the overhead information 81 and the device ID information 82.

[0037] Here, wireless communication overhead refers to the interference with smooth data transmission due to environmental factors such as diffraction and scattering of electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves generated by wireless devices other than the communication partner, and ambient electromagnetic noise, as well as the resulting load on wireless communication. Wireless communication overhead can be considered a load unique to wireless communication that does not occur in wired communication. For example, the number of communication retries, the number of reception errors, and the number of transmission errors among the communication status information shown in FIG. 2 are information related to overhead. The receiving unit 12 may receive the communication status information as overhead information 81, or may receive part of the communication status information as overhead information 81. The receiving unit 12 corresponds to an example of a receiving means for receiving overhead information indicating the communication status related to the wireless communication overhead, and corresponds to an example of a receiving means for receiving device identification information from the device.

[0038] The matching unit 13 is mainly realized by the processor 101. The matching unit 13 matches the device ID of the device 30 for which conditions are specified by the condition information 73 acquired by the acquisition unit 11 with the device ID received by the receiving unit 12. In detail, the matching unit 13 extracts the device ID from the system configuration information 71 for the device 30 for which the same name is specified in the system configuration information 71 and the condition information 73. The matching unit 13 then determines whether the extracted device ID matches the device ID received from the device 30 that actually constitutes the control system 1000. If the device IDs match, the matching unit 13 determines that the device 30 for which conditions for control communication are specified is actually connected to the control system 1000, and notifies the determination unit 14 that a setting value based on the conditions of the device 30 should be determined.

[0039] 5 and 7, the condition information 73 shows the device ID of the device 30 and the execution conditions for the control communication for the device 30 in association with each other via the name of the device 30, but the condition information 73 may show the device ID of the device 30 in direct association with the execution conditions. The condition information 73 corresponds to an example of condition information that shows, in association with each other, the identification information of the device, the communication cycle of the control communication to be executed for the device, and the size of data to be transmitted within the communication cycle.

[0040] The determination unit 14 is mainly realized by the processor 101. The determination unit 14 determines setting values ​​to be set in the wireless device to realize control communication, based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 11 and the information received by the reception unit 12. The determination unit 14 has a request value calculation unit 141 that calculates a request value required to realize control communication, and a setting value calculation unit 142 that calculates a setting value based on the calculated request value. The calculation of values ​​by the request value calculation unit 141 and the setting value calculation unit 142 will be described in detail later. The determination unit 14 corresponds to an example of a determination means that determines setting values ​​based on condition information and overhead information.

[0041] The setting values ​​determined by the determination unit 14 include identification information of the base device 40 to which each slave device 50 is connected, the wireless communication standard of the wireless communication executed by each wireless device, the frequency band, the bandwidth, the channel, whether a multi-link function is provided, and whether a low-latency function is provided. The identification information of the base device 40 to which the slave device 50 is connected is, for example, an SSID (Service Set Identifier). The setting values ​​are not limited to these, and may include security-related parameters and other parameter values ​​to be set.

[0042] The display unit 15 is mainly realized by the output unit 105. The display unit 15 displays the set value determined by the determination unit 14, or an error that occurs during collation by the collation unit 13 or during determination of the set value by the determination unit 14. The display unit 15 corresponds to an example of a display means that displays the set value determined by the determination means.

[0043] The output unit 16 is realized mainly by cooperation between the processor 101 and the communication unit 106. The output unit 16 outputs the setting values ​​determined by the determination unit 14 to the parent device 40 and the child device 50 to set them, and causes the parent device 40 and the child device 50 to start wireless communication in accordance with the setting values. The parent device 40 and the child device 50 communicate in accordance with the setting values, thereby enabling control communication that satisfies the conditions defined in the condition information 73. The output unit 16 corresponds to an example of output means that outputs the setting values ​​determined by the determination means.

[0044] Next, the flow of processing executed in the control system 1000 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 15. As shown in FIG. 8, the master device 40 and the slave device 50 establish communication and perform wireless communication (step S1). The method of wireless communication at this time may be different from the method for executing control communication. The master device 40 accumulates information indicating the communication status when this wireless communication is performed, and prepares to provide overhead information 81. Furthermore, it is desirable that each master device 40 attempts communication with multiple slave devices 50 with which communication can be established, and accumulates information indicating the communication status for all slave devices 50 that can be connection candidates in the processing described below.

[0045] Next, the acquisition unit 11 acquires the system configuration information 71, the wireless device information 72, and the condition information 73 (step S2). Then, the reception unit 12 requests the parent device 40 registered in the system configuration information 71 to send the overhead information 81 (step S3), and the parent device 40 transmits the overhead information 81 to the support device 10 (step S4). The reception unit 12 also requests the device ID of each device 30 (step S5), and each device 30 transmits the device ID information 82 to the support device 10 (step S6). The request for the device ID in step S5 is, for example, a broadcast of an ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) request.

[0046] Next, the matching unit 13 executes a device ID matching process (step S7). In the device ID matching process, as shown in Fig. 9, the matching unit 13 selects one unselected device ID from the received device IDs (step S71). Next, the matching unit 13 determines whether the selected device ID matches any of the device IDs indicated by the condition information 73 (step S72). Specifically, the matching unit 13 searches for the received device ID from the device IDs of the devices 30 for which the conditions for control communication are defined in the system configuration information 71 and the condition information 73.

[0047] If it is determined that the device IDs do not match (step S72; No), the collation unit 13 causes the display unit 15 to notify that the device IDs do not match and that a device 30 not registered in the system configuration information 71 and the condition information 73 has been connected to the control system 1000, along with the device ID of the device 30 (step S73). The display unit 15 corresponds to an example of a notification means that notifies that a device not registered in the condition information has been connected when the identification information indicated by the condition information differs from the identification information received by the receiving means. Next, the collation unit 13 records an error indicating that the collation failed, with content similar to that notified by the display unit 15 (step S74). Thereafter, the collation unit 13 proceeds to step S76.

[0048] If it is determined in step S72 that the device IDs match (step S72; Yes), the collating unit 13 determines that the device 30 corresponding to the device ID is the device 30 with which control communication should be performed (step S75). Then, the collating unit 13 determines whether all of the received device IDs have been selected (step S76). If it is determined that not all of the device IDs have been selected (step S76; No), the collating unit 13 repeats the processing from step S71 onwards. In this way, the received device IDs are selected one by one, and it is determined whether the execution conditions of the device 30 corresponding to the selected device ID are specified in the condition information 73. If it is determined that all of the device IDs have been selected (step S76; Yes), the device ID collating process ends.

[0049] 8, following the device ID matching process in step S7, the request value calculation unit 141 executes a request value calculation process (step S8). In the request value calculation process, as shown in Fig. 10, the request value calculation unit 141 selects one unselected device 30 from the devices 30 whose device IDs match in the device ID matching process (step S81). Next, the request value calculation unit 141 executes a calculation process of an approximate lower limit value of the communication speed for the selected device 30 (step S82).

[0050] 11, in the process of calculating the approximate lower limit of the communication speed, the required value calculation unit 141 calculates the allowable delay time in the wireless section for all combinations of the base unit 40 and the slave unit 50 that can be connected to the selected device 30 (step S821). For example, when the selected device 30 is device 31, as shown in FIG. 12, there are two communication paths for the control communication of device 31: a first communication path that connects device 31, slave unit 51, base unit 41, relay device 61, and control device 20 in this order when slave unit 51 is connected to base unit 41; and a second communication path that connects device 31, slave unit 51, base unit 42, relay device 62, relay device 61, and control device 20 in this order when slave unit 51 is connected to base unit 42.

[0051] The allowable delay time in the wireless section is calculated by subtracting the delay time from frame input to frame output for each device other than the wireless device on the communication path of the control communication from the communication cycle of the control communication. Specifically, T1 is the allowable delay time in the wireless section, Pr is the communication cycle, and D1 is the delay time for each device other than the wireless device, and T1 is calculated using the following formula (1).

[0052] T1=Pr-ΣD1 (1)

[0053] The delay time of each device is determined in advance, for example, as shown in Fig. 12. The system configuration information 71 may also specify the delay time of each device.

[0054] In the example of Fig. 12, since the communication cycle of device 31 is 32 ms as can be seen from Fig. 7, the allowable delay time of the wireless section for the first communication path is calculated as 27 ms using the formula 32-(1+2+2). Similarly, the allowable delay time of the wireless section for the second communication path is calculated as 25 ms using the formula 32-(1+2+2+2).

[0055] 11, following step S821, the requirement value calculation unit 141 calculates the allowable transmission time in the wireless section for all combinations of parent devices 40 and child devices 50 that can be connected to the selected device 30 (step S822). The allowable transmission time in the wireless section is calculated by subtracting the delay time in the parent device 40 and child device 50, which are wireless devices, from the allowable delay time in the wireless section calculated in step S821. The delay time in the wireless device is the processing time within the device, including protocol conversion between wireless communication and wired communication. Specifically, assuming that the allowable transmission time in the wireless section is T2 and the delay time of each wireless device is D2, T2 is calculated using the following equation (2):

[0056] T2=T1-ΣD2 (2)

[0057] 12, the allowable transmission time for the wireless section of the first communication path is calculated as 25 ms using the formula 27-(1+1). Similarly, the allowable transmission time for the wireless section of the second communication path is calculated as 23 ms using the formula 25-(1+1).

[0058] 11, following step S822, the request value calculation unit 141 calculates an approximate value of the allowable transmission time (step S823). Specifically, the average, minimum, maximum, or mode of the multiple allowable transmission times calculated for the selected device 30 in step S822 is calculated as the approximate value. For example, in the case of FIG. 12, if the average value of the two values ​​calculated for device 31 is used as the approximate value, a value of 24 ms is calculated. Note that if only one allowable transmission time is calculated in step S822, that allowable transmission time can be used as the approximate value.

[0059] Next, the request value calculation unit 141 calculates an approximate lower limit of the communication speed from the approximate value of the allowable transmission time calculated in step S823 and the data size (step S824). Specifically, the approximate lower limit of the communication speed is calculated by dividing the data size specified in the condition information 73 for the selected device 30 by the approximate value calculated in step S823. Specifically, LL is the approximate lower limit, DS is the data size, and Ta2 is the approximate value of the allowable transmission time, and LL is calculated using the following equation (3).

[0060] LL=DS / Ta2 (3)

[0061] In the case of FIG. 12, the data size of the device 31 is 100 bytes as can be seen from FIG. 7, so the calculation formula 100 / 24 ​​derives a value of approximately 4.2 kBps.

[0062] The value calculated in step S824 is a communication speed calculated for a single device 30 based solely on the execution conditions of the device 30, taking into account the parent device 40 to which the child device 50 may be connected in control communication, but without considering wireless communication overhead or other devices 30 connected to the parent device 40. In other words, this is the communication speed that satisfies the execution conditions of the device 30 in an ideal situation where wireless communication overhead is zero, only one device 30 is connected to the parent device 40, and the parent device 40's resources are exclusively occupied by that single device 30. However, in reality, wireless communication overhead occurs, and multiple devices 30 may be connected to the parent device 40, so the actual communication speed must be even higher. Therefore, the value calculated in step S824 is considered a lower limit of the communication speed. After step S824 is completed, the process of the request value calculation unit 141 returns from the process of calculating the approximate lower limit of the communication speed shown in FIG. 11 to the process of calculating the request value shown in FIG. 10.

[0063] Following step S82, the request value calculation unit 141 determines whether the estimated lower limit value of the communication speed calculated in step S82 exceeds a predetermined threshold value (step S83). The threshold value is, for example, 500 Mbps. If it is determined that the estimated lower limit value exceeds the threshold value (step S83; Yes), the request value calculation unit 141 determines that a large capacity condition exists for the selected device 30 (step S84). On the other hand, if it is determined that the estimated lower limit value does not exceed the threshold value (step S83; No), the request value calculation unit 141 determines that a large capacity condition does not exist for the selected device 30 (step S85).

[0064] Following steps S84 and S85, the request value calculation unit 141 determines whether the allowable delay time of the selected device 30 is smaller than a predetermined threshold value (step S86). This threshold value is, for example, 2 ms. When the device 31 is selected, as can be seen from FIG. 7, the allowable delay time of the device 31 is 10 ms, which is larger than the threshold value of 2 ms, and therefore the determination in step S86 is negative. If it is determined that the allowable delay time of the device 30 is smaller than the threshold value (step S86; Yes), the request value calculation unit 141 determines that the low-delay condition is met for the selected device 30 (step S87). On the other hand, if it is determined that the allowable delay time of the device 30 is not smaller than the threshold value (step S86; No), the request value calculation unit 141 determines that the low-delay condition is not met for the selected device 30 (step S88).

[0065] Following steps S87 and S88, the requirement value calculation unit 141 determines whether data loss prevention is required in the condition information 73 for the selected device 30 (step S89). If it is determined that data loss prevention is required (step S89; Yes), the requirement value calculation unit 141 determines that a high reliability condition exists for the selected device 30 (step S810). On the other hand, if it is determined that data loss prevention is not required (step S89; No), the requirement value calculation unit 141 determines that a high reliability condition does not exist for the selected device 30 (step S811).

[0066] Following steps S810 and S811, the requirement value calculation unit 141 determines whether the condition information 73 specifies that the selected device 30 has a possibility of movement (step S812). If it is determined that there is a possibility of movement (step S812; Yes), the requirement value calculation unit 141 determines that there is a radio wave coverage condition for the selected device 30 (step S813). On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no possibility of movement (step S812; No), the requirement value calculation unit 141 determines that there is no radio wave coverage condition for the selected device 30 (step S814).

[0067] Following steps S813 and S814, the request value calculation unit 141 executes a connection destination determination process (step S815). In the connection destination determination process, as shown in Fig. 13, the request value calculation unit 141 determines whether or not a high reliability condition exists for the selected device 30 (step S851). If it is determined that a high reliability condition exists (step S851; Yes), the request value calculation unit 141 determines that the parent device 40 needs a multilink function that transmits the same data in parallel (step S852).

[0068] On the other hand, if it is determined that the high reliability condition does not exist (step S851; No), the request value calculation unit 141 determines whether or not there is a large capacity condition for the selected device 30 (step S853).If it is determined that there is a large capacity condition (step S853; Yes), the request value calculation unit 141 determines that the parent device 40 needs a multilink function that transmits data over multiple channels (step S854).

[0069] If it is determined that there is no large capacity condition (step S853; No), and after steps S852 and S854 are completed, the requirement value calculation unit 141 determines whether there is a low latency condition for the selected device 30 (step S855). If it is determined that there is a low latency condition (step S855; Yes), the requirement value calculation unit 141 determines that a low latency function is required for the parent device 40 (step S856).

[0070] After step S856 is completed, or if it is determined in step S855 that there is no low latency condition (step S855; No), the requirement value calculation unit 141 selects one of the unselected master devices 40 that is located nearest to the slave device 50 connected to the selected device 30 (step S857). Specifically, with reference to the wireless device information 72, the master device 40 that is the shortest distance from the slave device 50 connected to the selected device 30 is selected.

[0071] Next, the requirement value calculation unit 141 determines whether the selected parent device 40 has the functions determined to be necessary in steps S852, S854, and S856 (step S858). If it is determined that the selected parent device 40 does not have the functions determined to be necessary (step S858; No), the requirement value calculation unit 141 determines whether all parent devices 40 specified in the system configuration information 71 have been selected (step S859).

[0072] If it is determined that not all parent devices 40 have been selected (step S859; No), the processes from step S857 onward are repeated. As a result, a parent device 40 having all the necessary functions is searched for, starting from the parent device 40 closest to the child device 50 connected to the selected device 30.

[0073] If it is determined in step S859 that all parent devices 40 have been selected (step S859; Yes), the request value calculation unit 141 records an error indicating that there is no parent device 40 to connect to, along with the name of the selected device 30 and the request values ​​calculated up to that point, and notifies the user of the content of the error by displaying it on the display unit 15 (step S8510). Thereafter, the processing by the support device 10 ends without determining the setting value.

[0074] If it is determined in step S858 that the parent device 40 has the function determined to be necessary (step S858; Yes), the request value calculation unit 141 determines the parent device 40 selected in step S857 as the connection destination of the child device 50 connected to the selected device 30 (step S8511). Thereafter, the processing by the request value calculation unit 141 returns from the connection destination determination processing in FIG. 13 to the request value calculation processing in FIG. 10.

[0075] Following the connection destination determination process of step S815, the requirement value calculation unit 141 calculates, for the selected device 30, a lower limit value for the communication speed of the communication path passing through the base unit 40 determined in step S815 (step S816). For example, when it is determined that the connection destination for device 31 is the base unit 41, the requirement value calculation unit 141 calculates a lower limit value for the communication speed of the first communication path shown in Fig. 12. That is, the allowable delay time in the wireless section is calculated to be 27 ms, the allowable transmission time in the wireless section is calculated to be 25 ms, and the lower limit value for the communication speed is calculated to be 4 kBps. These lower limit values ​​may be calculated using the same procedure as in Fig. 11, or values ​​already calculated in the process of Fig. 11 may be used.

[0076] Next, the request value calculation unit 141 determines whether all devices 30 defined in the system configuration information 71 have been selected (step S817). If it is determined that all devices 30 have not been selected (step S817; No), the request value calculation unit 141 repeats the processes from step S81 onwards. As a result, for each device 30, the parent device 40 to which the device 30 is to be connected and the lower limit value of the communication speed are determined as request values. On the other hand, if it is determined that all devices 30 have been selected (step S817; Yes), the request value calculation process ends. Through the above request value calculation process, for each device 30, the parent device 40 to which the device 30 should be connected, the lower limit value of the communication speed, and the presence or absence of a large capacity condition, a low latency condition, a high reliability condition, and mobility are determined as request values ​​required for control communication.

[0077] 8, following the request value calculation process of step S8, the setting value calculation unit 142 executes a setting value calculation process (step S9). In the setting value calculation process, as shown in Fig. 14, the setting value calculation unit 142 selects one unselected parent device 40 from the parent devices 40 determined as connection destinations for at least one child device 50 in the request value calculation process (step S91).

[0078] Next, the setting value calculation unit 142 calculates the overhead time from the overhead information 81 related to the selected base unit 40 (step S92). The overhead time is processing time required for tasks other than data transmission, including the time required for retransmissions due to transmission errors in wireless communication and the waiting time for wireless communication. The overhead time can be derived, for example, by estimating the number of retransmissions in wireless communication from the number of transmission errors and multiplying the estimated number of retransmissions by the transmission waiting time for wireless communication. Note that the overhead time may be derived using a method other than this derivation. For example, the relationship between statistical values ​​such as radio wave strength, the number of communication retries, and the number of reception errors and the actual wireless communication time may be learned using a method such as machine learning or deep learning, and the overhead time may be derived based on the learned relationship. Alternatively, the number of transmission errors and the transmission waiting time may be measured in the base unit 40 as statistical values ​​representing the communication status and included in the overhead information 81. Furthermore, the setting value calculation unit 142 may obtain the overhead time by referencing a table showing the relationship between the values ​​of items included in the overhead information 81 and average or typical overhead times.

[0079] Next, the set value calculation unit 142 calculates the communication speed that the selected base unit 40 should achieve, taking into account the overhead time calculated in step S92 (step S93). The setting value calculation unit 142 first calculates the difference obtained by subtracting the overhead time from the allowable transmission time for the wireless section calculated in the request value calculation process. For example, if the base unit 41 connected to the slave unit 51 via the first communication path in FIG. 12 is selected, the allowable transmission time is calculated as 25 ms, and if the overhead time for the base unit 41 is 5 ms, the difference between these is calculated as 20 ms. The setting value calculation unit 142 then calculates the communication speed by dividing the sum of the data sizes defined in the condition information 73 for the devices 30 connected to the selected base unit 40 via any of the slave units 50 by the calculated difference. In the case of the first communication path in FIG. 12, the device 30 connected to the base unit 40 is one device 31, and the data size of this device 31 is 100 bytes as can be seen from FIG. 7. Therefore, a communication speed of 5 kBps is calculated using the formula 100 / 20.

[0080] That is, the communication speed Y is calculated by the following formula (4) where Y is the communication speed that the base unit 40 should achieve, DS is the data size of each device 30, T2 is the allowable transmission time, and OH is the overhead time. Note that the allowable transmission time is determined for each device 30, so the communication speed calculated in step S93 may be the communication speed that should be achieved for each device 30 to which the selected base unit 40 is connected. For example, for the base unit 42, a first communication speed that should be achieved for device 32 and a second communication speed that should be achieved for device 33 may each be calculated by the following formula (4). Alternatively, a single communication speed may be calculated in step S93 using one representative value of multiple allowable transmission times determined for each device 30 to which the selected base unit 40 is connected. The representative value may be, for example, an average value or a minimum value.

[0081] Y = ΣDS / (T2-OH) (4)

[0082] Next, the setting value calculation unit 142 determines whether the devices 30 connected to the selected base unit 40 include a device 30 that satisfies the radio wave coverage condition (step S94). If it is determined that the devices 30 include a device 30 that satisfies the radio wave coverage condition (step S94; Yes), the setting value calculation unit 142 searches for a wireless communication standard, frequency band, and bandwidth that satisfy the communication speed calculated in step S93, under the condition that the frequency band includes a low frequency band that allows radio waves to travel long distances (step S95). Specifically, the setting value calculation unit 142 searches for a wireless communication standard, a frequency band that is at least one of the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band, and a bandwidth that satisfy the calculated communication speed. Note that the 2.4 GHz band may be determined as the frequency band to be used without searching for a frequency band.

[0083] On the other hand, if it is determined that the device 30 satisfying the radio wave coverage condition is not included (step S94; No), the set value calculation unit 142 searches for a wireless communication standard, a frequency band, and a bandwidth that satisfy the communication speed calculated in step S93, with the condition that the high frequency band is included (step S96). Specifically, the set value calculation unit 142 searches for a wireless communication standard, a frequency band that is at least one of the 5 GHz band and the 6 GHz band, and a bandwidth that satisfy the calculated communication speed.

[0084] Following steps S95 and S96, the set value calculation unit 142 determines whether or not there is a wireless communication standard, frequency band, and bandwidth that satisfy the communication speed (step S97). If it is determined that there is no wireless communication standard, frequency band, and bandwidth that satisfy the conditions defined in the condition information 73 (step S97; No), the set value calculation unit 142 causes the display unit 15 to notify the fact that there is no wireless communication standard, frequency band, and bandwidth that satisfy the conditions defined in the condition information 73, along with a list of the selected base unit 40, the slave units 50, and the devices 30 connected to the base unit 40, and the communication speed to be achieved, and records the details of the error (step S98). Then, the support device 10 ends the set value calculation process without determining the set value.

[0085] On the other hand, if it is determined that the wireless communication standard, frequency band, and bandwidth are present (step S97; Yes), the set value calculation unit 142 determines whether or not all of the base units 40 have been selected (step S99). If it is determined that not all of the base units 40 have been selected (step S99; No), the processing from step S91 onwards is repeated. As a result, each time a base unit 40 is selected, the wireless communication standard, frequency band, and bandwidth to be used are determined.

[0086] On the other hand, if it is determined that all base units 40 have been selected (step S99; Yes), the setting value calculation unit 142 searches for a channel allocation that avoids radio wave interference (step S910). The setting value calculation unit 142 then determines whether a channel allocation that avoids radio wave interference exists (step S911). If it determines that such a channel allocation does not exist (step S911; No), the setting value calculation unit 142 causes the display unit 15 to notify the fact that a channel allocation that avoids radio wave interference does not exist, along with the selected base unit 40 and the wireless communication standard, frequency band, and bandwidth determined for that base unit 40, and records the content of the error (step S912). The display unit 15 that notifies the error in steps S98 and S912 corresponds to an example of a notification unit that notifies the absence of a setting value when the setting value that should be determined based on the condition information and overhead information does not exist. Thereafter, the support device 10 ends the setting value calculation process without determining a setting value.

[0087] On the other hand, if it is determined that a channel is assigned (step S911; Yes), the setting value calculation unit 142 determines various setting values ​​for realizing control communication (step S913). Specifically, the setting values ​​for realizing control communication are determined as follows: the wireless communication standard, frequency band, and bandwidth searched and found in steps S95 and S96, the channel assignment searched and found in step S910, the base unit 40 as the connection destination determined in the connection destination determination process of Fig. 13, and whether or not functions determined in the connection destination determination process to be necessary for the base unit 40 are provided for the devices 30 connected to each base unit 40. Thereafter, the setting value calculation process ends.

[0088] 8, following the setting value calculation process of step S9, the output unit 16 outputs the setting values ​​to the parent device 40 and the child device 50 (step S10). As a result, wireless communication according to the determined setting values ​​is started between the parent device 40 and the child device 50 (step S11).

[0089] The display unit 15 also displays the setting values ​​(step S12). Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the display unit 15 displays to the user a screen including the required values ​​of each device 30 calculated by the required value calculation unit 141 and details of wireless communication including the set values. The displayed required values ​​of each device 30 include a lower limit of the communication speed and the presence or absence of each of the high-capacity condition, low-latency condition, high-reliability condition, and radio wave coverage condition. The details of wireless communication include the name of the master device 40 used for control communication, the name of the slave device 50 connected to each master device 40, the name and device ID of the device 30 connected to the slave device 50, the wireless communication standard, frequency band, bandwidth, and channel used between the master device 40 and the slave device 50, whether the master device 40 provides a multilink function and a low-latency function, and the status of wireless communication between the master device 40 and the slave device 50. The status of wireless communication includes radio wave strength, the number of communication retries, and the number of reception errors. The processing of the assistance device 10 described using FIGS. 8 to 16 corresponds to an example of a control communication assistance method.

[0090] As described above, the assistance device 10 according to this embodiment determines the wireless communication setting values ​​based on the execution conditions of the control communication and the wireless communication overhead. This allows the wireless communication method suitable for the FA system to be determined in consideration of the characteristics of the wireless communication. Furthermore, since the work of finding the wireless communication setting values ​​by trial and error is omitted, the burden on the user can be reduced.

[0091] The support device 10 is connected to at least two wireless devices that are in wireless communication with each other, and corresponds to an example of a control communication support device that determines setting values ​​of wireless communication methods to be set in the two wireless devices to perform control communication over a communication path including wireless communication between a control device that controls the devices and the communication devices. The device 30 corresponds to an example of a communication device that performs control communication with a control device.

[0092] Furthermore, the determination unit 14 calculates the communication speed to be achieved based on the communication cycle and data size required to execute the control communication, and the overhead. The determination unit 14 calculates the communication speed based on the difference obtained by subtracting a predetermined delay time for each device that performs or relays control communication on the communication path of the control communication from the communication cycle, the data size, and the overhead. The predetermined delay time for each device corresponds to D1 in the above formula (1) and D2 in the above formula (2). This is expected to ensure that control communication is achieved based on specific values.

[0093] Furthermore, the determination unit 14 determines the setting value only when the matching unit 13 matches the device IDs. Therefore, when a device 30 that the user does not intend to perform control communication with joins the control system 1000, it is possible to prevent the device 30 from erroneously performing control communication. This improves the security performance of the control system 1000. The determination unit 14 corresponds to an example of a determination means that determines the setting value based on the condition information and overhead information when the identification information indicated by the condition information is equal to the identification information received by the receiving means.

[0094] Furthermore, if the matching fails, if the parent device 40 to be connected cannot be found, or if other setting values ​​cannot be determined, the display unit 15 notifies the user of details of the error, which allows the user to investigate the cause of the error and easily reset the system configuration information 71, the wireless device information 72, and the condition information 73.

[0095] Embodiment 2 Next, the second embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. Note that the same reference numerals are used for configurations that are the same as or equivalent to those in the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the connection destination is determined via the slave device 50 of each device 30 so that the conditions required by each device 30 correspond to the functions that the master device 40 can provide. However, determining the connection destination in this manner may result in a large number of devices 30 that connect to a single master device 40, which may ultimately make it difficult to achieve control communication. In contrast, the present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the devices 30 to be connected to the master device 40 are selected to some extent according to priority.

[0096] 17 shows the flow of the request value calculation process according to this embodiment. In this request value calculation process, the request value calculation unit 141 selects one of the unselected devices 30 with the highest priority (step S81a). The priority indicates the degree of priority given to the device 30, which is predetermined for the execution conditions of the device 30.

[0097] For example, the priority of the device 30 that is determined by the requirement value calculation unit 141 to satisfy the low-delay condition based on the allowable delay time of the device 30 shown in the condition information 73 in Fig. 7 is "high," and the priority of the device 30 that is determined to not satisfy the low-delay condition is "low." Therefore, in the example of Fig. 7, the priority of the device 32 is "high," and the priorities of the devices 31 and 33 are "low," so the device 32 is selected in the first step S81a. Note that the priority is not limited to the low-delay condition, and may be determined based on other conditions or multiple conditions. Furthermore, the priority is not limited to two levels, "high" and "low," and three or more levels of priority may be defined, or may be determined numerically.

[0098] Following step S81a, the request value calculation unit 141 executes steps S82 to S814 similar to those in embodiment 1. Note that if the priority corresponds to the presence or absence of a low-delay condition, steps S86 to S88 may be omitted because the presence or absence of a low-delay condition has been determined when step S81a is executed.

[0099] Following steps S813 and S814, the request value calculation unit 141 executes a connection destination determination process (step S815a). In this connection destination determination process, steps S851 to S858 similar to those in the first embodiment are executed, as shown in Fig. 18. If it is determined in step S858 that the selected parent device 40 has the function determined to be necessary (step S858; Yes), the request value calculation unit 141 determines whether the parent device 40 has already been determined as a connection destination for another device 30 having a priority exceeding a threshold value (step S858a).

[0100] 17 is executed for the first time, device 32 with a "high" priority is selected, and the connection destination determination process of step S815a is executed for this device 32. In the connection destination determination process for device 32, it is determined in step S858 that parent device 42 has the necessary functions, and in step S858a, since there is no device 30 that has already been determined to be connected to parent device 42, the determination of step S858a is negative (step S858a; No), and the process proceeds to step S8511.

[0101] 17 is executed for the second or subsequent time, when a device 33 with a "low" priority is selected, a connection destination determination process of step S815a is executed for this device 33. In the connection destination determination process for device 33, even if it is determined in step S858 that parent device 42 has the necessary functions, the determination in step S858a is affirmative because there is a device 32 that has already been determined to be connected to that parent device 42.

[0102] If the determination in step S858a is affirmative (step S858a; Yes), the process proceeds to step S859, whereby another base unit 40 to which the connection is to be made is further searched for.

[0103] 19, the setting calculation process according to the present embodiment executes steps S91 to S97 similar to those of the first embodiment. If it is determined in step S97 that there are no wireless communication standards, frequency bands, and bandwidths that satisfy the communication speed to be achieved (step S97; No), the setting value calculation unit 142 changes the base unit 40 to which the device 30 with the lowest priority among the devices 30 connected to the selected base unit 40 is connected (step S98a). Specifically, as in the above-described connection destination determination process, the setting value calculation unit 142 searches for a base unit 40 that has functions that satisfy various conditions and is located next to the base unit 40 that is the current connection destination. When step S98a is completed, the process from step S92 onward is repeated. As a result, the number of devices 30 connected to the selected base unit 40 decreases, and the communication speed to be achieved decreases, and it is expected that a wireless communication standard, frequency band, and bandwidth that satisfy this communication speed will appear.

[0104] Fig. 20 shows an example of the flow of processing executed in the control system 1000 according to this embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 20, the master device 41 and the slave device 51 communicate with each other wirelessly (step S1), and then the slave device 52 connected to the device 32 is added.

[0105] The acquisition unit 11 of the support device 10 acquires the system configuration information 71, the wireless device information 72, and the condition information 73 (step S2), as in the first embodiment. Note that the information acquired in step S2 includes information about the added slave device 52 and device 32.

[0106] The slave device 52 transmits the device ID information 82 of the device 32 to the support device 10 (step S6a), and the receiving unit 12 of the support device 10 receives the overhead information 81 and the device ID information 82, as in embodiment 1 (step S6b).

[0107] Thereafter, the support device 10 executes a device ID matching process (step S7), a required value calculation process (step S8), and a set value calculation process (step S9), and outputs the determined set value (step S10).

[0108] If the connection destination of the handset 51 is changed from the base device 41 to the base device 42 by the setting value output in step S10 and the connection destination of the handset 52 is designated as the base device 41, the handset 51 sends a disconnection notice to the base device 41 (step S13) and sends a connection request to the base device 42 (step S14). A connection response is received from the base device 42 (step S15), and wireless communication is started between the base device 42 and the handset 51 (step S16). Furthermore, the handset 52 sends a connection request to the base device 41 (step S17), and when a connection response is received from the base device 41 (step S18), wireless communication is started between the base device 41 and the handset 52 (step S19).

[0109] As described above, even when the parent device 40 to be the connection destination is determined based on the distance between the parent device 40 and the child device 50, if it has already been determined that a high-priority device 30 is to be connected to the parent device 40, the determination unit 14 according to this embodiment further searches for another parent device 40 as the connection destination. This prevents a high-priority device 30 and another low-priority device 30 from being connected to the same parent device 40. This makes it possible to more reliably realize control communication for a high-priority device 30 than for a low-priority device 30.

[0110] The support device 10 corresponds to an example of a control communication support device connected to two sets of wireless devices, each set consisting of a master device and a slave device. The control device 20 corresponds to an example of a control device connected to each of the two slave devices via one of the two master devices. The acquisition unit 11 corresponds to an example of an acquisition means for acquiring condition information indicating an execution condition for a first communication device connected to the first set of slave devices and an execution condition for a second communication device connected to the second set of slave devices. After determining that the first set of slave devices should be connected to the first set of master devices, the determination unit 14 corresponds to an example of a determination means for determining, as a setting value, connection destination information indicating the second set of master devices as the connection destination for the second set of slave devices when a predetermined priority for the execution condition of the first communication device is higher than a threshold, even if the second set of slave devices should be connected to the first set of master devices according to environmental conditions related to the wireless communication environment, excluding the condition information. While the threshold corresponds to "low" in the above example, it is not limited to this and may be any value that allows priorities to be selected.

[0111] In the connection destination determination process, the determination unit 14 determines the parent device 40 to be the connection destination in descending order of the child device 50 connected to the device 30 with the highest priority. As a result, the parent device 40 with the best environmental conditions is determined as the connection destination in descending order of the child device 50 connected to the device 30 with the highest priority, ensuring reliable control communication. The determination unit 14 corresponds to an example of a determination means for determining the parent device to be the connection destination in descending order of the child device connected to the communication device with the highest priority.

[0112] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which distance is taken into consideration as an environmental condition, but the present invention is not limited to this. Radio wave intensity included in the communication status information may also be taken into consideration as an environmental condition.

[0113] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0114] 1 is an example, and the number of control devices 20, devices 30, parent devices 40, or child devices 50 may be changed as desired, and the connection relationships between the devices may be changed as desired. For example, one or more relay devices 60 may relay communication between the child devices 50 and the devices 30.

[0115] Although the example in which the control device 20 and the device 30 are separate devices from the parent device 40 and the child device 50 has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. The control device 20 may incorporate the functions of the parent device 40 and directly communicate wirelessly, or the device 30 may incorporate the functions of the child device 50 and directly communicate wirelessly.

[0116] Although the example has been described in which the parent device 40 and the child device 50 are used as wireless devices, the present invention is not limited to this. A plurality of equal wireless devices that are not subordinate to each other may perform wireless communication in a P2P (Peer to Peer) format.

[0117] Also, although an example has been described in which the receiving unit 12 receives overhead information 81 from the base unit 40, the receiving unit 12 may receive the overhead information 81 created by the base unit 40 via the slave unit 50, or may receive the overhead information 81 created by the slave unit 50 from the slave unit 50. Furthermore, the receiving unit 12 may receive the overhead information 81 from both the base unit 40 and the slave unit 50. The receiving unit 12 corresponds to an example of a receiving means that receives information related to the overhead of wireless communication from at least one of the two wireless devices.

[0118] Although the example of deriving the overhead time and determining the setting value based on the derived overhead time has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the determination unit 14 may derive the rate at which communication efficiency decreases due to wireless communication overhead and calculate the communication speed to be achieved based on this rate. The determination unit 14 corresponds to an example of a determination means that calculates the communication speed required for executing control communication based on the communication cycle, data size, and wireless communication overhead and determines the setting value that achieves the calculated communication speed.

[0119] Furthermore, it is not necessary to calculate the communication speed to be achieved. For example, a table may be prepared that defines in advance the relationship between the setting value and the value and the overhead that can be specified in the condition information 73, and the setting value may be determined by referring to the table.

[0120] In addition, an example has been described in which the setting value includes all of the wireless communication standard, frequency band, and bandwidth. However, since the wireless communication standard, frequency band, or bandwidth may be fixed, the setting value may include some of the wireless communication standard, frequency band, and bandwidth and not include the others.

[0121] Although the example has been described in which the output destination of the output unit 16 is a wireless device and the output of the setting value corresponds to setting the setting value in the wireless device, the present invention is not limited to this. The output unit 16 may output the determined setting value to the display unit 15 or an external display device. A user who visually recognizes the displayed setting value may manually set the setting value in the wireless device.

[0122] Furthermore, when notifying the user of the contents of the error, the part of the system configuration information 71, the wireless device information 72, and the condition information 73 that caused the error or that is related to the error may be highlighted.

[0123] Furthermore, the error notification does not have to be a display on the display unit 15. For example, the error notification may be a voice notification via a speaker or may be sent by email.

[0124] The functions of the support device 10 according to the above-described embodiment can be realized by dedicated hardware or by an ordinary computer system.

[0125] For example, program P1 can be stored and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), and by installing program P1 on a computer, a device that executes the above-mentioned processing can be configured.

[0126] Furthermore, the program P1 may be stored in a disk device of a server device on a communication network such as the Internet, and may be downloaded to a computer by superimposing it on a carrier wave, for example.

[0127] The above process can also be achieved by starting and executing the program P1 while transferring it via a network such as the Internet.

[0128] Furthermore, the above-described processing can also be achieved by executing all or part of program P1 on a server device, and executing program P1 while the computer sends and receives information about the processing via a communications network.

[0129] In addition, if the above functions are realized by an operating system (OS) or by a collaboration between the OS and an application, only the parts other than the OS may be stored on a medium and distributed, or may be downloaded to a computer.

[0130] Furthermore, the means for realizing the functions of the support device 10 is not limited to software, and some or all of the functions may be realized by dedicated hardware or circuits.

[0131] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of equivalent disclosures are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0132] The present disclosure is suitable for application of wireless communication in FA fields. [Explanation of symbols]

[0133] 10 Support device, 11 Acquisition unit, 12 Receiving unit, 13 Matching unit, 14 Determination unit, 15 Display unit, 16 Output unit, 20 Control device, 30-33 Equipment, 40-42 Parent unit, 50-53 Child unit, 60-62 Relay device, 71 System configuration information, 72 Wireless device information, 73 Condition information, 81 Overhead information, 82 Device ID information, 101 Processor, 102 Main memory unit, 103 Auxiliary memory unit, 104 Input unit, 105 Output unit, 106 Communication unit, 107 Internal bus, 141 Required value calculation unit, 142 Setting value calculation unit, 1000 Control system, 1001 Facility, P1 Program.

Claims

1. A control communication assistance device that is connected to at least two wireless devices that wirelessly communicate with each other, and determines setting values ​​of a wireless communication method to be set in the two wireless devices in order to execute control communication between a control device that controls equipment and a communication device through a communication path including the wireless communication, an acquisition means for acquiring condition information indicating a communication cycle of the control communication and a size of data to be transmitted within the communication cycle as an execution condition of the control communication; receiving means for receiving overhead information indicating a communication status related to overhead of the wireless communication from at least one of the two wireless devices; a determination means for determining the setting value based on the condition information and the overhead information; an output means for outputting the setting values ​​determined by the determination means to the two wireless devices to set them, or outputting the setting values ​​to a display device to display them; Equipped with The overhead of the wireless communication is a load specific to the wireless communication that does not occur when the wireless communication is replaced with wired communication, and includes a load caused by the communication data not being transmitted smoothly due to environmental factors related to electromagnetic waves. Control and communication support equipment.

2. the setting value includes at least one value of a wireless communication standard, a frequency band, and a bandwidth; The control communication assistance device according to claim 1 .

3. the determining means calculates a communication speed required for executing the control communication based on the communication cycle, the size of the data, and the overhead of the wireless communication, and determines the setting value that achieves the calculated communication speed. The control communication assistance device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the determination means calculates the communication speed based on a difference obtained by subtracting a predetermined delay time for each device that performs the control communication or relays the control communication on the communication path from the communication period, the size of the data, and the overhead of the wireless communication; The control communication assistance device according to claim 3 .

5. A control communication assistance device connected to the communication device that is the equipment controlled by the control device, the condition information indicates, in association with each other, identification information of the device, the communication cycle of the control communication to be executed for the device, and the size of the data to be transmitted within the communication cycle; the receiving means receives the identification information of the device from the device; the determining means determines the setting value based on the condition information and the overhead information when the identification information indicated by the condition information is equal to the identification information received by the receiving means. The control communication assistance device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. a notification means for notifying that the device not registered in the condition information has been connected when the identification information indicated by the condition information differs from the identification information received by the receiving means; The control communication assistance device according to claim 5 , further comprising:

7. a control communication support device connected to two sets of the wireless devices, each set including the two wireless devices; The two wireless devices are a master unit having a function of connecting to a plurality of slave units, and the slave units, the control device is connected to each of the two child devices via one of the two parent devices; the acquiring means acquires the condition information indicating the execution condition for a first communication device connected to a first set of slave devices and the execution condition for a second communication device connected to a second set of slave devices; the determining means, after determining that the connection destination of the slave device of the first set is the master device of the first set, determines, as the setting value, connection destination information indicating the master device of the second set as the connection destination of the slave device of the second set, when a predetermined priority for the execution condition of the first communication device is higher than a threshold value, even if the slave device of the second set should be connected to the master device of the first set according to environmental conditions related to the wireless communication environment excluding the condition information; The control communication assistance device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. the determining means determines the master unit to be connected to in order from the slave unit connected to the communication device with the highest priority. The control communication assistance device according to claim 7.

9. a display means for displaying the set value determined by the determination means; The control communication assistance device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

10. a notification means for notifying the absence of the setting value when the setting value to be determined based on the condition information and the overhead information does not exist; The control communication assistance device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

11. the acquiring means acquires the condition information via a user interface. The control communication assistance device according to claim 1 or 2.

12. A control communication assistance method that is executed by a control communication assistance device connected to at least two wireless devices that are wirelessly communicating with each other, and determines setting values ​​of a wireless communication method to be set in the two wireless devices in order to perform control communication between a control device that controls equipment and a communication device over a communication path that includes the wireless communication, an acquisition means acquires condition information indicating a communication cycle of the control communication and a size of data to be transmitted within the communication cycle as an execution condition of the control communication; a receiving means for receiving overhead information indicating a communication state related to an overhead of the wireless communication from at least one of the two wireless devices; a determining means for determining the setting value based on the condition information and the overhead information; an output means for outputting the setting values ​​determined by the determination means to the two wireless devices for setting, or outputting the setting values ​​to a display device for displaying. This includes: The overhead of the wireless communication is a load specific to the wireless communication that does not occur when the wireless communication is replaced with wired communication, and includes a load caused by the communication data not being transmitted smoothly due to environmental factors related to electromagnetic waves. Control communication support method.

13. a computer connected to at least two wireless devices that wirelessly communicate with each other, the computer determining setting values ​​of the wireless communication method to be set in the two wireless devices in order to execute control communication between a control device that controls equipment and a communication device through a communication path including the wireless communication; acquire condition information indicating a communication cycle of the control communication and a size of data to be transmitted within the communication cycle as an execution condition of the control communication; receiving overhead information indicating a communication state related to an overhead of the wireless communication from at least one of the two wireless devices; determining the setting value based on the condition information and the overhead information; outputting the determined setting values ​​to the two wireless devices for setting, or outputting the determined setting values ​​to a display device for displaying. Let it be done, The overhead of the wireless communication is a load specific to the wireless communication that does not occur when the wireless communication is replaced with wired communication, and includes a load caused by the communication data not being transmitted smoothly due to environmental factors related to electromagnetic waves. Control communication support program.

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